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… be sure these foods make their way into your grocery cart often!
- A variety of fruit – especially berries, apples, red grapes, cherries, oranges, and plums
- A variety of vegetables – especially dark leafy greens, red onions, tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and red/orange/yellow bell peppers
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Herbs and spices – especially ginger, turmeric, curry, garlic, and rosemary
- Green or white tea – loose leaf or bagged
- Oily fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and trout
- Nuts – especially walnuts
- Beans – any variety in any form
- Whole grains – Intact whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, barley, quinoa, etc. and high fiber (≥5 grams/serving) cereals
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Regardless of how much you exercise, your body weight, or health status, prolonged sitting appears to dramatically boost the risk of dying. This is the riveting conclusion from a landmark new report, and everybody needs to take heed. This new study is part of the largest ongoing evaluation of healthy aging in the southern hemisphere and included over 200,000 adults. According to the scientists, study subjects who sat 11 or more hours a day were 40% more likely to die in the next 3 years vs. those sitting less than four hours a day. The public health implications from these findings are enormous because the average adult spends 90% of their leisure time sitting down (on top of prolonged work-related sitting at a desk. Ouch!).
These results are in line with other recent study findings that have shown that prolonged sitting has immediate adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Your blood vessels and metabolic machinery simply don’t work as well when your muscles are not engaged as in sitting. EVERYONE needs to know that regular exercise is not enough to maintain optimal health- you must avoid prolonged sitting too. For best results, strive to get up and move around a bit every 15 minutes. Studies show that the cardiometabolic benefits of movement kick in within 30 seconds. As little as 1-2 minutes of light activity like walking to use the restroom helps significantly. Simply standing up is also beneficial. Be especially vigilant in avoiding prolonged sitting after meals. The combination of no movement and glucose entering your system after meals can be particularly high risk. (Archives of Internal Medicine, online March 26, 2012)
Click here for my tips to avoid prolonged sitting.
Everyone wants to have beautiful, ageless skin. Watch this video to learn which foods are best for achieving beautiful skin.
Superfoods for Skin
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Are you looking for more sweet reasons to include dark chocolate in your diet regularly? If so, you will be pleased to know that a new scientific review of 42 former clinical trials supports my strongly held notion that dark chocolate is truly a healthy dessert. In this new report, several benefits were attributed to eating dark chocolate including reduced blood pressure, better blood vessel function, and lower insulin levels- all of which bode well for maintaining heart health. Dark chocolate is home to a potent class of antioxidant plant chemicals called flavanols that are regarded as its “active ingredients”. For best results, substitute a prudent portion (up to two squares daily) of a 70% or higher cacao dark chocolate bar in lieu of a sweet you would otherwise eat. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. online February 1, 2012) I always enjoy 1 to 2 squares of a 86% dark chocolate bar after my lunch.
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Ground poultry, like “ground turkey”, can have just as much fat as standard ground beef. Always choose ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast. They provide the least fat and calories. Many brands are 99% fat-free.
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Plain yogurt is a superstar food and a staple in my families’ refrigerator. My 16 year old daughter, chef Lucie, has become obsessed with making things from scratch and was blown over by how easy it was for her to make “homemade” plain yogurt. And the rest of us were blown over by how divine it was in taste and texture. She told me it was easier than making a PB &J sandwich. Here is her recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 gallon organic low fat milk (1% or 2%)
- 2 1/2 tbsp plain yogurt (as a starter – I use Fage or Oikos plain Greek-style)
- Crockpot
Instructions:
Plug in the crockpot and turn it on low. Pour in milk and put the top on. Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours. Leave top on and unplug crockpot and let sit for 3 hours undisturbed. Remove 1/2 cup of the warm milk and place in a large bowl with the starter yogurt. Whisk together. Pour contents of the bowl back into the crockpot. Cover the crockpot with a clean towel and let sit undisturbed for 8 hours or overnight. Scoop the yogurt into an airtight container and place in fridge. The yogurt will last for 2 weeks in fridge. It will be thinner than store bought yogurt because most supermarket yogurts have added thickening agents.*
*If you want to thicken the yogurt like “Greek-style”, simply pour it into a colander lined with a clean cloth that is set into a large bowl. The “liquid whey” will drain out into the bowl below. Strain it for 2-5 hours depending on how thick you want it.
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The emerald-green brilliance of this delectable fruit aptly connotes the youth and vitality it offers. Kiwi is loaded with vitamin C (even more than oranges!) along with a hefty dose of potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamin E. This nutritional pedigree is further complimented with a load of both the carotenoid and flavonoid family of phytochemicals, making this fruit one of your best choices for cardiovascular health, vision health, cancer protection, and general anti-aging. Kiwis are a key ingredient in my anti-inflammatory smoothie recipe.
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Watch as I report how berries are proven heart-healthy agents.
http://drannwellness.com/video.cfm?VideoID=179
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In a provocative new report that puts a whole new spin on “food for thought” – scientists uncovered a significant association between over-eating and memory problems. This evaluation included more than 1,200 elderly study subjects who reported how many calories they consumed daily. Those who reported consuming the most calories (2,143 or more daily) were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (often a precursor to dementia) than those consuming the least calories (1,525 or less daily). (Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, New Orleans, La. April 2012 )
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Watch as I uncover several health food “imposters” you come across in the stores. I’ll tell you why some popular choices, like certain brands of yogurt, are not as healthy as they appear to be.
http://drannwellness.com/video.cfm?VideoID=46
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