Sarcopenia: Use it or Lost it!

💪 Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss.

The main thing is that we must use it, or we will lose it

If there was a magic pill for health, it would probably be BEANS!

The "Use It or Lose It" Guide

1. Protein Isn’t a Magic Pill

• The Myth: Many believe just eating more protein (or drinking shakes) builds muscle.

• The Reality: Without exercise, extra protein does nothing for muscle mass. In fact, animal protein is "acid-forming," which can actually cause the body to pull minerals from muscle and bone to neutralize that acid.

• The Fix: Focus on plant proteins (beans, lentils, seeds) which are "alkaline-forming" and help protect muscle tissue as we age.

2. Resistance is Mandatory

• The Goal: Strength training is the only proven way to reverse sarcopenia. Even 90-year-olds have been shown to double their strength in just 8 weeks of lifting.

• The "Hanging Challenge": Activities like hanging from a bar or using resistance bands engage "functional" muscles that help prevent falls and keep us independent.

• Consistency: Just 10–15 minutes of resistance work a day is more effective than one long session once a week.

3. The "Anti-Inflammatory" Advantage

• The Science: Chronic inflammation acts like "rust" on our muscles, breaking them down faster.

• The Daily Dozen Connection: Foods high in antioxidants (like the berries and greens on your checklist) lower systemic inflammation.

• The Power of Berries: Specific phytonutrients in berries have been shown to improve muscle signaling and recovery, making your workouts more effective.

You can't eat your way out of muscle loss, but you can eat to support the work you do in the gym. Think of exercise as the 'builder' and plant-based nutrition as the 'high-quality bricks.' You need both to keep the house standing!

Spicy Vegan Panera Creamy Tomato Soup

No-Vodka Pasta meets Panera Bread Creamy Tomato Soup! This idea sprang from the previous soup post, which mentioned No-Vodka Pasta. The vodka sauce is such a hit, so making a delicious tomato soup was easy! My son took one bite and said “Wow! Is this from Panera?!” I should be a little sad because my boy is more excited about Panera than his mom’s cooking. However, to be honest, both of my hands immediately went up in the air as I beamed with victory!

How can you tell a food is healthy? One way is by the beautiful COLORS! Blueberries, sweet potatoes, kale (bright green after one minute of cooking!), red kidney beans! FLAVOR is another way to tell a food is healthy! We can detect the most nutritious foods in the world with our eyes and taste buds!

Naturally, spices add flavor. This soup contains tasty OREGANO, abundant in antioxidants! Loading your meals with extra spices immensely boosts healthiness! Feel free to add even more to this soup with marjoram and/or basil.

Look up and compare the ORAC value (antioxidant power) of some of your favorite foods and spices at superfoodly.com While you are at it, search a few animal foods to make clear the fact you pretty much only get antioxidants from plants.

Daily Dozen Checkmarks! 1) beans (white), 2) spices (red pepper, oregano), 3) other vegetables (tomatoes), 4) fruit (dates), 5) nuts (cashews), 6) greens (fresh basil)

Note: Panera Creamy Tomato Soup is NOT vegan (contains cream and milk).

Spicy Vegan Panera Creamy Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp oregano 

2 cans crushed tomatoes 

½ cup cashews

1 can white beans, drained

4 pitted dates

2 cups water

Fresh basil to garnish!

• Fill blender with cashews, beans, dates, and water. 
• Heat a large pan to medium-high to cook garlic and spices, adding a little water at a time, as needed, for around 5 min. (Optionally: cook 1/2 c chopped onions with garlic and spices to add a tiny bit of something to chew in your soup)
• Add tomatoes to pan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 min.
• Blend cashew mixture well to form plant-based cream.
• Stir in cream and when soup is heated through, garnish with basil, and enjoy!

Crushed red pepper give soup it’s spicy kick – if spice isn’t your thing, you can omit or decrease from recipe.

Cranberry Toast Snack and Top 3 Reasons to Eat Cranberries

Cranberries are a superstar in the world of nutrition! Loaded with anthocyanins (the pigment in red, purple, and blue plants), they help our bodies stay and get back to awesome! In the lab, anthocyanins have been found to keep FAT from growing in the liver*, as well as protect us from CANCER in the liver, brain, colon, lung, mouth, ovary, prostate and stomach!

One great way to eat cranberries, is as a sauce -- try Tangy Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce!

Here is a delicious snack:

Cranberry Toast Snack

Sprouted grain toast

Natural peanut butter or almond butter

Tangy Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

This contains about 5 Dr Greger Daily Dozen Checkmarks!

1) whole grain, 2) nut butter, 3) berries, 4) other fruit (orange, dates), and 5) cinnamon

Enjoy!

