Category: Diet

August 31, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC When it comes to bedtime snacks, there’s a reason why sugar doesn’t typically make the list. While foods with tryptophan, vitamin D, or magnesium can help you drift off to dreamland, foods high in sugar and saturated fat are actually associated with disrupted sleep patterns, and eating sugar late in the day can potentially affect melatonin production. But… the best part of dinner is dessert, so what’s a person with a sweet tooth to do in the evening? Meet your new BFFs, low-glycemic desserts. These treats still taste sweet but because they use less sugar and refined flour (and incorporate healthy fats and fiber), they won’t make your blood sugar levels spike to such extremes as with traditional desserts. That means no sudden before-bed energy bursts to keep you up longer, and less chance of disrupted snoozing. You can have your cake and eat it too—while still clocking in a solid night of sleep. ad_intervals[‘419088_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘419088_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Keep reading for 10 low-glycemic desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth. Photo: Inspiring Pretty 1. Microwave mug brownie This brownie is just as chocolate-y and gooey as you want from a decadent dessert, but it won’t mess with your blood sugar levels. The secret is using coconut flour in place of regular flour (for extra fiber) and coconut sugar instead of the refined stuff. The recipe also calls for raw cacao, which is high in antioxidants.

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August 30, 2019 at 07:42PM by CWC Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock once sang: “It takes two to make a thing go right”—and the lyric rings true for both relationships and healthy eating. Certain foods work to nutritionally complement one another  in the same way mac ‘n’ cheese electrifies your tastebuds. That’s why the folks over at Harvard Health have named three specific nutrient pairings that are just too good for you to keep apart. In a recent edition of the Harvard Health’s “Focus on Nutrition” newsletter (much of which is reprinted here), the health pros from the esteemed university dropped need-to-know knowledge into my inbox. In short, certain nutrients come together as “power couples.” They’re the J. Lo and A. Rod of cuisine—and once you get the knack of pairing them together, your basically become a diet-hacking queen. The 3 best nutrient pairs, according to the great minds of Harvard. For extra-strong bones: Vitamin D and Calcium You learned it on from old Yoo-hoo commercials, but I’ll repeat it again here: calcium helps build strong bones. According to Harvard Health, calcium is principally absorbed through the small intestine—a process that benefits from the help of good old Vitamin D. “Calcium is important because it strengthens bones, but the body often needs vitamin D’s assistance to absorb the nutrient,” write the experts. ad_intervals[‘419712_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘419712_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Currently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)  recommends males and females between the ages

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August 30, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Let’s face it—lunch is pretty important, but often gets forgotten due to work stress and back-to-back appointments. Or it’s grabbed in a rush at the nearest fast-food eatery. Either way, we all could do a better job with our mid-day meal. “Living in such a busy society, lunch is usually eaten away from home and sometimes on-the-go. This means you’ll need to plan in advance to ensure you have enough of the right foods with you, or you’ll need to stop and think rationally when ordering out versus just going with what seems easiest in the moment,” explains Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. You also want to make sure what you prepare at home is both exciting and filling so that you don’t end up going out to get something in addition, says Maggie Michalczyk, MS, RD. “You want to have the right thing to fuel the rest of your day and be able to tackle the rest of your tasks without feeling like you’re in a food coma,” she says. ad_intervals[‘419565_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘419565_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); But easy, healthy lunch ideas that aren’t just a sad desk salad have been pretty hard to come by…until now. Use this guide to make building the perfect lunch a total cinch. Your winning lunch formula, broken down “At any meal, I encourage clients to include a protein source, starch, vegetable or fruit, better-for-you fats, and flavor. This

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August 29, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Ever have a flashback to when kale wasn’t cool (#tbt)? Well, there’s a new crew of superfoods about to hit your plates and IG feeds. We teamed up with Ocean Spray to clue you in on the trends. Learn about all six craze-worthy foods here, and keep reading to find out why the health benefits of endive earned it a spot. On your quest to get your greens in, it’s easy to default to throwing spinach, kale, or arugula into a bowl and calling it a day. Besides, the taste of your greens-of-choice isn’t always the main showstopper, but more of a vehicle for the real yummy stuff (like that vinaigrette you finally perfected). But a different veggie base is threatening to steal the salad spotlight—and its unique flavor can stand on its own. Enter: Belgian endive—the elegant-looking (and sounding, tbh) member of the chicory family that’s making its case to be the leafy green of 2019. ad_intervals[‘413808_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘413808_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); If you’re unfamiliar with the up-and-coming superfood, you can pick endive out of the produce section by its oval-shaped head and boat-shaped white leaves with yellow or red-purple tops. It’s known for being fresh and crunchy, and though its slight bitterness might seem like a turnoff, don’t be intimidated. The benefits of endive make the case for why it might soon be taking over your plate. Keep scrolling for insight on the health benefits of endive AKA your

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