Category: Vegetarians

February 19, 2019 at 09:22AM by CWC What has four letters, helps deliver oxygen to your body, and is a main component of Popeye’s favorite food? If you guessed iron, you’re 100 percent right. Iron perhaps hasn’t been given as much press time as other, trendier nutrients like collagen and turmeric. Along with calcium and other OG minerals, it’s actually one of the most important components of the human diet. Yet roughly 10 million people aren’t getting enough iron in their lives, which can cause some serious health complications (more on those in a sec). However, before you decide to start loading up on iron supplements, it’s important to more fully understand iron benefits and how the mineral works in your body. (Because, spoiler alert: Not everyone is meant to take an iron supplement.) Here’s what an expert has to say on the subject. What are the main iron benefits? Iron is an essential mineral our bodies need to function. It’s used to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen via your red blood cells through the body. “Think of hemoglobin as breathing life into your tissues and organs,” says Robin Foroutan, RDN, an integrative nutritionist at the Morrison Center in New York and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Thus iron is crucial for keeping your body healthy and functioning in top form. It’s also key for proper brain function. It helps create serotonin, the chemical that helps regulate your mood. Because the brain needs a constant supply of

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February 19, 2019 at 08:14AM by CWC Ah, rice. The trusty sidekick to beans. The base that holds stir-fries together. An essential ingredient in your sushi. Cheap and satiating, what’s not to love about it? Oh yeah, the carbs. Sure, rice is healthy in moderation, but veggie rice is lower in carbs and calories, which prompted the rise of cauliflower rice. But that’s no longer the only option in town. (And by town I mean Whole Foods.) On Tuesday, Banza‘s chickpea rice moved into the neighborhood. According to Banza, a company beloved for its chickpea pasta, chickpea rice offers double the fiber and a much lower percentage of carbs as compared to brown rice. Not unlike its pasta product, the ingredients list is minimal. Ninety percent of Banza’s chickpea rice is chickpeas with the other 10 percent comprised of a mixture of potato starch, xanthan gum, and sea salt. How does it compare to cauliflower rice, you ask? Well, there’s an obvious difference in taste, so depending on whether you like the taste of cauliflower versus chickpea, that plays a role into what you’ll like better. But there are some big differences in terms of nutrition. In a half-cup serving, Banza’s chickpea rice contains 22 grams of protein compared to 4 grams of protein in its cauliflower counterpart. But it also has more calories: Cauli-rice only has four calories while the chickpea rice has 340 calories per half cup. When it comes to fiber, chickpea rice wins out with 10 grams

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February 15, 2019 at 11:54AM by CWC As the lifestyle guru Shrek once said, “Better out than in.” But seriously, the gastroenterologist I spoke with this morning invoked the green ogre’s words of wisdom about farts. Now, we all know everybody gets a little gassy now and then. But depending on what you’ve had to eat, everyday flatulence (that’s the fancy word for farts) ranges from the mildly stinky to the hideously fetid. “Basically, the first thing to remember is that all flatulence will have a certain amount of odor,” says gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD. Our bodies cannot digest certain materials— compounds like cellulose,  high-fiber foods, starches in vegetable products (particularly of the cruciferous variety, like cauliflower and broccoli), meat products, and artificial sugars found in diet sodas or coffee sweeteners. “Sometimes a lot of these products can’t be full digested,” he says, “and this gives rise to something called hydrocarbons.” Hydrocarbons (another technical term for “gas”) have to exit your body somehow, so they do. Dr. Sonpal says it can be useful to think of gas in two categories: normal (you know, quotidian farts) and smellier than usual. “Now if it’s a one-time, room-clearing kind of fart, then that could be usually related to something. It could be a touch of food-poisoning or enteritis,” says Sonpal. In other words, make like Shrek and foster a little bit of self-acceptance toward your flatulence. Or you can cut down on the cruciferous veggies and coffee creamer, if you so choose. “Better out than in.”

