Category: Healthy Living

How to Get Started on the Mediterranean Diet

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date October 1, 2019

By now you’ve probably heard a lot about the Mediterranean Diet. This eating pattern was named the best overall diet of 2019 and has been linked to preventing diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and certain cancers, and reducing inflammation. If you’re ready to do what’s right for your health, right now is a great time to adopt the Mediterranean-style eating pattern. And according to Amy Riolo, bestselling author, chef, television personality, and educator, getting started is easier than you might think.

“One of the best things about the Mediterranean-style eating pattern is that there’s no rigid ‘one size fits all’ daily intake list to stick to,” says Riolo, author of the American Diabetes Association’s The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook, 2nd Edition: A Flavorful, Heart-Healthy Approach to Cooking (American Diabetes Association, May 2019, ISBN: 978-1-580-40702-1, $22.95). “The guidelines are simple and easy to follow, and you get to eat delicious food without feeling deprived.”

The Mediterranean Diet centers around seasonal produce, fish and seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy, and small amounts of meat and sweets. While choosing from a cornucopia of foods, followers of this lifestyle can decide what they would like to eat and when. But with so many options it can feel overwhelming to get started. Here are some tips from Riolo to help you begin the Mediterranean Diet today.

Rethink your relationship to food.

“Food in the Mediterranean region is more than just fuel,” says Riolo. “Throughout the region, preparing and enjoying food is viewed as one of life’s greatest pleasures, a reason for socializing, a form of art, an act of worship, a means of gift-giving, culinary medicine, and much more. Restaurant dining is less important than sharing meals at home with family and friends. Remember this mindset as you incorporate more Mediterranean-themed meals into your diet. It will help you prioritize and even look forward to preparing healthier homecooked meals.”

Eat plenty of plant-based foods and seafood.

“To start following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, plan your meals around plant-based foods including seasonal vegetables, fruit, and whole grains,” says Riolo. “Be sure to incorporate fish at least two to three times a week. Cook with olive oil. Enjoy dairy often and consume meats and sweets only sparingly. Try to cook as much of your food as possible and incorporate the freshest, highest quality foods you can find.”

Stock your Mediterranean diet pantry.

Having a well-stocked pantry saves you time, money, and stress when you’re ready to cook, and encourages you to eat healthfully. Begin stocking your pantry today. Don’t worry — you can take your time with this, purchasing a new item or two each time you visit the grocery store. When you’re done, you’ll have the foods and products needed to whip up a healthy Mediterranean meal.

Some essentials to buy first include extra-virgin olive oil; balsamic vinegar; baking goods like whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour; sea salt; canned black beans, cannellini beans, and dried lentils; canned tomatoes; canned tuna; whole wheat pasta; grains like basmati rice, couscous, and bulgur wheat; dried herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, and sage; and spices and seeds such as cayenne pepper, coriander, ground ginger, cumin, and sesame, fennel, and caraway seeds. You can find a full list of Mediterranean pantry items here.

Keep fresh foods on hand too.

In addition to your stocked pantry of dry goods, you will need plenty of fresh proteins, veggies, fruits, dairy, and other items to create your meals each week. Plan to make weekly trips to the grocery store to buy fresh ingredients like fish fillets and chicken breasts; lemons; celery, carrots, and onions; assorted lettuces; potatoes and sweet potatoes; eggs; cheeses like parmesan, goat, and feta; and yogurt.

Find some simple and healthy Mediterranean Diet recipes.

You don’t have to be a trained chef to cook delicious homecooked meals, says Riolo. The beauty of Mediterranean cooking is that the ingredients are simple and the preparation methods are easy to execute. Start out with easy recipes. You can save more elaborate meals for holidays and special occasions. The Mediterranean Cookbook, 2nd Edition is a great place to find plenty of recipes that are big on flavor and easy to prepare. The Italian Diabetes Cookbook is another good resource.

Some Mediterranean Recipes to Try Out

Make a meal plan.

Plan your meals on a weekly basis. Start by deciding which dishes you would like to eat in the upcoming week. Take into consideration the time you will have for cooking, which ingredients you already have on hand (and what you’ll need to buy at the grocery store), and whether your meals contain healthy assortments of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Make a grocery list and a schedule of when you will prepare which dishes.

Plan ahead for busy days.

