March 22, 2019 at 06:43AM by CWC The Mediterranean diet garnered heaps of praise in 2019, thanks to its recent recognition as the healthiest eating plan in the world. The fact that it promotes longevity is backed by plenty of studies and it’s a relatively easy diet to follow. But a lesser-known eating plan may be coming for the Med diet’s crown. Meet the Okinawa diet. The Mediterranean diet, of course, emphasizes healthy fats like omega-3s, protein from primarily seafood and plant sources, and lots of fruits and vegetables. The Okinawa diet, on the other hand, is plant-driven, with most nutrients (including carbs) coming from vegetables and legumes locally available on the island. Okinawa is a Japanese island (and is the nation’s southernmost prefecture). The island is one of the original “Blue Zones,” or areas with populations known for their longevity. “The Okinawa diet gets a lot of attention because the people who live on the island have a higher than average life expectancy at 100 years old, compared to the US at 78.8 years and the rest of Japan at 84 years old,” says Nora Minno, RD. (Sounds an awful lot like the other aforementioned eating plan that might help you live longer.) Which begs the question: How do the Okinawa and Mediterranean diets, both inspired by Blue Zones populations, compare? The short version: John Day, MD, a cardiologist and co-author of the book The Longevity Plan, says both eating plans can be good for longterm health. “You really can’t
Category: Keto
A nutritionist explains why people are so damn obsessed with MCT and coconut oils
March 19, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdxvxtgwn4w] Let’s face it: Oil is having a moment. It’s stocked in our pantries, fridges, bathroom cabinets, and even our coffee. It’s hard to believe there was a time when our culture was afraid of it (and every other fat). With healthy fats making a major comeback, registered dietician Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, took to another episode of You Versus Food to give us the low-down of what’s really true about the health benefits in coconut oil and MCT oil. If you’re sitting here wondering what even the difference is between MCT oil vs coconut oil: MCT oil (which stands for medium-chain triglyceride) is a fatty acid composed of a 6-to-12 carbon chain. MCTs are often found in coconut oil (which contains both MCTs and other types of fatty acids) but can also stand alone. “MCT oil’s popularity has risen along with that of the keto diet, because MCT oil digests easily and goes to your liver faster, making it an attractive option for those trying to get their energy mainly from fats,” says Beckerman. However, both coconut oil and MCT oil are packed with saturated fats. One tablespoon of coconut oil has 12 grams of saturated fat (85 percent of your recommended daily consumption), she says, and MCT oil has seven grams. “In excess, it’s extremely taxing on the liver and the pancreas to constantly be digesting and metabolizing saturated fats,” Beckerman says. “Plenty of studies have shown that having a diet
7 super-attainable habits Halle Berry swears by to stay healthy
March 16, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC If you follow Berry on Instagram, you know the 50-something actress (how is that possible?) is super into fitness. The Oscar winner-turned-action hero—who’s still the only black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress, BTW—frequently posts tips and hardcore workouts with her trainer Peter Lee Thomas. And yes, Berry is just as much of a buff badass in real life as she is on screen. And on top of that, she’s a regular pro when it comes to healthy eating and making self-care a priority. And best of all: She’s generous with advice! (Which is great, because who doesn’t want to get Halle-healthy?) With a fierce wellness résumé like that, she’s got a lot to share—and these are the seven health habits the ageless superstar relies on year in, year out. 1. She trains with Bulgarian bags You know, the super-heavy sand-filled bags that are commonly used by Olympic athletes and wrestlers. No big deal. After her trainer introduced them to her, she was instantly hooked and uses them for strength training, cardio, and plyometrics. Even five minutes swinging or carrying around one of them—which can weigh up to 50 pounds—will leave you sore for days. 2. She improvises her workouts As a huge lover of all things fitness, Berry isn’t going to let a day go by without moving her body in some way. Case in point? Transforming a gallon jug of water in her fridge into a kettlebell for a sweat-inducing series of
A nutritionist’s guide to healthy eating at California Pizza Kitchen
March 15, 2019 at 07:39AM by CWC With over 200 locations in 32 states—and 13 countries—California Pizza Kitchen has expanded way beyond the the Golden State. You’ll even find the franchise in airports like Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, and Honolulu. Unlike most other popular pizza chains, the California Pizza Kitchen menu proves the brand is pretty up on the health trends—they even have cauliflower crust and spiralized zucchini noodles. (Must be those healthy California roots.) While the whole menu isn’t health focused—this is still a pizza joint we’re talking about—their efforts make it relatively easy to stick to a healthy eating plan like the Mediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, or Whole30. But to prevent you from menu overload next time you go out to eat (so many options, so little time!), I enlisted the help of registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD. Here, she shares her top picks at CPK for these three popular eating plans. Consider your homework done. Keep reading for tips on how to stick to a healthy eating plan at California Pizza Kitchen. Mediterranean diet Menu picks: Cedar Plank Salmon; Zucchini Pasta Shrimp Scampi; California Veggie Pizza What an RD says: The Mediterranean diet prioritizes omega-3-rich seafood over red meat, which is why Palinski-Wade is such a fan of the chain’s Cedar Plank Salmon. “With the Cedar Plank Salmon, you’re getting protein and healthy fats from the salmon and fiber from the spinach and white corn,” she says. But if you’re in the mood for pasta, she says you can still get plenty of protein
Sorry not sorry: Kayla Itsines is absolutely pro-bread
March 13, 2019 at 01:37PM by CWC Unlike keto-aficionados or J.Lo and A. Rod, fitness influencer Kayla Itsines wants you to eat bread. In fact, she wants you to eat as much bread as you damn well please. The Sweat With Kayla founder follows a Mediterranean-style diet—featuring healthy fats and *gasp* carbs—and has stuck with it throughout her pregnancy. “I eat seafood, I eat meat, I have pasta, bread, a lot of olive oil, oregano; my standard dressing is that with lemon and olive oil on everything,” she tells me when I ask about her go-to eats. For Itsines, eating like this isn’t necessarily a purposeful “diet” per se—it’s just what she’s always known. “I’ve eaten this way my whole life,” she says. “In Greek culture, we use food to bring people together. So if I’m going to meet you for the first time, or we’re going to do business together, you bring that person to your house and you feed them, you talk to them. I never looked at food as something that was scary or like, ‘I can’t eat that.’ Of course you can! We’re here to eat.” Unlike so many other trendy diets (ahem, keto), the Mediterranean diet doesn’t treat bread like it’s a bad thing. When I ask Itsines how she personally feels about the controversial carb, she immediately tells me, “Of course I’m pro-bread!” “I never looked at food as something that was scary or like, ‘I can’t eat that.’ Of course you can! We’re here
If cold and flu season is wrecking your life, slippery elm might be just the herb for you
March 12, 2019 at 01:54PM by CWC Even though spring is apparently upon us (buh-bye, Daylight Saving Time), we all are still stuck with an especially clingy cold and flu season this year. And if you’re dealing with a sore throat or cough that just won’t quit, here’s one remedy besides tea and honey that you might not have considered: slippery elm. “Slippery elm, an oldie-but-goodie herbal remedy, is derived from the Ulmus rubra or Ulmus fulva tree, which is grown in many parts of the world, including North America, says Aumatma Shah, ND, a naturopathic doctor. “The medicinal part of this tree is the inner bark.” That inner bark has a gummy texture and was used by Native Americans to make healing salves for wounds and infections, adds Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., the founder of Ancient Nutrition and author of KETO DIET. “Some tribes also found that when the bark was used [in] tea, it helped to relieve sore throats and acted as a natural laxative,” he says. Today, the “slippery” inner bark of the tree is dried and powdered, and it’s offered in many forms as a source of natural medicine. While a cursory image search shows you something that basically just looks like a pile of sawdust (not necessarily promising), here are some slippery elm benefits that make it worth trying. 1. It can help soothe a sore throat Don’t let that nasty cough linger for too long. “Herbal teas, lozenges, and tinctures for soothing coughs are often made with slippery elm because of its demulcent effects.
Of the 3,500 food brands at the world’s largest natural products expo, these 5 are going to be huge
March 12, 2019 at 12:15PM by CWC Imagine walking through grocery store that’s, like, four times the size of Costco, with aisles full of products from your favorite brands (and some really cool new ones) and a smattering of products that aren’t available to the public yet. Oh, and you get as many free samples as you want. That’s a little what it was like to attend the 39th annual Natural Products ExpoWest. The largest natural, organic, and healthy products event, brands come from all over the world to reveal new products they’ve secretly been hard at work on, giving grocery store buyers and food writers (like me) a first look. This year, over 3,500 brands descended upon Anaheim, California. The Well+Good team was there in full force, trying as many new foods and drinks as humanly possible. So, what did we see exactly? These 5 products caught my eye at ExpoWest. Photo: Vital Proteins 1. Vital Proteins Collagen Water I do my best to consume collagen on the regular, but my smoothie is loaded with other add-ins and I’m already lugging around adaptogens to the coffee shop to stir into my oat milk latte. Bless Vital Proteins for providing a way that’s as simple as drinking water. (Hydration, FTW!) Their new collagen water comes in five different flavors, shown here. It will be available on the brand’s site now, and rolling out in stores this May. Photo: Purely Elizabeth 2. Purely Elizabeth Cauli Hot Cereal Not to brag or anything—okay, fine, maybe
20 ways to have fruit for dessert that are so good, you’ll actually crave ’em
March 11, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC I have never been someone who’s content with a piece of fruit for dessert. Even as a wellness journalist and certified holistic health coach, I stock up on ripe strawberries and oversized oranges with the intention of savoring them after dinner. But then I think about the dairy-free pint of Ben & Jerry’s I have in the freezer or my dark chocolate Hu Kitchen bar (hey, it has antioxidants!), and, well, more often than not, that fruit ends up forgotten until breakfast. If, like me, your best intentions of having fruit for dessert remain just that, intentions, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve scoured the Internet for the very best healthy fruit desserts that are so enticing you’ll actually crave them. Fruit for dessert? It’s happening. Keep reading for 20 healthy fruit desserts. Photo: McKel Hill 1. Stewed apples with warming spices One way to turn fruit into an instant comfort food: Warm them up—which is exactly what Well+Good Council member McKel Hill, RDN does with her recipe for spiced-up stewed apples. Instead of adding sugar, she blends flavorful spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. They’re delicious as is, or you can drizzle some nut butter on top for added protein. Photo: Hummusapien 2. Stuffed pear crisp It turns out that pears pair (ha!) well with more than just goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. They serve as the centerpiece in this delish dessert from blogger Hummusapien, with oat flour, coconut sugar,
Some bralettes are too cute not to be seen—here are 9 genius ways to style them
March 09, 2019 at 09:00AM by CWC IMHO, a bralette is a perfect article of clothing. Aside from holding your boobs in place without any pesky (and often painful) underwire, there’s something about the lacy unmentionables that make me want to mention them, loudly, from the rooftops. Or at least wear them very publicly and on full display outside of my clothes as part of an outfit. If you want to know how to wear a bralette as part of your springtime #lewk, it’s first important to understand what, exactly, this heaven-sent closet staple actually is. A bralette is basically a bra without all of the uncomfortable bells and whistles. There’s no underwire or clasp, which somehow puts it in a category smack in between “lingerie” and “clothing,” and means it can easily serve double duty as both. They’re pretty, sexy, and so cozy that I’d go so far as to call them the clothing equivalent of the Lovesac. The best part, though, is that you can enjoy the wonders associated with wearing a bralette whether you’re a 32A, a 40D, or anywhere in between. Thanks in large part to the fashion industry’s movement toward size inclusivity, there are a lot of supportive—and more importantly, sexy—options out there. One W+G staffer is a fan of Cosabella’s Never Say Never bralette ($66) and The Evolution bralette ($80) for her own DDs, and The Lively Busty Bralette ($45) is a fan-favorite that goes up to a size 38DDD. So if my true obsession has you feeling inspired to try
The scientific reasons why sweet-and-salty foods turn us into snack monsters
March 08, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC I like to think I have a decent amount of self-control when it comes to snacking. But put any sweet-meets-salty treat in front of me—like yogurt-covered pretzels or chocolate-dipped potato chips—and suddenly I turn into a leggings-clad Cookie Monster, leaving behind nothing but an empty bag and a few crumbs. To be clear, it’s only the combination of sweet and salty that I can’t resist. I don’t care for straight-up savory snacks, like plain pretzels or chips, and can only eat a few bites of a sugary dessert without feeling nauseous. Judging by the number of hybrid flavors at the grocery store right now, from salted caramel ice cream to Chicago-style popcorn, I’m not the only one who’s obsessed. So what’s up with that? In a quest to find out why salty-sweet snacks are so damn addicting, I first called upon food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson. She confirmed that the roots of this pairing go way back, long before the peanut M&M was born. “Sweet and savory combination foods were quite popular in the ancient Middle East and later in Medieval Europe—mostly meat cooked with fruit and, particularly during the Medieval period, with sweet imported spices like cinnamon, mace, allspice, and nutmeg,” she says. (Hmm, def less appealing that PB-filled pretzels.) Candied salted nuts and other desserts were also a thing back in those days, she adds. These were mostly restricted to the wealthy, however, since refined sugar was hard to come by. So,