HealthyLife Articles

Category: Uncategorized

  • Easy Protein Snacks

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of roasted pumpkin seeds.

    A great way to get healthy protein throughout the day is to make snacks with protein. The protein can help you feel fuller, holding you over until your next meal. These snacks may also help avoid a blood sugar crash that leaves you feeling sluggish and even hungrier than before. Try these ideas for tasty and easy-to-pack snacks:

    *  Hummus with sliced peppers, carrots, celery or cucumbers

    *  Peanut butter or almond butter with a banana

    *  ¼ cup of nuts, such as almonds, walnuts or pistachios with fresh fruit

    *  Roasted pumpkin seeds (buy them roasted or bake on a cookie sheet at 300º for 20 minutes)

    *  Tortilla with black beans, salsa and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese

    *  Roasted soy nuts (available at many supermarkets)

    *  A hard-boiled egg with leafy greens

    *  Low-fat string cheese with an apple or pistachios

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Garlic Secrets

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of garlic.

    Use a garlic peeler to quickly peel garlic. A garlic peeler is a cylindrical piece of rubber that you place the garlic in and then roll it on the counter with the palm of your hand. The peel will stick to the inside of the peeler, and the garlic will fall out the end. If you don’t have a garlic peeler, you can do the same thing with a rubber jar opener, say extension experts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

    Bonus tip:

    To mince garlic without having it stick to your knife, add a few drops of water to the garlic and then chop. The garlic sticks to the cutting board and not your knife.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Heart-Shaped Foods Help Your Heart

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of a berry and strawberry.

    While some dietitians extol the virtues of red wine, dark chocolate, and salmon for heart health, Dr. Katie Eliot, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University, has a different plan.

    Keep it simple. Look to heart-shaped foods to protect your heart.

    “Being red and heart shaped can be a tip off that some foods are good for your heart,” Dr. Eliot said. “Many heart-shaped fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants. These compounds act like shields, taking the hit from free radicals that otherwise damage the body and cause heart disease and cancer.”

    For instance, strawberries and raspberries are loaded with vitamin C and an antioxidant that prevents plaque from forming in arteries. Cherries contain an antioxidant that is thought to protect the blood vessels and is high in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.

    Tomatoes and red peppers are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is in many red fruits and vegetables and works magic by neutralizing free radicals. And acorn squash and apples contain a type of fiber, which reduces bad cholesterol that can clog up your arteries to cause heart attacks and stroke.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Menu Secrets

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of women at a resturant talking to the waitor about the menu.

    When dining out, two things that affect your menu choices the most are what you see on the menu and how you imagine it will taste.

    But what you order may have less to do with what you want and more to do with a menu’s layout and descriptions, according to a Cornell study in the International Journal of Hospitality Management.

    First,any food item that attracts attention (with bold, highlighted or colored font or set apart in a text box) makes us more likely to order that food item rather than the item listed next to it. “In most cases, these are the least healthy items on the menu,” said lead author, Brian Wansink, author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life.

    Second,menu names with descriptive items sell better and lead you to believe that they taste better. The researchers cite a study where they changed the names of restaurant menu items to make them more descriptive; the seafood filet became Succulent Italian Seafood Filet and red beans and rice became Cajun Red Beans and Rice. Sales of these items went up by 28%, and they were rated as tastier, even though the recipe was identical. Diners were also willing to pay an average of 12% more money for a menu item with a descriptive name.

    The best solutionto healthier restaurant dining may be an easy one. “Just ask your server,” said Wansink, “Ask, ‘What are your two or three lighter  entrées that get the most compliments?’ or ‘What’s the best thing on the menu if a person wants a light dinner?’”

    Eating Out Tip

    Before you choose restaurants, check out their websites. Read menu options and nutrition information, if provided, to help you make healthy choices. When you are at a restaurant, ask if you can make healthier substitutes, such as having a vegetable in place of French fries.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Re-Freeze Foods Safely

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of a freezer.

    It’s an old-wives’ tale that foods cannot be refrozen. But follow guidelines for safe food handling, according to the Partnership for Food Safety Education and the USDA.

    If raw foods such as meat, poultry, egg products, and seafood have been thawed in the refrigerator, then they may be safely re-frozen without cooking for later use. Never thaw raw foods by letting them sit on the kitchen counter. If raw foods are thawed outside of the refrigerator, for example in the microwave or in cool water, they should be cooked immediately. Never re-freeze raw or not fully cooked foods that have been thawed outside of the refrigerator.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Thanksgiving Can Be Healthy – Here’s How

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of thanksgiving dinner set on the table.

