8 Health Benefits of Eggs

March 25, 2013 By 6 Comments

I love me some eggs. Scrambled, fried, hard boiled, whatever … I’ll take them any way (but raw). I also happen to have high cholesterol. So what’s a girl to do? Deny herself of her favorite breakfast food? No. Say it isn’t so.

It isn’t so!

Many believe that eggs contribute to heart disease and stroke. And while this still remains an area of debate among some, a plethora of highly regarded research studies exists in favor of the egg. For example, this Harvard School of Public Health study concluded that among healthy individuals, one egg per day is unlikely to lead to coronary heart disease. And this study by the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Connecticut not only found no evidence to support a correlation between egg consumption and cardiovascular risk among healthy individuals, but it also uncovered multiple health benefits derived from eggs.

One egg has 6 grams of high quality with 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It is high in choline, sulphur and numerous beneficial vitamins and minerals. It’s a good source of cartenoids and is one of the few foods that contains naturally occurring vitamin D.

So what does this all mean? Let me break it down for you.

8 health benefits of eggs:

  1. Helps regulate the brain, nervous system and cardiovascular system.
  2. Aids in muscle growth and helps to repair muscle tissue.
  3. Protects eyes from free radicals and sunlight.
  4. Been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
  5. Reduces inflammation.
  6. Helps prevent blood clots.
  7. Keeps you feeling fuller for longer
  8. Promotes healthy hair and nails.

So there you have it: eggs are good for you! But like anything else, you don’t want to go overboard. Enjoy in moderation.

For more tips about healthy eating, grab a copy of my eBook How to Eat Healthy Without Noticing: a Non-Dieter’s Guide to Eating Better.

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photo source: freedigitalphotos.net

Filed Under: Mom's Musings, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

Healthy habits progress report…

January 17, 2013 By 10 Comments

Back in September, I wrote a post about all the new healthy habits I was going to adopt. (You can read about it here.) Since it is now January—a time for looking inward and taking stock—I thought it would be a good idea to revisit that list to see how I’m doing.

So here goes… the moment of truth:

Go to at least one yoga class a week

√+

Not only have I been consistently going to Yoga, I’m taking classes that push me to the limit—classes that make me sweat and give me sore muscles the next day.  More than the total body workout I feel like I’m getting (some of those poses are a bitch to hold!), I am finding that it calms my anxious mind. This is one habit I intend to keep.

My new goal: take two yoga classes a week. There are two at my gym that fit perfectly into my schedule, so no excuses.

Drink at least one cup of green tea per day

√++

I am officially obsessed with green tea. This makes me sound like the lamest person on the planet — I mean, who’s obsessed with green tea? Could I not find a more fun obsession, like wine or chocolate? Apparently not. Anyhoo, here’s the deal: Research shows that drinking up to 32 to 40 oz of green tea per day can scavenge free radicals (those thingies that do all sorts of bad stuff to your body). With that in mind, I started drinking it like a fiend. On average, I consume about 35 – 40 oz of green tea per day.

I attribute my modest green tea consumption to two things:

First, my super cool 20-oz Monster’s Inc. mug. Two of these mugfuls per day and I’m golden.

Second, the awesome variety of green teas on the market. I have about 6 different kids—from mint to jasmine, to candy cane to blueberry to Constant Comment and more. My green tea doesn’t taste like green tea; it tastes like whatever yummy flavor it comes in, and I love it!

 

Continue drinking lots of water

√-

At one point, I was drinking water like it was going out of style. But since I’ve upped my daily intake of tea, my water intake has dropped. But that’s okay. Drinking tea (which I do without sugar) gives me the same benefits as water, like keeping me hydrated and flushing my system of toxins. So, I’m giving myself a √- because while I’m not drinking lots of plain water, I am hydrating like crazy.

Take more cooking classes

X

I haven’t taken a single cooking class since I wrote the original post. BUT, it’s for good reason. My consulting work has picked up and I’ve been busy making money. That said, I do intend to try to squeeze in one or two over the next few months. In fact, I just got my dad for his birthday a cooking class for the two of us. He wants to learn how to cook and I could always use a refresher. So in April, we will learn about seven different ways to cook with eggs (creme brûlée is involved).

Eat more fruit and veggies

√+

Yup, I’ve done well here. A few months ago, at the urging of a friend of mine, I bought a super green powder called Greens First. It’s basically a whole bunch of healthy stuff (much of which nobody’s ever heard of, like spirala and chlorella) that’s been juiced and dried at a low temperature to maintain its nutritional properties. One scoop provides the antioxidants of nine fruits and veggies. I usually mix it into a tasty smoothie that usually includes some variation of strawberries, blueberries, bananas, pineapple, raspberries and grapefruit or orange juice. (And of course, a few teaspoons of elderberry syrup for an extra immune boost during flu season.)

