Fresh Food Perspectives

With so much nutrition information out there, sometimes you just need a fresh perspective.

Science Friday – Ginger and Sweat January 13, 2012

Ginger has been on my mind and in my diet lately. I recommended a pregnant friend try making ginger tea every day to help with her nausea. I’ve been messing with Asian flavors for my upcoming noodles class at A. Chef’s Cooking Studio. Every morning I’m throwing a piece of fresh ginger into my smoothie. So when this interesting tidbit about ginger came through my email box, I was immediately intrigued. I sincerely apologize that I cannot remember where I got this from. Therefore, let me state, these are not my words but some smart person’s. I give you credit, wherever you are.

Enjoy some ginger and get your sweat on today!

Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections. Investigators have isolated the gene responsible for the compound and the protein it produces, which they have named dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body’s sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin’s surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria such as E. coli andStaphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and fungi, including Candida albicans.

 

Dinner and a movie December 7, 2011

Dinner: Right now I am sitting down to a delicious dinner and a lovely glass of malbec. My dinner is seasoned black and pinto beans (from last week) with tomatoes and chevre and new recipe I made up – avocado rubbed kale salad. I’m really happy with the salad as it’s inspired from something I had at the Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine. It’s very simple and gives me another great way to enjoy kale. Here’s the recipe

2 cups finely chopped fresh kale

1/2 Hass ripe (soft) avocado

Balsamic Vinegar

kosher salt

Directions: Scoop out avocado onto chopped kale. Using your fingers, massage avocado into kale so that it’s completely coated. Dish salad onto plate and drizzle with vinegar and a dash of salt. Enjoy! I think this would be good warm too. Just pop the coated kale in the microwave for like 20 seconds or so.

Movie: I missed a few days of updating with Dr. Sears clips. Did anyone watch the first step? Isn’t he sweet? He has a delightful way of encouraging healthy living. Here is step 2 and 3 for your dinner enjoyment.

Prime Time Health Step 2 - This one is totally awesome.

Prime Time Health Step 3

Also, I have a lot of great events coming up in the next 2 months. I’ll post them tomorrow so check back in for cooking classes, wellness presentations and media appearances.

 

Great News! December 5, 2011

Filed under: Resources — freshfoodperspectives @ 10:27 pm
Tags: , , ,

I found Dr. Sear’s presentation on YouTube!! I am going to post the different sections over the next week or so. Each section seems to be less than 5 minutes so it shouldn’t take a long time to view. I just find him so refreshing, simple and encouraging. I hope you enjoy listening and learning.

Prime Time Health Step 1

 

Dr. Sears Speaking in Jacksonville Next Weekend – Free Event! November 27, 2011

Yes, that’s right! Next Friday and Saturday, December 2nd and 3rd, Dr. Sears will be giving a free Prevention Plus seminar entitled, “10 Healthy Tips for all Ages.” Although it is a free event, you do need a ticket, which I have. If you would like to go, please email me at jbraddockrd@gmail.com. The details are below and see the link for all the info, or if you don’t know who Dr. Sears is.

Friday, December 2, 2011

7pm

Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville

Saturday, December 3, 2011

11am

University of North Florida University Center

Child care is provided free of charge for those under the age of 5. 5 and older are encouraged to join there parents.

Dr. Sears Invitation

 

Healthy Travel Tips – Action News Morning Show November 17, 2011

The holidays are hard enough to navigate when you are home. Add in traveling, and it may seem impossible to eat healthy and maintain your weight.

This morning I made an appearance on Fox Action News Morning Show and shared some tips for eating healthy while traveling. Here they are below. Enjoy!

Traveling can be crazy so be as prepared as possible with your food. Remember the journey is not the party.

