Rich and cheesy tasting without a lick of cheese (and with plenty of nutritional yeast), this comforting and easy tomato and herb-drenched baked farro casserole may bump your favorite pasta bake down a notch or two. Farro is a rustic, chewy variety of whole-kernel wheat rich in protein and fiber, and usually stocked in nice […]
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A popular kitchen staple in cabinets and pantries around the US, and the world, peanut butter is an old-time favorite. In fact, about 90 per cent of American homes stock the tasty spread. But, did you ever ask yourself whether it could actually be healthy, not just a guilty pleasure? Or how best to buy it and use it? We take a look at the health benefits of peanut butter and uncover some nutritious recipes to try it in…
Calories – 100
Total Fats – 8 grams
Cholesterol – 0mg
Sodium – 3 mg
Total Carbohydrate – 3 grams
Dietary Fiber – 1 gram
Sugars – 1 gram
Protein – 4 grams
You might have noticed in the above nutritional section, we wrote ‘100% ground peanuts’. The problem with most peanut butter brands is the additives – namely cheap processed vegetable oils, salt, and sometimes, sugar. So, the simple way to make sure you’re not incidentally consuming nasty additives is to buy 100% peanut butter. That simply means, check the ingredients section of the label, and it should just say, ‘peanuts’. Thankfully, it’s not very difficult to find 100% natural peanut butter these days. In some supermarkets and health food stores, you can even grind your own peanuts into a container and pay per gram. Or, if you feel like grinding your own at home, simply put your peanuts into a food processor and blend until smooth! Peanut butter is actually quite quick and easy to make, compared to some other nut butters like almond, which takes much longer to grind into a paste.
Peanut butter is so much more than a delicious spread for toast. It is made from peanuts, a natural source of a number of important nutrients. As a result, it has a number of health benefits. And here they are…
Peanut butter is a decent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. It’s a nutrient that many Americans and other Westerners don’t get enough of. One tablespoon of peanut butter contains about 1 gram of fiber, 0.3 grams of which is soluble. The remaining 0.7 grams, therefore, is insoluble fiber. That moves through the digestive system almost completely unchanged, which reduces the risk of hemorrhoids and constipation.
Both soluble and insoluble fibers are good for you. They help regulate blood sugar levels, minimizing the likelihood of sugar crashes and cravings. However, before you rely on that little bit of peanut butter you might pop in your breakfast smoothie each morning to give you your daily dose of fiber, it’s important to make yourself aware of how much you actually need each day. A tablespoon of peanut butter gives you about 1 gram of fiber, but you actually need 21 to 38 grams per day. Your main dose of fiber will come from the fruits and vegetables you consume throughout the day, and it come in significant doses in foods like beans. But, every little ounce of fiber you consume is beneficial, and getting fiber in each meal so that your body digests that meal in a healthy way is important. So, don’t turn your nose up at the bit of fiber you do get from peanut butter either… It all adds up!
Peanuts contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which are often called ‘good fats’. They can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood, and lower your risk of heart disease or stroke. Healthy fats provide nutrients that help develop and maintain the body’s cells. They also help your body absorb certain vitamins.
Peanut butter gives you a good dose of protein, providing four grams of the essential nutrient in one tablespoon. Protein is an extremely important nutrient that the body needs every day. It is then used by the body for strength and muscle building, and can aid with weight loss, especially when eaten with fiber. Because peanut butter provides fiber, as mentioned above, this is a great combo food! Protein and fiber fill you up and keep you fuller for longer, reducing the risk of sugar crashes and cravings.
We’ve touched on this above – the combination of healthy fats, protein and fiber can keep you fuller for longer, reduce cravings and sugar crashes, therefore aiding weight loss. That’s because you can reduce your calorie intake by eating smart, filling foods, like peanut butter, reducing your overall refined carbohydrate and sugar intake throughout the day. Because peanuts contain more protein than most other nuts and are high in healthy fats, they are one of the best nuts to snack on to keep you full. But, in order to reap the weight loss benefits of peanuts or peanut butter in your diet, you need to use it to reduce your overall calorie intake, otherwise you’re just adding more fat and protein into your diet!
