SUGAR!!

Do you crave sugar??
It is something most of us struggle with. Even if we are being careful about the desserts we choose to eat on occasion, sugar is where you least expect to find it. Grams add up quickly and the sugar craving site in your brain lights up! Read labels, ketchup, tomato sauce, dressings, places you never expect.
Too much sugar = excess carbs = a fast rise in insulin levels = massive fat storage.
Not to mentions many other health issues caused by sugar.
You need to know what too much sugar is doing to health.
1) A rise in blood sugar makes your body produce more insulin and over time your body becomes resistant to insulin. This puts you at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
2) Sugar has a negative impact on the growth hormones that keep you healthy and youthful both inside and out.
3) Sugar feeds cancer cells! It allows them to grow and crush out healthy cells.
4) Sugar increases cholesterol and blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular disease.
5) Sugar can alter you DNA structure and interrupt your body's ability to generate energy effciently.
6) Sugar lowers your immune system so you are less able to fight off bacterial infections.
Does this give you enough fuel to dump the sugar habit?
Sweet treats should be just that occasional treats. Not daily, or more than once a day.
Need help? Contact me!
heidicolella@gmail.com

Dieting and Brain Health

Losing weight can have many beneficial effects beyond looking and feeling lighter. Weight loss can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer just to name a few.
However which weight loss diet you choose may affect your memory! A study at Tufts University studied the diets including low-carbohydrate or low calorie diet based on the American Dietetic Association guidelines, for three weeks. In the first week the low-carbohydrate group, who were told to eliminate all carbohydrates from their diets did worse on tests of their working and visuospatial  memory than those in the lower calorie group.
The brains primary fuel is glucose, eating carbohydrate rich foods such as grains, fruits, and vegetables is the best way to keep the brain supplied with glucose. The brain needs a steady supply of
glucose for peak brain performance. In the study group, reintroducing some carbohydrates in the second week returned their memory to normal.

To back this up another study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed people on a higher carbohydrate diet processed information more quickly than those on a low-carbohydrate diet. When discussing carbohydrates, it must be noted that the appropriate choice of carbohydrates are whole foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits, not processed carbohydrates.

The bottom line is that we need to be cautious  about eliminating carbohydrates from our diets or we may be losing more than just a few pounds.
Recommended consumption of carbohydrates to help the brain function normally is 130 grams.
What that looks like is a cup of oatmeal, an apple, two slices of whole wheat bread and 3/4 cups of cooked pasta.
* Based on an article in Living Well Magazine by Rachael Moeller Gorman

SPROUTS

Sprouts are the ultimate homegrown food!
Sprouting seeds always makes me feel like spring is near.
It is a super easy way to add "live foods" to you diet.

-Growing them yourself allows you to make sure that they are clean, fresh, have the most nutrients and have not been sitting on a shelf in a store.
-Sprouts take only 3-5 days depending on the type.
-Sprouting is very inexpensive. 1-2 tablespoons is all you need to fill a jar once they sprout.
-Sprouting enhances the nutritional value of seeds. It increases the level of minerals and vitamins including vitamin D, and antioxidants.
-It makes these healthy foods easier to digest as most gas producing starches are eliminated by sprouting.
-The living enzymes enhance metabolism as well.

This website has a great tutorial on how to sprout.

How to sprout

EASY VEGETABLE BROTH

For the past two years I have been living in a temporary apartment as we built our new house.
In the past we composted all of our many vegetable scraps. It has really been bothering me to throw these scraps out so I decided to try making my own vegetable broth. To be honest I did not really have much hope that it would taste good but I decided to try!
I saved all my scraps in a large ziplock bag in the freezer. I saved tops and ends of celery, carrots, peppers, cabbage, green beans, broccoli stems, greens like spinach and kale stalks. I even used unusual peels like cucumber and a few fruit scraps. I did not use too many onion skins or scraps as I felt it might overwhelm the taste.
Once I had a full bag I placed the scraps in a large pot and covered the scraps generously with water.
That is it. I simmered this on my stove for several hours (3 or more) I am sure a slow cooker would also work well.

I left the mixture in the pot to cool and then strained the liquid into jars.
To my surprise it tasted delicious! The best part of this is that there was no added salt and it still tasted wonderful. I have made minestrone soup and only added a 1/2 teaspoon at most of sea salt.
I think this is not for everyone but certainly a great way to reuse, recycle and make delicious broth!!

ZOODLES!!

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH ORGANIC SPINACH AND CHEESE TORTELLINI AND TOMATO SAUCE

Spiralizing vegetables seems to be the latest in making vegetables fun, healthy and delicious.
My first experience with spiralizing was only recently after an amazing gift of a spiralizer for Christmas!
My first attempt was so simple and delicious that I cannot wait to try more vegetables.
Zucchini is a great place to start for the newcomer.
Keep it simple!

Recipe
1 zucchini spiralized with the small spaghetti blade. I left the skin on as this was an organic squash)
1 splash of olive oil in a medium frying pan.
a sprinkle of dried oregano
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper
Cooked tortellini, organic in a warm tomato sauce of your choice

Heat the oil in the pan to coat. Add zucchini noodles and cook on medium heat tossing occasionally
for 3-5 minutes.
Add oregano, salt and pepper,
and red pepper if using.
Noodles should be warm, but still crunchy.
Divide zoodles between two bowls, spoon tortellini and sauce on top.
It is that easy!
Delicious and filling!
This can easily be adapted to many different toppings depending on your tastes.

CREAMY, HEART HEALTHY, TURMERIC DRESSING

This dressing is Caesar Salad dressing-like, but much tastier in my opinion!
It provides protein, antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins, and all the anti inflammatory benefits of turmeric!



2 Tablespoons almond meal, almonds, or other nut/seeds (I used whole almonds)
1clove of garlic crushed or 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons miso paste (white,mild)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
pinch of black pepper or to taste
1/3 Cups water


Place all in a blender (I used my nutra bullet) and blend on high for up to 2 minutes until smooth.

Great on any salad, greens or steamed vegetable!

BEETS , Why you should be eating them!

Besides adding to the rainbow of colors you already eat, beets also have other amazing benefits.
   - One cup = 60 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 2.5 grams of protein, folate, manganese potassium, copper, magnesium plus vitamin C and vitamin B.
    - Betalains a phytonutrient in beets helps to form gluthione. This is a powerful blood and liver cleanser, flushing out toxins and chemicals.
    - Nitrates, naturally found in beets increases physical performance and  muscle recovery.
    - Betaine and choline are powerful inflammation regulators for the cardiovascular system.
helping to bring cholesterol and blood pressure to healthy levels.
    - On the acid/ alkaline scale beets provide alkalinity to the body.
This reduces inflammation and is cancer protective.

I do love beets in all forms...... well not beet juice but here is one of the easy ways to add beets to your diet.
I shred my beets in a food processor, raw and washed but skin on! They provide a mild earthy flavor when on top of salads and in sandwiches!