March 15, 2019 at 08:54AM by CWC A few weekends ago, I learned that a raccoon is my spirit animal. No, I don’t dig through the trash! No, I don’t carry rabies! The ring-eyed forager supposedly symbolizes artistry, tenacity, and skillfulness. Not only do I now have a higher opinion of the nocturnal creature, I’ve since discovered that we all have sleep-specific spirit animals as well, according to Michael J. Breus, PhD, also known as “The Sleep Doctor.” Like the hidden depth of the raccoon, each eventide critter—bear, wolf, lion, dolphin—has many a hidden meaning for your personality. The chronotype quiz concocted by Dr. Breus identifies your unique biological clock, or chronotype in about 90 seconds (the website say 45, but I’m here to tell you it will take longer). You’ll answer questions about your favorite meal of the day, whether you sleep with an alarm, and your history with insomnia. Once you’re assigned to an animal chronotype group, the site directs you to a video of Dr. Breus explaining your super-secret sleep identity. I’m a shape-shifting raccoon by day and a bear by night. What are you? Are you a bear, lion, wolf, or dolphin? Take this quiz to find out Bear: About 50 percent of the population Personality: According to Dr. Breus, a bear is an outgoing, “team-player.” Their people skills are on-point, so they make great managers. Diet: Just like Winnie the Pooh—the most accurate cartoon portrayal of all bears—they like to graze for food throughout the day (with
Category: Vegetarians
A nutritionist’s guide to healthy eating at California Pizza Kitchen
March 15, 2019 at 07:39AM by CWC With over 200 locations in 32 states—and 13 countries—California Pizza Kitchen has expanded way beyond the the Golden State. You’ll even find the franchise in airports like Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, and Honolulu. Unlike most other popular pizza chains, the California Pizza Kitchen menu proves the brand is pretty up on the health trends—they even have cauliflower crust and spiralized zucchini noodles. (Must be those healthy California roots.) While the whole menu isn’t health focused—this is still a pizza joint we’re talking about—their efforts make it relatively easy to stick to a healthy eating plan like the Mediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, or Whole30. But to prevent you from menu overload next time you go out to eat (so many options, so little time!), I enlisted the help of registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD. Here, she shares her top picks at CPK for these three popular eating plans. Consider your homework done. Keep reading for tips on how to stick to a healthy eating plan at California Pizza Kitchen. Mediterranean diet Menu picks: Cedar Plank Salmon; Zucchini Pasta Shrimp Scampi; California Veggie Pizza What an RD says: The Mediterranean diet prioritizes omega-3-rich seafood over red meat, which is why Palinski-Wade is such a fan of the chain’s Cedar Plank Salmon. “With the Cedar Plank Salmon, you’re getting protein and healthy fats from the salmon and fiber from the spinach and white corn,” she says. But if you’re in the mood for pasta, she says you can still get plenty of protein
This dating app uses refrigerator photos to find your match…which actually makes sense
March 15, 2019 at 07:07AM by CWC My very Italian partner has “Marinara” tattooed on his chest (literally), so when I unearthed a jar of Newman’s Own red sauce on our second date, it should’ve been a deal-breaker. So far things have worked out, but had our first interaction been through Refrigerdating—a new app where the way to someone’s heart is through the contents of their fridge—IDK if that would be the case. The Samsung-backed venture really runs with the whole “you are what you eat thing.” Users simply upload a picture of the inside of their fridge and find “The One” by sneaking a peak the shots others share. But aside from an unconventional approach, what can Refrigerdating offer that’s different than what’s already available in the mobile-app dating game? Well. Food speaks loudly to a person’s lifestyle choices, which are key to know when it comes to dating, says relationship expert Terri Orbuch, PhD, known as the Love Doctor. “When partners are similar in key life values, studies show they are more likely to stay together over the long haul,” she says. “One key life value is the importance of fitness, nutrition and health. So a refrigerator and what you have in your refrigerator can tell you a lot about a person.” The intel you learn right off the bat in Refrigerdating can help identify if someone is vegan, vegetarian, and/or gluten-free, and given that nutrition plans are lifestyle priorities for many, this can be a really big deal in relationships. “When partners
Here’s what it’s actually like to work with your mom (and start a protein-bar empire)
