May 03, 2019 at 06:36AM by CWC It’s hard not to love mangoes. They’re delightfully sweet, juicy as ever, and just as delicious in a smoothie as they are sliced with a pinch of salt. But they’re a pain in the butt to cut and peel. I mean, who wants to spend 20 minutes wrestling with a piece of fruit? Not surprisingly, I’m not the only one who has issues cutting and peeling mangoes. On a Reddit thread, mango lovers discussed the issue and how to make the process easier, and one method stands out: using a glass. According to Melissa Bailey, the blogger behind Hungry Food Love, peeling can be tricky because of the fruit’s odd shape and your inability to properly grip it. But when using a glass, it becomes a breeze. Learning how to peel a mango involved just a few easy steps. First cut the sides of the mango off, making sure you don’t hit the flat center pit. Then grip a glass with one hand and press the edge of the mango slice against the rim with the other. The mango slides into the glass, and the peel easily separates on the outside. After you’re done with each side, grab a knife and cut into slices. While there are other mango-cutting techniques too, this is by far the easiest and quickest way. If only I would have known about it years ago. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGOgM6yo-E0] Now that you know how to peel a mango, here’s how
Category: Vegetarians
The healthiest people in the world ask themselves these 8 questions every day
May 02, 2019 at 11:26AM by CWC Remember those “death countdown” clocks that the Internet loved in the early aughts, where you would enter your birthday and they’d tell you exactly when you were going to die? Well, consider this the grown-up, science-supported version of that. Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner—who has spent his career studying the longest-living people on the planet from places like Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica—has used his research to put together a series of questions that can help determine life expectancy… and the results are enlightening, to say the least. A few determining factors? What you eat (ideally a whole lot of vegetables); how much you move (at least 45 minutes per day); and whether you surround yourself with the right kind of people (hi, friends!). “I’m a big believer that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. It’s true for your finances, and it’s true for longevity,” Buettner told a group of editors at an event this morning celebrating his partnership with Degree’s #madetomove campaign, which is committed to helping people all over the country take a page from the Blue Zones and start moving more. Then, he asked us these eight research-backed questions to determine—within ten percent of a margin of error—how long we were going to live: Do you sleep at least 7.5 hours most nights? Do you move at least 45 minutes a day? (It doesn’t have to be at the gym, it can be just walking
This mood-boosting snack delivers happiness in every single bite
May 01, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TMLQPq9oTU] Snacking should make you feel good. (Take that, sugar crash!) But what if I told you that you could make your 3 p.m. snack break even better with a treat that can literally improve your mood in just one bite? Intrigued, right? In the latest episode of Plant Based, herbalist, health coach, and Supernatural founder Rachelle Robinett shares her recipe for “Dopamine Bliss Balls,” (a.k.a. souped up energy balls) which she says are the perfect pick-me-up for any time you’re feeling a bit sluggish. The main ingredient in these bliss balls is mucuna pruriens, a.k.a. the “dopamine bean,” which is a legume native to tropical Asia and Africa. They’re dark brown and covered with stiff hairs that contain serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes calmness and satisfaction, Robinett explains. The plant is a staple in Ayurvedic medicine, and has been touted as a possible way to help manage depression. Once dried and ground, the bean produces a powder that contains L-dopa, a direct precursor to dopamine. This helps our bodies naturally produce dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that the brain releases when you’re happy. “It can raise your mood a little bit, it can give us a little bit of energy,” Robinett says of mucuna pruriens benefits. “But it feels quite different than caffeine—it’s not quite as high and, for some people, mucuna pruriens can actually help with sleep.” Translation: It can be as good for a bedtime snack as it is in
The trick to making perfectly crispy tofu starts in the freezer
