There’s no doubt that French cheeses are lusciously delicious! But how can we rationalize their calories and fat?? According to researchers, eating French cheeses may help explain the “French Paradox,” which is the phenomenon in which the French experience lower cardiovascular rates than those of us in the US, despite their higher intake of saturated fats.
It's artichoke season and this “super” spring produce is here to provide you and your family with an abundant amount of nutrients! According to Dr. Liz Applegate, Ph.D., this flower bud from the thistle family supplies a wealth of magnesium and potassium that help fight that high blood pressure. The “meaty” part of the artichoke supplies inulin, a prebiotic that helps fuel the healthy bacteria living in our intestines. And if that isn’t enough, one artichoke supplies over 25% of the Daily Value for fiber and vitamin C!
The premise of raw cuisine is simple: eat whole fresh unheated foods, primarily nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. The flavor possibilities are limitless when incorporating fresh herbs, nut oils and sea salt along with special food preparation techniques to bring out the wonderful flavors of the uncooked foods. And the potential health benefits are many: a daily faire loaded with key nutrients particularly fiber, vitamin C, potassium and water.
With so many oil options available on grocery shelves, it can be daunting to make the correct decision on which oil to use. Should you use olive oil or grapeseed oil? How about avocado oil? The good news is that many oils are very versatile and can be used for a variety of cooking uses. Dr. Liz Applegate, Ph.D. shares a few noteworthy facts about the essential fats and health boosting compounds that some of our favorite oils offer, as well as best uses to help make selecting the correct oil as smooth as possible!
Stone fruit season is upon us and we can’t get enough of these sweet, ripe, juicy fruits, because they’re not only mouthwateringly delicious, they're healthy too. According to Dr. Liz Applegate, Director of Sports Nutrition at UC Davis, nectarines are loaded with potassium, vitamin C and carotenes, and their fuzzy relatives, peaches, supply a wealth of potassium and fiber. Dr. Liz Applegate also says that three lusciously sweet apricots supply almost 80% of the Daily Value for vitamin A as beta carotene, which helps to promote both eye and heart health. Don’t feel guilty enjoying these sweet sweet stone fruits this spring!
Sweet, juicy cherries. These delicious orbs contain the same anthocyanidin compounds as blueberries which gives cherries their rich color and strong antioxidant capacity, helpful in fending off age-related diseases like cancer. Studies show that cherries’ antioxidant powers may also help runners recover more quickly from marathons and other endurance running efforts. Drinking fresh made cherry juice daily, several days prior to a marathon, and a few days post race helps prevent muscle damage and soreness.
A young version of a white onion, the spring onion's newbie stems and small bulb supply a wealth of nutrients.
One cup of asparagus provides a staggering 110% of vitamin K needs (vital for bone health) and more than 60% of folate (a B vitamin key that's key to a healthy pregnancy) needs.
Watercress is grown in water and like its veggie cousins, broccoli and kale, watercress is also rich in vitamins K and C. And like other brassica vegetables, watercress contains a potent cancer fighter called sulforaphane.
This springtime fruit has much to offer: 120% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, a good dose of the trace mineral manganese (important in cell protection) and the B vitamin folate (vital for heart health) in just one cup sliced—all for only 45 calories!