Pass The Prunes

Ahhhh Prunes. They are one of my favorite fruits! Their sweet taste and sticky texture make me feel like I’m eating candy. I remember eating them at my grandmother’s kitchen table and not even realizing they were only “supposed” to be for older people. That stigma remains today. Recently though, they have been getting a lot of attention because of their health benefits. The name has even been officially changed to “dried plums” so people will give them a second look. Hopefully everyone will stop associating them with only the elderly population and give them a try. They can be great for everyone from babies to teens and adults.

Prunes have many health benefits. They have always been known for helping relieve constipation because they have a lot of fiber. The soluble fiber in prunes has also been found to help fight heart disease. A study http://tinyurl.com/63pj72 at the University of California, Davis found that men with moderately elevated cholesterol levels experienced a reduction in both total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol by eating 10-12 prunes daily.

Prunes are also high in antioxidants which help destroy free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals cause things like heart disease, stroke and even cancer. Serving per serving, prunes are even higher in antioxidants then blueberries. They are a good source of potassium which has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve bone health. The high vitamin C level in prunes can help with iron absorption which is especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Lastly, they can even help with weight loss by providing a sense of fullness and delaying the absorption of glucose. They are a great snack for people with diabetes since they have a low glycemic index and are high in fiber.

With all of their health benefits and their great taste, I don’t know why everyone isn’t eating prunes. They’re delicious right out of the bag or in a recipe. If I haven’t convinced you to try them yet, visit Californiadriedplums.org for some great recipes, and see for yourself that these aren’t your grandmother’s prunes anymore.

Pass the prunes!

- Jennifer

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Plastic Ocean

Believe me, I am not a purist, an environmentalist or a vegan, but there are some things that just get to me. I have problems with garbage on the road or in parking lots and also careless over production of waste. People have gambled their environment for convenience.

Like everybody else, I use plastic containers to bring my lunch to work and to store food. But once I came across information about the “plastic ocean”, I became a mad woman. I emailed everything I could find to my friends because I could not believe what I saw. But nonetheless, I really was not surprised due to the way people live their lives.

Have we become so lazy that we can’t wash a glass or a plate? What’s wrong with a reusable coffee mug for coffee or water? So many food items have gone “single serve” for convenience, but who pays for this? The consumer does because it’s more expensive and the rest of the world and future children pay too because of the ever increasing garbage that we can hardly handle. Try switching to larger packages and portion it out yourself to cut down on waste and cost. Because in today’s economy, who can afford to waste money!

We are lucky to live in North America where there is a lot of uninhabited land (future dumps), but in places like Italy, garbage piles up in the streets for months because they have nowhere to put it. As much as I love Italy, I would not want to deal with their garbage problems.

That’s why I was so happy to see that a large food company like ConAgra Foods is now using 30-40% recycled plastic for their frozen meal containers.

The company claimed it will:

• “Eliminate about 8 million pounds of plastic from going to landfills, which is the equivalent of approximately 128 million 20-ounce plastic bottles, per year.”
• “Save 236 million BTUs of energy, which is enough energy to run 2,593 average American homes for one year.”
• “Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15,200 tons of CO2 per year, which is the same as taking nearly 2,000 cars off the road each year.”

I don’t even eat frozen meals and I am all excited about this! I would love to hear what you are doing at home or in your community to help and if you have a little part in the big picture, because every little bit counts.

Thank you.

- Josee

For more information on plastic check out:
Nutrition Action's links
Recycle Now
Grinning Planet

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How’s My Hair?

How’s my hair? I’m sure I’ve asked that question thousands of times in my life, and I must have spent years actually doing it. I just feel that when my hair looks good, I feel good. Sounds silly, but think about how you feel when you’re having a bad hair day.

Healthy hair is beautiful hair! Like the rest of the body, your hair needs the right vitamins and minerals to be healthy and strong. There are hundreds of products you can buy that promise shinier, thicker, fuller hair, but you might be able to get similar results by adding some key nutrients to your diet. Here’s a list of nutrients to include in your diet to help you have, and keep, beautiful hair!

1. Biotin – This is the nutrient that most people associate with healthy hair. Biotin is needed for the production of keratin and may help prevent graying and hair loss. Try eating whole eggs and citrus fruits to increase your biotin levels.
2. Zinc – Another nutrient that may help prevent hair loss. Many people don’t get the recommended amount of zinc in their diet. Try beef, lamb or whole grains. Pair them with foods high in vitamin C like the citrus fruits listed above to increase absorption. You can also get zinc from a multivitamin.
3. Protein – Protein is important because it’s the main component of hair. The best sources are fish, chicken, meat, eggs and nuts.
4. Essential Fatty Acids – These are the good fats such as omega 3’s. These fats can help hair stay shiny and healthy. Samantha Heller, a dietitian at NYU believes that there are many people who lack omega 3’s in their diet, which can affect their hair health. Great sources of essential fatty acids include plant oils like olive and canola oil, walnuts, almonds and flaxseed.
5. B Vitamins – These can sometimes help delay hair loss. Dermatologist and hair loss expert, Ted Daly, MD states that he sees many women with B12 deficiencies who come to his office seeking help with hair loss. Try some beans, lentils or whole grains to get more B vitamins in your diet.

These are the nutrients I try to include daily to help my hair look and feel healthy. All should be part of a healthy and balance diet. Try these foods yourself before your hairdo becomes a hair don’t!

- Jennifer

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Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

I absolutely love cheese! Melted, sliced, crumbled or aged…there’s no single food I enjoy more. I even tried once to give it up for two weeks, but barely made it for two days. My downfall was when Josee bought this amazing truffle cheese around the holidays last year. I ate almost the entire thing and I swear I still have dreams about it.

Since I’m in such a “cheesy” mood today, I want to share a simple, tasty recipe that can be prepared in no time at all. Insalata Caprese (more commonly called tomato & mozzarella salad) literally means “salad from Capri”. Capri is an island off the coast of Italy and its famous salad works great as an appetizer, side item or main dish for cooks who are in a hurry, but want something fresh and delicious. If you can slice tomatoes, you can make this recipe!

Ingredients

3 large vine-ripe tomatoes, washed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, washed and dried on paper towels
1-2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Prepare tomatoes, mozzarella and basil as directed above. You can even buy pre-sliced mozzarella to save time. On a nice plate or platter, arrange tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves, stacking and overlapping them in a circle. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over top evenly and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

If you prefer, you can chop the basil and sprinkle it on top instead. You also want to look for the freshest and most flavorful tomatoes you can find that aren’t too mushy. Experiment a little! Try using garlic infused olive oil or add other herbs like oregano. You can also arrange this salad on of a bed of mixed greens for a different presentation.

Enjoy!

- Lauren

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Starbucks Unveils Its “Morning Source” Breakfast Items

In an effort to stimulate sales and keep customers coming back, Starbuck’s unveiled its new Morning Source breakfast menu today. The line of healthier breakfast items encourages you to “Start Your Day Right” with 6 different options including Perfect Oatmeal, Fruit Stella, Chewy Fruit & Nut Bar, Multigrain Roll, Apple Bran Muffin and a Power Protein Plate.

Unfortunately I couldn't find the nutrition info for these new items on the Starbucks website. But I did read an article in USA Today last week that reported the calories ranging anywhere from 140 for the Oatmeal without topping, to 330 for the Apple Bran Muffin and Power Protein Plate. Check out some of their more detailed nutrition information. Keep in mind, not all stores will be offering these, so be sure to call ahead or check online. Hopefully we will have a chance to try them soon, but if you get to it before us please tell us what you think!

- Lauren

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Wii eating contest

What’s going on in our commercial world? I can’t even keep up with all the outrageous things that are coming out. I am a positive person, always looking for nice, upbeat things, and awful “stuff” comes out of my computer screen instead.

We were so happy to see Wii encourage kids and grownups to be physically active in front of the TV, and now I find out that Wii launched a new game called Major League Eating. The game simulates the All American Coney Island hot dog eating contest, with the usual contenders: Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi.

I don’t know, but I find it gross, especially the part where players can add barf or farts. Isn’t that lovely?

They should invent a game with health organizations, philanthropists, health professionals and researchers on one side, all working together to find cures for those who are sick and starving around the world; and on the other side have companies that produce food or products that are contributing to the problems (board of directors and management all included).

I don’t know, but I have been helping people for 20 years now, and it really hurts me to see this. I don’t know what to do anymore. It’s totally crazy. But I will carry on because this is my purpose and if I can help even one more person, that’s wonderful! But my goal is to help more and that’s why I am happy to have a voice here. Hopefully, our readers will multiply this and add their voice as well.

Please help us stop this growing insanity and gain health and vitality. We need to work together, one good habit at the time.

Thank you!

- Josée

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