June 04, 2019 at 10:59AM by CWC The vitamin B12 craze has been around for years, which is no easy feat in the wellness world where there’s a hot new supplement launch every single week. (Borage oil, anyone?) But the B-vitamin has successfully held its ground as an elite-status ingredient thanks to its many researched-backed benefits. “B12 is involved in many critical processes in the body such as supporting nerve cell function, making DNA, metabolism, and the formation of red blood cells,” says Jillian Kubala, MS, RD. “And it can’t be made in the body, so it must be obtained through the foods that we eat.” Those foods include animal products like eggs, meat, poultry, and dairy. If you’re not getting enough from your diet (or you don’t eat animal foods), most experts recommend turning to a B12 supplement, since a deficiency (while rare) can be serious. “Symptoms of a chronic, severe B12 deficiency can include serious side effects such as neurological damage, memory loss, and depression,” Kubala says. “If B12 deficiency progresses, it may lead to neurological disturbances, difficulty balancing, dementia, confusion, and irreversible neurological damage in severe cases.” In the short term, having low levels of B12 could lead to a lack of energy, depressed feelings, anxiety, shortness of breath, and tingling hands and feet. In other words, if you have an inkling that you may be deficient in B12, make an appointment with your doctor to get your levels checked—stat. Folks who eat plant-based or vegan diets
Category: Vegetarians
How to make a healthier PB&J sandwich for grown-ups
June 03, 2019 at 12:27PM by CWC A classic PB&J is one of the only things that tastes just as good now as it did straight out of a brown paper bag in elementary school. So pour yourself a tall glass of ice cold milk—you’re going to need it while you’re chowing down on a healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with fresh berries. Most popular jellies/jams/marmalades/preserves are made with a mix of fruit and high-fructose corn syrup, and several varieties just add sweetness and flavor to the spreads with fruit juice. Using just a few tablespoons to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich means you’ll be consuming a lot of sugar. But Amanda Meixner, the food blogger behind the popular Instagram account @MeowMeix, has a healthy recipe to recreate the childhood favorite with wholesome ingredients that cuts the sugar by 90 percent. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amanda Meixner (@meowmeix) on Jun 1, 2019 at 4:07pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js A healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwich takes just seconds to make. First, swap store-bought jelly for mashed berries. According to Meixner, all you need to do is take a 1/2 cup of washed raspberries (or strawberries, grapes…whichever you prefer!), put them in a bowl, and mash them with a fork. Then, spread your homemade jam onto the bread with your favorite nut butter. A typical sandwich might call for 2 tablespoons of raspberry preserves from Bonne Maman, for example, which contains 26
How to make a healthier PB&J sandwich for grown-ups
June 03, 2019 at 12:27PM by CWC A classic PB&J is one of the only things that tastes just as good now as it did straight out of a brown paper bag in elementary school. So pour yourself a tall glass of ice cold milk—you’re going to need it while you’re chowing down on a healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with fresh berries. Most popular jellies/jams/marmalades/preserves are made with a mix of fruit and high-fructose corn syrup, and several varieties just add sweetness and flavor to the spreads with fruit juice. Using just a few tablespoons to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich means you’ll be consuming a lot of sugar. But Amanda Meixner, the food blogger behind the popular Instagram account @MeowMeix, has a healthy recipe to recreate the childhood favorite with wholesome ingredients that cuts the sugar by 90 percent. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amanda Meixner (@meowmeix) on Jun 1, 2019 at 4:07pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js A healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwich takes just seconds to make. First, swap store-bought jelly for mashed berries. According to Meixner, all you need to do is take a 1/2 cup of washed raspberries (or strawberries, grapes…whichever you prefer!), put them in a bowl, and mash them with a fork. Then, spread your homemade jam onto the bread with your favorite nut butter. A typical sandwich might call for 2 tablespoons of raspberry preserves from Bonne Maman, for example, which contains 26
9 ways to use overripe bananas before they attract a fruit fly fan club