“A busy schedule doesn’t have to prevent you from preparing healthy meals,” says Riolo. “On days when you have an hour to cook, try preparing two quick main dishes, one to eat that day and one to keep for a day when you don’t have time to cook.”

Get the whole family involved.

Getting other people in your household involved in meal prep can prevent any one person from feeling overwhelmed. Post a schedule on the refrigerator and delegate tasks. One person can make the salad, another can chop vegetables, and so on.

Supercharge your health with other Mediterranean lifestyle changes.

The foods you eat greatly impact your health. But people are healthiest when their overall lifestyle is geared toward wellness. So, in addition to adopting the Mediterranean Diet, Riolo recommends embracing the Mediterranean lifestyle as well. This includes getting plenty of exercise and physical activity throughout the day and participating in communal eating. Enjoy regular family dinners, lunch outings with coworkers, and frequent dinner parties with friends. And for optimal health and fitness, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags diabetes, Mediterranean Diet

Healthy Living

Answers to Questions About Plant-based Eating

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 24, 2019

Having a diet rich in plant-based sources is becoming increasingly common, especially with younger generations driving the conversation around sustainability. In this post, James Collier, co-Founder and Head of Nutrition at Huel, a nutrition company offering a variety of plant-based powders and ready-to-drink beverages, answers some common questions about plant-based eating.

What is plant-based eating?

A plant-based diet is a diet that consists mainly of foods from plants. Such foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Meat intake is minimal if any.

There are many reasons why people eat a plant-based diet including environmental, ethical and health concerns. I am not suggesting to eliminate meat from a person’s diet completely, however, reducing meat and animal food consumption is one of the quickest and simple ways an individual can reduce their carbon footprint.

What foods should we eat to achieve daily recommended nutrients, vitamins, minerals on a plant-based diet?

There are some easy ways to ensure, with a plant-based diet, you can get the recommended amounts of all nutrients:

Eat the rainbow.
As different color foods usually contain different levels of nutrients, it’s important to eat a variety. For example, the phytonutrient, lycopene which is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage and gives tomatoes its red color. While carotenoids, another group of antioxidants, give fruits and vegetables orange and yellow colors, such as carrots.

Get enough Vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12, which plays a vital role in helping the body produce red blood cells can usually be perceived as tricky to get enough of with a plant-based diet. The good news is, it’s really not. As a start, try incorporating plant-based milks that are that are fortified with B12, and calcium and vitamin D. Cereals, meat alternatives and some soy products are often fortified with B12 too. Taking a B12 supplement also rids any concerns.

Ensure adequate omega-3 consumption.
If oily fish is not part of your eating plan, then foods such as walnuts, soy and flaxseed are ways to ensure adequate omega 3 consumption. Flaxseed is one of Huel’s six main ingredients and contains the omega-3 essential fatty acid ALA. Omega-3 fats are generally low in a Western diet and adequate omega-3 consumption is important to support cardiovascular health.

Keep your iron up.
Iron is not just found in meat food sources. Dark leafy greens, nuts and dried fruits are great sources of iron. Iron is crucial for oxygen transport, cognitive function and the immune system. Iron from plant sources can be harder to absorb, but again, there’s no need to worry. Iron absorption can also be increased by the presence of vitamin C which is found in lots of fruits and vegetables such as oranges and peppers. It’s where the idea of having orange juice with breakfast comes from — to increase the iron that is added to cereals.

How do you transition to plant-based eating?

Whether your motivation to increase plant-based foods to your eating plan is to improve your health or environmental footprint, incorporating higher amounts of plant-based foods can be achievable.

Make small changes over time.
Start by eating one plant-based meal a day. This will be easier to stick with rather than making large, unsustainable changes overnight.

Make some easy fridge swaps.
A good place to start is by swapping dairy milk with almond or oat milk such as Oatly. The rapidly growing plant-based meat industry lead by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods is also providing shoppers with plenty of options.

Change your mindset.
Instead of thinking, “I can’t eat meat,” think about all the wonderful things you can eat and how beneficial these are for your health (and the planet). Stop focussing on meat as the hero on your plate and rather, build your plate with new and nutritious food choices.

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About the Guest Expert

James Collier is a Registered Nutritionist with 20 years of experience with the national health service in the UK. James is a renowned nutrition expert with over 25 years working in nutrition and dietetics. His experience also includes working in the NHS (UK) as a clinical dietitian covering an array of clinical areas.