 

Hit the gym at least 3 days per week

√- 

So here’st he deal with the gym: I definitely haven’t been doing three days a week. At one point, I was doing two, one of which was yoga. So, I guess I haven’t achieved this goal.  That said, my new strategy, as mentioned above, is to take two challenging yoga classes a week. I have decided to only focus on this and skip the treadmill for a bit. I’d like to see how I fare going the yoga route. I hope I see measurable results because I really hate working out. I’d much rather take a few yoga classes.

Deep breathing

√-

I practice my deep breathing when I think of it, but not as often as I need to. When I’m feeling anxious it’s my first course of action, so at least there’s that. But I really need to just spend a few minutes a day doing deep breathing, not including when I’m doing it in yoga. Even as I sit here now and type, my breathing is shallow. I just had to stop myself and take ten deep breaths. That’s what I need to do more of.

Stretching

√

I stretch here and there, but not every day. That said, yoga does an excellent job at forcing me into all sorts of crazy stretches—ones that supposedly “squeeze the toxins out of my kidneys” and “stimulate my immune system,” and so on.  So, I’m not stretching every day, but when I do in yoga, I’m doing a pretty thorough job of it.

So there it is. I am relatively proud of my progress. Sure, if I did all of the above items consistently, I’d be better off. But compared to where I was a year ago, I’m way ahead of the game.

If you’d like to try any of the stuff I mentioned above, I’ve got links to it in my sidebar. I would be lost without Amazon!

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Filed Under: Mom's Musings, Nutrition, Physical well being, Positive Attitude Tagged With: , , , , ,

Elderberry to fight the flu

January 13, 2013 By 10 Comments

So it seems we are in the midst of a nasty flu epidemic. Though my kids and I all got vaccinated, I know nothing is 100%. In fact, the CDC reports that this year’s flu vaccine is 62% effective in fighting the flu. No cause for alarm here; apparently this is pretty typical of the flu shot.

That said, I am taking all the necessary precautions: I’m washing my hands and trying—TYRING—to get my kids to do the same; I’m making sure we’re all getting ample sleep; I’m keeping up with everybody’s daily vitamin requirements and so on. But there’s something else I’m doing—something that’s been proven very effective in the fight against the flu and other viral infections; Something that a good friend of mine introduced me to about five years ago; Something that I, personally, have found to work wonders:

Elderberry. 

Black elderberry extract, actually. Ever heard of it? It’s funny, when I first started taking it, I used to have to go to my local health food store to get it. But I recently started noticing it in CVS and other drug stores. That, in and of itself, is evidence of its increasing popularity.

And why is it becoming increasingly popular? Because it’s awesome.

Black elderberry extract comes from the elderberry shrub. Though commonly used in wines, juices, jellies and jams, elderberry is most widely known for its use as a safe, anti-viral, immune-boosting supplement. Studies show that elderberry can ward off viruses and minimize symptoms of the flu, including sore throat, cough, fever and headaches. In fact, one study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine revealed that 90% of those infected with the flu virus who were given elderberry extract were cured within two to three days as opposed to six days in the control group.

While the medical community is often reluctant to promote the use of herbal remedies in the treatment of medical conditions, elderberry seems to be one that is recognized by holistic practitioners and medical doctors alike. My doctor has even made mention of it in recent visits.

Elderberry is extremely rich in flavonoids (a groups of compounds with beneficial antioxidant effects). But it’s the specific type of flavonoid—the anthocyanins—that makes elderberry special. Anthocyanins are thought to boost the production of cytokines. Cytokines alert the body when increased immune response is required; They send the T-Cells into battle against the infection. Elderberry is such a powerful antioxidant, in fact, that the United States Department of Agriculture gives it an ORAC score of more than double that of blueberries. An ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) score measures antioxidant levels in foods. The higher the score the better.

More than an anti-viral, elderberry has also been shown to help lower cholesterol, improve vision and promote heart health. I’m all over that action.

So there you have it. Elderberry extract is all sorts of awesome. And it’s not gross or hard to take. You can buy elderberry in the form of a syrup-like liquid extract, chewable tablets or small easy-to-swallow capsules. The syrup and chewables are actually pretty yummy, so you may be able to get your kids to take it as well. If you can’t find it at your pharmacy or local health food store, look online. But honestly, it’s becoming so mainstream that it is pretty easy to find.

