January 07, 2019 at 01:19PM If you’re a carb lover, you’ve probably felt like persona non grata in the healthy eating world lately. The keto diet—notorious for limiting all forms of carbs in favor of healthy fats—has never been more popular. People are ditching their pasta and rice in favor of zoodles and cauliflower-everything. And some health experts are even out here insisting that you can (and should) live without carbs. (Have we all forgotten about our love affair with quinoa?) But before you dip out on carbs for good, you should probably talk to registered dietitian and 80 Twenty Nutrition founder Christy Brissette, RD. Brissette likes carbs. Like, a lot. She likes them in the form of whole grain toast and almond butter for breakfast. Or as roasted potatoes on her dinner plate (either white or sweet, depending on her mood). Or even as fruit like mango topped with Greek yogurt (aka carbs on carbs). Give up carbs? Never! Especially because Brissette says they’re actually good for you. Gasp. Not all carbs are created equal “Carbs have gotten a bad rap because when people picture carbs, they think of white bread, pastries, and other processed, nutrient-void foods linked with causing weight gain,” Brissette says. “But a lot of carb-rich foods are actually packed with other nutrients.” The big ones: fiber, vitamins like vitamin B and C, minerals like magnesium, and in the case of fruit, antioxidants. “So if you avoid carbs all together, you’re going to miss out on nutrients that are actually
Category: Keto
These (foodie-approved) Mediterranean diet cookbooks make healthy eating feel like an indulgence
January 05, 2019 at 05:13AM One of the best things about the Mediterranean diet is that it’s based on an established culinary tradition in the Middle East, Greece, Italy, and Spain—some of the best and oldest food cultures in the world. Yes, it is the most popular healthy-eating approach right now, shown to improve digestion, gut health, and heart health—and studies show it can even help you live longer. But the deep roots of Mediterranean cooking also make it a favorite of foodies who couldn’t care less about slow carbs or ketones. Translation: When you want to feel like a kitchen goddess, creating beautiful plates of food and serving them up on your rustic Tuscan dining table (dare to dream, in a tiny New York City apartment), Mediterranean is the nutrient-dense way to go. The deep roots of Mediterranean cooking also make it a favorite of foodies who couldn’t care less about slow carbs or ketones. While the huge communal dining table may be all in your head, the chef-approved dishes are absolutely doable, thanks to the huge selection of Mediterranean cookbooks at pretty much any bookstore. Here’s a curated list of favorites, from chefs who will help you make everything from a weeknight meal to Sunday dinner with the family extra-special (and healthy!). Photo: Knopf Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel Two-time James Beard award-winning chef Alon Shaya made New Orleans foodies swoon for Israeli cooking when his namesake restaurant opened a few years ago, and in this cookbook-slash-memoir, he offers up something
5 recipes that make following the Mediterranean diet super easy
January 03, 2019 at 08:37AM New diets come and go every year, all promising to totally transform your health. And while the avocado-filled ketogenic diet is undoubtedly trendy, the trusty Mediterranean diet remains the tried-and-true darling of the health world. It’s been shown to help you live longer, enjoy better gut health and stronger bones, and keep your heart healthy. (It was ranked the best diet of 2019 for a reason!) Another big perk: Unlike other eating plans that come with long lists of rules and restrictions on what you can and cannot eat, the Mediterranean diet is probably one of the most…chill eating plans out there. The focus is on foods high in omega-3s and healthy fats (hello, olive oil!), along with tons of fruits and veggies, legumes, nuts, and some nutrient-dense carbohydrates. Red wine is encouraged. What’s not to love? Mediterranean diet newbies could certainly roast some salmon with some olive oil and call it a day. But if you’re looking for some more cooking inspo, check out these delicious (and easy) Mediterranean diet recipes that will help you reap all of those benefits. These 5 Mediterranean diet recipes will help you stay healthy in 2019. Photo: Jessica in the Kitchen 1. Mediterranean chickpea salad In just 15 minutes, you’ll have a veggie-packed bowl loaded with protein-filled chickpeas, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes, all tossed with a tasty vinaigrette. Photo: Minimalist Baker 2. Easy vegan falafel Falafels are a Mediterranean diet staple, and this version made from chickpeas gets a healthy remix by being sautéd—not deep
Sick of salad? Here’s how to eat Whole30 or keto at (wait for it) Red Lobster
