March 22, 2019 at 06:43AM by CWC The Mediterranean diet garnered heaps of praise in 2019, thanks to its recent recognition as the healthiest eating plan in the world. The fact that it promotes longevity is backed by plenty of studies and it’s a relatively easy diet to follow. But a lesser-known eating plan may be coming for the Med diet’s crown. Meet the Okinawa diet. The Mediterranean diet, of course, emphasizes healthy fats like omega-3s, protein from primarily seafood and plant sources, and lots of fruits and vegetables. The Okinawa diet, on the other hand, is plant-driven, with most nutrients (including carbs) coming from vegetables and legumes locally available on the island. Okinawa is a Japanese island (and is the nation’s southernmost prefecture). The island is one of the original “Blue Zones,” or areas with populations known for their longevity. “The Okinawa diet gets a lot of attention because the people who live on the island have a higher than average life expectancy at 100 years old, compared to the US at 78.8 years and the rest of Japan at 84 years old,” says Nora Minno, RD. (Sounds an awful lot like the other aforementioned eating plan that might help you live longer.) Which begs the question: How do the Okinawa and Mediterranean diets, both inspired by Blue Zones populations, compare? The short version: John Day, MD, a cardiologist and co-author of the book The Longevity Plan, says both eating plans can be good for longterm health. “You really can’t
Tag: Paleo
Regular old mushrooms are good for your memory—here are 5 ways to eat ’em
March 19, 2019 at 07:01AM by CWC Mushrooms may not have the star power of, say, kale, but they’re worthy of attention. New research out of Singapore suggests that, in addition to being great for your skin and immune system, mushrooms could also be help to prevent cognitive decline. (Wow, mushrooms, way to overachieve.) And not like, fancy adaptogenic mushrooms, though those have legit benefits, too. We’re talking your run-of-the-mill, basic ‘shrooms. The study was conducted over the course of six years on 663 men and women over the age of 60. Researchers at the National University of Singapore tracked participants’ diet and lifestyle, running tests to determine cognitive abilities. They found that, compared to those who ate less than one serving (around 150 grams) of mushrooms per week, people who ate one to two servings of mushrooms per week had a 43 percent reduced risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). People with MCI have an increased risk of dementia. Those who filled their plates with more than two servings of mushrooms per week saw greater results with a 52 percent reduced risk for MCI. The study focused on golden, oyster, shiitake, white button, canned, and dried mushrooms, but researchers say it’s likely that all other mushrooms would be beneficial. It’s worth noting that the sample was relatively small, so the findings should be taken with a grain of salt. The researchers acknowledge that more work needs to be done to link mushrooms to cognitive abilities. As someone who forgets where
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
Of the 3,500 food brands at the world’s largest natural products expo, these 5 are going to be huge
March 12, 2019 at 12:15PM by CWC Imagine walking through grocery store that’s, like, four times the size of Costco, with aisles full of products from your favorite brands (and some really cool new ones) and a smattering of products that aren’t available to the public yet. Oh, and you get as many free samples as you want. That’s a little what it was like to attend the 39th annual Natural Products ExpoWest. The largest natural, organic, and healthy products event, brands come from all over the world to reveal new products they’ve secretly been hard at work on, giving grocery store buyers and food writers (like me) a first look. This year, over 3,500 brands descended upon Anaheim, California. The Well+Good team was there in full force, trying as many new foods and drinks as humanly possible. So, what did we see exactly? These 5 products caught my eye at ExpoWest. Photo: Vital Proteins 1. Vital Proteins Collagen Water I do my best to consume collagen on the regular, but my smoothie is loaded with other add-ins and I’m already lugging around adaptogens to the coffee shop to stir into my oat milk latte. Bless Vital Proteins for providing a way that’s as simple as drinking water. (Hydration, FTW!) Their new collagen water comes in five different flavors, shown here. It will be available on the brand’s site now, and rolling out in stores this May. Photo: Purely Elizabeth 2. Purely Elizabeth Cauli Hot Cereal Not to brag or anything—okay, fine, maybe
Here’s exactly how to make Jennifer Garner’s favorite breakfast
March 09, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC If you haven’t noticed, Jennifer Garner has become quite the star chef lately. She’s always trying out new recipes on her #PretendCookingShow on Instagram, whether it’s something from her cooking idol (a certain Barefoot badass) or her own collection. And most recently, she shared one of her go-to breakfast recipes: a warm and cozy bowl of apple oatmeal. In her video, Garner showed just how easy it is to whip up the meal. And there’s a reason she’s such a pro. Thanks to a helpful tip she got, she’s completely mastered the recipe. “Ina Garten says the trick to learning how to cook is finding something you eat and making it over and over again—maybe this time try half water/half almond milk? Or instead of brown sugar, drizzle some maple syrup? That’s how you gain a little confidence. And that’s me and my favorite winter oatmeal,” she writes. “Ina Garten says the trick to learning how to cook is finding something you eat and making it over and over again…That’s me and my favorite winter oatmeal.” —Jennifer Garner So, what exactly makes this oatmeal such a winner? Along with the old-fashioned rolled oats, it also contains tart apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and chopped almonds. Basically everything that makes for a comforting—and filling—breakfast. If you want to try it for yourself, you’re in luck: she shared the full recipe. Bon appétit! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jennifer Garner (@jennifer.garner) on Mar