Some other nut butters, like almond, provide much more vitamin E than peanut butter. But, having said that, peanut butter still gives you a decent dose! The fat-soluble vitamin occurs naturally in foods, including nuts, seeds and leafy greens. It is best known for its powerful antioxidant properties, which are great for overall health, but is particularly well-known for its benefits to the skin. That’s because it helps protect cells from free radical molecules. It is also important for immune health, and, because of its protection at a cellular level, it may also reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer development in the body.
Essential minerals are nutrients the body needs to function properly. However, the body cannot produce these nutrients itself, meaning you have to consume them through food or supplements. Essential minerals include calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, selenium, manganese, sodium and fluoride. A tablespoon of peanut butter provides 0.5% of your daily recommended calcium intake, 1.5% of your iron and selenium intake, 6% of the magnesium you need, nearly 5% phosphorus, 3% potassium and zinc, 4% copper and 11% manganese. Calcium, magnesium and potassium are extremely important for bone health, development and strength.
The post The Top 6 Mighty Health Benefits Of Peanut Butter (+ Recipes) appeared first on Bembu.
It’s not uncommon to have high cholesterol. Millions of Americans live with the condition, despite its many health risks. While medications can help keep cholesterol under control, what you eat is also an important part of managing the potentially harmful cholesterol in your bloodstream. There’s something out there called the TLC diet — and this is definitely an eating plan you don’t want to miss.
The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet was created to help Americans lower their cholesterol and improve overall heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the millions of adults in the United States with high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, fewer than 1 out of every 3 have it under control.
Out-of-control cholesterol puts your heart at risk, increasing your chances of dying from chronic disease. People with high total cholesterol — high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol — have double the risk of heart disease compared to those with normal cholesterol.
Since heart disease is currently the leading cause of death among both men and women in the U.S., experts at the National Institutes of Health developed the TLC diet in an effort to make heart disease prevention more straightforward for the general public.
With an emphasis on trimming large amounts of saturated fat from your plate, the TLC diet might be the motivation you need to eat healthier and decrease your risk for multiple diseases. You might even be able to lose weight. Let’s look closer at all the ways TLC can change your life.
The US News & World Report ranks the TLC diet No. 4 on its list of Best Diets Overall. It also comes third among diets promoting heart health, and fourth among diets that promote healthy eating. If that is not enough to convince you, here are all the ways following the diet can make you healthier.
Since the whole purpose of the TLC diet is to help you lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, it’s no surprise that following its guidelines puts you at a much lower risk of a multitude of heart problems. But the main reason for this is because the diet discourages you from eating terrible foods by helping you replace junk food with healthy alternatives. There aren’t any restrictions, other than a calorie limit, but that in itself makes you think twice before ordering an entire plate of sweet potato fries at dinner (sigh).
This diet, unlike most other diets out there, calls for at least 30 minutes of exercise most or all days of the week. This not only benefits your heart, but your mood, appetite, and chances of losing weight as well. Just make sure you’re doing something you aren’t going to wake up dreading the morning of. Yes, exercise can be fun! Even something as simple as going for a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes can make a difference, even in terms of losing weight over time.
Can you lose weight and improve your overall cholesterol at the same time? Absolutely. While this isn’t a diet designed specifically to help you lose weight, it does require that you eat fewer calories every single day. Even though eating fewer calories aren’t the only factor that promotes weight loss, many people who struggle with their weight do so because they are simply eating too much. Reducing your calorie intake, either to 2,500/1,800 or 1,600/1,200 per day can make a huge difference.
Surprisingly, that isn’t the only part about this diet that could set you up for weight loss success. Its emphasis on less fat, more fiber doesn’t just lower your bad cholesterol. It also promotes satiety, or feelings of fullness. Fiber is a slow digesting carbohydrate, which means it causes a slower release of sugar into your blood. That, combined with moving more slowly through your digestive tract, discourages you from overeating — a huge win for shedding pounds while eating good food.
Now that you know some of the possible benefits of going on the TLC diet, here are the rules you would start following if you decided to give the diet a chance.