He is also the co-founder of Huel, which has the mission of making nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimum impact on animals and the environment. With this in mind, Huel’s products are 100% vegan.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Healthy Living

Getting Healthy: What You Can Eat To Improve Your Skin

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 20, 2019

When it comes to your health, there are a few aspects of it that eating different foods can’t help. That is absolutely true when it comes to your skin. It’s the largest organ in your body, and it often tends to reflect the way that you feel on the inside. If you’ve been eating lots of processed food, you may find that you start to break out. If you haven’t been getting enough sleep, you may find that you start to look pale and drawn. But luckily there are things you can do and foods you can add to your diet to improve your skin, keeping it glowing and gorgeous.

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Improve Your Skin with Avocados

Not only are they delicious – what’s better than smashed avocado on toast in the morning? – but avocados are also great for your skin. They contain a lot of healthy fats, which can improve the way that your skin looks by keeping it moisturized and flexible, meaning that you’ll be less likely to develop wrinkles and more like to have skin that looks full. Avocados also contain a lot of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that helps protect your skin, and vitamin C, which your skin needs to create collagen. Without vitamin C, your skin will end up looking rough and dry. [/two_third]
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Improve Your Skin with Fatty Fish

There are few foods that are more generally good for you than fatty fish, or oily fish as it is sometimes known. Tuna, salmon, herring, and anchovies are all delicious – and great for your complexion. They contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which will keep your skin looking glowing, supple and moisturized, along with reducing redness and acne by bringing down the inflammation in your skin. It also contains a lot of protein, which maintains the strength of your skin, and zinc, which along with fatty acids can reduce inflammation, as well as aiding the formation of new skin cells, meaning that any scratches or cuts will heal much more quickly. [/two_third]
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Improve Your Skin with Sweet Potatoes

There are few comfort foods that are better than a baked sweet potato in the winter. Cut open the crispy skin, add some butter, and enjoy – and remember that it’s doing your skin a lot of good. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, along with other foods like spinach and oranges. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in your body and which can help protect your skin from the sun, meaning that if you eat plenty of sweet potato and spinach, you will be less likely to get wrinkles and sunburn from the sun when you go outside. Make sure you wear sunscreen all year round, just in case! [/two_third]
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Talk To Your Doctor

Don’t forget that it’s still important to make sure you speak to your doctor about any skin complaints that you may have. Websites like Inspire can help you work out any medications that might help you for skin conditions like acne and psoriasis, and the doctor will be able to talk it over with you and prescribe medication or creams that might be useful.

You don’t have to spend hundreds on face creams to get clear skin – explore the possibilities in your diet first!

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags avocado, fatty fish, salmon, sweet potatoes

Healthy Living

Taking a Bite Out of Sustainability

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date April 30, 2019

Nearly every time you make a choice to eat something healthy for your dinner, you are making a conscious decision to eat something nutritious. You may think about the calories and the protein of your food, but have you considered how sustainable it is? Here’s some food for thought about sustainability:

It is a scary time in the world at the moment when it comes to how quickly we are burning through our resources. We are using more plastics than ever, and while steps are being taken to combat this, more homeowners and families than ever are working hard to reduce their impact on the planet. The agriculture industry is overinflated in the world, and we need to ask ourselves what we could be doing to cook and eat in a way that will help the planet to slow down this fast train to deterioration.

The good news is that your life doesn’t have to be turned upside down just to eat in a way that’s more sustainable; all it needs is a little awareness. Here are some fantastic ways to help you to bring a little sustainability in the kitchen, from sustainable salmon farmers to checking the produce of the season. Let’s take a look:

Seasonal Produce Is More Sustainable

Sometimes, you crave bananas, but the ones in the supermarket are being sold while unripened. The ones that you can find that are ripened are more expensive, right? Well, there’s an excellent indication that these aren’t the fruit for you. Forced fruits that are grown out of season are not as delicious as the produce that is currently in season, so start expanding your tastebuds now, and you’ll be used to the seasonal flavors.

Take Down Your Meat Nights for Increased Sustainability

You may be a happy omnivore, and that’s okay, but think about how often you eat meat every day and where you buy it from. If you’re buying fish and meat products, think about sustainable farmers and where they get their products. Think about how the meat is treated. Going vegan once a week is going to do more for the planet than you think, so get searching for the best recipes!

