December 29, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Lasagna is the quintessential comfort food. Traditionally served piping hot and oozing with cheese spilling out from layers of pasta, the Italian dish is a cold-weather classic. For eaters who either can’t or choose not to consume dairy, meat, or gluten, there are many alternative homemade lasagna recipes out there. Rounded up here are 10 takes on the classic dish, full of tweaks to give eaters of a wide range of dietary restrictions something to dig into. 10 healthy homemade lasagna recipes for a delicious dinner Photo: Hummusapien 1. Vegan zucchini and tofu ricotta lasagna If you’re craving a lasagna dish but stick to a vegan diet, this is the recipe for you. It’s still dripping with marina sauce and you still get that cheesy taste you’re after, but the ricotta is made with a smart mix of tofu, roasted garlic hummus, nutritional yeast, basil, garlic, and sea salt. There’s also lots of spinach and zucchini tucked between the noodles, so you’re getting a good serving of fiber, too. Photo: The Spruce Eats 2. Very easy vegan lasagna This recipe is a good one to start with if you’ve never made a healthy lasagna recipe before or get stressed out in the kitchen easily. The recipe is simple, just nine ingredients, and the steps are straight-forward. Almond milk, nutritional yeast, and vegan ricotta cheese are used to keep the recipe dairy-free. Photo: Food Faith Fitness 3. Paleo zucchini lasagna Gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, Whole30-approved,
Category: Vegetarians
The 10 most surprising gut health facts we learned this year
December 29, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC One of the major perks of writing about wellness for a living is that I literally learn something new every single day. Sometimes the intel is merely amusing, but other times it can be life-changing—especially when it comes to improving gut health. Nothing dominated the wellness conversation in 2019 quite like gut health. At Well+Good, we’re on a first-name basis with some of the best gastroenterologists in the country because we call them up so often asking for their insight. We’ve scoured dozens and dozens of studies offering up information on what foods help with “leaky gut.” We’ve tried at-home microbiome tests first-hand. We’ve consulted registered dietitians who work specifically with clients with irritable bowel syndrome asking for their best food tips to improve gut health. As a result, we’re ending the decade armed with a lot more gut knowledge. Improve gut health with 10 surprising tips we learned this year 1. BROCCOLI SPROUTS ARE THE GUT-HEALTHY ADD-IN YOUR SMOOTHIE IS MISSING Broccoli sprouts are so great for gut health that Will Bulsiewicz, MD, a gastroenterologist and author of Fiber Fueled, adds them to his smoothie every morning, calling them his “secret weapon.” “Broccoli sprouts release a phytochemical called sulforaphane. It heals the gut, reduces inflammation, and [could help] fight cancer,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. Talk about an amazing ingredient we’ve all been sleeping on! 2. EATING A WIDE RANGE OF PLANTS IS KEY A team of scientists looked at 11,000 people’s gut microbes and their
Why alt-meat brands are turning to algae for vegan-friendly omega-3s
December 28, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Plant-based eating has taken over the food space in a serious way, and while it’s awesome you can get an Impossible Whopper at Burger King or a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich at Dunkin’, consumers are hungry for more than just beef substitutes. That’s why plant-based chicken and fish alternatives (a small but growing part of the alt-meat market) aregoing to really start taking off on store shelves in 2020. While vegan-izing meat always comes with challenges nutrition-wise, plant-based fish in particular offers its own hurdles. Fish is one of the best sources of brain- and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids—a nutrient that can be difficult to obtain from non-animal sources. But vegan fish is potentially closer than ever to mimicking its seafood counterpart both in taste and nutrition…by sourcing omega-3s from algae. How omega-3s from algae compare to omega-3s in fish AlgaPrime DHA is one company that sources omega-3s from algae in order to provide a sustainable food source to aquaculture and livestock companies. “Fish get their omega-3s by eating smaller fish, and smaller fish eat algae. Algae is the original source of the omega-3s,” says Jill Kauffman Johnson, AlgaPrime DHA’s head of global market development. “Certain [types of] algae are the original form of the omega-3s EPA and DHA,” agrees registered dietitian Amy Gorin, RD. “So when a fish eats that algae, this is one of the main ways the fish gets omega-3s in its system.” Gorin says that it is possible to
How to prep your kitchen for the healthiest, most delicious year yet
December 27, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC After a stressful fall and winter spent subsisting on microwaved burritos and takeout Thai because my fridge is always empty and my time is always short, I’m obsessed with the idea of completely revamping my kitchen over the holiday break in order to set myself up for healthier habits in the new year. Currently, I have no idea what I even have in stock and how much of it is expired—let alone what I could make with any of it. This doesn’t bode well for my resolutions, says Kimberly Snyder, CN, a holistic wellness expert and the New York Times best-selling author of Recipes for Your Perfectly Imperfect Life. “The key to eating healthy and sticking to your New Year’s resolutions is always being prepared,” she says. “If your pantry and fridge are stocked with lots of healthy, easy food options, you’ll be a lot less likely to cave and order takeout.” I’m pretty sure my current stock—half a jar of year-old kimchi, moldy snap peas from who knows when, and whatever is hiding behind the instant ramen in my pantry—doesn’t count as “healthy, easy food options,” so I’m going to have to put a little elbow grease into prepping to delete my Seamless app. Below, Snyder and registered dietitian Whitney English, MS, RDN, of Plant-Based Juniors offer me (and you) their best tips for food-based resolution-enabling kitchen organization. 7 pre-2020 kitchen-centric tips to set you up for your healthiest year yet 1. Edit ruthlessly
5 plant-based proteins that won’t mess with your digestion
December 26, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC In the healthy food space, 2019 was dominated by all things plant-based. Alt-meat brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible spawned countless imitators from other companies as more and more people became interested in cutting back on their consumption of animal products for better health and the environment. But there’s one surprising, occasional hazard when consuming plant-based protein options. “Unfortunately, when introducing more plant-based protein sources, our digestion can take a hit. That’s because animal proteins tend to be more easily digested by our bodies, and plant proteins can be harder to digest and are absorbed more slowly by our bodies,” says Gabrielle McGrath, MS, RD, LDN, dietitian for Baze. Still you can ease discomfort, especially during the initial transition, by choosing the best plant-based protein sources, reading labels, and being patient with your body during the adjustment. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Why some plant-based protein sources can impact the gut Certain ingredients common in plant-based protein sources—particularly the processed kind—can be trickier on the gut. “Soy—like tofu—can be hard to digest and cause gas, bloating, and discomfort for some people. Some people do better with fermented soy products, tempeh being one example,” McGrath says. You’ll also find soy protein isolate (a processed derivative of soy) in fake meat products, as well as preservatives, additives, and emulsifiers. “Your body might not react well to each one of these and the more ingredients listed, the harder it can be to
Horsetail herb is one of the oldest remedies on Earth—here’s exactly how to use it
December 26, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC After overindulging in stress, unhealthy stress-coping mechanisms (read: wine), and blood-pressure raising political discussions with climate change-denying relatives, I’m looking forward to January, my favorite month of the year and also prime time for optimizing personal wellness. To prep, I’ve begun to entertain the side of myself that’s always wanted to be a potion-concocting witch. (So much so that in elementary school, I painstakingly crafted an entire book of spells, only to later destroy it out of Catholic guilt.) My modern-day version of this early art project is to stock my pantry full of plant medicine I can utilize to heal all that ails me in the aftermath of the year that was way, way too much. One such nature-based remedy I’m looking forward to incorporating into my arsenal is horsetail herb. While its origins in witchcraft are unknown (at least to me), herbalist Rachelle Robinett says it’s one of the oldest-used medicinal plants on the planet. In Ayurveda, it’s used to treat inflammation, and it was also used by Native Americans as a kidney aid, dysuria (read: painful pee) treatment, and diuretic. The latter benefits are born of the plant’s flavonoid (read: antioxidant) and saponin (read: anti-cancer) constituents, Lang explains. These aren’t only healing properties of horsetail herb. “It’s rich in naturally occurring calcium, magnesium, potassium, and bioavailable silica,” Robinett tells me, noting that it’s actually higher in silica than any other herb. “Silica is an essential trace mineral that restores weak
The plastic products (besides straws) we said goodbye to in 2019
December 25, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC First, here’s some bad news: By 2050, research estimates there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Now for the good news: We still have about 30 years left to do our part to stop the planet from becoming one big trash shore by reducing plastic waste and prioritizing other sustainable-living habits. One cause many have jumped on the bandwagon to support? The widespread canceling (and in some places outlawing) of plastic straws. Sure, the complete lack of plastic straws alone won’t fix the global crisis, but every bit of progress certainly counts when it comes to sustainable living. To that end, rounded up below are the single-use plastics (other than straws) we kissed goodbye in 2019. 7 products we canceled in 2019 in favor of reducing plastic waste. 1. Plastic grocery bags Following in the footsteps of California, New York is instituting a ban on plastic-bag output as of March 2020. I’ve collected quite a few canvas totes throughout my tenure as an event-hopper, so I’m good. But even if you’re not living in one of these states, you still hold the power to do your part and commit to reducing plastic. Consider it an excuse to order yourself a power tote. 2. Plastic cutlery for the first big barbecue of the summer Do yourself a favor and preemptively stock up on plant-based, compostable tableware products, like those from the eco-conscious organization World Centric. Yes, compostable. The collection features cutlery and cold-liquid cups made
