Checks+Balanced: How a post-grad living in Nashville budgets for a plant-based diet

October 04, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Chances are, you talk with your friends about that embarrassing thing that happened to you at yoga and the ins and outs of sex. But for some reason, money talk remains off limits. People want to live their healthiest life ever, but—#realtalk—it can add up. Have you ever wondered how your colleague who makes less than you do (or so you think) can afford to buy a $5 matcha and a $12 chopped salad every day? Or how your friend’s budget allows her to hit up $34 fitness classes three times a week? It’s enough to make anyone want to ask, “Ummm, excuse me. How do you afford that?!?” That’s where Well+Good’s monthly series Checks+Balanced comes in. By lifting the thick, tightly drawn curtain to expose how much women of varying income brackets spend on wellness, we’re spreading transparency and hopefully providing some inspo that’s possible to copy. Because no matter how much you make, it’s possible to cultivate healthy habits that work within your budget. This month, meet Lauren Barlow, a 22-year old health-care sales specialist living in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s navigating her first full-time job while upholding healthy habits she cares about, like being plant-based on a budget. Keep reading to see how she manages. Here, a 22-year-old health-care sales specialist living in Nashville shares how she maintains healthy habits on an entry-level salary. Graphic by Well+Good Creative Lauren Barlow, 22, health-care sales specialist, Nashville Income: $38,400 per year. I work as a health-care

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This common nutritional disorder might be why you’re so tired—here’s how to get your energy back, according to an RD

October 04, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Pop quiz: How many people do you think are low in iron? Considering 1.6 billion people (which is about a quarter of the world’s population, btw) are anemic, and an estimated 30 to 50 percent of them have iron-deficiency anemia, that puts the answer to our math problem at around… 800 million. Guess right? If those giant numbers are blowing your mind, let us break it down for you. Anemia—when your blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells—affects a lot of people, and it can have a pretty major impact on your health. “If you don’t have enough iron, you don’t have enough hemoglobin, because your body needs iron to make hemoglobin,” explains Robyn Nohling, FNP, RD, MSN, and owner of Real Life Women’s Health. “Hemoglobin is really important because it’s how your body transports oxygen to your tissues, organs and muscles.” Safe to say iron is a must-have-at-all times kind of nutrient. Photo: Robyn Nohling So how do you know if you’re iron deficient or not? “A big sign is people often feel tired,” Nohling says. “They might also feel short of breath doing everyday activities that didn’t used to leave them feeling short of breath.” In the past, Nohling struggled with low iron levels, which made it difficult for her to focus and left her feeling like she had to drag herself out of bed in the morning. Sound familiar? If your body is nudging you to bump up your intake,

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The 6 healthiest smoothies and snacks you can get at Jamba Juice, according to a top dietitian

October 03, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC When it comes to grab-and-go food, smoothie bars and juice shops can be the most confusing to navigate as a healthy eater. At a burger joint like Wendy’s or McDonald’s, it’s pretty straight-forward that the salad options are typically going to be more nutritious than a burger and fries. But smoothies can be murkier territory. Yes, they’re often full of healthy fruits or buzzy add-ins, like chia or acai, but they often also pack in a hefty dose of sugar. At Jamba (formerly known as Jamba Juice), there’s both food and smoothies on the menu, which leads to more choices—and more potential confusion when you order. That’s where registered dietitian Carrie Dennett, RD, comes in. Here, she breaks down which options (both food-wise and smoothie-wise) are truly the best ones, especially for plant-based, low-sugar, and ketogenic eaters (all of whom can have a tough time in a smoothie bar). Keep reading to see the RD-approved picks. Plant-based Smoothie menu picks: Vanilla Blue Sky; Smooth Talkin’ Mango Smoothie What an RD says: Jamba has a whole menu of plant-based smoothie options. Cream of the crop is the new Vanilla Blue Sky smoothie, made with unsweetened almond milk, vanilla coconut milk, pineapple, and spirulina. “The 16 ounce size has five grams of fiber, which is pretty decent,” Dennett says. (The goal is to get 25 grams a day.) While it is a bit high in sugar (27 grams), Dennett says that it’s at least from the pineapple