March 14, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC So you want to start a business. First step is finding the right person to partner with—someone who’s supportive, accepting of your faults when you have a stress freak out, and a fountain of wisdom. Someone like… your mom. Okay, to be real, we all don’t have mother figures in our lives, or necessarily want to start a family business. But what would it look like if you tried? For the mother-daughter team that founded GoMacro, a sustainability-focused, plant-based protein bar brand, their relationship is actually the secret ingredient to their booming business. That’s why they’re dishing about how their Lorelai-and-Rory-Gilmore-esque closeness has helped them surmount challenges to become a player in the protein-bar aisle. (Score one for girl power.) Amelia Kirchoff and her daughter Jola Sonkin had a vision to create a healthy, plant-based bar (made entirely with gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO ingredients) and build a company that embraced sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. “We found that there wasn’t a healthy dessert alternative that fit our nutritional needs and satisfied our sweet tooth,” Sonkin says. And (after a few turns in the road) GoMacro was born. Keep reading for their real-talk learnings on how they worked together to build a booming protein bar biz—and advice on how to start your own family business. Photo: GoMacro 1. Look for inspiration in your real life When Kirchoff was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, she decided to “pursue a natural approach” to healing, which involved eating a primarily macrobiotic
8 shirataki noodle recipes that hit the spot every time
March 14, 2019 at 10:22AM by CWC Once you try shirataki noodles, you’ll be hooked. Despite an appearance quite similar to pasta, shirataki are made with the Japanese konjac yam, and usually found in the refrigerator aisle packaged in a pouch filled with water rather than a box on the shelf. But physical resemblance to spaghetti is where the similarities stop. In addition to being carb-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, shirataki are about 97 percent water, which makes which makes the calorie count super low. No wonder they’re often referred to as “magic” or “miracle” noodles. While commonly used in traditional Japanese dishes, shirataki are ready for any sauce of your choosing. Before rinsing shirataki, they might have a slight fishy odor from the konjac yam, which is usually displayed as konjac root flour or glucomannan (the dietary fiber of the konjac root) on the ingredients list. The texture can be described as a bit gelatinous. But with the right recipes, you’ll hardly be able to distinguish the versatile shirataki from a typical spaghetti. These 8 shirataki noodle recipes ready to replace spaghetti and meatballs Photo: It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken 1. Rainbow shirataki bowl with peanut lime sauce You can taste the rainbow in this bowl of veggies and noodles slathered in a creamy peanut sauce. Photo: Wallflower Kitchen 2. Shirataki noodles with almond butter sauce Can you beat a sauce made with almond butter? It’s mouth-watering in this recipe paired with onions, broccoli, and cabbage. Photo: Create Mindfully 3. Pesto shirataki noodles The
How to make homemade yogurt—whether you’re plant-based or want *all* the dairy
March 14, 2019 at 08:03AM by CWC If you’re big into DIY wellness, you may already make your own cashew milk or brew your own kombucha. But making your own homemade yogurt? That’s next level. This might sound like a huge pain, but hear me out. While grocery stores are full of many dairy and non-dairy yogurt options, the benefit to making your own is that you can control the ingredients to get the exact health profile and taste you want. (A big plus, since so many brands sneak extra sugar in their recipes.) Working with live probiotic cultures and thickening agents like xanthan gum can sound a little intimidating, but with some expert advice, you’ll have DIY yogurt mastered in no time. Here, holistic nutritionist and Home Dairy with Ashley English author Ashley English shares her best tips on making homemade dairy-based yogurt while Thomas Pagot—creator of vegan food blog Full of Plants—reveals how to make a nut-milk based version. Scroll down for tips on how to make homemade yogurt. Photo: Getty Images/Ketleho Selsa Ingredients What you need for dairy-based yogurt: 1. Milk: “The type of milk used in yogurt making is purely a matter of personal preference,” English says—so it’s up to you whether you use skim, 1 percent, 2 percent, or whole milk. “If you’re looking to limit fat for whatever reason, then skim milk will be your go-to,” she says. She says her family is a full-fat dairy household, so she uses whole milk when making homemade yogurt.