Did you know you have to eat 26 CANS OF CRANBERRY SAUCE (processed) to get the anthocyanins in ONE cup of whole cranberries? Tangy Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce recipe calls for 3-4 cups of cranberries. That is as much anthocyanin as one might get from processed cranberry sauce in a whole lifetime (assuming one eats it just during the holidays...like most people I know)!

Cranberries are also one of the top ranked fruits in terms of antioxidants. There are almost as many antioxidants in cranberries, as there are in blueberries, and you would have to eat 5 and a half apples to get the amount of antioxidants there are in one cup of cranberries.

Tangy Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

*Liver disease is more common than you might think. ONE IN THREE adults have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease :( Avoiding cholesterol and sugar may help to prevent this deadly condition, as well as consuming foods high in anthocyanins, like cranberries!

Please check out Dr Greger's Videos (and cited resources) for more detailed information :)
Cranberries vs Cancer
Which Fruits Fight Cancer Better

Wrinkle Free? Green Tea Please!

In the spirit of my trip to Asia, I'll share the IMMENSE benefits of GREEN TEA!

Yum, piping hot green tea each morning,
and then I enjoyed COLD green tea throughout the day!

CATECHINS are the phytochemical responsible for the awesomeness of green tea!

It's the source of antioxidants also found in BERRIES, CHOCOLATE, wine, and BEANS!
Catechins are more concentrated in GREEN tea than in many alternative sources.

Catechins act as ANTIOXIDANTS (link to various antioxidant posts), and
MORE IMPORTANTLY change our genes in many ways!

Your GENES put you at risk for diseases that run in your family.
There's more! YOU can CONTROL your genes!
It's true!  With the right foods and habits,
you can TURN ON helpful genes, and
TURN OFF harmful, disease-causing genes!

Catechins have been shown to turn ON and OFF a long, long list of genes to promote HEALTH!

Studies have shown that these POWERFUL and POSITIVE changes in gene expression may:

Decrease wrinkles!
Improve blood sugar control (prevention of type 2 diabetes)!
Help your body kill cancer cells!
Keep your brain and memory youthful!
In short, improve the function of ALL vital organs (seriously -- there is TONS of research!)!

Look at all the green tea that I enjoyed and collected in Thailand and Japan!
The tin is actually from China :)  And the pomegranate  tea is from here!

This guy is Nicholas Perricone.
He has done amazing research on nutrigenomics -- the science of genetics and its MANY connections to nutrition!

Click HERE to read an awesome, informative excerpt from his awesome book: Forever Young: Science of Nutrigenomics for Glowing-Wrinkle Free Skin and Radiant Health at Every Age.

This awesome product comes straight from Japan to Costco!
Super AUTHENTIC tea AND SUPER bargain!

BONUS TIP: There is quite a SMALL amount of CAFFEINE in green tea,
roughly that of a cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Drink several cups of GREEN tea throughout the day,
for a slow and steady, energizing, caffeine infusion
to be CALMLY ALERT and PRODUCTIVE all day long!

COMING SOON!  Matcha tea!

Chia Seeds -- Energy Food of the Aztecs!

Believe it or not!  You've probably already had chia in your house!

It's the same stuff that grows as a CHIA PET!

Actually, CHIA SEEDS are good for more than growing a window pet!

They are SUPER NUTRITIOUS!

They have been used for hundreds of years by the Aztecs as their primary energy source; with the Mayans as well, so much that the word "chia" means STRENGTH in Mayan!

Why are CHIA SEEDS SO Awesome?

Benefits of Chia

1.  Load of OMEGA-3 -- anti-inflammatory, pain reduction Among other benefits!
You find omega-3 in few plant foods besides flaxseed and walnuts.

2.  Awesome non-meat, gluten-free, complete source of PROTEIN!  Why would you want non-meat protein?  Why would you want gluten-free protein?  Here are some other non-meat sources of protein and PROTEIN BENEFITS

3.  Soluble FIBER -- really helpful for BLOOD SUGAR control, weight loss (increases the volume of food by 9x while only adding minimal calories...see note on GEL below), sustained energy (Aztecs used as primary energy source!) -- it keeps you going strong for a long, long time!

4.  Lots of antioxidants (quantity comparable with blueberries!), protecting it's omega-3 fats (#1) from oxidative damage (avoid rancidity -- yucky!, AND destructive to awesome health benefits!).  Plus, the antioxidants protect YOUR BODY from free radical damage!  More HERE on antioxidants and chia seeds!

5.  Here are just SOME of the other nutrients: CALCIUM, POTASSIUM, MAGNESIUM, IRON, and ZINC!

Chia GEL = Combine 1 part seeds and 9 parts water, and SOAK for at least 10 min.  Add to any food that blends with liquid, such as oatmeal.

