January 11, 2019 at 07:33AM by CWC You know the feeling you get when you text a new love interest for the first time and your message turns green instead of blue? Like, it’s not a deal-breaker but you feel kind of bummed and confused? That about sums up how I felt at first when I read that the Mediterranean diet was named the best diet of 2019 in US News and World Report‘s annual ranking. Really? 2013 called; it wants its food trend back. It wasn’t really clear to me why the eating plan—which advocates for a balanced approach to eating lean proteins, fruits and veggies, and grains (with small amounts of wine and cheese for good measure)—was suddenly a “thing” again. Haven’t we all collectively “been there, done that?” Well, turns out the Med diet never really went away in the first place, says Amy Shapiro, RD and founder of Real Nutrition. “New trends came out that promised fast weight loss results and felt more drastic so it got drowned out a little bit,” she says. But all the while, the Mediterranean diet stayed quietly in the background of the wellness world, doing its thing. (Kind of like a less-problematic version of the Fiji water girl at the Golden Globes.) “People are looking for something sustainable that doesn’t require too much overthinking. The Mediterranean diet is just that.” —Vanessa Rissetto, RD And Vanessa Rissetto, RD, adds that people are starting to get over trendy diets. “[People are] looking for something sustainable
Category: Vegetarians
5 healthified versions of your favorite childhood cereals
January 11, 2019 at 06:32AM by CWC Here’s a confession: I’m a cereal fiend. As a kid, my diet consisted of 99.5 percent Fruity Pebbles, and my love of the sugary stuff didn’t cease when I reached adulthood. If a box of cereal makes its way into my apartment, it’ll be reduced to crumbs in less than 24 hours. I avoid the cereal aisle at the grocery store altogether because I lack any semblance of self-control required to choose something other than Cocoa Puffs. While most of the cereals ’90s kids grew up eating—some with more sugar per serving than a Snicker’s bar (yikes!)—were certainly unworthy of the distinction “Most Important Meal of the Day,” some savvy food bloggers have figured out a few genius workarounds. By whipping up better-for-you takes on the classics, you’ll get the nourishment your body needs and feed your need for something magically delicious. Make these healthified versions of your beloved childhood cereals. Photo: Instagram/@keepupwithliv 1. Trix A version of Trix that’s Paleo and gluten-free sounds like a dream, but it’s reality when you use almond flour, coconut sugar, and finely-ground freeze-dried fruit and spirulina for color. Photo: Desserts with Benefits 2. Cinnamon Toast Crunch All the benefits of cinnamon without the copious amounts of sugar? Yes, please. This recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch is super easy and all sorts of yummy. Photo: Neurotic Mommy 3. Cocoa Puffs Try to name a kid who doesn’t love Cocoa Puffs. You can’t. This vegan version uses a mix of oats, cacao, and dates to
The Keto Diet Is Super Popular — But Is It Actually Safe?
January 10, 2019 at 10:30PM A functional doctor looks into the science. Continue Reading… Author Nicole Rivera, D.C. | Life by Daily Burn As the keto diet continues to trend, you might find yourself wondering if it’s safe for everyone. The answer is—it’s complicated. Before you dive into this trendy diet, give this a read. What is ketosis? Some of the conditions that have been successfully managed with the ketogenic diet include epilepsy, post-concussion syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, blood sugar instability (including hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia), and inflammatory conditions. These conditions have had symptomatic improvement when the body moves from a sugar (glucose)-burning state to a fat-burning state, which is what we call ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body is primarily using fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Burning carbohydrates or glucose for energy is the default function of the body, so if glucose is available, the body will use that first. Once the body enters a state of ketosis, the body is using ketones instead of glucose by burning fats. This is an inborn survival mechanism of the body for periods of famine. Being in a state of ketosis is safe and can provide much benefit to the neurological system and metabolic pathways of the body. People will often report sharper mental function, increased energy, better sleep, weight loss, and fewer food cravings. What is ketoacidosis? It’s important to note the difference between nutritional ketosis and a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis. Ketosis is a natural process
The secret to preparing Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi? Ignore the instructions
January 10, 2019 at 09:28AM by CWC As thrilling as it is that cauliflower now rules the Trader Joe’s frozen-food aisle, cooking with the cruciferous vegetable is not without obstacles. For one, convincing a cauliflower pizza crust to stay together as you slice it is futile. And following the stovetop directions for TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi sometimes leaves shoppers with an ooey-gooey mess rather than a plate of gluten-free goodness. The voice behind Instagram account @nobread, food blogger Nicole Cogan has a fix. In a video posted Thursday, the Los Angeles-based foodie reveals that pan-frying the gnocchi from frozen—not defrosted as the TJ’s instructs—yields delightfully crispy gnocchi without fail. “DO NOT prepare the way the bag tells you,” warns Cogan in the caption. Instead, she recommends pouring one tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil into a skillet, and adding the frozen pasta-imposters (impastas?) directly to the skillet. “Sauté it from FROZEN to fresh,” she writes. View this post on Instagram Every time I post the #glutenfree #vegan Cauliflower Gnocchi from Trader Joe's, my DMs and comments go WILD with questions asking how I prepare it! SO here it goes!! DO NOT PREPARE THE WAY THE BAG TELLS YOU Add 1 T Olive or Avocado Oil to a skillet . Sauté it from FROZEN to fresh! Add salt, pepper, garlic powder (and sauce if you would like)! When it is nice and crisp, plate and serve! xx #nobread by @inspiredfoody !! A post shared by Nicole Cogan (@nobread) on Jan 8, 2019 at 11:15am PST
‘Squashbread’ is a delicious two-ingredient recipe my dad made up
January 09, 2019 at 09:17AM by CWC Each year, after spending the holidays in Charleston, I return to a tiny New York apartment with its empty refrigerator and my head full of new recipes ideas. You see, my dad is kind of an expert at inventing new dishes that require just a few ingredients. Each recipe is more mouth-watering than the last and I waste no time in recreating them. I drop my luggage and make a beeline for the grocery store, where I’m bound to do a little damage. This past Christmas season, I went downstairs each morning to the kitchen knowing delicious homemade treats would be waiting for me—sugar-crusted blueberry scones, trays of biscuits, and quiches that would make Julia Child proud. But I predict that only one recipe will be my meal-prep hero in 2019, and it only adds two items to your shopping list. Dad’s squashbread (feel free to @ me if you have a more creative name) calls for just two ingrediants: squash (of any variety) and eggs. Just this week, I chopped up a squashbread and mixed it into a salad; I used another as a pizza crust; I bought an avocado and made soft tacos; and since we’re all friends here, I’ll admit that I snacked on several fresh out of the oven along the way. I suspect that if you topped squashbread with a healthy hazelnut spread, you’d have something of a crêpe even the French would declare délicieux. Without further ado, I give you a versatile recipe
5 easy sauce recipes that will make literally everything you eat taste way better
January 09, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Sophia Roe is a beauty guru, healthy food chef, and frequent Well+Good contributor. This January, she’s here to arm you with tricks and tips to make healthy eating year-round a cinch—no dieting, juicing, or restrictions of any kind required. Every January, there’s a big collective goal of eating healthy all year. And that’s great. But here’s the thing: If your food doesn’t have flavor, it just isn’t going to happen. That’s where mastering an arsenal of go-to sauces comes in. Peek in my fridge on any given day and you’re bound to see a whole bunch of half-empty mason jars of homemade sauces. Dressings, marinades, vinaigrettes…you name it. Sauces are my favorite way to jazz up healthy staples that can otherwise get a bit boring, like a big ‘ol bowl of greens or 10-minute stir fry. They make basically everything taste way better. Included here are my hands-down five favorite sauces that I turn to again and again. Consider it my New Years gift to you. All of them are easy enough for even the most cooking-phobic person to master—I promise! 1. The tastes-good-on-everything vinaigrette This sauce tastes delish on greens, grains, or a bowl of veggies. You can store it in a glass mason jar, pretty glass container, or any of the empty vegan-aise, almond butter, or kombucha bottles you’re holding on to. Make use of whatever you already have! Ingredients: 1/2 cup high-quality olive oil 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar or lemon juice
The Best Diets For Weight Loss, Ranked: How Keto, Vegan, IF, The Mediterranean Diet & More Stack Up
January 08, 2019 at 08:30PM How keto, vegan, intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, and others stack up. Continue Reading… Author Vincent M. Pedre, M.D. | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
Psst…you totally can eat these low-sugar fruits if you’re keto
January 08, 2019 at 12:58PM Things that are on the “yes” list for the keto diet: butter, bacon, avocados, “fat bombs,” MCT oil, grass-fed beef. Things that are on the “no” list…well, basically everything else. Okay, maybe that’s an over-simplification. But the keto diet (arguably one of the biggest food trends of the past year) is famously restrictive thanks to its focus on eating lots of fat and very few carbs. Which leaves people who love carby foods like bread and pasta out in the cold. But having one little orange or apple isn’t that big a deal on keto, right? Not necessarily, according to Rachel Gargiulo, a certified nutrition consultant at Nourishing Journey in Baltimore, Maryland. “Carbs are usually the body’s preferred substance for producing and using energy,” she says. “However, when adhering to a keto diet, the body switches from using carbs, in the form of glucose, to using fat reserves instead.” This process is called ketosis and it’s linked with all kinds of benefits (from weight management to improved mood). But staying in ketosis depends on you limiting your carb intake—which is where fruit can get kind of tricky. Generally, most keto plans call for eating 30 grams of carbs per day max. For context, eating just one mango (which has over 50 grams of carbs per fruit and roughly 45 grams of sugar) puts you well over your day’s carb limit. And those extra 20 grams of carbs make a difference. “Entering ketosis usually takes anywhere from three days to a
Feeling run down? Whip up this vegan bone broth in your Instant Pot
January 08, 2019 at 12:16PM Bless the Instant Pot for making life easier in no fewer than a million ways. If you’re a proud owner of the trendy countertop appliance, chances are you’ve already mastered fall-off-the-bone chicken, perfectly tender sweet potatoes, and family-size servings of chili. The Instant Pot saves time in so many ways, including—wait for it—making a batch of bone broth. Using ordinary methods, homemade bone broth can take up to six hours. (A lovely way to spend a Sunday, if you literally have nothing else to do.) But holistic nutritionist and Simply Quinoa blogger Alyssa Rimmer shares a recipe using an Instant Pot that not only cuts the time commitment in half, but makes it vegan, too. And yes, Rimmer’s Mushroom Vegan Bone Broth is still plenty nutritious, thankyouverymuch. “My first recipe in the Instant Pot and I’m legit obsessed with this vegan bone broth! Its healing, nourishing, and delicious just without the bones,” Rimmer writes on Instagram. “We’re using mushrooms, seaweed, and a bunch of other goodies to make an absolute winter staple. It’s so, so good.” Other ingredients in Rimmer’s recipe include carrots, celery ribs, onion, garlic cloves, peeled tomatoes, dried chickpeas, and miso paste. Miso is a completely underrated probiotic source, upping the count of the good bacteria in the gut (key to keeping your immune system in order). Tomatoes are full of antioxidants and seaweed packs so many anti-inflammatory nutrients that it’s considered one of the healthiest sea vegetables around. In other words, consider Mushroom Vegan Bone Broth
I tried Trader Joes’s entire beauty aisle, and these are the 9 best skin-care products
January 08, 2019 at 07:38AM I’m going to give it to you straight: I love Trader Joe’s. There are few places in the world that can get me to stand in line for a solid hour on a Sunday afternoon, but it is truly worth braving the crowds for the sake of cauliflower pizza crust and a tub of chocolate Jingle Jangle (and frozen dumplings, and a $2.49 bag of kale, and Cookie Butter…I could go on and on). But while Trader Joe’s treats tend to get all the credit, it’s high time we talk about the other heroes gracing those hallowed aisles: Trader Joe’s skin-care products. To be totally honest, I actually didn’t know Trader Joe’s had dipped their toes into the beauty game until recently. But as soon as I found out, I rounded up a massive bag of skin-care offerings—all of which are, not surprisingly, wildly affordable—to give them a try for myself. The verdict? They were good. Which means my weekly TJ’s haul is about to get even more stacked. But at less than $25 pop, who can really blame me? Scroll through to see the best Trader Joe’s skin-care products that are just as good as Cookie Butter (okay, almost as good). Micellar Cleanser & Makeup Remover Towelettes, $13 A dermatologist recently told me I should throw away all of my makeup removing wipes because of how drying they tend to be, but I’d like to submit these as a challenge to that assessment. Because they’re formulated with micellar water instead of alcohol,