I take elderberry every day. In fact, I’ve recently started mixing the syrup into my fruit smoothies. It’s good to take as a preventative measure, but if you’re not keen on the idea of a daily dose, you can just take it at the first sign of a cold or flu. Since I started taking elderberry a few years ago, I’ve noticed that it takes me only a day or two to recover from a cold, as opposed to three or four days before.

Here’s more info for your reading pleasure:

Vitamins and Supplements Guide: Elderberry – Web MD
Black Elderberry @ blackelderberryinfo.com
Elderberry Fights Flu Symptoms

Can’t find it at your local drug store, you can get it from Amazon:

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photo source: freedigitalphotos.net

 

Filed Under: Food Tips and Tricks, Mom's Musings, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Foods to Fight Breast Cancer

October 25, 2012 By 4 Comments

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And every year at this time, it seems I learn a little bit more about the disease. I have a couple of friends who’ve had to deal with breast cancer — either personally or in their families — and in honor of them, I decided to write about it today.

Did you know that a woman has a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime? I’ll admit it, this scares me. But there’s good news: according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, it is estimated that one-third of the most common cancers — breast included — could be prevented through a healthier diet, adequate physical activity and a healthy body weight.

Why is this good news? Because this is something we can control.  We, as human beings, have the great privilege of being able to choose what we eat and how physically active we are.

Inspired by this information, this girl did her research (as usual). I uncovered a number of foods that have been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer.

10 Foods to Fight Breast Cancer:

Cruciferous vegetables (i.e. broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage)  - Mom always told you to eat your broccoli. Turns out, mom was right. Cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolate, a natural chemical that is thought to help enhance the body’s defenses against cancer.

Spinach - A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that women who consumed spinach twice per week were 44% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who didn’t. The agents in spinach–chlorophyll, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants–all work together to help prevent cancer.

Garlic - Foods in the garlic and onion family contain allium compounds which may helpthe body’s natural defense against cancer. Allyl sulfides are thought to block the effects of carcinogens and slow the development of stomach, esophagus, colon, lung and breast cancer.

Fatty Fish – The omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, such as salmon, fresh tuna, herring and mackerel, have not only been proven to contribute to heart health, but are also thought to protect against and slow the spread of hormone-related tumor cells.

Flax Seeds - Research shows that the phytoestrogens, or “plant estrogens,” found in flax seeds may help to block estrogen, thereby reducing the risk of certain types of estrogen-related of cancers, including uterine, prostate and breast.

Cherries - Cherries contain a natural compound, perillyl alcohol, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in pancreatic, liver, lung and breast cancer.

Tomatoes – The lycopene present in tomatoes (which can also be found in pink grapefruit, watermelon and apricots) is thought to destroy harmful free radicals (unstable molecules that can form into cells that promote cancer growth) and also slow the growth of breast cancer cells.

Olive Oil - The lignans found in extra virgin olive oil is a potent antioxidant that has been shown to suppress early cancer cell changes in colon, prostate and breast cancers. In fact, a 2008 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine reported a link between olive oil and a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

Berries - Containing a whole host of cancer-fighting compounds, including anthocyanins, ellagic acid, kaempferol and quercetin, berries are thought to neutralize free radicals in healthy cells and slow the growth of breast cancer.

Green Tea – Green tea contains, EGCG, a catechin that has been shown to scavenge free radicals and reduce tumors in early stages and slow the growth of cancer cells.

More than adding these healthy gems to your diet, experts also recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, keeping saturated fats and salt to a minimum, and maintaining a healthy weight — particularly for post-menopausal women.

Sources:
Reader’s Digest: Fight Back With Food
9 Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention
Breast Cancer Prevention Foods

Related posts:
How to live a longer life
Why water?
Foods you think are healthy, but…

Photos: freedigitalphotos.net

Filed Under: Nutrition, Physical well being, Positive Attitude Tagged With: ,

Fooducate: Making Better Choices While Grocery Shopping

October 7, 2012 By 14 Comments

I don’t love reading nutritional labels. It’s hard to know what to even look for: how much fiber is enough; How much salt is too much; which ingredients are artificial and potentially dangerous.

I’ve just discovered a way to make it a little bit easier: Fooducate. This super cool mobile app grades individual food items based on a variety of nutritional factors. It’s so easy to use and extremely informative. (No, this is not a product review. I just happen to love this app!)

So, here are the features of the app, as described on the site: (and no, this is not a paid product review. I just happen to love this app!):

  • Created by dietitians and concerned parents
  • Uses your mobile’s camera to effortlessly scan UPC barcode
  • Over 200,000 unique products and growing daily
  • Simplified information helps you make better choices
  • Works on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android OS version 2.2 and up

With Fooducate, I have made some eye-opening discoveries, which I plan to share with you on an ongoing basis. Today, I will be talking about some common kids food items: cereal, cookies and snacks.