How to avoid a food fight when you and your S.O. have totally different eating habits
March 07, 2019 at 06:54AM by CWC Understatement of the year: Dating is tough. Are you a Capricorn and they’re an Aries? Do you actually like their friends? Does their sense of humor mesh with your own? It’s already challenging enough to merge two lives… and adding completely opposite eating habits into the mix might be a recipe for disaster. Or is it? “Dating these days is so much harder because things like going out for too many drinks or going to fast-casual, not-so-healthy places, especially at the beginning of a relationship, are the norm,” says Carolyn Brown, MS, RD, at Foodtrainers. “And people are trying out many different diets these days, from paleo to vegan—there’s an awareness that they didn’t have before. It’s part of the new dating landscape.” “People attach a lot of emotion and a lot of their identity to food,” adds Abby Langer, RD. “So if someone does decide to label themselves as paleo or vegan or whatever it may be, it really becomes a part of that person’s identity.” And thus an important part of your relationship together, too. While it might seem like your relationship is doomed to fail because you guys just can’t agree on where to go for dinner, the experts insist that there’s totally a way to date and be happy together, even if you don’t follow the same diet. Experts want you to remember a few things when you’re experiencing the dietary version of Romeo and Juliet. 1. Make some compromises
A healthy guide to San Miguel de Allende, Central Mexico’s best-kept secret
March 06, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC San Miguel de Allende is a colorful colonial city nestled in the heart of Mexico. The architecturally rich respite in the Guanajuato state is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Mexico City, and it boasts a thriving art scene, a fascinating historical center, and a vibrant heritage. A visit here isn’t complete without taking advantage of spa treatments, vegan eats, fitness studios, organic coffee-shop sips, hikes, and green-juice vendors. But somehow, despite all those healthy offerings, the city still manages to fall blissfully under the radar. And after a few days gallivanting around the Mexican gem, you’ll feel enriched, fulfilled, and oh-so healthy. Especially if you follow the guide below. What to do Parque El Chorro Consider your morning hike found. The steep climb combined with the altitude (more than 6,000 feet above sea level), means you’d be smart to prepare to huff and puff all the way to the top. Considering the amazing view you’ll get as a reward though, you’ll surely feel it was worth the effort. Hotel Nirvana’s hot spring pool Hot springs SMA is built on the edge of an extinct volcano that hasn’t erupted in 12,00 years. Thanks to the subterranean volcanic activity, the countryside surrounding the town is full of healing thermal waters and hot springs. My absolute favorite of the several I visited is at Hotel Nirvana. Take a $10 cab ride outside of town and arrive at this little slice of, well, nirvana. Bathe in the
A nutritionist’s ode to the OG nut spread—peanut butter
March 05, 2019 at 03:08AM 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.” Peanuts are full of fiber, monounsaturated fats (aka the good kind), antioxidants and protein. They also contain folate, which keeps your energy levels up, and resveratrol, which fights inflammation. And 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. As for peanut butter itself, the ooey gooey spread is made from roasted peanuts, which release oil when ground. Natural peanut butters, Beckerman says, have a short ingredient list: salt, oil, and peanuts. However, she warns that some peanut butters contain unnecessary additives that make your spread less healthy (like sugars and
Real talk: Gluten just isn’t that bad for most of us
February 08, 2019 at 05:11AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn9XGWtvL1s] Cutting out gluten has never been more mainstream than it is today (popular eating plans like Whole30 and Paleo require it), but for what? In the latest installment of our YouTube series You Versus Food devoted to debunking nutrition myths, registered dietician Tracy Lockwood-Beckerman gets real about the doughy proteins in our carbs. First off, gluten is a protein found in wheat, and it serves a real purpose in food. As anyone who watches The Great British Baking Show knows, gluten gives wheat bread its structure. “Think of gluten as the glue that holds together your favorite wheat-based treats,” Lockwood-Beckerman says. There are some people who genuinely cannot eat gluten—but those numbers are pretty small. Lockwood-Beckerman says just 1 percent of the population has been diagnosed with celiac disease (about 3 million people), an autoimmune disorder that renders your body unable to process gluten. Meanwhile, about 6 percent of the population (as many as 20 million people, she says) have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, when people test negative for celiac but still have some digestive issues when eating gluten. This is a pretty new phenomenon, she says, and thus hasn’t been researched a ton. For those people, cutting gluten makes total sense. But for everyone else…Lockwood-Beckerman has some real talk. “Going gluten-free is just for gluten-free’s sake is as much of a trend as fanny packs or those tiny useless sunglasses that everyone seems to be wearing,” she says. “It’s possible you’re losing out on some
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