Following the TLC diet might be time-consuming for some people, especially since you will have to pay a lot more attention to food labels and restaurant menus as you go. Avoiding large amounts of saturated fat isn’t easy. High-fat foods are just everywhere, it seems. These guidelines should help you stay on track and answer any questions you might have about what the TLC diet entails specifically.
The TLC diet does involve counting calories, which does help some people hold themselves accountable, stay on track, and stick to their goals. If you plan on following the diet just to lower your LDL cholesterol, your allotted calorie limit rests a bit higher — 2,500 for men and 1,800 for women.
If you also want to lose weight while getting your cholesterol under control, you can do that, too. You will just need to eat fewer calories. Men will consume up to 1,600 calories per day on the TLC diet, while women should consume 1,200.
Even though it isn’t nearly as harmful as trans fat, saturated fat isn’t something you can eat in excess without devastating consequences. Harvard Health warns that too much saturated fat in your diet can raise your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which increases the chance that plaque will build up in your arteries. Resulting blockages to your heart can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and death.
This is why developers of the TLC diet have set a limit of less than 7 percent of daily calories from saturated fat. This is slightly lower than the generally recommended dietary guideline of 10 percent.
We hear a lot about fiber when discussing digestive issues and disorders, but this important nutrient serves more than one vital purpose in terms of keeping you healthy. Soluble fiber, found in foods like beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, is an extremely important resource when fighting high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. It helps prevent large amounts of potentially harmful cholesterol from entering your bloodstream and clogging your arteries.
The post Can The TLC Diet Change Your Life? Here’s How to Make It Work for You appeared first on Bembu.
Why would anyone make their own healthy dressing recipes? I mean, you could simply buy all the sauces you need at the grocery store.
True.
But have you ever checked the ingredient list on commercial dressings, dips, and sauces? Absolutely horrifying!
But this doesn’t mean you’re doomed to eat dry, boring salads from now on.
In this article, you’ll discover 31 healthy dressing recipes that are insanely tasty. From classic dressings, to Ranch dressings, vinaigrettes, and various sauces, we’ve got you covered!
None of the recipes listed in this article call for junky oils, stabilizers, or emulsifiers since these exert nasty side-effects on the immune system. And the best part is that these healthy dressing recipes come together with very few ingredients and not much work.
Mix some sweet tangerine juice with sour lime juice and voila! You’ve got a unique healthy dressing that will transform even the most boring summer salad.
The salad in this recipe is super easy to make. You’ll only need sun-dried tomatoes, olives, nuts, and some mixed salad greens.
Tip: Don’t like soggy salads? Then, dress your salad right before serving.
Suggested modification:
Thanks to this ready-in-5-minutes recipe, dressing your salad couldn’t get any easier. All you need for this healthy dressing is some lime juice, orange juice, olive oil and seasonings you like. Mix everything in a salad bowl. And that’s it.
Suggested modification:
This Greek salad dressing wouldn’t taste the same without some Greek-style chicken. Want to know how I prep mine? Just follow the instructions below.
Proceed as follows:
Tip: If you have an oven-safe dish, marinate your chicken in it so that you don’t have to worry about transferring it afterwards.
Did you know? A real Greek Salad actually comes together with small bites of juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, sliced green peppers, salty Kalamata olives and feta cheese. Dried oregano and a salad dressing are then gently drizzled on top.
Have you ever thought of using apple cider vinegar (ACV) to make a healthy dressing? Many people find it hard to do so because of the ACV’s overpowering taste.
But you won’t even taste the ACV in this healthy dressing thanks to the coconut aminos and olive oil. Pretty cool, right?
Suggested modification:
Instead of using light-tasting olive oil, stick to regular extra virgin olive oil. Why? Well, because light-tasting olive oil is produced at high temperatures using chemicals. If you really don’t care about EVOO’s taste, you can use macadamia oil instead but this oil comes with a hefty price tag.
Great to know: The essential oils in ginger roots are more abundant in and near the skin. So, you’ll want to avoid peeling your roots too aggressively. The best way to peel the ginger, and get the most out of it, is to gently scrape its skin with a teaspoon instead of using a knife or a veggie peeler.