Recipes to Try!

CHIA FRESCA:  add chia to 100% fruit juice or add chia to water and a bit of lemon or lime juice!  A Mexican tradition!

Plus, 7 fresh-you chia seed recipes!

4-Ingredient Chocolaty Goodness

Choco-Peanut Crunch Laraballs

Chocolate Oatmeal

Chocolate Raspberry Kiss Muffins

Healthy Mexican Lasagna

Hearty "Turkey" Meatloaf

3-Ingredient Super Shake

BONUS CHIA USE: Better Baking Breadcrumbs!  Use them in every dish!

COMMENTS: Did you ever have a chia pet growing up?  I don't remember ever doing it!  Did you ever do a funny one, like Garfield?  I see there are still a lot of options to choose from!

Chocolate for your Heart?

Chocolate is beneficial to your HEART HEALTH in so many ways!

• Chocolate contains FLAVONOIDS, also in green tea, red wine, cranberries, apples, peanuts, onions, and many others
• Chocolate reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke by:
• LOWERING your blood pressure
• Improving blood flow to your heart and BRAIN
• LOWERING cholesterol
• Flavonoids are rich in ANTIOXIDANTS -- antioxidants munch up free radicals -- free radicals are destructive chemicals partly to blame for heart disease and other health problems.
• Chocolate's antioxidant activity helps heart health by decreasing cell damage in the tissues of the heart and arteries, and by preventing LDL oxidation (Oxidation of LDL (lousy) cholesterol often causes a heart attack to occur.)
• Chocolate makes platelets less sticky, thins blood, and reduces likelihood of clotting or clumping (the way ASPIRIN helps your heart!), preventing artery plaque formation

So you see chocolate can really help your heart health! Here are a few tips to be sure you get the benefits described above!:  CHOCOLATE EATING TIPS

For more on the HEALTH and MOOD benefits of chocolate click HERE!

Here are some healthy CHOCOLATE RECIPES!

Chocolatey Oatmeal, 5-minute Brownies, Chocolate Berry Smoothie (add 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa to 3-Ingredient Super Shake), Skinny Mints, or Chocolate Cherry Torte Laraballs!

Or you could try a chocolate PUDDING!

Also, visit www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com for some great treats! You can see some of my favorites HERE!

Happy snacking!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Do you watch Dr Oz?  What's the coolest thing you ever learned on his show?

3 Wonderful Reasons to be Wild about Walnuts!

Top Health Benefits of Walnuts -- what makes them SO Wonderful?!

Walnuts are the Best of the Nuts!

1. Highest in OMEGA-3 fats - while ALL unsalted, un-sugared nuts, are nutritious, healthy fats, none contain any significant levels of omega-3.

Omega-3 fats are amazing, helping our bodies to work better from HEAD to TOE!
NEARLY ALL Americans are deficient in this nutrient!

Here is a comparison of omega-3 sources from Tufts University.

2. Highest in ANTIOXIDANTS - chemicals that bind with free radicals, so that free radicals cannot bind to our body which would cause damage.  Free radical damage leads to aging, in many parts of our bodies, and diseases including dementia, heart disease, diabetes, and more!

Antioxidant levels in nuts were completed as part of a research study and reported at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.  Here is the abstract.

3. Walnuts improved MEMORY and motor skills in aged rats.  This study fed them walnuts and saw improvements in memory via maze navigation and balance by having them walk on rods and planks.  The benefits were the result of the walnuts as a whole with all components potentially responsible, rather than singling out a particular nutrient.

Time after time, walnuts have similarly been found to decrease risk of heart attack and stroke, and be beneficial to cardiovascular health, overall.

ALL nuts are AMAZING SUPERFOODS -- filled with healthy macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs, and fiber), and vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, such as STEROLS.  Here is a chart comparing the vitamin and minerals content in tree nuts (click on chart to see better!):

It was produced by the Almond Board of California / California Almonds.

Note the highlighted numbers indicate the richest source of each nutrient!  Almonds win for many, but omega-3 aren't on the list and WALNUTS are basically the ONLY NUT source!

SO eat walnuts, and if you don't like them, I suggest you keep trying (read this post to see why), and if you really can't swallow walnuts, eat WHICHEVER nut you do enjoy because they are ALL NUTRITIOUS!

ALL LARABALL recipes contain nuts, and Cranberry Cinnamon Confections and Cranberry Cookies and No-Bake Carrot Cake contain Walnuts.  You can try substituting walnuts in any Laraball recipe, or add them to anything, casseroles, cereal, yogurt!

If you eat Miniwheats, try adding them to your morning bowl of cereal.  Walnuts can sort of cancel out some of that sugar that tops Miniwheats, at least improve the nutrient content of the meal!  Heck, try them with any cereal!  Walnuts taste great WITH MILK!

