November 10, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC The air fryer has been used to perform many miracles in the kitchen: turning onion rings into a legit healthy snack, kale into a crunchy sandwich companion, and even making tofu the perfect amount of crispy. But all of that is amateur hour compared to the marathon that is holiday cooking. Holiday cooking is in its own league. There are some foods people look forward to eating only this time of year and they expect it to be prepared right. Then there’s the problem of not having enough time—between big end-of-year projects at work, holiday parties, present shopping, and family commitments, who has time to prep and plan any kind of meal, let alone holiday cooking? But rest assured, these are challenges the air fryer is up for. Don’t believe me? Check out these holiday dishes that won’t create a whole sink full of dishes or take all night to perfect, all thanks to your favorite cooking appliance. (Cover your ears, Instant Pot.) Scroll down for seven air fryer side dishes perfect for all your winter holiday needs Photo: Strength and Sunshine 1. Air fryer Chanukkah latkes Similar to how it works to make classic French fries healthier (less oil, no deep fryer), the air fryer health-ifies latkes the same way. This recipe from Strength and Sunshine is vegan and gluten-free, so eaters of all diet types will be able to enjoy. Photo: Glue and Glitter 2. Air fryer green bean casserole Most
Category: Keto
Brunch is served in just 20 minutes with these delicious ‘sheet pan pancakes’
November 09, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC I’ve never met a pancake I didn’t like. If I could skip the whole process of waiting for them to cook flipping them with a spatula, however, I would in a heartbeat. That’s where sheet pan pancakes come in. All an at-home chef has to do is spread normal pancake batter onto a sheet pan and pop it in the preheated oven. Brunch is served 20 minutes later. Although the exact (genius) inventor of sheet pan pancakes remains unknown, I first caught wind of the dish from vegan blogger Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plant Life. Even though she prepares her breakfast confections with zero animal products, there’s a pancake to fit every eating style and diet. So grab a sheet pan because your griddle gets the weekend off. How to make sheet pan pancakes vegetarian: WHOLE WHEAT GINGERBREAD PANCAKES Gingerbread season usually gets reserved for the end of the year, but if you ask me, the flavor really deserves to be eaten year round. The molasses in these pancakes give them a heartier consistency that’s made for breakfast in bed. Ketogenic Diet: BERRY, BERRY PANCAKES Although carbohydrates mostly get booted from the keto diet, you can still experience that fluffy, starch-like feel in the morning. This recipe uses sour cream, almond, and coconut flour to make dense sheet pan pancakes you can freeze and eat all week. Mediterranean diet: GREEK YOGURT PANCAKES Get all the protein greek yogurt has to offer in a
Restrictive eating plans continue to dominate the healthy food landscape—where does that leave eating disorder survivors?
November 08, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Plant-based eating has never been more popular, as people have slowly become more aware of the negative health and environmental impacts of meat and dairy products. But for Melissa Stanger, LCSW, a love of animals and the planet was not the primary reason why she decided to go vegan in college. She did it, she says, because she was grappling with an eating disorder. “[Going vegan] was a way to control what kinds of foods I allowed myself. It was not a healthy way of doing things,” she says. She became extremely rigid about her exercise routine and eating patterns, and was ultimately diagnosed with anorexia. After she recovered, she earned her masters in clinical social work with a focus on eating disorders. She’s now 30, and works as a psychotherapist in New York City. This is not to say that becoming vegan is inherently going to lead to an eating disorder. But as the healthy eating space continues to be dominated by restrictive eating plans like the ketogenic diet, Paleo, Whole30, and intermittent fasting (IF)—all of which require people to cut out certain food groups or limit what and when a person is “allowed” to eat—experts warn that the continued trend is dicey for anyone with a history with disordered eating. The link between eating disorders and diets The DSM-5, the manual psychologists and psychiatrists use to diagnose patients, identifies three eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. While
There are 17 different types of sugar—but this one is truly problematic for your health
November 07, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lw-OEaThp0] Curious to understand exactly how sugar affects your health? We’ve got the intel. Doctors and healthy eating experts have been crystal clear for a long time that a diet high in sugar is bad news for your body—both in the short and long-term. But the topic is a bit more nuanced than just the simple equation of sugar = unhealthy. Fortunately, registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, is here to spell out the straight facts in the latest episode of Well+Good’s YouTube series, You Versus Food. Beckerman says there are a whopping 17 different types of sugar that are commonly used in food products, including corn syrup, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, and sucrose. (Try saying all of that three times fast.) “Essentially, these sugars are all the same, they’re just derived from different sources,” she says. That said, she adds that there’s an important distinction to keep in mind: sugar versus added sugar. “Natural sugars occur in foods such as fruits and veggies that normally have fewer calories and less sodium with a higher water and nutrient content than foods with added sugars,” Beckerman says. Added sugar, meanwhile, has been added to a food during the manufacturing or cooking process. “Sweeteners, or added sugars on their own, do not contain protein or fiber, which causes your body to digest them even faster and spike your blood glucose.” That spike comes with a big crash later on, and consistently uneven blood
8 ways to cook with cauliflower this Thanksgiving that go way beyond cauli mash
November 05, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC This year has definitely been the year of the cauliflower. The humble veggie was virtually overlooked until healthy food geniuses found ways to transform it into everything from pizza crust to gnocchi. Here’s what’s so amazing about cauliflower: it’s a blank slate that can change textures and pick up the flavors of whatever you pair it with—including holiday favorites. Thanksgiving is the Olympics of meals; everyone comes to the table craving their favorite dishes and the stakes are high. But this is the day cauliflower has been training for. From stuffing to alt-bread to dessert (yes, really), there’s no shortage of ways to incorporate the year’s most popular veggie onto the Thanksgiving table. Scroll down for 8 healthy cauliflower side dishes perfect for any Thanksgiving feast Photo: Golubka Kitchen 1. Mushroom and onion cauliflower bake This creamy, vegan soufflé from Golubka Kitchen is full of fall flavor thanks to caramelized onions, shiitake mushrooms, fresh thyme, and Swiss chard. The cauliflower is pureed with nuts, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and sea salt creating a thick, “cheesy,” topping. Even with all the amazing fillings inside, the cauliflower is what really makes the dish. Photo: The Healthy Maven 2. Cauliflower rice stuffing The Paleo and keto eaters at your Thanksgiving table will appreciate that they can dig into the turkey and the stuffing with this low-carb version courtesy of The Healthy Maven. The use of traditional ingredients like pecans, sage, celery, and yellow onion keep the
Are carbs friend or foe when it comes to brain health?
November 02, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Carbs just can’t catch a break. For decades, they’ve been looked at with a skeptical eye, deemed the culprit for weight gain. Then the ketogenic diet came along and had experts proclaiming that not only could carbs keep people from achieving their weight loss goals, but they also aren’t great for your brain either. Experiencing brain fog? Oh, that’s because of carbs. Feel sluggish around 4 p.m.? Probably because you had carbs for lunch. It’s undeniable that what you eat affects brain health both in the short and long terms. We know that foods high in omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, zinc, magnesium, and iron (all key components of the almighty Mediterranean diet), can boost your mood in the short term, provide energy, and also ward off cognitive decline later in life. But where carbs fit into the equation is less clear. Here, three experts—a functional neurology expert, an expert in nutritional biochemistry, and a registered dietitian all shine light on the carbs-brain health connection, both short- and long-term. Carbohydrates and cognitive decline The basics of carbs and brains: glucose—a type of carbohydrate—is your brain’s preferred energy source. Your brain needs some amount of carbs to properly function. But then things quickly get more complicated. “Simple carbs, like bread, pasta, soda, or juice, are absorbed quicker in the body, which means they can provide a quick boost of energy, but it also [can cause] a blood sugar imbalance, since those levels will go up
7 healthy muffin tin breakfast recipes for people who like to sleep in
November 01, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Baking a week’s worth of breakfasts in one day is a great way to do yourself a big favor. And while fluffy blueberry baked goods certainly fit the bill, muffin tins don’t get enough credit for their versatility. Whatever your eating plan, there’s a muffin tin breakfast recipe that’s right for you. Just one hour in the kitchen will yield a whole week (or more!) of protein-rich, fiber-full breakfasts that will keep you full until lunch. Let’s eat. 7 muffin tin breakfast recipes for every single diet Photo: My Keto Kitchen keto: chocolate Breakfast muffins Keto-eaters, I’ve granted your wish: to eat chocolate for breakfast. Almond flour, butter, and cocoa powder come together in a recipe that’s, um, basically morning dessert. Mediterranean diet: EGG MUFFINS With bell pepper, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and olive oil, this recipe combines the best ingredients of the Blue Zones for five-bite egg muffins. These also happen to be gluten-free and loaded with protein to give you that up-and-at-’em morning attitude. Curious about the Med diet? Here’s what a dietitian thinks: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGnyqti9wsw] Low-fodmap: GREEK EGG MUFFINS In a similar style as the Mediterranean breakfast, you’ll just sprinkle feta and tomato in the bed of each muffin hole, pour egg over top, and bake. It literally couldn’t be easier. Photo: Getty Images/yipengge Vegetarian: BAKED OATMEAL CUPS I kid you not: you can bake oatmeal (and ICYMI, you can also toast it). Blogger Amanda Finks behind The Wholesome Dish
The Paleo diet is an inflammation-fighting super star—but it comes with some downsides
October 29, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGvJ61nBFBo] Bone up on your Paleo diet know-how with this video. While the first person who turned cauliflower into pizza crust deserves major accolades, other food “innovations,” like packaged foods loaded with sugars and additives, are ultimately a detriment health-wise. That’s why so many healthy eaters have adapted the Paleo way of life, eating only foods that were likely on the menu for our hunter-gatherer ancestors and nixing more “modern” foods like dairy, grains, and legumes. Surely a back-to-basics eating plan is the best way to eat, right? That question is the crux of the latest episode of You Versus Food. Host and registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, gives the pros and cons of following the Paleo diet, along with her verdict on if it’s worth the commitment. (It’s a life without cheese; you want to be sure.) One of the major pros of Paleo, Beckerman says, is that it can lower inflammation. “Because you’re cutting out foods that have sugar, alcohol, and gluten, Paleo could potentially reduce inflammation in the body, which could mitigate the symptoms of chronic illness,” Beckerman says. Another benefit: eating whole foods (as one does on the Paleo diet) can keep blood sugar levels stable, which better regulates energy and mood. In other words, this is one eating plan that won’t leave you needing a nap later. While it has some major pros, Beckerman says there are some downsides most people don’t fully understand. “The major
Got A Ramen Craving? Try This Low-Carb & Keto-Friendly Version
October 26, 2019 at 04:05PM Ramen and keto enthusiasts, look no further. Continue Reading… Author Jamie Schneider | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
Take your Sweetgreen salad order to the next level with these dietitian-approved picks
October 25, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Trendy salad eatery Sweetgreen is a fast-casual haven for healthy eaters. Whatever location across the country you frequent, when you walk through the door, you’re immediately hit with a faint whiff of kale—and the sight of an out-the-door line if you go during peak hours. Maybe you’ve come to Sweetgreen because you’re an OAHE, aka an Over Achieving Healthy Eater. For you, it’s not enough to order a bowl full of greens; you want your compostable salad bowl to be filled with the most nutrient dense ingredients ever. (Hey, you’re shelling out $15 for this, you might as well get your money’s worth.) Because OAHEs often subscribe to a specific meal plan, I enlisted registered dietitian Karen Collins, RD, for advice on the healthiest salads to order for ketogenic, vegan, and Mediterranean diet eaters. Here, she shares her recs on what to get, whether you want to go with something on the menu as-is, or you want to build your own bowl. Keep reading to see her tips and get ready to walk out the door with the healthiest lunch ever. Ketogenic diet Menu picks: Guacamole greens; kale Caesar What an RD says: According to Collins, both the kale Caesar (a classic salad order if there ever was one) and the guacamole greens are great keto wins because they’re low carb, yet high in fiber and protein. The avocado in the guac greens adds healthy fats, and you can add one to the kale Caesar