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Shailene Woodley’s high-fiber breakfast is worth stealing for yourself

October 02, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtTzJ31Sd60] Want to steal Woodley’s high-fiber breakfast? Watch the video. If you tuned into the highly-anticipated second installment of Big Little Lies, you know that Shailene Woodley’s character, Jane, experienced a whirlwind of a season. When it comes to breakfast, however, Woodley doesn’t like plot twists. On the most recent episode of Well+Good’s The Avocado Show, the environmentally conscious celebrity admitted that she enjoys the very same, high-fiber breakfast every morning. When Ella Dove, Well+Good’s senior video producer, asked Woodley about her morning meal of choice, she answered simply: “Porridge. Every single day.” Thanks to the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, porridge has kind of a snoozy reputation. One glance at its nutrition facts will sway your opinion though—promise. As porridge is the result of heating up any grain with water or milk, you have so much control over the nutritional contents of the a bowl. For example: If quinoa is your chosen base, one cup contains about 6 grams of fiber—the heart-healthy, digestion-boosting nutrient all of us could stand to eat a little more of. The 6 grams doesn’t even include the toppings you can use to grow that number, like a serving of blueberries (2.5 grams), chia seeds (about 10 grams), or almond butter (about 4 grams). Load your bowl with all three and, ta-da!, you’ve served yourself up 20 plus grams of fiber before noon. I think Woodley would agree that when it comes to good digestion,

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9 healthy foods that are always cheaper to buy than make yourself

October 02, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC Two major obstacles prevent people from eating healthy: it’s expensive and it’s time-consuming. While it’s true that our food system is structured in such a way that makes burgers and chicken nuggets cheaper than anything from the earth, there actually are quite a few products at the grocery store that are both cheap and don’t require any effort in the kitchen. The topic actually sparked quite the conversation on Reddit, generating over 1,000 comments. Rounded up here are some of the most useful—and some surprising wildcards—including ones healthy food experts stock up on. Keep reading for a list that will save you both time and money. When eating on a budget, these healthy foods are cheaper store-bought 1. Hummus While canned garbanzo beans are only about $1, one Reddit user points out that a jar of tahini is typically more expensive than just buying hummus already made. Another user echoed this saying that Costco’s single-serve hummus packs are particularly cost-effective. 2. Greek yogurt Several Reddit users called out yogurt as being particularly tedious and time-consuming to make—and not any cheaper than buying it ready-to-eat. Fage Greek yogurt, for example, costs $1.19, definitely more cost-effective than buying milk and the necessary bacteria culture. 3. Guacamole This is one condiment registered dietitian Melissa Rifkin, RD says is worth buying versus making yourself. “With the cost of avocados constantly on the rise, you just may be better off purchasing pre-made guacamole,” she says. “Plus, with the

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Palma is the sunny Spanish wellness mecca to bump up on your travel bucket list

October 02, 2019 at 01:55AM by CWC Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia aren’t the only worthy destinations to consider for your next trip to Spain. Just a short flight off Spain’s eastern coast in the Mediterranean are the country’s Balearic Islands, the largest of which is Mallorca. And the capital, palm-tree-fringed Palma de Mallorca, is a resort city in the truest sense, enjoying a pleasant climate and more than 300 days of sunshine per year. Beyond its natural geographic draws like beautiful beaches, Palma de Mallorca offers plentiful options to fill the itinerary of any wellness-focused traveler. Between cultural attractions, a culinary scene full of plant-focused eateries and juice bars, and walkable neighborhoods with intriguing landmarks to explore, you won’t have a problem getting to 10,000 steps (if that’s your speed). There’s certainly no shortage of yoga studios or bike paths, either. But before you jet off to Palma de Mallorca, read on for some specific healthy recommendations to fill your time in this under-the-radar sun-splashed wellness mecca. Where to sweat On the boutique studio front, yogis should check out Zunray Yoga, tucked away on a side street in the city center. It offers a variety of classes in both Spanish and English so you can practice your postura del perro boca abajo or downward facing dog alongside locals, residents, and tourists. Ashtanga enthusiasts may prefer MYSORE Mallorca, and for barre devotees, there’s The Studio Lifestyle. If you’d rather soak up the sun (with your skin, protected, of course) and get