Here is a muffin recipe to try!

Savory Fruit and Nut "Muffin Tops"

2 omega-3-rich eggs
1 T vanilla
4 bananas, ripe, mashed
2 T canola oil
2 T cinnamon
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c soy protein isolate
1/4 c flaxseed, ground
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 c walnuts, ground
1/2 c cherries
1/2 c blueberries

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine eggs, vanilla, bananas, and oil in large bowl.  In smaller bowl, combine remaining ingredients, adding baking soda and powder last.  Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix just until no dry ingredients remain.  Fold in remaining fruit.  Drop scoops onto baking sheet (silicone type work great) and bake until tooth pick comes out clean, about 14-18 minutes.  Remove muffin tops when cool, and enjoy!

Or make your own Practical PESTO Sauce!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you enjoy silicone bakeware or prefer more traditional metal and glass options? Do you use your silicone bakeware for anything else? I use them for freezing sometimes!

8 Tips to get CHOCOLATES BENEFITS!

CHOCOLATE EATING TIPS to get the most out of your sweets (Health and Happiness Benefits of Chocolate, Heart Health Benefits of Chocolate)

1. Choose DARK chocolate as it contains much greater quantities of the beneficial flavonoids.
2. Replace other less healthy treats with DARK chocolate, rather than just adding it to your diet.
3. Don't eat your chocolate with milk, -- TEAR! I love milk with chocolate! --research shows that milk may decrease your absorption of the healthy antioxidants contained in chocolate!
4. Know your labels -- avoid MILK fat, milk butter, in the ingredients list, as well as sugar, by many names, and lots of added ingredients.
5. Look for the highest content of cocoa, though the higher % makes for more bitter candy (65% or more is a good rule).
6. Regarding fat, opt for cocoa butter in the ingredients list. This is a saturated fat, however it is in the form of stearic acid, which acts more like a monounsaturated fat than a saturated fat, ...as in not affecting cholesterol the way saturated fat normally raises cholesterol levels.
7. Benefits of chocolate are seen in as little as 0.5-1 oz a few times per week!
8. Unsweetened cocoa is a wonderful option as it is power packed with heart-healthy flavonoids!

For some chocolatey recipes: try Chocolatey Oatmeal, 5-minute Brownies, Chocolate Berry Smoothie (add 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa to 3-Ingredient Super Shake), Skinny Mints, or Chocolate Cherry Torte Laraballs!

Also, visit www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com for some great treats! You can see some of my favorites HERE!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you like dark or milk or white chocolate best? "Like" my Facebook page HERE or write a comment here for a chance to win a batch of Laraballs! My first contest! We'll see how it goes!

3 Awesome Reasons to Eat Eggplant!

There are a million reasons to eat eggplant, starting with taste! I just love the texture; I love chomping into a nice piece of eggplant! It’s a veggie, AND it’s hearty! It is also abundant in many vitamins and minerals (such as most of the B-vitamins -- did you know there are 8 different B vitamins?, and iron and zinc), and soluble fiber, and like most veggies it’s practically calorie-free! Soluble fiber is the type that helps lower cholesterol. Fiber is great for a million reasons too, but we’ll save that for another post!  Try Easy Eggplant Parmesan!

Ok, so here are today’s awesome reasons to eat eggplant!

1) If you know of anyone who has a cancer tumor (though I really hope you don’t!), you might find it cool that a component of eggplant has a way to prevent tumor growth! Anthocyanins, a type of phytochemical found in blue and purple fruits and vegetables, does this by preventing new blood vessels from forming which would feed the tumor.

2) Have a cold? Eggplant has antiviral properties, so they may help you get rid of that nasty cold or flu that you have been trying to ditch! It’s because of chlorogenic acid found in eggplant, and this substance may also help prevent diabetes.

3) Hopefully, you are healthy as can be! Even the healthiest people in the world have free-radical damage; after all, it happens primarily as we burn calories each day (other causes)! So, the fact that eggplant is a great source of antioxidants is major health benefit which helps protect us from free radicals -- which are a cause of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and aging!

I love the way Hari Sharma explains the following: “Diabetes, kidney problems, liver problems, almost every disease is related to the damage caused by these free radicals. If we remove the damage we are causing ourselves, all these diseases can be prevented.” He also wrote an inclusive list of many causes of free-radicals, such as stress, cholesterol, meat, fat, alcohol, and smoking, in the same article.

Now, do you wonder how you can eat some eggplant?  Try this EASY EGGPLANT PARM recipe!

TELL ME IN A COMMENT: How do you like your eggplant? Grilled? Fried? Boiled? Baked?