January 03, 2019 at 07:29AM As far as healthy food chains go, Chipotle tends to get a lot of love. (And for good reason, TBH.) But let’s be real here: No one wants a burrito bowl every day. If you’re looking to expand your healthy fast-casual palate, one OG chain actually has a lot to offer: Red Lobster. Surprised? Turns out the seafood joint has some key menu items that are Mediterranean diet-based, keto-approved, and even Whole30-friendly. So next time you’re out, check out these Red Lobster healthy options for your particular eating plan, all vetted by registered dietitian nutritionist Amy Gorin, MS, RDN. Photo: Getty Images/Westend61 Mediterranean diet Menu picks: Hand-crafted garlic shrimp scampi; wood-grilled lobster, shrimp, and salmon What an RD says: “People following the Mediterranean diet typically eat fish a couple of times a week, so these meals definitely fit the bill in that regard,” Gorin says. If you’re torn between the two, she says the salmon dish will give you the most healthy fats. Order tweak: The way these dishes are prepared has a more American twist than Mediterranean: lots of butter. “The Mediterranean diet recommends replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil,” Gorin says. Ask your waiter if they can make this tweak for you in the kitchen. Side dish recommendations: All entrees let you add a side salad or coleslaw, plus an additional side. “I would recommend choosing the salad for both,” Gorin says. (All the mayo in the slaw knocks it back nutritionally.) “For the shrimp
The Mediterranean diet ranks No. 1 once again—here’s why
January 02, 2019 at 09:27AM The ketogenic diet may have been the buzziest eating plan in 2018, but is it the healthiest overall? According to U.S. News and World Report, the tried-and-true Mediterranean diet rises to take the top honor. A panel of health experts examined and ranked 41 popular eating plans, concluding that the Mediterranean diet is the most universally beneficial for long-term health. Further down the list, U.S. News named the DASH diet as the second healthiest, with Weight Watchers as fourth, vegetarian as 11th, vegan as 20th, Paleo as 33rd, and Whole30 and keto tied for 38th. What makes the Mediterranean diet so beloved by MDs and nutrition experts? Registered dietitian Lauren Slayton, MS, RD, points to the fact that it emphasizes the consumption of foods high in omega-3s and healthy fats, like fish, olive oil, nuts, grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies. “[Olive oil] has tremendous cardiovascular benefits,” she says. Slayton adds that it’s also a pretty easy diet for people to stick to; it’s not overly restrictive like many other popular eating plans (red wine is definitely on the Mediterranean menu!). A few other benefits to the diet you might not know: 1. It’s good for your gut. One study found that people who follow the Mediterranean diet had a higher population of good bacteria in their microbiome, compared to those who ate a traditional Western diet. Researchers noted an increase in eating plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, and legumes upped the good bacteria by 7 percent! 2.
Holy guacamole: Chipotle just came out with Whole30, keto, and Paleo-approved bowls
January 02, 2019 at 04:00AM Trying to decide where to eat with your friends can turn into one long, endless back-and-forth—especially this time of year when everyone is newly committed to their healthy eating plan of choice. One person may be doing Whole30, while someone else won’t even touch carbs. And then there’s the person who can’t eat dairy. One chain that will always have your back? Chipotle. (Bless UP.) Starting today, Chipotle has a brand new menu of Lifestyle Bowls, which includes Whole30- , ketogenic- , and Paleo-approved options. The chain partnered with Whole30 founder Melissa Hartwig to craft the menu, and yes, they all have guac. Here’s a complete run-down of what’s inside: The Whole30 salad bowl has a base of romaine lettuce with carnitas (braised pork), fajita veggies, tomato salsa, and guacamole. The keto salad bowl has the same ingredients, except with cheese instead of the fajita veggies. And the Paleo salad bowl has romaine lettuce, barbacoa (beef), fajita veggies, green salsa, and guac. As you can tell by the ingredients run-down, each option goes heavy on the veggies and includes a good serving of protein—which is key for avoiding the hanger pains a couple hours later. The blueprint is good to keep in mind no matter where you’re eating—and what meal plan you’re following. There’s also a Double Protein bowl, which the brand says includes rice, black beans, a full serving of both chicken and steak, red salsa, romaine lettuce, and sour cream. And it’s already
7 places around the world where you can see the majestic Northern Lights
December 31, 2018 at 09:20AM There are few natural phenomena as visually impressive as the aurora borealis, or northern lights. One of the oldest and most well-known types of astrotourism, you likely know the northern lights as the occasion when the night sky lights up and looks like the fumes of a lava lamp. In fact, the aurora borealis happens when charged solar particles meet certain atmospheric gasses and the Earth’s magnetic field. Technically the phenomenon behind the northern lights can happen year-round but for best visibility, you’ll want to be somewhere with low light pollution and go during a time of the year when the days are dark. There’s no exact information or way to tell if and when or for how long the northern lights will happen, but it can be anywhere from mere minutes to days at a time. The best place to see nature’s light display is somewhere with a magnetic latitude above 55 degrees. This is, understandably, probably not the easiest parameter to use when planning a vacation. Instead, below you’ll find a list of the best places to see the northern lights—as well as the ideal time of year to do so in each location. Photo: Getty Images/Sjo 1. Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is home to one of the country’s most revered nature escapes, the Denali National Park. It’s one of the US’ northernmost (and thereby best) options for catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis. The northern lights are visible yearly from late August until