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The Impossible Burger is *everywhere,* but is it truly healthy? Here’s what an RD thinks

October 01, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Z88diSHVg] Impossible versus Beyond…which alt-burger comes out on top? Watch the video to find out. Remember when veggie burgers were pretty much synonymous with hockey pucks? The plant-based eating scene has changed a lot in the past few years, as proven by the notorious Impossible Burger. The 100-percent vegan burger mimics the texture, taste, and look (it’s even red in the middle) of your standard beef burger. But whether it’s good for you or not… many healthy eaters are still scratching their heads on that one. In the latest episode of You Versus Food, registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, shares her official verdict on the health merits of the Impossible Burger—and how it compares to its “just like meat” rival, the Beyond Burger. In the pro column, the Impossible Burger has the same amount of protein as a beef burger, along with some key vitamins and minerals. “The Impossible Burger contains a ton of vitamin B12 and 25 percent of iron, which are both fab for energy,” Beckerman says. It also contains thiamine, which supports the body’s nervous system. Obviously, meat-based beef is a good source of iron in its own right. Beckerman says to replicate that in a plant-based version, Impossible Burger includes soy leghemoglobin, an iron-containing molecule found in soy plants. While this ingredient has been met with some controversy (and was subject to some extra FDA oversight before it was approved), Beckerman emphasizes that soy is not bad

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Does eating fruit after dinner really mess with your digestion? Let’s discuss

October 01, 2019 at 05:23PM by CWC Every night after dinner, I break apart one-third of a Trader Joe’s Absolute Black Dark Chocolate and eat it with frozen raspberries. The simple pairing is like fireworks to my tastebuds, and I honestly never get sick of the sweet-tart finalé to my day. And thus, when someone casually mentioned that eating fruit at night “was bad for digestion,” I was miffed. In attempt to prove this individual wrong, I consulted Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, dietitian and host of Well+Good’s You Versus Food.  “It is completely false that ending a meal with fruit can disrupt digestion,” says Beckerman. (A-ha!) “Your body is designed to eat and break down all types of food—proteins, fats and carbohydrates—no matter the order in which you decide to eat it.” Beckerman tells me that no research to support the idea that topping off lunch or dinner with fruit will throw a wrench in your body’s digestive processes. Instead, the myth likely stems from the fact that eating large portions of certain fruits can make your stomach feel queasy. “Having a lot of fruit post-meal could be a one way to ticket to the bathroom. Some fruits are tough to digest in large doses, like grapes or apples, so don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she says. That said, your body will be totally on board with a smaller serving of apples, oranges, or—say—raspberries, once you’ve done the dishes and have a hankering for something sweet. “You just enjoyed

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8 DASH diet-approved recipes to make every meal of the day good for your heart

October 01, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC With *so* many different healthy eating plans out there, it’s clear that there isn’t just one way to live your best, nutrient-rich life. But when it comes to the way of eating that doctors and dietitians recommend the most, there are two main contenders: the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. You’re likely very familiar with the Med diet (it made a big comeback this year), but what about its less famous cousin, DASH? DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and like the Mediterranean diet, is a heart-healthy eating plan that emphasizes healthy monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nuts, and avocado. Other requirements: consuming six to eight servings of whole grains per day, four to five servings of fruits and veggies, fewer than six servings of animal protein, two to three servings of low- or non-fat dairy products, and keeping sugar and sodium intake to a minimum. (Again, veeeeery reminiscent of the Med diet.) Another reason health experts are such a fan of the DASH diet is that it isn’t restrictive and is actually pretty easy to stick with. Need proof? Check out the recipes rounded up here, for every meal of the day. Not only are they all DASH diet-compliant, they’ll have your mouth watering. Scroll down for eight healthy DASH diet recipes. Photo: Minimalist Baker 1. Peanut butter overnight oats Serving of whole grains? Check. Healthy fats and protein? Check. Fruit? Yep. In just five ingredients, this mason

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