First up: cereal for kids.

I compared Capt’n Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Life, Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat and Cheerios. Here’s what I found out:

CAP’N CRUNCH

Okay, not so suprising. Actually, I expected it to get a D or lower. But either way, I’m staying away from this one.

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FROSTED FLAKES


This one was a little surprising. Yeah, there’s sugar, but I figured it’s covering healthy flakes. But healthy it’s not; it contains the controversial BHT additive, which is thought to be a potential carcinogen. No thanks.

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LIFE CEREAL

Getting better, but still not nearly as good as what you’d think based on its commercials. This, too, has the BTH additive. I think I’ll pass — which is a shame because my kids love it.

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FIBER ONE FROSTED SHREDDED WHEAT

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! Similar to Kellog’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat is an excellent choice. Though it, too, has 3 tsp of sugar per serving, it’s also packed with fiber and iron. Unlike it’s Kellog’s counterpart, this gem does not come with the BTH additive. My kids love it.  This one is in my pantry as we speak.

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CHEERIOS


And we have another winner! This one, I’m sure, comes as no surprise to anyone. Cheerios really is the gold standard of cereals. My kids love it and so does the American Heart Association. Awesome + Awesome = Super Awesome!

Next Up: Kids cookies.

My kids love cookies. If we don’t have some sort of cookies on hand, I have to hear about how the other kids’ moms are so much cooler because they have “good food” in their houses. So cookies I must have.

That said, I compared Snackwell’s, Nilla Wafers and Oreos. See my discoveries below:

SNACKWELL’S

Trans fats! No, no, no! Trans fats are evil; they are the worst of all the fats around! And highly processed? Another big no-no. That said, no Snackwells for this family.

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NILLA WAFERS

Trans fats and highly processed–again? Okay, bye bye Nilla Wafers. You’re not what I thought you were.

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OREOS


We have a winner! Oreos… yay!  Okay, I’m not saying it’s a super food or anything, but as far as cookies go, you could do worse. Here’s what the good folks over at Fooducate have to say about it:

“Unlike other industrial cookies, classic Oreo cookies do not have artificial colors or partially hydrogenated oils. And while Oreos are high in sugar, one serving of Oreos (3 cookies) has less sugar than a single serving of most juices.”

As for the High Fructose Corn Syrup, it’s not great. We all know that. But experts now believe that it’s no worse than regular sugar.

That said, for an occasional cookie, I’m turning to Oreos. Of the three, this one is by far my kids’ favorite anyway. Win-win.

Final category for today: kids munchies.

I always struggle with which snacks to put in my kids’ lunch boxes for school. So, I compared Cheez-its, Pirates Booty, Pretzels, Goldfish and Triscuits. 

CHEEZ-ITS

Really? Cheezits? I’m a bit surprised by this one. But here’s the deal: it’s made with refined flours and it has another controversial additive– TBHQ. This one is a petroleum derivative that can cause nausea, delirium, and ringing of the ears. Granted, that’s probably if ingested in large doses, but still.

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PIRATE’S BOOTY

This one doesn’t go into detail on the screen shot about why it’s not so awesome, but I did a little research. Though Pirates Booty doesn’t contain any of the really bad stuff, it doesn’t have much to offer, nutritionally speaking.

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PRETZELS

I’ve talked about pretzels before. It seems like a healthy snack, but it’s made with simple carbs and, like Pirates Booty, doesn’t offer much in the way of added nutrients. You could do worse, but you could do better.

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GOLDFISH

The runner up goes to Goldfish. No, it’s not made from 100% whole wheat, but it’s still better than most snacks out there. But keep in mind, this rating is for the original version, not flavor blasted or pizza flavored. Those have all sorts of added stuff that brings the ratings down.

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TRISCUIT CRACKERS

The best of the four options: Triscuits! It’s made with whole grains and is low in fat and calories. Don’t want the original version? No problem; the flavored versions, including Touch of Salt, Garden Herb, Parmesan Garlic and more, all come in at a B+ as well!

So, there you have it. Some of my recent lessons learned in the supermarket. Stay tuned for my next installment in this series, to come next month.

For more like this, see posts on nutrition.

For healthy eating tips and tricks, see How To Eat Healthy Without Noticing: A Non-dieter’s Guide To Eating Better. 

Photo source: freedigitalphotos.net

Filed Under: Food Tips and Tricks, Nutrition, Physical well being Tagged With: , , ,
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