  1. Eat breakfast before you leave. Include protein to give you lasting energy and manage stress. Examples: EggBeaters just whites mug scramble; Greek yogurt with granola and spoon in a to-go bag; oatmeal made with milk for extra protein.
  2. Pack snacks to take with you. Be prepared if your plans change and you don’t have the time you thought you would to eat. Bring fruit (apples, oranges pack well), almonds or your own trail mix, 100 calorie packs and snack bars.
  3. Use smart phone apps to help locate the best eating options. Gate Guru, AroundMe, Restaurant Nutrition and Lose It are very helpful.
  4. Drink water!! Flying, especially can dehydrate you. Dehydration can mask itself as hunger. Bring an empty water bottle through security and fill up at water fountains to save money. Watch out for calorie-filled seasonal beverages. They are often a lot more calories than you think.
 

Helpful Nutrition Apps for your Phone November 15, 2011

Filed under: Eating Out Options,Favorite Products,Resources — freshfoodperspectives @ 8:52 am
Tags: , ,

Technology is great, isn’t it?! On Sunday, we had a dedication service for my son and Skyped in my brother and niece from St. Louis. That is so awesome.

Fortunately, we now have access to some amazing nutrition Apps too. I think having these tools are so important, especially with the holidays upon us. Research has shown that people who monitor their eating are more successful at loosing weight and keeping it off.

So pull up your App Store and download some of these technology gems. I assure you they will help you stay on track this holiday season and beyond. If anyone has other suggestions, please post them below. Oh, and they are all free too.

“Lose It” – Food journal that tracks your calories, fat, protein and fiber

“Calorie Counter” – Another free food journal with different whistle and bells

“AroundMe” – Will help you locate what restaurants are in your area so you can avoid the situation of , “If I knew X restaurant was just a little further down the road, I would have gone there instead.”

“Restaurant Nutrition” – List nutrition facts for over 60 restaurants

“Gate Guru” – Will show you the restaurants available at different airports, along with other valuable travel information

“Shopper” - Allows you to make grocery lists very easily. This helps me remember everything that randomly comes to mind during the day.

“Whole Foods Market Recipes” - This app can quickly help you solve the “what’s for dinner” dilemma or the “what do I do with sweet potatoes” dilemma.

“Good Food Near You”  - This app helps you locate the healthiest restaurant options closest to you. Very cool.

 

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month November 9, 2011

Yes, it is. This is an important month to bring attention to the disease of diabetes. Diabetes seems to get marginalized in this country because you can simply “take a pill for that”. This is not the way to think! Diabetes changes your life forever. It is worth paying attention to.

First, know your risk. Try this quick risk assessment to see where you are at.

Next, educate yourself. This month’s Health Source Magazine (Northeast Florida) is chalked full of diabetes information geared for those who are new to it. Check out it out here and make sure you read the article on pages 14-16. A dietitian you know is quoted (wink, wink).

 

New Pregnancy Nutrition Guide November 8, 2011

I recently closed the chapter of my life on pregnancy #1 and am glad. I don’t miss it and I am super happy about baby Jackson being on the outside. Pregnancy had its ups and downs for me, as I am learning it does for many women. One of my frustrations was that I could not find a resource I trusted about the “why’s” behind what you are supposed to do, verses not do, while pregnant. No one would treat me like an individual pregnant women, and I was just given the textbook answers to my many questions by my health care team.

Now that I have a healthy baby, I have gained some confidence in the strategies I followed while pregnant. For all of you ladies out there who may be wondering some of the same things I did, I present to you a brand new book from my colleague, Tara Gidus, RD. Please check out this book for yourself or buy it as a gift for a friend. Tara knows her stuff and how to present it in an easy to understand way. I wish I had had this resource 12 months ago. Click the image to take you to Amazon for more info.

 

What do you think about the new plate? June 2, 2011

Filed under: Perspectives,Resources — freshfoodperspectives @ 3:27 pm

Check out this new tool for helping you make healthier eating choices. What do you think? It is it more user friendly? Please share your thoughts as I really want to know what you think.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

 

Great Sports Nutrition Article April 4, 2010

One day, all universities will recognize the need to have RDs…

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/articles/article.aspx?articleid=3518&zoneid=8

 

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 580 other followers