January 29, 2019 at 01:35PM by CWC I’ve never been a huge salad fan. Yeah, they make me feel super healthy and help me to get enough servings of vegetables, but I’ll always choose something warm and comforting (hello, jackfruit tacos!) over a bunch of cold leaves any day. But even I was intrigued at an emerging trend in the food scene: salad boards. Salad in a bowl tastes exactly the same as salad on a board, but board salad is prettier I suppose and kind of like a snack plate with your greens. Seeing everything laid out all fancy does make it look more appetizing, but there’s a major problem. In practice, salad boards are straight-up disastrous. I guess I should have known, but it doesn’t seem like there would be any major issues. You put what you want on the board, add some dressing, then have people serve themselves. Unfortunately, this turned into one of those Instagram vs. Reality situations real quickly. The before. After collecting the ingredients for one of my favorite salads—a vegan Caesar with chick’n, croutons, a homemade spicy dressing, and some radishes (solely because I had ’em in the fridge)—I grabbed the only board I had available. It’s not very big, but it did the trick. First, on went the romaine (don’t @ me—the E. coli outbreak is over!), then I carefully piled on my toppings. Next came the dressing—and this is when all my problems started. Even though I made sure to not stack my salad
Category: Vegetarians
The 10 buzziest wellness books to add to your 2019 reading list
January 29, 2019 at 12:16PM by CWC With decluttering and organizing having a major moment right now, thanks to the nationwide obsession with Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, you may well have a little extra space in your Zen den for things that spark joy. Like, say, buzzy new wellness books you’ll want to get your hands on this year. Jonesing for fresh inspo to eat well? What about learning more about the science of aging? Whether you’re interested in one of those topics or would prefer to dive deep into the power of energy healing, or get tips on meditation, or another worthy wellness topic, the hot-off-the-presses tomes on the list below are the healthiest additions to add to your TBR pile in 2019. Check out 10 of the buzziest healthy books your wellness-obsessed friends will be talking about this year. Photo: HarperCollins Publishers 1. Do What Feels Good, by Hannah Bronfman (January 8) Wellness influencer, celebrity DJ, and HBFIT founder Hannah Bronfman wasn’t always into wellness (hard to believe, right?). In her book, she opens up all about her journey from party girl to well-living maven. Leaf through her go-to recipes for “healthy hedonism,” her favorite self-care rituals, and her fitness philosophy in this book that’s worthy of a spot on your coffee table. Photo: HarperCollins Publishers 2. Beyond the Pill, by Jolene Brighten, ND (January 29) Tons of women are fed up with detrimental side effects of synthetic birth control, like decreased sex drive, depression, anxiety, and weight gain (just to
We gain way more than we give up when we start eating for the environment
January 29, 2019 at 12:10PM by CWC As the latest in a string of competitors to challenge the Mediterranean diet, the planetary health diet created quite a buzz with its debut in a science-based report in January. Following the eating plan means filling about half your plate with veggies and half whole grains, plant-based proteins, and a minuscule amount of meat and dairy. But new research, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests there are several ways to eat well while keeping planet Earth front of mind. After analyzing the diets of 16,000 Americans, researchers at Tulane University found that preparing meals with a small carbon footprint is as simple as using less animal protein. “People whose diets had a lower carbon footprint were eating less red meat and dairy—which contribute to a larger share of greenhouse gas emissions and are high in saturated fat—and consuming more healthful foods like poultry, whole grains and plant-based proteins,” says Diego Rose, PhD, RD, the professor of nutrition and food security at Tulane who led the study. “We can have both. We can have healthier diets and reduce our food-related emissions.” To reach this conclusion, the group of environmental brainiacs created a database linking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to food production and asked participants of a nationwide survey to name everything they ate within a 24-hour period. Researchers sub-divided participants by the amount of GHGs required per 1,000 calories consumed and ranked the food according to the U.S. Healthy Eating Index. Those with daily food intakes
Why buying Girl Scout cookies is the ultimate act of wellness
January 29, 2019 at 11:06AM by CWC In my opinion, January is the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, cold weather, short days, and minimal sunlight all get me down. The glow of Christmas is gone and my skin has never been drier. But none of that matters to me, because it’s officially Girl Scout cookie season. From January through April, Girl Scouts go door-to-door and post up outside your local grocery store, selling cookies to raise money for their local chapters. It seems simple (and honestly, not that exciting). But I get as excited during cookie season now as ever I did on Christmas Eve as a kid. When I see girls and their parents hocking boxes of Samoas, Trefoils, Do-Si-Dos, and Thin Mints on the sidewalk, I make it a point to buy as many boxes as I can carry. When my former roommate’s little sister was still a scouts, I’d buy eight to 10 boxes of Thin Mints from her every year. (Yes, all for myself.) But try explaining this to someone who didn’t grow up in the U.S. (or who grew up without a local Girl Scout troop) and you get met with some skeptical looks. They can’t be that good, people say. Can’t you just get Oreos and call it a day? No I can’t, Kathy. Girl Scouts cookies are sacred and special and perfect in basically every way. However, it’s tough to articulate exactly why these little confections are so special. As my colleague
Here’s what happened when I spent 48 hours at a fancy wellness commune in the woods
January 29, 2019 at 08:12AM by CWC When I first opened my inbox and saw an email about Serenbe—a wellness community located 30 minutes outside Atlanta that that promotes an active lifestyle, face-to-face interaction, organic food, and eco-friendly living—my mind instantly conjured a ’60s-era hippie-dippie commune where people live with the sole mission of spreading peace and love. I quickly realized the neighborhood wasn’t exactly that (for starters, this place seemed upscale), but intrigued I remained. Here’s the deal: Back in the early ’90s, founders Steve Nygren and Marie Lupo Nygren moved from Atlanta to a quiet, countryside respite in the woods. But when bulldozers started razing surrounding forest land for development, disrupting their serene slice of life, it broke ground for a big idea: Develop a sustainable community to not only preserve that 40,000 acres right outside the major city, but to also create a place unlike any other where people can thrive. After working with other landowners, developers, and conservationists, they devised a plan to keep 70 percent of the land as green space and work with the natural landscape to develop on the rest. The first house was built in 2004, and since then, Serenbe has grown into an increasingly self-sustainable place with essentially everything you need to live comfortably. And technological advancements have made never leaving even easier. While plenty of residents work in or around Atlanta, many have full-blown careers right inside the comfort of the community, either by working remotely or owning businesses and shops. Now
Found: Gisele & Tom Brady’s Secret Vegan Protein Source
January 29, 2019 at 03:00AM Everything you need to know about the athlete and supermodel’s new protein powder. Continue Reading… Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady have been open about their wellness-forward diet, which spawned Brady’s TB12 nutrition manual and product line. While they have very different needs—Bündchen, a mbg Collective member, has been open about using food to help with her ongoing anxiety (for more on this, check out her candid interview with mbg founder Jason Wachob on the mbg podcast), while Brady, a top-tier athlete, needs to fuel peak performance—they follow similar rules: according to Bündchen’s book, Lessons, they eat an organic, local, whole foods, plant-based diet that’s filled with raw or steamed vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, consuming sustainably sourced meat or seafood a few times a month. Now, as Brady gears up to play in his ninth Super Bowl, his TB12 line is launching an all-new product—a vegan protein powder made with pea protein. Why peas? According to the press release, “peas pack a powerful protein punch—they are rich in lysine (an essential amino acid that is key to muscle recovery) and arginine (a semi-essential amino acid that promotes healing and blood flow). This balanced amino acid profile provides your body with the daily protein that it needs to support your lifestyle while promoting muscle recovery and growth.” mbg Collective member and registered dietitian Jessica Cording also sings pea protein’s praises. “Pea protein is an easy, palatable way to work plant-based protein into your day. Its
How To Eat For Better Hormone Health In Your 30s, 40s & 50s
January 29, 2019 at 01:00AM The best foods to eat during perimenopause, including cruciferous veggies, healthy carbs, and high-protein breakfasts. Continue Reading… Author Nour Zibdeh, M.S., RDN, CLT | Life by Daily Burn Selected by iversue
Fact: The healthiest foods are now found in the freezer aisle
January 28, 2019 at 01:20PM by CWC When I was a kid, there was nothing more dull to me than going to the grocery store with my parents. It seemed to take them forever to decide between Grape Nuts and Wheaties while I looked longingly at the Lucky Charms. But little me loved when we’d stop in the freezer aisle. Between Kid Cuisines, Hot Pockets, frozen French bread pizza, and tubs of ice cream, this part of the grocery store had all the best, gloriously unhealthy foods (only allowed in my house on special occasions). Looking back, it was enough to give a healthy eater the shivers—and not just because it’s ten degrees colder than the rest of the store. Now that I’m an adult with healthier habits—hey, I am a Well+Good editor after all—the frozen food aisle makes me smile for a completely different reason. It’s now where all the quick-and-easy, legit nutritious stuff hangs out. Look behind that frosted glass and you’ll find cauliflower pizza, frozen acai packets, broccoli tots…how times have changed! Which is, you know, amazing and all, but how—and when—did this exactly happen? Graphic: Well+Good Creative The surprisingly innovative origins of frozen food When Swanson introduced TV dinners in 1953, they were an instant hit. The second year they were on the market, they sold over 10 million meals. Fun fact:”This all happened because Swanson had half a million pounds of leftover turkey to get rid of after Thanksgiving,” food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson says. It didn’t
5 self-development books our Well+Good Council swears by for personal growth
January 28, 2019 at 11:07AM by CWC Taking care of your physical wellbeing, at times, feels easier than taking care of your emotional and psychological health. Measuring if you’re getting enough protein and nutrients on the regular or if your mile time is going down are quantifiable—whereas, say, figuring out if you’re becoming more comfortable in your own skin is not as simple to measure. (Add to it the fact that soul searching is so subjective, and it can be hard to start doing inner work at all.) If you’re looking for a tool to help you gauge personal growth, however, a self-development book is a good place to start. To say a great book has the power to change your life isn’t an exaggeration. This can be doubly true for self-development books, which are literally written with the improvement of your inner person in mind. These reads can help you decipher and understand where you are on whatever inward journey you’re undertaking. Here’s the catch, though. If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet or the self-help section of your local bookstore, you likely already know there are way too many options to sift through let alone read. To make it easier to narrow down the list, these are books that five of the health experts and luminaries on our Well+Good Council reference as beacons of wisdom and guidance on their own paths to self-actualization. Photo: Amazon 1. The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi “A great
10 healthy recipes for the meaty, protein-packed, 120-pound jackfruit
January 28, 2019 at 10:45AM by CWC The spiky green exterior of a jackfruit doesn’t exactly scream effective substitute for animal protein. But don’t let its outward appearance fool you; everyone knows it’s what’s on the inside that counts. In recent years, jackfruit recipes have skyrocketed in popularity among those who avoid meat thanks in part to its versatility and good taste. You can use the flesh of a jackfruit to make everything from pulled pork sandwiches bursting flavor to perfectly formed vegan crab cakes. Plus, you can’t beat the fruit’s nutritional profile. Jackfruit is loaded with vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, and calcium. It’s also a great way to increase plant-based protein intake, boasting 2.8 grams per cup, which puts it on par with avocados though far from the levels in other common meat replacements—like tofu or tempeh, which contain 20 grams and 31 grams per cup respectively. But for a fruit, it’s kind of a big deal. Often reaching a staggering 120 pounds, a large jackfruit weighs about the same at five watermelons, but you won’t need a separate shopping cart to get a taste at home. Brands like The Jackfruit Company and Upton’s Naturals offer prepackaged, flavored options (like BBQ and Thai curry ) right at the grocery store. Canned versions are also readily available for you to transform on your own into a delicious meal. Just drain the brine, pull apart the pieces with a fork, and snag one of these recipes to put jackfruit to work. Here are 10 easy