This recipe calls for egg-free mayonnaise. But since the stuff we have here is loaded with chemicals, I use some of my own homemade mayonnaise when prepping this creamy dill dressing. Check out my egg-free mayonnaise below.
As ingredients, you will need:
Proceed as follows:
Great to know:
If you love avocados, then you definitely need to try this healthy dressing.
Thanks to the lime juice present in this recipe, you can keep this dressing for up to a week without the avocado turning completely brown. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge – this will help retain the avocado’s bright green color.
Suggested modifications:
You’ll be surprised to see how absolutely fantastic this special dressing tastes on a kale salad mixed with dried cherries or cranberries!
The post Top 31 Healthy Dressing Recipes That Are Insanely Good (+ Dips, Sauces and Many More) appeared first on Bembu.
Breakfast food is amazing. Whether you eat it for the meal it’s intended for or sneak in any opportunity you can to eat pancakes for dinner, it’s hard to mess up breakfast. Unfortunately, many breakfast recipes are loaded with carbs. Not to mention your favorite toppings, like syrup and whipped cream, add even more sugar to your palette (and your waistline). It’s time to revolutionize breakfast — and make it healthier at the same time. Are you looking for low carb breakfast recipes you can count on? Look no further.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, cut back on your sugar intake, or finally get your blood sugar under control, breakfast is the ideal place to start.
Low carb foods either don’t contain carbs at all (such as meat) or contain large amounts of fiber without copious servings of sugar (like vegetables). The more you can incorporate foods like these into your diet — especially your breakfast — the healthier you will become.
Researchers can’t seem to agree on whether or not following a low carb diet is effective for long-term weight loss in every human being. However, cutting refined carbohydrates like added sugars from your diet can significantly improve your health in both the short- and long-term.
Let’s look at some breakfast recipes that will stabilize your blood sugar, keep you full all morning, and restore your love for the most important meal of the day.
Have you ever struggled to cram more servings of vegetables into your day? A frittata is one of the easiest recipes to make this delicious dream come true. Vegetables are bursting with fiber yet still low in net carbs, so this broccoli and spinach masterpiece will serve you well.
Prep time: 25 minutes
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until fully combined. Stir in chopped red peppers, cheddar cheese, and black pepper.
In a cast iron skillet, melt butter. As butter melts, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat chopped broccoli and spinach in the skillet until soft.
Remove skillet from heat, pour in egg and red pepper mixture and top with cherry tomatoes.
Bake frittata in oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until middle of the frittata is solid.
Remove frittata from oven, let cool, slice, and serve with hot sauce (optional).
We bet you have never thought of cottage cheese a replacement for flour. This unique baking ingredient will give your breakfast muffins a texture and taste you won’t have to resist.
Prep time: 40 minutes
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with foil cups. Spray each cup with oil to prevent sticking.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce of choice (optional).
Add in cottage cheese, spinach, ham, Colby Jack cheese, and peppers.
Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop egg and cottage cheese mixture into oiled muffin tins. Bake muffins for about 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Do you love eggs? Are you still obsessed with avocado? This recipe combines the two and bakes them into one of the most delicious creations you’ve never tasted.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Create a small well in the center of each avocado half. To do this, use a spoon to scoop out two tablespoons of flesh from each avocado half.
Making sure to keep the yolks intact as you go, carefully crack 1 egg into each small well. Season each egg yolk with salt and pepper, if desired.
Transfer avocado halves to parchment paper on top of baking sheet. Slide into the oven and bake about 15 minutes, or until each egg white sets but the yolks still appear runny.
Remove from oven, garnish with chives (if desired) and serve immediately.
Whoever said you couldn’t have pizza for breakfast lied to your face. Shame on them.
Prep time: 1 hour
In a large microwave safe bowl, place riced cauliflower head and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave cauliflower on high for 10 minutes.
While cauliflower cooks, line a sieve with a tea towel and place it over a bowl. Carefully transfer cooked cauliflower to the lined sieve and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a cast-iron skillet while you wait.
Using the tea towel, squeeze as much liquid out of the cauliflower as possible. Then, place the dry cauliflower to a different bowl. Add in mozzarella, 1 large egg (save the rest for later), garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir all ingredients together until combined.
Transfer to the greased cast iron skillet, firmly and evenly pressing it into the bottom to create a crust. Bake 20 minutes, or until its edges are golden brown and its middle feels firm.
The post 10 Low-Carb Breakfast Recipes to Avoid a Mid-Morning Crash appeared first on Bembu.
If you have heard grains don’t belong in a standard diet regimen, you have been deceived. According to Mayo Clinic, whole grains are an extremely important part of a healthy diet. For most people, they provide more benefits than risks. And as long as you know the difference between “good” grains and “bad” grains, you don’t have to say goodbye to bread, pasta, or rice. Rejoice!
Once you know the difference between healthy and unhealthy grains — and the healthiest of them all — you can actually add loads of nutrition to every meal. Here’s why whole grains matter, the best ones you can buy, and how they will improve your life.
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding grains. Some people call them out for contributing too many unnecessary carbohydrates to your diet. Many even go as far as blaming calories, starch, and gluten for the rise in a number of chronic diseases.
The truth is, too many misunderstand the difference between whole grains — the food — and foods made with processed flour. While it’s true that many processed foods are high in sugar and grossly unhealthy — and also happen to contain grains — not all grains belong on the “do not eat” list.
In fact, a diet without whole grains might even put your health at risk.
There’s more than one type of grain. Even though many grains aren’t healthy, whole grains themselves are some of the healthiest foods you can eat.
Here’s a deeper look at the three main types of grains — and why only one of them belongs on your grocery shopping list.
These are the least healthy forms of grains you can find. These grains start out as whole grains, but go through a type of food processing that removes the most nutritious parts of every grain. Refined grains lack fiber and many beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Manufacturers mostly refine their grains to give their products a smooth texture and extend their shelf life. White breads, white pasta, white rice, and anything else made with white flour falls under the refined grain umbrella. Many of your favorite processed junk foods, like cookies, crackers, and pastries, contain white flour as a core ingredient.
These are refined grains with many nutrients added back in after stripping the original grain of its nutrition. While these types of grains might technically provide more health benefits than non-enriched refined grains, many of their nutrients disappear when further processed.
Like refined grains, enriched and fortified grains (enriched grains with extra vitamins and minerals added in) lack fiber. This is actually one of the major reasons whole grains provide the most health benefits compared to both types of refined grains.
Whole grains are as close to the originally harvested grain as you can get. You might also call them complete grains, because they aren’t missing any of their core components. All the nutrition they had before harvesting is still there. Plus, whole grains are rich in fiber, as well as nutrients like magnesium and potassium — important things refined grains don’t have.
You will find whole grains sold as their own product, like brown rice, or as ingredients in other, much healthier products, like whole grain instant oatmeal or quinoa burgers. You still have to purchase with caution, as food labeling can make some processed foods’ whole grain “status” confusing. But we’ll get to that toward the end of this article.
For now, let’s look at some of the healthiest whole grains out there — and why you need to start eating them now, if you haven’t already.
When you have the option to choose between white rice and brown rice, chances are, you choose white. It has a different texture and taste. It’s also easier to add your own flavors to white rice, since it’s often rather plain when you eat it by itself.
Unfortunately, white rice consists of refined grains. That’s why its texture is a little smoother than brown rice — it’s been milled for that exact purpose. As much as you might love white rice with your orange chicken, you’re missing out on a ton of benefits white rice simply does not offer.
Switching from white to brown rice can make a huge difference in your health, though. Brown rice provides very few calories per cooked cup. You can substitute it into a number of dishes to make them healthier, since it’s loaded with fiber and rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals. It’s also gluten-free.
This grain contains small amounts of calories and a huge dose of fiber. It doesn’t take as long to cook as other grains, so it’s a very convenient cooking staple in your home kitchen. Bulgur actually isn’t as unfamiliar as it might seem. It comes from a grain you’ve eaten plenty of times in your life before.