Let’s mix things up with this high-protein alternative to avocado toast
March 13, 2019 at 08:30AM by CWC I’m going to say something pretty controversial: I’m not a huge fan of avocado toast. I love the idea, but every time I eat toast with smashed avocado I can’t help but wish it was smothered instead with peanut butter and honey. But maybe that’s just because I’ve been choosing the wrong green topping. Lauren Kirchmaier, the plant-based blogger behind Flora & Vino, recently shared a recipe for pea toast that’s dropping jaws. Peas masquerading as avocado?! I’m into it. “If you’re a little tired of hummus and nut butter and avocado, this spontaneous spread is just what you need to mix it up,” she writes on Instagram. And a super healthy one at that. While avocados bring on the healthy fats, one cup of green peas contains 8 grams of protein as well as 7 grams of fiber and plenty of vitamin C. View this post on Instagram Green is the name of the game this week, starting with this LEMON-Y SMASHED PEA TOAST that’s one of my favorites for spring. Peas on toast?! Yes, peas. If you’re a little tired of hummus and nut butter and avocado, this spontaneous spread is just what you need to mix it up. This pea smash is similar to hummus in its recipe with a tangy fresh lemon & herb kick! If you’re not into toast, try it on your favorite crackers, veggies, or veggie chips instead! – Here’s what you need: frozen green peas runny
This plant-based chocolate cookie dough is so good you can eat it right off the spoon
March 13, 2019 at 05:39AM by CWC In my kitchen, a fresh batch of cookie dough rarely makes it into the oven unscathed. All it takes is a nibble and I’m totally hooked, often polishing off a sizable chunk of would-be baked goods in their truest form—totally raw. Unfortunately, as you know, it’s not safe to eat most raw cookie doughs. And if you’re constantly pushing your luck, just waiting for foodborne illness to strike, we’ve got a raw cookie dough recipe that’s meant to be devoured with a spoon. Food blogger Jordan Younger‘s dreamy cookie dough recipe is totally vegan and sos-free (no salt, oil, or sugar!). The best part is that you can safely eat it right off the spoon. Or, you know, bake it if that’s your thing. “This cookie dough is unreal. If you leave it in the fridge for about an hour before you eat it, it firms up and tastes even more like the O.G. cookie dough we all grew up eating,” says the writer behind The Balanced Blonde. “It’s actually so healthy you can eat it for breakfast.” Want to try Younger’s recipe for yourself? Here’s how to create the wholesome treat in minutes. Breakfast Cookie Dough Ingredients: 1 cup chickpeas 1/2 cup tahini 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup pitted dates 1/4 cup water to blend 1/4 cup carob powder 2 Tbsp chopped sugar-free dark chocolate Preparation: 1. Blend all ingredients except for the dark chocolate, then fold in the chocolate at the end. 2. Add more
The internet lied. That pineapple pulling “hack” is just a sticky mess
March 12, 2019 at 10:21AM by CWC If you were stranded on an island and you could bring only three things, what would they be? If one of your chosen items is a knife to split open juicy pineapples (hopefully) growing on the isolated atoll, the internet has news for you. A series of viral “pineapple pulling” videos suggests you don’t need a sharp edge to slice through the tropical plant’s barbed exterior to reach the sweet golden flesh. Instead, while you’re secluded and staring out at a miles-long crystal blue sea all around you, you can simply pluck a pineapple straight from the trees and proceed to pull it apart like monkey bread. At least, in theory. In case this is the first you’ve heard of this so-called “hack,” it involves slicing off the bottom of the pineapple (this part is optional but helps) and yanking out pieces of the fruit in bite-size chunks. “Pineapple is like a Jenga of pulp,” says YouTuber Patrick Cloud. Pineapple belongs to the Fibonacci fruit family, which means each ridge visible on the outside corresponds with a “spear” of fruit within. When my coworkers and I tried the technique for ourselves, we were rendered speechless but for one word: “Why?” Why would anyone do this? Yes, the technique worked, stripping the pineapple piece by piece to leave nothing but the core. But under the fluorescent lights of civilized office decor, it seemed—well—extra. I suppose if you don’t know how to cut pineapple, have at it with your
Wegmans proves cereal *can* be healthy with new protein-packed Coconut Flakes
March 12, 2019 at 07:58AM by CWC Let’s be real. Cereal isn’t something most adults really want to give up. Sure, it’s branded as more of a kids’ thing, but everyone knows a bowl of cereal satisfies at any age. While the eye-catching, artificially-colored and sugar-packed cereals in most aisles aren’t doing anyone any good, one company is here to prove that high protein cereal can be just as healthy and nutritious as other breakfast foods. A beloved family-owned supermarket chain, you’ll Wegmans sprinkled across the United States. The company recently shared its latest product on Instagram. Coconut Flakes are essentially a protein-packed spin on Frosted Flakes made with plant-based proteins and whole grains. Thanks to garbanzo beans, navy beans, and red lentils on the ingredients list, there’s actually 6 grams of protein per serving—aka as much as there is in a large egg. The cereal contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. View this post on Instagram Move over eggs, we’ve got a new protein option for breakfast! Made with plant-based proteins and whole grains, our new cereals are great for breakfast or any meal of the day. #healthybreakfast #wegmans A post shared by Wegmans Food Markets (@wegmans) on Mar 9, 2019 at 3:01am PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js While there is 10 grams of added sugar in the form of milled cane sugar, the servings sizes are bigger than most cereals at 1-1/4 cup compared to 3/4 cup in Frosted Flakes. And this isn’t the only healthier cereal option Wegmans is producing, either. The supermarket also