Go Fair Trade

When you buy foods with a fair trade label, you’re supporting the farmers that are making those foods. You are supporting the working conditions of the farmers that are harvesting, and you’re purchasing products that have been made without added GMOs. The fair trade products are also organic, which is just a bonus!

Learn To Compost

We are always taught not to waste food, and it’s the correct option. However, you shouldn’t have to keep eating if you’re not feeling hungry anymore. Take a moment to scrape your plate into a compost bin, and you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint as well as the cost of landfill. You can learn about composting here so you can get started.

Your life can be more sustainable right now, no more waiting. Small tweaks can have a significant – and correct – impact on our planet.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags sustainability

Healthy Living Product Reviews

Product Review: Solely Fruit Jerky

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 7, 2019

I’ll admit it, when I first heard of Solely Fruit Jerky, I did not have high hopes. I figured it would be some sort of fruit roll, like the ones I had as a kid. They were always a bit too sweet for me — and I have a serious sweet tooth! But I was dead wrong.

About Solely Fruit Jerky

Solely products follow a “Clean Label” philosophy, which means what you see on the label is what you get. Their fruit jerky contains one or two ingredients with no added sugars, additives, colors or flavoring.

They claim to select the ripest fruit at the farm, and it certainly tastes like it.

Currently, Solely makes six flavors of fruit jerky, all of which are available on Amazon.

Organic Banana
Organic Banana with Cacao
Organic Banana with Pecan
Organic Mango
Organic Pineapple
Organic Pineapple with Coconut

What I Liked About Solely Fruit Jerky

They were surprisingly delicious–in fact, so addictively so, I ate all six in one sitting! Yum.

My favorite flavors were the three banana strips, with Organic Pineapple with Coconut coming in second. The Mango and plain Pineapple were a bit too acidic for my palate.

The texture was nice. Not too chewy like so many dried fruit products are, and not as sticky as I remember fruit rolls being.

I really like that what I was eating was basically a piece of fruit. Nothing else was added, and the flavor supported that claim.

I don’t usually say this, but I also like the packaging. They are easy to open–there is a pull strip in the bottom right corner. And the design aesthetically is pleasing.

What I Didn’t Like About Solely Fruit Jerky

I found the pineapple and mango strips too sweet and acidic for my taste. But I could totally see someone else really digging them.

I wish I had known how tasty they would be. I would have hidden some to eat another day. They are deceptively small. I basically ate six pieces of fruit in one sitting! Yikes!

Overall Comments on Solely Fruit Jerky

I would whole heartily recommend this product. They are tasty. They are organic. They don’t have added sugar, additives or fillers. However, I would make sure that they aren’t easily accessible or you might find yourself with a binge eating tummy ache.

What Is Solely Fruit Jerky Good For?

Because they are basically dried fruit, they are great for taking on the road. Put them in your (or your children’s) lunch box. Take them on a road trip. Take them when camping or hiking. They make a great portable, healthy snack.

And, because they are so tasty, you could probably use them for dessert, as well! Hmmm. I wonder if they would taste good with whipped cream?

For More Information Or To Order Some of Your Own

Solely products are available at 365 by Whole Foods Markets nationwide and select Sprouts Farmers Markets. More retailers are being added, so visit their website to find a location near you.

They plan on upcoming promos and giveaways. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get in on those goodies!

My Video Reaction

Score: 5 out of 5

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NOTE: I received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past product reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to buy or not buy this product, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags dried fruit, Fruit, fruit jerky, Soley

Healthy Living

Convenience Food that’s Good for You

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date January 2, 2019

In today’s world, we’re all getting busier and busier, meaning we are eating more and more convenience food. Today, abundant pre-packaged, quickly prepared food revolutionizes the way we consume food. In some ways, it’s very positive in that it is extremely convenient and fast. Conversely, it can be negative because processed foods tend to be high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar.

That said, many ready meal manufacturers are aware of the need to make their meals more balanced. There’s certainly a trend toward more nutritionally balanced meals coming on the market–incorporating healthy grains and vegetables.

Interestingly, in the food technology market, scientists are busy investigating whether nutrients that are sprinkled on ready meals post-production are just as bioavailable as those contained within the food; as many manufacturers simply sprinkle nutrient containing tasteless powder on the meal just before sealing.