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February 15, 2019 at 11:34AM by CWC I began taking fish oil a few years ago, around the time I started Crossfit. Not the pills, mind you—straight-up shots of fish oil. Because…omega-3s! Fighting inflammation! I didn’t really understand why I was drinking “lemon”-flavored fish juice every morning. I just had the general knowledge that omega-3s were good for you. Which is problematic when you’re deep in the wellness scene like me. I could give you a laundry list of the benefits of turmeric, but if you asked me about omega-3 benefits I’d be all um, they’re good for your brain? Then I’d quickly change the subject to something I know more about, like the latest docu-series about murderers or the best dog accounts to follow on Instagram. “There are over 22,000 scientific articles proving the total body and brain health benefits of omega-3s,” says William Sears, MD, author of The Omega-3 Effect. But in my defense…most of them are difficult to understand. To get into the nitty-gritty of the real omega-3 benefits, I turned to the experts. Here’s what they had to say. 1. They’re really, really good for your brain Boom, I got this one right. “The brain is 60-70 percent fat,” Dr. Sears says. And of this fat, he says that omega-3s are the most important. “Getting enough omega-3’s is critical for helping depression and other emotional disorders,” board-certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, adds. A recent study indicated that omega-3s can help reduce clinical anxiety. And a 2017 review

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February 15, 2019 at 08:20AM by CWC Some days I’m perfectly content eating a bunch of veggies, but when all I want is the familiar comfort of my favorite fast foods I find myself in a pickle. A new study finds that eating such “ultra-processed foods” loaded with salt, sugar, oil, and other additives (including flavor and color enhancers) could shorten your lifespan. And I know from experience that the aftermath of giving in to the drive-through will be a stomach ache at the least. Fortunately, making healthier fast foods at home has never been easier. As great as they taste, Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme, McDonald’s Big Mac, KFC’s Popcorn Nuggets, and other fast foods are not great for you. To satisfy my cravings for fast food, I head to the grocery store and gather what I need to make healthier versions right at home. I promise they’re just as finger lickin’ good. Skip the ultra-processed foods by eating 8 fast food favorites made with healthier ingredients Photo: Pinch of Yum 1. Crunchwrap Supreme, Taco Bell This Crunchwrap Supreme doesn’t need to be loaded with beef and cheese to taste amazing. You’ll find ingredients like sofritas tofu, tangy marinated cabbage, black beans, and cashew queso. Photo: The Curious Chickpea 2. Sausage ‘N Egg McMuffin, McDonald‘s Believe it or not, this ultra-savory McMuffin is filled with an egg patty made of chickpea flour and tofu. The sausage patty is made of tempeh. Photo: Where You Get Your Protein 3. Hamburger, In-N-Out These copycat In-N-Out burgers use protein-packed black bean patties and

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February 14, 2019 at 08:58AM by CWC If you’re a foodie with a mile-long bucket list of dishes to try from the world’s best restaurants, you’re not alone. And healthier versions everyone can enjoy, no matter where you are, are most welcome. Skyler Bouchard, a Food Network host and creator of the popular Instagram account @diningwithskyler, has been sharing inspiring recreations of famous foods. These healthy copycat restaurant recipes are perfection. A big fan of dining out, Bouchard’s #SkinnySwap series takes “fattier, unhealthy, and non-nutritious dishes” and comes up with a new recipe using wholesome ingredients. And some of the best ones just so happen to be vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. “I don’t focus on low-calorie, low-carb, or any other diet fads. Instead, I focus on creating recipes that have no added BS. I know I don’t want chemicals in my food because they add no nutritional value and can harm my body, and that’s why I started creating these recipes. You can enjoy all foods and you should never have to restrict yourself,” Bouchard says. “I don’t want the word ‘skinny’ to be misconstrued and for people to think I created this series to lose weight or diet. I don’t promote dieting. What I do promote is feeling the best in my body and creating nutritious versions of all the restaurant dishes I get to try.” Skyler Bouchard’s copycat restaurant recipes   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Dining with Skyler (@diningwithskyler) on Dec 26, 2018 at 10:03am PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js

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