Why champagne is a dietitian’s holiday drink of choice
December 24, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=444yg_umVsw] Navigate holiday boozing with this dietitian’s guide to wine and champagne. Watch the video here. I have one party trick, and it’s that I can saber a bottle of champagne. I learned how to do it a couple of years ago on a Facebook Live segment for the lifestyle site I was working for at the time, and ever since have liked to mention it on any possible occasion. Well, it looks like this year I’m about to saber a lot of bottles this year, because according to registered dietitian and You Versus Food host Tracey Lockwood Beckerman, RD, the health benefits of champagne make it the best choice to sip on this holiday season. Obviously champagne is a type of wine, and thus offers similar heart health benefits. But Beckerman says that champagne’s carbonation promotes slow imbibing, meaning you will consume less alcohol and absorb alcohol into your bloodstream at a slower rate. “This is better for your health, since too much alcohol in your bloodstream at once can be dangerous,” Beckerman says. (For health reasons and also for sending texts you shouldn’t reasons.) However, it’s important to note that alcohol, regardless of what kind you choose, should be consumed in moderation. “Drinking more than the suggested amount of one glass of wine a day can lead to liver damage, kidney damage, and a slew of other issues,” Beckerman says. Watch the video above to learn more about the health
I’m a dermatologist, and this is what I want you to know about spot-treating hormonal acne
December 24, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Acne’s certainly not easy to deal with, but trying to fight hormonal acne makes dealing with whiteheads feel like child’s play. That’s because your hormones are involved (obviously), which means that the skin-care products you use are only one part of the acne-fighting equation. Even though other factors should be taken into account, like what you’re eating, a lot of acne sufferers wonder if you can spot treat hormonal acne just as you can with other breakouts… so we asked a dermatologist for the lowdown. The good news: “You can spot treat hormonal breakouts with an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide gel to help dry them out,” says Morgan Rabach, MD, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of LM Medical. “Sometimes using an over-the-counter wash with salicylic acid can also be super helpful.” Besides those two acne-quashing superstars, she also recommends turning to retinols (of course), and alpha and beta hydroxy acids to stimulate cell turnover and keep your pores free of gunk as the hormonal zits clear up. Even if you use one or a mix of these ingredients, know that the breakouts won’t go away as easily as other forms of acne because hormonal acne is deeper below the skin’s surface. “Whiteheads are a much more superficial type of acne flare-up, and are more likely to be treated by topical treatments alone,” says Dr. Rabach. “Whiteheads and blackheads are most responsive to retinols.” And her overall top suggestion for fully fighting hormonal zits is an
5 delicious high-fiber recipes you can make in an Instant Pot
December 23, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Fiber makes you feel and look good. It keeps your gut healthy, makes you poop regularly, and keeps your blood sugar and cholesterol in check—not to mention keeps healthy your skin, hair, and nails. And if you’re wondering how to add more to your diet, it’s as easy as grabbing your Instant Pot. Whether you’re in the mood for cozy chili or oats, there are some healthy high-fiber recipes you can whip up in record time. These are the best Instant Pot recipes to help you increase your fiber intake. The best high-fiber recipes to make in your Instant Pot Photo: Detoxinista 1. Instant Pot spaghetti squash When it comes to pasta alternatives, spaghetti squash is the high-fiber option you should be eating regularly, as it contains 2 hearty grams per cup. Plus, you can make it in your Instant Pot in only seven minutes. Photo: Pinch of Yum 2. Instant pot pumpkin walnut chili Between the black beans and walnuts in this dish, you’ll be loading up on fiber, healthy fats, and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Black beans contain 6 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup. Photo: Rainbow Plant Life 3. Indian spiced black beluga lentils There’s 11 grams of fiber (and 9 grams of protein) per 1/4 cup of black beluga lentils, so it’s safe to say you’ll be good to go after one bowl of this dish. Photo: Cozy Peach Kitchen 4. Instant Pot vegan cream of broccoli soup This creamy