STRIVE’s Tasty Treats

by kelsey | Mar 17, 2015 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health

 
We had a great kickoff of our spring session of STRIVE 2 Survive last week! It’s always fun to start working with another great group of people all wanting to work on improving their health and wellness. I have said it before and will say it again…one of my favorite parts about the lectures is the great and healthy snacks County Fair Foods provides for us! These recipes are a must try!! The above picture is of Chicken Ceasar Salad. A great way to get your veggies and lean proteins all in one! Just be sure to watch the dressing! 😉

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

1/4 c is only 16 calories!! 🙂

Ingredients:

2 c finely chopped, seeded, peeled cucumbers

1/4 c chopped red onion

1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 c finely chopped and seeded tomato

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

4 1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro

1/4 c low fat Greek yogurt

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

Baked or whole grain tortilla chips

Directions: In a small bowl, combine first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin, and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

Oatmeal Cookie

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1 c pitted dried plums, chopped

1 c chopped dates

1/2 c raisins

1/3 c butter, softened

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1/4 c maple syrup

1 Tbsp grated orange peel

3 c quick oatmeal

1 c flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Directions: In a small bowl combine water and flaxseed. In a large bowl combine the plums, dates, and raisins, cover with boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. In another large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, applesauce, maple syrup, and orange peel. Combine all other dry ingredients together and gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Drain plum mixture. Stir in plum mixture and flaxseed into dough. Drop by tsps onto lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

All ingredients can be found at County Fair Foods! Enjoy!!

-Kelsey

February: Celebrate Heart Health!

by kelsey | Feb 5, 2015 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health

In celebration of National Heart Month, I think it’s fitting to discuss the significance diet and activity play in promoting a healthy heart. Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and affects both men and women. Genetics do play a role, however a heart healthy diet and and regular activity can help minimize the effects and complications of heart disease. Whether you have heart disease in your family or not, it’s still good to follow a heart healthy eating plan. Highlights of the diet include:

• Lots of fruits and veggies! I’m sure you already knew this one, but the benefits of getting your 5 a day servings of fruits and veggies are worth reminding you again. Most of us know this, the hard part is doing it. Try adding them to your meals, have fruit as a snack, get a double serving to help you reach this goal.
• Fiber! Fiber is very beneficial in combating heart disease.  Incorporating more whole grains (and fruits, veggies, and beans/lentils) into your diet will increase your fiber and aid in heart health. Oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, whole grain noodles, whole grain breads, and even popcorn are considered whole grains. Aim to get at least 25-35 g/day.
• Choose lean proteins. Decreasing the amount of saturated fat in your diet will help reduce plaque buildup. Choose white meat poultry without the skin, 90% or greater lean hamburger, fish, beans, etc….stay away from processed meats! Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, and trout offer additional benefits as they are loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
• Choose healthy fats. Incorporating more plant fats such as canola oil and olive oil into your diet and reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats has been shown to improve heart health. You want to choose foods that are lower than 5-8g of total fat per serving and <3g saturated and trans fat per serving. Choosing low fat dairy products will help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet as well.
• Hold the salt! Excess sodium can increase blood pressure and cause heart failure. Aim to keep your sodium intake below 2400mg/day. You can do this by doing more home cooking, avoiding boxed or packaged goods, cooking with salt free seasonings, and not using table salt.
• Exercise! At least 30 minutes of exercise a day has been shown to improve heart health. If you can do more, the better!

Making small changes or substitutions will help you have a healthier heart and reduce risk for disease. Reading labels is really essential to help you make good choices, so take some time in the grocery store and really examine the products to ensure you’re making healthy choices!

-Kelsey

Heart Healthy Eating

by kelsey | Sep 24, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health

September is National Cholesterol Education Month.  Whether you have high cholesterol of not, it is important to know what your cholesterol levels are and what you can do to help control them so you can reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.

According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three people in the United States is affected by heart-related diseases. There are many risk factors when it comes to heart disease including: excess weight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (to name a few). In addition to working with your doctor, you can minimize these risk factors by your dietary intake and physical activity.

For a healthy heart you want to consume a diet low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol. Challenge yourself to replace these with some of the foods and food components listed below:

• Fruits and Vegetables- Many fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps your body take in more nutrients, can lower cholesterol levels, aid in achieving a healthy weight. Fruits and vegetables not only contain fiber, but they also contain potassium and antioxidants. Potassium can help with blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Antioxidants may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.. At the grocery store, be sure to choose a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, broccoli, beets, berries and kidney beans to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals.
• Whole Grains-There are many components within whole grains which provide benefits. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. To reap the benefits, aim for at least 3 daily servings of whole grains. On the label, look for the phrase “whole grain” or “whole” before the grain’s name. Some examples include: whole grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn.  Using a supplement such as ground flax seed (shown in the picture) is beneficial to improving total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. You can work up to using 2-3 Tbsps/day for improved levels. This is often mixed into cereal, oatmeal, or used like granola with yogurt…you can also bake with it.
• Heart Healthy Fats- A diet of moderate fat intake is beneficial to your health. You can enjoy the healthy benefits by choosing oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fat, such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, or soybean oils. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna are terrific sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are types of polyunsaturated fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease. If you are unable to get fish into your diet, you should consider taking a fish oil supplement of 1-4g/day with at least 1g of DHA and EPA.
• Stanols and Sterols- These plant-based food components help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. They are found in foods like corn, soy, wheat and some fortified foods like orange juice and yogurt. 1-3 grams of stanols or sterols are needed each day to see beneficial effects.

-Kelsey