These were the 10 most popular healthy recipes on Well+Good this year
December 31, 2018 at 04:00AM By now you’ve probably seen people posting their #Best9 on Instagram, sharing their year-end book lists and Spotify 2018 Wrapped playlists, or writing long Twitter threads keeping tabs on all their big 2018 career accomplishments. (That’s basically the last week of December on social media in a nutshell.) Well, consider this Well+Good’s more delicious take on a year-end list. We put together the top ten most popular recipes on the site so you can start the new year with some legit-good ideas in your back pocket. Some are from celebs, some are from our favorite wellness influencers, and all of them are full of good-for-you ingredients. Bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you need a little meal-prep inspo. Keep reading for the 10 most popular healthy recipes on Well+Good this year. Photo: Getty Images/Samir Hussein 1. Meghan Markle’s 3-ingredient creamy, vegetarian pasta sauce Ah, the Meghan Markle effect. The Duchess is well-known for her love of healthy eating (anti-inflammatory banana bread, anyone?), and after her healthy pasta sauce recipe resurfaced online, everyone wanted to know how to make it. And good news: it’s just as easy to make as Markle’s go-to comfy shoes are to wear. Photo: Jenny Carr 2. Gluten-free, anti-inflammatory lemon bars Can we bust the myth once and for all that you don’t have to give up dessert to lower inflammation? Health coach and recipe creator Jenny Carr’s lemon bars are made with all clean ingredients and no added sugar. Oh, and they’re
Hot damn, 2018 really *was* the year of keto
December 26, 2018 at 03:00AM Is it just me, or was it impossible to swing a bottle of MCT oil in 2018 without hitting someone who’s gassing up the keto diet? Celebrities like Halle Berry are spilling their high-fat, low-carb eating tips on their IG stories. Wellness luminaries like Nike Master Trainer Kirsty Godso have publicly pledged their allegiance to the butter- and bacon-rich lifestyle. And even my childhood friends frequently swap ketogenic recipes on Facebook. Yup, keto has truly gone mainstream, and its momentum isn’t showing any signs of slowing. But given that the diet has been around since the 1920s, when it was developed by doctors as an epilepsy treatment, why did its star rise so high this year? Well, the Hollywood element probably did have something to do with it, says Kristen Mancinelli, MS, RDN, and author of The Ketogenic Diet: A Scientifically Proven Approach to Fast, Healthy Weight Loss. “There have been some celebrities who have talked about being on a ketogenic diet, so that has made something of a splash,” she says. (A short list: Alicia Vikander, Vanessa Hudgens, Jenna Jameson, Kourtney Kardashian, even Vinny from Jersey Shore.) But that’s probably not the key factor in keto’s rapid ascent, Mancinelli says. She points out that the buzz around the keto diet has been slowly building for the past several years. “I think it really started in 2014 or 2015, when that big meta-analysis came out looking at studies that had aimed to determine the link between saturated fat and heart disease—they all basically came up
Fam confused about your eating plan? Here’s how to deal with holiday food shaming
December 21, 2018 at 07:43AM Two years ago, I started counting my macros. One of the things I was most worried about with my new way of eating was going back home for the holidays. I wanted to remain on my plan, but I knew being surrounded by treats—and the external pressure, however unintentional—to eat said treats would be difficult. While my family is generally very supportive of my choices, sometimes I can tell they think I’m being “too L.A.” (Okay, sure, one time I did describe my favorite type of food as “anything farm-to-table,” which fits that description… but still.) All that to say: Navigating the holidays while making the best choices for your body and not offending anyone can feel like an impossible task. How do I turn down Grandma’s famous rolls when gluten-free is just not in her vocabulary? To get some advice, I checked in with Elise Museles, certified eating psychology and nutrition expert and creator of the Food Story platform, and Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, of Maya Feller Nutrition, to learn how to deal with food shaming. Be up-front about your needs “For patients of mine that feel that they need to engage in what I refer to as ‘obligatory eating,’ or anticipate comments because their food choices are different, we talk about going in with a plan,” Museles says. She says that if you think you will feel like you have to eat certain dishes that don’t fit in with your current eating plan, it