June 02, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC One moment, you have a bunch of bright yellow bananas on your countertop, patiently waiting to be eaten. Then, in the blink of an eye, they’re spotted brown and attracting a full-on fruit fly fan club. They’re worse than avocados! While many recipes call for perfectly ripe bananas, they’re not always available in most kitchens. Who has time to babysit a fruit? Not me. But if you’re not going to make another loaf of banana bread, there are plenty of options that put all those overripe bananas to good use. The next time you’re in a bind and don’t want to let the fruit go to waste, try one of these recipes instead. They’re so delicious you might just let your bananas turn brown on purpose. Here are 9 delicious ways to use up your overripe bananas Photo: Baking You Happier 1. Vegan peanut butter banana brownies Fun fact: Making bananas with overripe bananas makes them even more ooey-gooey, and this recipe is proof. Photo: Gimme Some Oven 2. Peanut butter banana smoothie Adding bananas into your smoothie is a great way to up the creaminess, and overripe options are even even easier to blend up for a super-smooth finish. Photo: Minimalist Baker 3. Vegan banana crumb muffins These aren’t your average muffins. With the crumble top, every bite will melt in your mouth—guaranteed. While the recipe requests medium-ripe bananas, readers tried it with overripe options and it still works like a charm.
9 ways to use overripe bananas before they attract a fruit fly fan club
June 02, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC One moment, you have a bunch of bright yellow bananas on your countertop, patiently waiting to be eaten. Then, in the blink of an eye, they’re spotted brown and attracting a full-on fruit fly fan club. They’re worse than avocados! While many recipes call for perfectly ripe bananas, they’re not always available in most kitchens. Who has time to babysit a fruit? Not me. But if you’re not going to make another loaf of banana bread, there are plenty of options that put all those overripe bananas to good use. The next time you’re in a bind and don’t want to let the fruit go to waste, try one of these recipes instead. They’re so delicious you might just let your bananas turn brown on purpose. Here are 9 delicious ways to use up your overripe bananas Photo: Baking You Happier 1. Vegan peanut butter banana brownies Fun fact: Making bananas with overripe bananas makes them even more ooey-gooey, and this recipe is proof. Photo: Gimme Some Oven 2. Peanut butter banana smoothie Adding bananas into your smoothie is a great way to up the creaminess, and overripe options are even even easier to blend up for a super-smooth finish. Photo: Minimalist Baker 3. Vegan banana crumb muffins These aren’t your average muffins. With the crumble top, every bite will melt in your mouth—guaranteed. While the recipe requests medium-ripe bananas, readers tried it with overripe options and it still works like a charm.
The underrated vitamin that you should def be eating on the regular
June 02, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Amongst the myriad of vitamins and minerals filling our medicine capsules, there are some that are bound to get lost in the shuffle. Vitamin K is one of those micronutrients that often gets glossed over in favor of vitamin D or magnesium, but it plays a crucial role in our bodies. Some hints: stronger bones and supporting healthy blood function. Not too shabby, eh? Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it’s stored in fat tissue so our bodies can reap the benefits later when needed. Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, says this differs from water-soluble vitamins like C and B, which leave the body quicker. There are technically two types of K vitamins: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones), which is made mostly by gut bacteria. And both of them are important for your overall health. While topical use of vitamin K might banish those embarrassing hickeys, here are some internal health benefits that prove why it deserves its own blue ribbon. What are the most important vitamin K benefits? 1. Vitamin K supports proper blood clotting: “Vitamin K1 is essential for our bodies to produce prothrombin, a protein that allows our blood to clot and stop the bleeding,” Zeitlin says. It also contains four of the 13 proteins essential for blood clotting. Next time you trip on the cold, hard concrete and scrape your need to oblivion? Thank K for doing the heavy lifting to quickly heal your wound. 2. It helps us
The underrated vitamin that you should def be eating on the regular