May 01, 2019 at 11:43AM by CWC I like my tofu extra crispy. Unfortunately getting it to that point often means keeping a watchful eye on a frying pan. (Nobody likes burnt tofu.) But the trick to perfectly crispy tofu is as simple as popping it in the freezer first. When tofu freezes, the water within it expands, creating pockets of air. As you cook it and the water evaporates, these air bubbles give tofu a chewier, meatier texture while enabling it to soak up flavor from a marinade or sauce. Follow these easy instructions for the best way to ensure crispy tofu every time you cook it (with five delicious recipes you’ll want to use again and again) because nothing hits the spot more than tofu at its crispiest. How to freeze tofu Drain your extra-firm tofu and remove it from the packaging. Pat it dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Cut the tofu into cubes or slices—whatever size you need for your meal. Then, place the pieces in a container and store them in the freezer. You can also put the entire block in the freezer as-is, but it takes longer to cook. For best results, leave your tofu in the freezer for 12 to 24 hours. If you’re short on time, you’ll still get decent results with 3 to 6 hours. How to cook with frozen tofu Bring a pot of water to a boil and submerge the frozen tofu. Bring it back to a
The healthy “fat salad” a functional medicine doctor loves to eat for lunch
May 01, 2019 at 10:35AM by CWC I have a really important question that needs answering: What did salads look like before the avocado craze? I imagine sad iceberg lettuce paired with sadder croutons, and topped with the kind of dressing that just kind of pools at the bottom of the to-go container. (Moment of silence.) Luckily, we’re living in the era of greenery 2.0, when salads are just as fancy as any other dish. Case in point: the edible art of this salad with avocado created by functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, MD. “I’ve learned how to make amazingly delicious meals really simply,” said Dr. Hyman at April’s Well+Good’s TALKS in New York City. His choice lunch is “fat salads,” a bed of greens piled with ingredients that contain omega-3s and other healthy fats. After piling a plate high with spinach, kale, or another leafy green, he adds avocado (duh), a sprinkling of nuts, a can of wild salmon, olives, and a drizzle of olive oil. When in doubt, just add “a lot of good fats and protein,” says Dr. Hyman. If you’re a vegetarian, you could nix the salmon in favor of nature’s multivitamin (eggs!) for a boost of protein. Or, if you follow an entirely plant-based diet, you could roast a can of chickpeas and sprinkle them over your midday meal like legume croutons. It’s totally up to you. No matter the melange of ingredients, take solace in the fact that the fats on the end of
6 benefits of peaches that make me really want it to be summer already
May 01, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Few sweet snacks embody summer quite like a peach. Feeling the soft fuzz against your upper lip, its slight tartness hitting your tongue, and sweet juice dripping from the corners of your mouth onto your hands are what warm backyard nights are made of. However, peaches have a lot more to offer than just that summertime feeling (although that’s definitely a big plus, IMO). Here, integrative and functional dietitian Nour Zibdeh, MS, RDN, CLT, explains what exactly it is about peaches that makes them so good for you. What are the benefits of peaches? 1. Peaches are a good source of vitamin C. Sorry oranges, you aren’t the only fruit in town good for this. One medium-sized peach has 10 milligrams of the important antioxidant (about 13 percent of your recommended daily intake). “This is good for the immune system, reducing free radical oxidative damage, and reducing the risk for chronic diseases,” Zibdeh says. 2. They’re full of vitamin A. Zibdeh points to peaches’ high vitamin A content as another reason why the fruit is a healthy win. “Vitamin A is important for healthy skin and eyes, reducing inflammation, and boosting the immune system,” she says. “It’s also needed for building a healthy gut lining which is going to help fend off pathogens that we might encounter in our food or environment.” Carrots tend to get all the attention when it comes to vitamin A, but as Zibdeh points out, it’s far from the
This Vegan Chocolate “Gelato” Will Satisfy Any Sugar Craving
May 01, 2019 at 01:04AM Here’s how you can make it at home. Continue Reading… Author Caroline Muggia | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
3 women share their hair loss stories—and the surprisingly different reasons they faced thinning hair
April 30, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC We all know hair-washing day is the day we schedule our entire social calendar and workout schedule around—but it also often means discovering what seems like hundreds of loose strands all over your hands and in the drain once you’re done. It’s usually nothing to stress over (we all shed), but sometimes excess hair shedding can be a symptom of something more. In a recent survey of 2,600 of our readers, we learned that 40 percent of you face thinning-hair issues that go beyond the slapping-strands-on-the-shower-wall situation. “There are a number of natural and external factors that can cause thinning hair and it varies from person to person what exactly is the root cause of their specific problems,” says David Adams, consultant trichologist at Thicker Fuller Hair. “Natural causes include genetics, hormones, and general physical health, and external causes include side effects of medications, over-styling, stress, and poor nutrition.” The takeaway from our survey? You’re definitely not the only one experiencing it—but one thing’s for certain: You can totally do something about it. Thicker Fuller Hair is a hair-care regimen created by an Ayurvedic chemist to deliver nourishment from scalp to your ends, so it helps your strands return to their former glory days with plant-based ingredients like vegan keratin, quinoa, and more. On our mission to gain more insight into the thinning-hair phenomenon—and spread more awareness that there are formulas out there that can help—we asked three Well+Good staffers to share their
Magnesium—the MVP of the periodic table you probably aren’t getting enough of
April 30, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC Since that month in chemistry class devoted to memorizing the entire periodic table, you probably haven’t revisited what the elements—specifically magnesium—can do for your health, right? Don’t worry, there won’t be a pop quiz at the end of this article, but we did tap Amy Shapiro, RD and founder of Real Nutrition, to give us a quick lesson on the benefits of magnesium and how it can be a real wellness game-changer. “I find through my research that if we eat a balanced diet full of foods that provide great sources of magnesium, we should feel quite balanced, and many of our daily ailments will be alleviated,” she says. Most Americans are deficient in magnesium, which is why getting enough of it makes a noticeable impact on how you feel. (So yes, this is one case where eating your problems away is totally a thing.) “If we eat a balanced diet full of foods that provide great sources of magnesium…many of our daily ailments will be alleviated.” This OG element is found in chocolate (yas), fish, almonds, avocados (double yas), green leafy veggies, and pumpkin seeds—which are having a moment in the superfood space right now. With more brands tapping into the magic of magnesium via pumpkin seeds, Health Warrior Superfoods is leading the charge with its Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein Bars that deliver 35 percent of your daily recommended value of magnesium, plus eight grams of plant-based protein and major flavor (oh
Sorry but cucumbers are the best salad base of all time—and these 5 recipes back that up
April 30, 2019 at 12:32PM by CWC I feel kinda bad for cucumbers. Thanks to the world’s obsession with its famous cousin, the versatile zucchini, people are zoodling their lives away without even giving the cuke a fair shake. Well, sorry zucchinis, but cucumbers have some impressive qualities, too. And one of them is their ability to make you want to ditch the kale for a salad that’s crunchy, satisfying, and super-hydrating. Cucumbers are typically used as a salad topping, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be the star of the show. A large cucumber contains 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and a solid amount of vitamin C and vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium, which is known to help with bloating (something kale commonly causes). On top of that, since cucumbers are 96 percent water, eating them makes it easy to stay hydrated. To take full advantage of the many benefits of cucumbers, create some hearty salads you can devour all season long. The 5 best healthy cucumber salads Photo: The Creekside Cook 1. Jalapeño lime cucumber salad If you like a little spice in your life, this cucumber salad featuring finely-diced jalapeños is a winner. Combined with zesty lime, your taste buds are in for a treat. Photo: Simple Vegan Blog 2. Thai cucumber salad Give your cucumbers a Thai twist with this quickie salad that’s loaded with red onion, lemon juice, cayenne powder, and chopped peanuts. Photo: Simply Whisked 3. Sweet and spicy cucumber