When you look for bulgur at the store, you’ll find it labeled as “bulgur wheat.” That’s right — bulgur and wheat share a very close connection. To make bulgur, you actually simmer and bake whole wheat kernels. Therefore, while this grain provides many health benefits, it’s not safe for everyone. Avoid bulgur if you are allergic to wheat or cannot eat gluten (found in wheat and wheat products).
Pronounced keen-wah, this grain has all but taken over the grain craze — and that’s fine. It’s much healthier than your average packet of instant oatmeal or bowl full of white rice. Like many other whole grains, it’s extremely versatile. You can find ways to incorporate it into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a host of healthy snacks.
Spelt’s health benefits make it worth a taste. It has the potential to boost your immunity, strengthen your bones, lower your cholesterol, and improve your digestion. Most of the things you can make with wheat flour, you can make with spelt. This includes bread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and even pizza crust.
The post The Healthiest Whole Grains You Aren’t Eating, But Should Be appeared first on Bembu.
Aloo Gobi is a delectable Indian specialty that features cauliflower, potatoes, and usually peas in a mild, tomato base. I’m not sure my family has ever placed an order, whether eat-in or carry out, that didn’t include it as one of our choices. And fortunately it’s almost always already vegan, which means it doesn’t need […]
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A fantastic side dish for many kinds of meals, especially Indian specialties, what makes this fruit and nut rice pilaf so fruity and nutty is trail mix! Most trail mixes have a nice variety of dried fruits and nuts. As for the rice, you have options. Do you have already cooked rice in the fridge […]
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This mildly sweet noodle pudding, made dairy-free, is a classic Jewish comfort food, and always welcome at celebrations such as the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and Hanukkah. Adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky. 5.0 from 1 reviews Save Print Vegan Noodle Kugel Author: Nava Recipe type: Casserole / noodles Cuisine: Jewish Prep time: 25 mins […]
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These tasty citrus fruits that share their name with their color are thirst quenching, sweet and very popular. But all that aside, there are actually some very powerful health benefits from oranges as well. The summer favorite is packed full of vitamin C, yes, but there is actually far more to the humble orange. Let’s check it out…
Oranges are a sweet citrus fruit, and share their name with the word describing their color. Their ancestors are believed to date back tens of thousands of years, and their exact origin is unknown. It is believed, however, that they evolved from citron fruits in Australia and New Guinea. The first cultivated crops are understood to date back to 2500 BC in China. Oranges are not found in the wild, and are the result of cultivation and hybrids. There are many different varieties of oranges, from the common navel and Valencia to acid-less oranges (which have little taste) and the rather striking blood oranges. As the name suggests, blood oranges have red juice running through their flesh. There are also other fruits that belong to the orange family, and are similar, including tangerines and mandarins.
Calories – 49
Total Fat – 0.02 grams
Cholesterol – 0mg
Sodium – 1mg
Potassium – 166mg
Total Carbohydrate – 13 grams
Dietary Fiber – 2.2 grams
Sugars – 9 grams
Protein – 0.9 grams
Vitamin A – 4% of RDI
Vitamin C – 98% of RDI
Calcium – 4% of RDI
Vitamin B6 – 5% of RDI
Magnesium – 2% of RDI
There are a number of health benefits associated with oranges. Many of them are the result of their abundance of natural vitamin C, but there are other nutrients found in these sweet, tangy fruits as well. Let’s take a look at 9 of the health benefits that can come with eating oranges…
This is the one that we all know, but do you know why vitamin C is so good for you? This zesty nutrient is fundamental to the body’s connective tissue development. That includes the healing of wounds and blood vessel wall support. Vitamin C is believed to minimize the risk of a number of health problems and ailments, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease, as well as improve the immune system and promote healthy hair and skin.
Staying on the vitamin C train – the wholesome nutrient is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Low levels of vitamin C in the blood is also linked to an increased risk of stroke, strengthening the belief that it helps reduce the risk of heart problems.
