Showing posts with label folate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label folate. Show all posts

Monday, January 30, 2012

Italian Fennel Salad for Cancer Prevention and More!

My brother-in-law, Alessandro, from Sicily made this fabulous salad as part of a huge, delicious Christmas dinner -- he is a talented chef with a lovely restaurant, Alessandro's in Geneva, Ohio.  Ever since...I have been craving this salad!  The thought of it makes my mouth water!  Finally made it today!




Along with turmeric, thyme, cumin, among others, FENNEL has been identified by the National Cancer Institute as having cancer-preventing activity.  Cumin and fennel contain TERPENOIDS, phytochemicals that may also help slow tumor growth, as well as help reduce cholesterol.




Italian Fennel and Orange Salad

Fennel bulb
2-3 oranges
vinegar
pepper

Simply slice thinly, the white of the fennel and oranges, and toss with pepper and some vinegar. The further ahead of time you do it, the more all the flavors deepen, but you can really eat it right away! Add the greens as a pretty garnish, and enjoy!



If you don't have fennel, it's a yummy way to eat an orange on it's own. Also, the oranges, olive oil, salt, and pepper mixed with any other greens is also delightful!

STILL be sure to try it with the fennel as fennel is loaded with nutrients -- one being folate, that all-important vitamin for conception and early pregnancy, and speaking of MOMMIES and MENSTRUATING WOMEN - fennel may help with milk production, and gasiness in babies, and pain during menstruation.

Other spices found helpful to National Cancer Institute:

TURMERIC -- the anti-inflammatory Indian spice found in many curries and abundant in MUSTARD
Try EASY SANDWICH SNACK

THYME -- try Hearty "Turkey" Meatloaf

CUMIN -- found in salsa: try BREAKFAST BURRITOS or MEXICAN FIESTA BOWL

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you like to cook with spices? What are your favorites? Do you know how they benefit your health, because which ever spice, it probably does!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Easy Sandwich Snack!

Hungry?
Try this quick snack!
Simply chop half an avocado and spread it on your bread of choice -- whole grain!
Add generously good old-fashioned regular mustard!


Great with the roll-up (above is a piece of Multi-Grain Flatout!) heated 10-15 sec for a warm treat,
or by toasting a Whole Wheat Bagel Thin!

Multi-Grain Flatout bread is awesome!  Just 100 calories, 8 g fiber, 9 g protein, omega-3 fats, no saturated or trans fat, a huge variety of grains from bulgar to millet to rye to oats and more!


Enlisting help from the little ones increases the chance they'll eat it all up!

Toddler EATING TIP: Read them a book, reading another page with each eaten bite.
If there is a challenging food on the plate, a page is earned with a bite of that food.

For more Picky Eater Tips click HERE.


You likely know by now that AVOCADO is a HEALTHY FAT
full of FIBER (~10g per whole fruit - yes it's a fruit!) and 
They are among the HIGHEST fruit sources of vitamin E (an ANTIOXIDANT), folate (this is key for potential MOMMYS), potassium (higher levels in diet correlate with lower blood pressure), and magnesium.

Let's discuss MAGNESIUM tonight: it's important for having a healthy blood pressure, overall cardiovascular function, blood sugar control, bone health, and may be helpful with migraines!

Check out this comparison to butter and cheddar (UNhealthy fats).


This chart is from www.avocado.org/nutrition

For MORE avocado BENEFITS click HERE!

One more thing: MUSTARD!

Did you know it is healthy for you?  Did you know why?

Mustard is a RICH source of TURMERIC!

Top 3 Reasons TURMERIC (which contains CURCUMIN) is good for your health!
1. Powerful anti-inflammatory: this can help about every part/system of our bodies -- we're all inflamed :~
(this is a link to a nice summary of the research on Tumeric from University of Maryland Medical Center)

2. Powerful antioxidant ~ helpful in many ways,
including preventing a variety of cancers, aging, and more!

3. Makes platelets less likely to clump and clot (like CHOCOLATE and ASPIRIN!)

Ok, that's it for now, go enjoy a nice avocado and mustard roll-up now!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Can you replace other fats with avocado?  What creative ways can you think of to do this?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

PB&J Poppers!


Craving peanut butter? No worries! It's a healthy fat that speeds up your fat-burning and overall metabolism! It's a great source of protein and FIBER, as well. Peanuts also provide vitamin E, folate, and magnesium.  For more on benefits of NUTS click HERE!

Be sure to eat "natural" PB; this is peanut butter with an ingredients list that includes only one or two items: peanuts, and perhaps salt.

PB and J Poppers

GRAB YOUR FOOD CHOPPER and whip some up!

1/2 c peanuts
1/2 c unsweetened raisins
1/4 c ground flaxseeds

Add 1/2 tsp chia seeds for an added nutritional punch!

Blend together until mixture begins to clump and then shape into balls! Addicting! For more hints about how to make these yummy treats, click here. Here is carrot cake flavor!  You can learn about Laraballs here!

"Like" the fresh-you Facebook page here!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell me in a comment below: do you like some other version of PBJ? Grape or strawberry jelly? Jam? Add dried fruit or nuts inside? Almond butter instead? Perhaps peanut butter and butter (Earth Balance spread) like my oldest daughter?

PB&J Poppers!


Craving peanut butter? No worries! It's a healthy fat that speeds up your fat-burning and overall metabolism! It's a great source of protein and FIBER, as well. Peanuts also provide vitamin E, folate, and magnesium.  For more on benefits of NUTS click HERE!

Be sure to eat "natural" PB; this is peanut butter with an ingredients list that includes only one or two items: peanuts, and perhaps salt.

PB&J Poppers

GRAB YOUR FOOD CHOPPER and whip some up!

1/2 c peanuts
1/2 c unsweetened raisins
1/4 c ground flaxseed

Add 1/2 tsp chia seeds for an added nutritional punch!

Blend together until mixture begins to clump and then shape into balls! Addicting! For more hints about how to make these yummy treats, click here. Here is carrot cake flavor!  You can learn about Laraballs here!

"Like" the fresh-you Facebook page here!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell me in a comment below: do you like some other version of PBJ? Grape or strawberry jelly? Jam? Add dried fruit or nuts inside? Almond butter instead? Perhaps peanut butter and butter (Earth Balance spread) like my oldest daughter?