The other aspect of convenience food, of course, is the rapidly growing business of delivery services, for instance, if you check out this GrubHub review you’ll see just how many people value the convenience and variety of having delicious meals delivered straight to their door.

However, this convenience food trend requires us to look at what are the best options for keeping healthy. In this post, I’m going to take a look at some of the healthier options:

Convenience Food #1. Chicken Kebab

While kebabs aren’t known for their health properties, if you were to have a chicken shish kebab, which is basically marinated chicken breast grilled over charcoal then served in pita bread with lots of fresh salad–this can be a very healthy option. It’s certainly much healthier than the typical doner kebab (a type of kebab made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie) or chicken kebab. Both tend to use fatty parts of the meat.

Convenience Food #2. Sushi

Perhaps an obvious choice, but if you’re looking for convenience food on the go that’s good for you and contains plenty of disease-busting foods–you can’t go wrong with the traditional Japanese snack of sushi. Packed with nutrient-rich fish, sushi also gives you the carbohydrate kick of starchy rice. Of course, it can be an acquired taste–I certainly haven’t acquired it!

Convenience Food #3. Falafel

While falafel itself tends to be deep-fried, it is full of plenty of herbs and spices that are nutritionally rich, as well as being served with salad and hummus, which are incredibly good for you. In this sense, falafel provides one of the most healthy on-the-go snacks. Also, it is also vegan.

In summary

Convenience food doesn’t have to be bad for you. If you’re careful about what you opt for and look for foods that come with tons of salad rather than tons of french fries, you’ll be off to a good start. The same is true of ready meals. Many ready meal producers design their products for a healthier lifestyle. This means you don’t have to devour the salt, fat and sugar-rich ready meals such as lasagne or curries. There are plenty of healthy alternatives.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags convenience food, eating on the go, fast food, healthy meals

Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Cookbook Review: “Mr. Food Test Kitchen Guilt-Free Comfort Favorites” by Multiple Authors

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date November 13, 2018

Comfort foods bring to mind happy memories filled with flavor and contentment. Alas, so many comfort foods are comfort foods because of the high salt, fat, or carb content. So what are you to do if you crave your favorite childhood foods but they are neither healthy nor diabetes-friendly? Open up this cookbook! It is filled with recipes inspired by favorite comfort foods, and they are all healthy and diabetes-friendly.

Summary of Guilt-Free Comfort Favorites

This cookbook contains more than 130 recipes for classic comfort foods re-imagined to include all the flavor but minus the excess fat, salt, carbs and calories. These recipes are simple and easy to follow and often include additional notes to help you serve the food, learn about its ingredients or find alternatives. There is also a handy guide to sugar alternatives and other nutritional advice.

What Worked for Me – Yummy, Healthy Comfort Foods

Guilt-Free Comfort Favorites is filled with yummy recipes, has nice large, easy-to-read type and beautiful photography. I especially liked the Granulated Sugar Substitutes Conversion Chart on page xi. The portion control guide is also very helpful.

There are recipes in this cookbook that I wouldn’t think you could make healthy and diabetes-friendly, such as Caramel Poached Apples, Double Chocolate Chippers, Frosted Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Banana Nut Pancakes, Bacon Cheddar Chicken Breasts and so many more. I can’t wait to try these recipes out!

What Didn’t Work for Me

This is my standard complaint with modern, cookbooks: I don’t like them in perfect-bound or hardcover format. If this is a cookbook I’m going to regularly use, I want it to be easy to lay flat on my counter. Three-ring binders or spiral bound cookbooks work great! However you rarely see high-quality cookbooks like this in those formats.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

What would get around this issue would be to provide printable versions of the recipes. They wouldn’t need the photographs and would be much easier to use. I think it would be really cool if cookbooks like this started adding interactive components like this.

Recommendation

Do you have a finicky loved-one who finds it hard to stick to a diabetes-friendly diet? Then this book will help you keep them health AND happy. There are plenty of decadent foods in here that even the die-hard junk eater will love.

Rating for Guilt-Free Comfort Favorites: 4 out of 5

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Specs

Full Title: Mr. Food Test Kitchen’s Guilt-Free Comfort Favorites: More than 130 New Healthy and Diabetes-Friendly Recipes
Author: Various
Format: Paperback
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580406904
ISBN-13: 978-1580406901

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags comfort foods, diabetes