    At major holidays like Thanksgiving, it can be easy to overeat. Being around friends and family and having access to a wide array of foods at the buffet table can make it difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan.

    Fortunately, you can still enjoy your favorite dishes without all the calories if you plan ahead. Here are some simple ways to keep Thanksgiving healthy and delicious:

    *  Add low-sodium chicken broth to mashed potatoes to add flavor without the calories of gravy and butter.

    *  Substitute Greek yogurt in recipes that call for sour cream or buttermilk.

    *  Use applesauce in place of oil or butter in baked goods.

    *  Use fresh fruits and vegetables as appetizers rather than fried foods.

    *  Don’t come to Thanksgiving overly hungry or you may end up overeating. Have a light meal earlier in the day with healthy protein, such as peanut butter or low-fat cheese, to keep you satisfied.

    *  To avoid mindless eating, sit and socialize away from the food table.

    *  Focus on calorie-free beverages, such as water or tea. Have a glass before you eat.

    *  Be aware of drinking calories. Alcoholic drinks should be consumed in moderation, which is one drink per day for women and two drinks for men.

    Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Want To Eat Healthier?

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of family eating dinner at the kitchen table.

    Then cook meals at home

    People who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research.

    “When people cook most of their meals at home, they consume fewer carbohydrates, less sugar and less fat than those who cook less or not at all-even if they are not trying to lose weight,” according to a study in Public Health Nutrition.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Avocado And Corn Salsa

    HEALTHY EATING

    A bowl of avocado and corn salsa.

    Salsa isn’t just for chips! Use it to flavor chicken, eggs, fish or a black bean burger. This recipe adds fresh flavor with corn and avocado. And it’s perfect for summer – no hot stove required.

    Ingredients

    1 avocado (diced)

    3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

    1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

    1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

    2 teaspoon lime juice

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    Directions

    1.  Toss avocado, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.

    2.  Chill one hour and then serve.

    Nutrition Facts: Serving size: ½ cup, recipe makes 5 servings. Calories 67; Total Fat 4 g; Saturated Fat 1 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 119 mg; Total Carbohydrate 8 g; Dietary Fiber 3 g; Protein 1 g

    Source: USDA ChooseMyPlate

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Protect Your Personal Information

    FINANCIAL HEALTH

    Image of laptop with shield and lock key.

    Identity theft is a serious crime. It happens when someone steals your personal information such as your social security number or credit card numbers and uses it without your permission. You may see mistakes or mystery charges on your bank, credit card, or other account statements. You may receive bills for products or services you never received. Protect your personal information, urges the Federal Trade Commission. Get detailed information online atwww.ftc.gov/idtheft.

    *Keep your important papers secure.Limit what you carry in your wallet or purse. Pick up new checks at the bank instead of having them mailed to your home. Take outgoing mail to a collection box or the post office. Don’t leave it in your mailbox. Shred sensitive documents, receipts, credit card offers, insurance forms, checks, bank statements, and similar documents.

    *Secure your social security number.Only give it out when necessary (and ask if you can use a different kind of identification).

    *Protect your computer and mobile devices.Use anti-virus software. Don’t open files or click on links sent by strangers. Remove the memory cards from mobile devices before recycling them.

    *Protect your data online.Keep your passwords private. Don’t over share on social networking sites. If you post too much information about yourself, an identity thief can use that information to answer challenging questions on your accounts (birthdays, mother’s name, pet names, high school).

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • 4 “D”S For Avoiding Fraud

    FINANCIAL HEALTH

    Lock sitting on top of credit cards.

    1.  Do protect your personal information all the time. Never share your birthday, social security number, credit card number or passwords with others. No one should call or email you asking for this information.

    2.  Do stand your ground. Scammers may try to scare you by saying if you don’t give them money, you’ll be arrested or turned into the IRS. Don’t believe them. Police and government agencies don’t use phone calls to collect money.

    3.  Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can change the caller ID to look like an official business or even a government agency.

    4.  Don’t pay someone with wire transfers or gift cards. Some scammers will tell you to wire them money or may ask you to send them gift cards. Don’t do it. A real organization would not ask you to send money this way.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine