Category: Vegetarians

December 16, 2018 at 07:12AM If you’ve always wanted to become a plant lady of the kitchen—the kind who casually plucks basil and rosemary leaves from her kitchen garden to make everything taste delicious and look homespun—here’s the perfect project to get you started. Microgreens are tiny, delicate plants that pack a strong nutritional punch of vitamins, antioxidants, and enzymes. And best of all, you can grow a crop from start to finish in a couple weeks. Dubbed “vegetable confetti”  because of their itty-bitty leaves, microgreens are also highly flavorful and aromatic, working well as colorful, nutrient-dense garnishes on everything from simple soups and sandwiches to gourmet meals. These tiny but powerful plants are the ultimate trifecta of quick, easy, and inexpensive to harvest in your own home—or even your tiny apartment. And since they get top-dollar at the farmers’ market, your labor of veggie love could pay off financially as well. So, what are microgreens exactly? Think of them like vegetables and herbs that haven’t hit puberty yet, explains registered dietitian Leah Silberman, RDN, founder of Tovita Nutrition. “They’re the teeny-tiny versions of your favorite veggies and herbs like broccoli, kale, arugula, cabbage, watercress, basil, and cilantro, which are harvested after just seven to 14 days, when the first little shoots sprout,” she says. And, bonus: Studies show that microgreens have higher nutrient content than their full-grown counterparts—and it’s 100 percent bioavailable, meaning your body can easily absorb the vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant goodness. Though some people confuse microgreens with

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December 15, 2018 at 02:09PM Unlike added sugar, salt is something you do need in your diet—it’s actually a crucial electrolyte for the body. So yes, sodium is a good thing, in moderation. But if you’re ordering takeout several times a week or eating processed foods (even the ones from the “healthy” aisle), you’re probably getting way too much. “The average US adult takes in almost three times [the recommended] amount,” says integrative nutritionist  Karina Heinrich. According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day—but Americans are eating 3,400 milligrams a day, on average. That’s more than twice the amount Heinrich considers an ideal daily amount—she advises sticking to 1,500 milligrams. “Eating too much salt can potentially raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart disease, stroke. and stomach cancer, and cause major water retention.” The problem with too much salt intake is that your kidneys have to work extra hard to keep up with the excess sodium you put in your bloodstream. “The body holds onto water in an effort to dilute the sodium out,” says Heinrich. Not only does this lead to bloating, the added fluids and blood volume cause your heart to have to work even harder, she says. That’s the bad news. The good news? Most of the time when we overdo it with salt, it’s because of sodium-packed processed foods or restaurant foods, not necessarily from the salt shaker. If you’re willing

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December 15, 2018 at 11:02AM Let me start by saying that this is probably the most sex-positive story about food waste you’ll ever read. Probably not a high bar there, but fair warning: There will be TMI. All in the name of wellness. Let’s talk about radish greens. As in, the leaves you probably toss in the trash before slicing the bright red bulbs and adding them to salads, tacos, and pretty much any other dish that needs a crisp, astringent burst of flavor and a shock of color. (If you regularly eat them the French way—giving each slice a swipe of butter and a sprinkling of salt—invite me over. I want to learn all your ways.) But here’s the thing: As delicious and nutritious as radishes are, you’re missing the healthy boat if you ignore their greens. Eating sauteed radish greens (or, if I’m feeling lazy, using the leaves to brew a quick tea) is the most effective way I’ve found to get my skin, my gut health, and (here comes the TMI) my vaginal situation back in perfect balance. I discovered this when a veggie-savvy friend brewed up some radish greens tea for me when I had a stomachache and felt generally off—like, either I’d eaten some bad takeout or a full-blown flu was on the way. After drinking the peppery, earthy tea (consider it a medicinal sip, not a culinary experience), I was feeling better within a couple of hours. Fantastic! But the most surprising thing came later that evening,

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December 14, 2018 at 07:16AM Raise your hand if you’re taking a vitamin every single day (or, at least, you try to). You’re not alone—over 70 percent of adults in the U.S. take some kind of supplement. But while most of us are well-familiar with the capsules and gummies on the shelves at Whole Foods (and perhaps are willing to try the IV drips and shots popping up in spas and wellness boutiques), how would you feel about inhaling your vitamins instead of swallowing a pill? Enter vitamin vapes. The makers of these products, which have exploded onto the market recently, say they’re nixing all the “bad” chemicals like nicotine that traditionally go in vapes, and instead are filling the pens with vitamin compounds. Some examples: NutroVape (a line of 11 different blends meant to work in place of an oral supplement), Breathe (a vitamin B12 vape pen), and Nutriair (which formulates blends to promote benefits including more energy to better sleep). It certainly sounds promising, especially given how mainstream vaping has become. But are vitamin vapes truly the supplement of the future? George Michalopoulos, founder of Breathe, certainly thinks so. He came up with the idea of a vitamin B12 vape about five years ago, around the same time that vaping was starting to become popular. “I was trying to be vegan—although I no longer am—and when you’re vegan, you’re at greater risk for being deficient in vitamin B12,” he says. He started doing some research and found a study about inhaling vitamin B12. “The research

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December 13, 2018 at 01:09PM At this point, most healthy eaters know that you have to give most food label health claims and slogans a hefty dose of side eye. (Here’s looking at you, “whole wheat.”) But even the most skeptical among us can still get tripped up. Words like organic, natural, and non-GMO all sound great—but what do they really mean? Which one should I buy and which ones just aren’t worth it? And on that note…why are there so many different types of eggs? Enter Foodprint, a newly launched non-profit aimed at helping consumers cut through the noise by understanding ingredients as well as sustainability, worker welfare, and animal welfare. Here, their chief scientist, Urvashi Rangan, PhD (who also leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports), along with The Real Food Grocery Guide author and health coach Maria Marlowe, reveal the label-reading mistakes healthy shoppers most often make at the grocery store. Photo: Getty Images/Hoxton/Tom Merton 1. Assuming “natural” is best “Between organic, non-GMO, and natural, I would take ‘natural’ off the table first because there really isn’t any definition of what it means, and brands use it so loosely,” Marlowe says. On the other hand, Marlowe and Dr. Rangan say organic and non-GMO are both legitimate certifications and brands must meet specific criteria in order to use that language on their labels. “With non-GMO, that means no genetically-modified food was used at any point, including feed that was given to the animals, if that

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