June 02, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Amongst the myriad of vitamins and minerals filling our medicine capsules, there are some that are bound to get lost in the shuffle. Vitamin K is one of those micronutrients that often gets glossed over in favor of vitamin D or magnesium, but it plays a crucial role in our bodies. Some hints: stronger bones and supporting healthy blood function. Not too shabby, eh? Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it’s stored in fat tissue so our bodies can reap the benefits later when needed. Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, says this differs from water-soluble vitamins like C and B, which leave the body quicker. There are technically two types of K vitamins: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones), which is made mostly by gut bacteria. And both of them are important for your overall health. While topical use of vitamin K might banish those embarrassing hickeys, here are some internal health benefits that prove why it deserves its own blue ribbon. What are the most important vitamin K benefits? 1. Vitamin K supports proper blood clotting: “Vitamin K1 is essential for our bodies to produce prothrombin, a protein that allows our blood to clot and stop the bleeding,” Zeitlin says. It also contains four of the 13 proteins essential for blood clotting. Next time you trip on the cold, hard concrete and scrape your need to oblivion? Thank K for doing the heavy lifting to quickly heal your wound. 2. It helps us
The 6 Best Vegan Makeup Brushes You Need In Your Arsenal
June 02, 2019 at 01:23AM Makeup and animal fans, rejoice. Continue Reading… Author Alexandra Engler | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
What moms-to-be learn from each other through group prenatal care
June 01, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Once routine checkups no longer end with a lollipop and sticker, going to the doctor just isn’t as fun anymore. And when you’re pregnant, visiting the doctor becomes as routine as grocery shopping. Centering Pregnancy, a model for group prenatal care, is trying to make the experience feel less like a chore. Instead of meeting with you doctor one-on-one, you have an appointment with eight to 10 other women due around the same time as you. But, if there are any complications, or other things you want to discuss solo, there’s always an option to see your provider in private. “When you put people together and they can influence each other, the experience is so much stronger and more powerful,” says certified nurse midwife Margaret Taylor. “And certainly more effective than a midwife or physician telling a patient what to do.” Everything that happens during a traditional appointment—belly check, fetal heart rate monitoring—still takes place, but in a room with other women, healthy snacks, and some music. And once the physical exams are over, the moms (and sometimes, their partners), the provider, and another certified leader (social workers, doulas, or tribal elders) meet for 60 to 90 minutes to learn about everything from safe sleeping practices to breastfeeding and nutrition. “One woman’s question is likely another woman’s question.” “One woman’s question is likely another woman’s question,” says Angie Truesdale, CEO of the Centering Healthcare Institute. Centering Pregnancy was founded in 1993 by Sharon
What moms-to-be learn from each other through group prenatal care
June 01, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Once routine checkups no longer end with a lollipop and sticker, going to the doctor just isn’t as fun anymore. And when you’re pregnant, visiting the doctor becomes as routine as grocery shopping. Centering Pregnancy, a model for group prenatal care, is trying to make the experience feel less like a chore. Instead of meeting with you doctor one-on-one, you have an appointment with eight to 10 other women due around the same time as you. But, if there are any complications, or other things you want to discuss solo, there’s always an option to see your provider in private. “When you put people together and they can influence each other, the experience is so much stronger and more powerful,” says certified nurse midwife Margaret Taylor. “And certainly more effective than a midwife or physician telling a patient what to do.” Everything that happens during a traditional appointment—belly check, fetal heart rate monitoring—still takes place, but in a room with other women, healthy snacks, and some music. And once the physical exams are over, the moms (and sometimes, their partners), the provider, and another certified leader (social workers, doulas, or tribal elders) meet for 60 to 90 minutes to learn about everything from safe sleeping practices to breastfeeding and nutrition. “One woman’s question is likely another woman’s question.” “One woman’s question is likely another woman’s question,” says Angie Truesdale, CEO of the Centering Healthcare Institute. Centering Pregnancy was founded in 1993 by Sharon