There’s a reason vitamin supplements come in orange flavor! Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients for immunity. Like most citrus fruits, oranges are packed full of the powerful vitamin, and actually have more than many other citrons. It protects your immunity by neutralizing free raticals and fight everyday viruses, like the common cold and flu. It works best as a preventative measure. In other words, if you’re hit with a bad dose of the flu, eating an orange won’t cure you. It’s certainly good to keep your fruit and liquid intake up, but it’s just as important when you’re healthy to maintain a strong immune system and try to avoid catching a virus in the first place!
The vitamin C in oranges can help reduce symptoms of asthma and allergies by boosting your immune function, as mentioned above! A number of studies have found consuming the vitamin has positive effects on pulmonary function tests, decreased respiratory infection, improved white blood cell function and motility, and bronchoprovacation challenges with ethacholine, histamine and allergens.
All fruits and vegetables are good for keeping your digestive system moving and working. Oranges are packed full of fiber, which is vital to digestive function, keeping you regular. Dietary fiber works in this sense by stimulating digestive juices, therefore relieving constipation.
Like any whole foods packed full of soluble fiber, oranges can be helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. A very new piece of research, published in May 2017, looked at the nutraceutical value in citrus fruits, including oranges. Researchers found hesperidin, an antioxidant found in oranges, may be beneficial in lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Oranges have important nutrients that support and promote heart health. They include fiber, potassium, vitamin C (surprise!), and choline. Potassium for example, is a mineral that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Increasing your potassium intake, while decreasing your sodium intake, can help protect your heart from health problems. One study found participants with the highest sodium diet had a 20 per cent higher risk of death than participants with the lowest sodium intakes. On the other hand, the people who consumed the highest amount of potassium had a 20 per cent lower risk of dying than those who consumed the lowest amounts. More interestingly though was the relationship between potassium and sodium. People who had the highest ration of sodium to potassium doubled their risk of dying from a heart attack than those with the lowest ratio difference.
All fruit and vegetables are beneficial to skin health and promote clear, glowing skin. There are a few reasons these natural whole foods do that. It is partly because they are packed full of water, which rehydrates the body, including the skin. They also have important vitamins and minerals that feed the skin and keep it healthy. Oranges have the important antioxidant vitamin C and beta-carotene, which can help protect against sun damage and pollution. However, having said that, it is still important to use sun safety, like hats and sunscreen. Vitamin C can also reduce wrinkles and improve the skin’s texture, as well as promoting the growth and formation of collagen.
The post So Much More Than Vitamin C: The Top 9 Health Benefits Of Oranges appeared first on Bembu.
Individual avocado cups, studded with corn and crisp vegetables, are an easy alternative to an ordinary salad, or a nice first course. Double the recipe if you’d like everyone to have two halves rather than one, in which case it can almost be a main-dish salad, especially if you pair it with a bean salad, […]
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This gorgeous vegan cream of asparagus soup is a nice introduction to meals as a first course, since it’s nice and light. It used to be that asparagus was primarily available in spring (and that’s still when it’s best and less expensive), but now that it’s become more year-round, you can enjoy this soup nearly […]
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In many (if not most) Western diets, fermented foods aren’t very prevalent, and that’s something that should change! Pickling, fermenting, and culturing add beneficial enzymes to foods, and enhance flavors and nutritional. To familiarize yourself with the world of fermented food, here’s a Q & A with Michelle Schoffro Cook, author of The Cultured Cook: Delicious Fermented […]
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Here’s a sandwich with substance — these tempeh reuben hero sandwiches are delicious, high in protein, and even supply you with your healthy fermented food in the form of sauerkraut. If you’re feeding a small group and don’t feel like making individual sandwiches, this is a great choice. Double the recipe for a larger crowd. […]
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Jícama is a root vegetable that’s native to the American Southwest. Pronounced HICK-a-mah, until the last decade or so it wasn’t easy to find outside that region. Now it’s more widely available well-stocked supermarkets and produce markets from west to east, primarily in the fall. Subltly sweet, crunchy, and a bit more watery than other roots (it’s actually […]
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In your mind, visualize the supermarket you frequent. Put yourself in the produce department. Think summer. Now think winter. Does it look much different? Any different? Now imagine yourself in the restaurants you frequent. It’s fall, and you are studying the menu. Now shift gears—it’s spring. Have the menus changed very much? Have they changed at all? ...
