April 03, 2019 at 09:35AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsASWf_1AG0] We love a good nut butter. And while almond and cashew butter have taken center stage (even sunflower seeds have joined the game) it’s sometimes nice to get back to our roots: peanut butter. Since making appearances in our childhood PB&Js, the protein-packed spread has become a healthy-eating staple. It tastes so good, you might begin to question whether or not it’s actually good for you. Worry not—in the newest episode of You Versus Food, Well+Good’s YouTube series breaking down the buzziest food and drink trends, top dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, confirms that the yummy spread has tons of nutritional benefits. “Peanut butter is made of peanuts and peanuts are pretty healthy,” says Beckerman. “So just like that perfect match you found on Tinder, peanuts have an optimal profile— a nutritional profile, that is.” What are the benefits of peanut butter? Peanuts are full of fiber, monounsaturated fats (aka the good kind), antioxidants and protein, says Beckerman. Here’s the full benefit breakdown: 1. They’re high in protein. While almonds ultimately have more fiber, and cashews have more healthy fats, Beckerman says peanuts take the cake when it comes to protein—seven grams per 1-ounce serving. 2. They’re rich in folate. Folate is of course important for fetal development, but Beckerman says the nutrient is also important for helping your body make more red blood cells. 3. Peanuts are good for your heart. Peanuts have lots of monounsaturated fats, Beckerman says, which have been associated
Category: Vegetarians
Not to worry—here’s everything you need to know about dealing with anxiety attacks
April 03, 2019 at 08:05AM by CWC “Let it go, let it go. Can’t hold it back anymore.” Okay, to most wide-eyed children, Elsa from Disney’s Frozen is just this super-cool, kind of complicated snow queen with a great singing voice and a killer side braid. But if you really boil it down, the character is oh-so-relatable to the adult set, too. Think about it: She spends most of her life hiding from the outside world. She’s so worried about what might happen that she secludes herself from all of it. Beyond withdrawing from her family and friends, she avoids her problems instead of accepting or dealing with them. And not to get all clinical, but might it be possible that Elsa was suffering from some pretty intense anxiety while she was refusing to build a snowman with sweet Anna? Sure, it’s a cheeky comparison, but in today’s ever-busy, always-working, rise-and-grind #hustleculture, all people are practically wired for anxiety. We may not have to worry about dudes trying to steal our castles and family fortune (probably), but the demands of life today are no joke, whether you’re a successful CEO, an analyst by day and yoga instructor by night, or a living-paycheck-to-paycheck recent grad trying to figure out WTF to do next. So, in the event your worries ever percolate into anxiety-attack territory, here’s what to do. Anxiety attacks: 101 First things first, generalized anxiety is something many people experience from time to time. It’s a feeling of nervousness or
How I eat (and love) food when I know way too much about nutrition
April 03, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC Sometimes, I miss the food habits of my early 20s. I ate my 25 cent ramen blissfully unaware of the dangers of processed food. Buying organic wasn’t really a thing because I didn’t really know how bad pesticides were. I’d never heard the words “Whole30,” “ketogenic,” or “intermittent fasting,” so my brain wasn’t muddled by what “eating plan” I should stick to. I knew fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats were good for you, and that too much sugar wasn’t great, but I didn’t know why, and besides—it tasted too good to give up. (Come back to me, 22-year-old metabolism!) Now, I’m 32, have been a food reporter for four years, and am a certified health coach. All day, I’m bombarded with information about something else lurking in our food that is linked to very scary health problems. Or the importance of counting your macros. Or how coffee can just make anxiety even worse for some people. Yes, knowledge is power, and I think it’s important to know as much as I can about what I’m putting into my body. But constantly keeping up with healthy food news can be scary (everything is bad for you!), confusing (wait, eggs are good for you now? Last week a study said they were bad!), and exhausting. Despite all this, I still love food. I love cooking, I love eating, I love trying new cuisines and new restaurants. And I promise the two things—knowing…a lot about
Tacos are back on the menu for low-carb eaters with this high-protein tortilla swap
April 03, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC I wish the name of every day started with the letter “T” so that we could enjoy the satisfying alliteration of “Taco Tuesday” to the tune of seven times per week. And if you’re living that low-carb or gluten-free life, you can still experience the magic of Taco Tednesday (just watch, it’s gonna be a thing) by swapping out the corn or flour tortilla for…an egg. While I spotted this health-forward hack on the Bulletproof blog, Taco Bell may in fact be the (surprising) brains behind the operation. According to Food&Wine, the fast food chain debuted the tortilla-less taco back in 2017, when the Naked Egg Taco first hit its menu. This Taco Triday (not giving this one up), skip the drive-thru by frying up your own set of eggs (the Bulletproof blog recommends using ghee to grease your pan, but you should really do you when it comes to choosing a cooking fat) and wrapping them around your fave fixings. Need some inspo? Try mixing and matching the ingredients below. Pick your protein: chicken, ground beef, black beans, crispy vegan taco meat Load up the veggies: sliced peppers, tomatoes, avocado, caramelized onions, mushrooms, lettuce, corn, green chiles Spice things up: taco seasoning, cilantro, parsley, lime, Top it off: salsa, guacamole, healthy queso, pico de gallo, sour cream Eggs are kind of magical: You can also use them to make two-ingredient “squashbread” and supercharged oatmeal. Continue Reading… Author Kells McPhillips | Well and Good
Jackfruit is *almost* the perfect meat replacement, except for one big catch
April 02, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC On the vegetarian scene for years, jackfruit is now also a regular member of Meatless Monday menus. Similar in texture to pulled pork, unripe jackfruit soaks up whatever seasoning you add mix in—with health benefits to boot. But hold on a sec, jackfruit what? If you haven’t seen this before at Asian supermarkets or on the menu at your favorite vegan bistro, the jackfruit is a large tropical fruit that’s distantly related to figs. According to the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), the jackfruit tree likely came from India, then spread throughout southeast Asia, the East Indies and the Philippines. Today it’s also popular in Africa, Brazil, and Surinam—and, for the past four to five years, in the U.S. According to the CRFG, a single jackfruit can grow to 80 pounds (!) and over 36 inches long and 20 inches in diameter. When the fruit is ripe, it’s super sweet. But the unripe fruit has a more neutral, less sweet taste, per the CRFG, and has a texture inside that “shreds” like pulled pork. There’s a reason why it’s suddenly gained such a devoted following in the plant-based community. However, there is one big catch with jackfruit: It doesn’t have very much protein compared to other meat substitutes, says vegetarian nutritionist Alex Caspero, R.D. One 75 gram (2.65-ounce) serving of plain jackfruit has just 1 gram of protein (versus 10 grams of protein in the same amount of tofu or 12 grams in a
7 nutritionists share the most common questions they get about healthy eating
April 01, 2019 at 10:30AM by CWC Let’s face it—healthy eating is confusing. Studies are all over the place (one day eggs are bad, next day they’re good, next day they’re bad again), there’s never been more eating plans to choose from (paleo, keto, Mediterranean, oh my!) and basically every food company has tried to come up with some wellness “spin” for their products, whether or not they’re actually healthy. The information (and choices!) can be paralyzing. To help clear up at least some of this confusion, we talked to seven dietitians and nutritionists about the most frequently asked food questions they’ve encountered—because if they hear them all the time, chances are you and I are asking those same questions, too. 1. “Is coconut oil healthy?” The answer? Sort of. “Coconut oil wears a ‘health halo,’ leading people to believe it’s better for them than other oils,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. She says the hype has gotten so intense that many of her clients have adopted coconut oil in favor of olive or avocado oils. Here’s the thing: Coconut oil is really high in saturated fat (one tablespoon has 12 grams). While some saturated fat is important, too much has been associated with higher cholesterol levels and other negative health outcomes. “The American Heart Association recommends limiting intake of saturated fats,” Harris-Pincus says, and compared to other oils, coconut oil has a greater proportion of saturated fats while delivering a similar calorie and overall fat
9 ways to hack your Instant Pot for easier meal prep
April 02, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC The Instant Pot can seem a little daunting. All of those buttons and settings make it a little more complicated than your trusty slow cooker, that’s for sure. But let me tell you something—this thing was made for meal prep. Once you figure out the ins and outs of the multi-cooker, it can save you hours every Sunday preparing your go-to healthy staples for weekday breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Instead of firing up the oven, you can whip up sweet potatoes in half the time. And your grains? Rice and quinoa will be fluffy as ever in a handful of minutes without anything overflowing onto the stovetop. You can even make hard-boiled eggs and steel-cut oats in a jiffy. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your Instant Pot and utilize these hacks for your easiest week of meal prep yet. These are the top nine ways to hack your Instant Pot for easy meal prep 1. Steam spagetti squash Instead of roasting spaghetti squash in the oven for 40 minutes, you can make it in your Instant Pot in 20. According to Nom Nom Paleo, all you need to do is cut it in half crosswise, scoop out the seeds, and set the halves on the steamer insert inside the Instant Pot. After the cook time is up (about seven minutes), you can shred it with a fork and devour it per usual. 2. Cook every type of bean—even the dried ones With their
“I cut out processed foods for a month to quit my ‘healthy’ eating habits”
April 01, 2019 at 12:45PM by CWC I wish I had been eating late-night Taco Bell and guzzling six-packs of Mountain Dew. It would have explained why waking up felt impossible, why my brain was as hazy as Dorinda Medley’s after making it nice in the Berkshires, and why the button on my jeans could have passed for a belly button ring because it was lodged so tightly into my stomach. The reality? My issue wasn’t fast food or sugary drinks—it was my overly engineered diet. I didn’t understand how “sluggish,” “brain fog,” and “bloat” were part of my vernacular. Didn’t that happen when you eat unhealthy? I ate avocados! And kale! I prioritized low-glycemic fruits. My morning greens-based smoothie had coconut milk, collagen, maca, ashwagandha, and vegan protein powder in it. I didn’t drink coffee—instead I opted for brain boosting matcha spiked with some almond milk. Dairy, sugar, and gluten were reserved for going out to eat. My diet read like a Fitfluencer’s IG feed (except without all that #ad money). The only bad eating habit I could point to was cleaning out a jar of almond butter a week. Aggressive, sure, but unhealthy? Eye roll. What I was getting wrong about “healthy” eating I thought I was doing everything right. But when I took a closer look at my diet, wondering why I was still feeling like garbage, I realized that some of my “healthy” eating behaviors were anything but. Case in point? Work stress and late nights
It’s official: I’m using this garlicky cashew dip that Jennifer Garner loves on everything
April 01, 2019 at 08:36AM by CWC There’s really no need to spend hours sifting through cookbooks for recipes (unless it’s Well+Good’s, of course!) when you have chef Jennifer Garner at your service. The actress is always providing intel on how to make the healthiest treats during her Pretend Cooking Show on Instagram, and her most recent fave is a garlicky spread that tastes good on literally anything. With their creamy texture, cashews make for the perfect spreads, but I’ve never seen anything like this vibrant green version. Garner recently went through the step-by-step instructions of how to make her beloved Spicy Garlicky Cashew Spread (which she snagged from New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark)—something that’s been part of her diet for a long time. “This dip is a little something I’ve used to make a blah meal ooh la la for years. The more you make it, the more you’ll discover your tastes,” she wrote. “For example, I tasted like garlic for six days after this batch. I ate it all anyway.” Creating the spread is simple. All you have to do is combine all your ingredients in a blender and mix it up until it’s nice and smooth. (And if you accidentally sneak a few cashews as you’re making it, don’t worry—Garner does it, too.) While the recipe is meant to be used on chicken, her version knows no limits. “I find that it’s good on everything,” she says. Whether it’s slathered on her favorite veggies or she’s
With skin-boosting, cold-fighting benefits, zinc is here to give magnesium a run for its money
April 01, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC If calcium and magnesium are the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper of the mineral world, think of zinc as their killer backing band in A Star is Born. In other words, although this nutrient isn’t usually front-and-center in the spotlight, our bodies’ performance wouldn’t be nearly as harmonious without it. See, zinc is one of 16 essential minerals that we need to survive. Yet it’s considered a trace mineral, meaning we only need small amounts of it. Perhaps that’s why we don’t hear as much about it as we do major minerals—including iron, sodium, potassium, and, yes, calcium and magnesium—which our bodies use in larger amounts. But zinc actually plays a mega-important role in skin health, immunity, and more, so it’s definitely worth keeping tabs on your intake. Luckily, it should be easy to get all the zinc you need—8 mg per day for women and 11 mg per day for men—through your diet, as long as you’re eating a variety of whole foods. According to nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, animal protein and dairy are high in zinc, as are plant foods such as cashews, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and oatmeal. (Here’s a cheat-sheet of the best zinc sources to get you started.) But there’s one caveat. “Plant-based foods [like grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds] contain phytates, which may bind to zinc and make it less absorbable,” says Jackson Blatner. So if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just don’t eat a ton of meat,