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Pumpkin spice latte season marks the start of the annual “everything is pumpkin” movement. Oreos, pancakes, even M&Ms take on a cinnamon-and-clove taste. If you love pumpkin spice (and/or pumpkin pie), this is probably your favorite time of year. But you don’t have to stick to the usual spiced coffee drink. There’s a pumpkin spice recipe for most of your favorite breakfasts and desserts. And yes — you can even create your own pumpkin spice latte, with a lot less sugar than the more traditional beverage. Here are a few recipes we have a feeling you’re going to fall in love with.
Interested in making your own pumpkin spice? It only takes five minutes! You will find that bonus recipe at the end of this article.
If you’re a frequent overnight oats kind of person, good news! You can add a hint of pumpkin spice to your go-to breakfast meal.
Prep time: 5 hours
Add steel cut oats, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar to slow cooker. Stir in water, milk, and vanilla extract.
Put the lid on your slow cooker and set to cook on low for 5 hours.
Once cooked, remove lid and let sit an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Portion 1/2 serving of oatmeal into a bowl and add toppings of your choice. You can store the remaining oatmeal in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave later.
Do you like waffles? Sprinkle a little pumpkin spice into your batter to make your breakfast even better.
Prep time: 20 minutes
In one large bowl, sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
In a second large bowl, whisk together eggs, full-fat milk, buttermilk, pumpkin, and melted butter. Fold dry ingredients from the first bowl into the second bowl and stir slightly (the batter will have lumps).
Preheat waffle iron and grease with cooking spray. Add a portion of batter to the iron, close the lid, and remove once fully baked. Remove first waffle, placing onto a serving plate, and repeat with what remains of the batter.
Serve immediately with your toppings of choice.
Most packaged granola mixes aren’t healthy. They’re full of dried, sugary fruits, large quantities of nuts, and even more added sugar. Homemade granola offers the perfect opportunity to [pumpkin] spice up your favorite add-in or snack.
Prep time: 35 minutes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine whole grain oats, pecans, and pumpkin seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Pour the maple syrup mixture over the oat mixture. Toss until evenly combined.
Spread the granola mixture evenly over parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle on shredded coconut, and shake to combine. Return to oven 15 additional minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
This pumpkin bread sort of feels like dessert for breakfast, but we’ll let that slide.
Prep time: 75 minutes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and baking soda. In another mixing bowl, blend pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, egg, egg white, and oil.
Add flour mixture to second bowl and mix until just moist. Pour dough into greased baking pan and sprinkle in chopped almonds.
Bake 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the bread’s middle comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing bread from pan and letting that cool on the rack completely.
Another breakfast favorite gets a pumpkin spice twist. You can even add spiced glaze to your scones to double the flavor (yum!)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Scones
Pumpkin spice glaze (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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There are three great things to do with overripe bananas — one, bake them into breads or muffins; two, freeze them to make banana ice cream or blend into smoothies, and this is the third — bake them. Apply high heat to the very ripe or overripe fruit. Baked bananas become super sweet, with the […]
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Not long ago, we presented a delicious shortcut recipe, Instant Lentil and Kidney Bean Curry, inspired by the classic combo from Indian cuisine. One of the many full-flavored Indian simmer sauces available these days makes the meal a breeze to prepare — no need for the zillions of individual spices that gives the dish an authentic character. […]
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Crushed pineapple is the standout ingredient in this pleasing Creole coleslaw recipe. It provides a good balance to spicy or bold dishes. My favorite dishes to serve it with are, appropriately, Vegan Jambalaya and Pasta Jambalaya. Serves: 6 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise, or as needed 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 1 teaspoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon […]
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Here’s an easy and colorful side dish to accompany Asian noodle or tofu main dishes. This broccoli and baby corn stir-fry especially good with really fresh broccoli from the garden or farm stand. Serves: 4 to 6 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil 1/4 cup dry white wine, water, or vegetable broth 4 to […]
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