Do you eat between 400 and 600 grams of fruit a day? That is the recommended daily amount. We all know the good ole’ food pyramid and how we’ve been taught to eat since elementary school. But when was the last time you actually ate a whole five servings of fruit in a day? It’s important to eat our fruits and vegetables, and yet we don’t seem to make it happen. For me, eating an orange, banana, peach, apple AND tomato (yes, it’s considered a fruit) all in one day, seems nearly impossible.
There are a few easier ways to get our fill of fruit in a day. Let’s start with buying more juice. However, don’t be deceived. Not all juices are made equal. In fact, many of the juice beverages you find in the super market carry little to no juice at all. For example, a Capri Sun “fruit” drink contains less than 1/8 part fruit. Impostor!
What you need to make sure of when purchasing any sort of juice, is its actual nutritional breakdown. If you want to receive the benefits of fruit, you need to be drinking juice that comes closest to the fruit itself and isn’t made mainly of concentrate. For example, fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized orange juice is the closest thing to consuming the orange itself. The highest-quality, most nutrient rich juices are those without additives or flavor packs inserted. Tropicana, Naked Juice, Innocent, POM Wonderful and Bolthouse Farms top my list of healthy juices available in most grocery stores.
Because fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized juices typically are produced in smaller juicing operations like a local citrus grove, to find juices of this quality, it may mean traveling to your local farmer’s market or a specialty food store instead of the normal grocery store.
Another option is taking it a step further by making your own juice using a juicer after purchasing your own organic fruits and vegetables to throw into the mix. It would be fun, tasty, and at the same time, show you exactly how many servings of fruit you’d be consuming.
Lastly, with the advancement of technology, we now have ways to consume all the vitamins and minerals of fruits in supplement form. In fact we can even get considerably more than 5 servings of fruit a day by using them. One product I highly suggest is called “Isagenix Fruits” which in one serving of nutrient-rich powder provides you the health benefits of consuming the equivalent of 30 fruits. It can be used in a juice you make at home, in a protein shake, or on its own mixed with water.
Through these methods, we can assure that we’re getting quality nutrition into our bodies including valuable antioxidants through the fruits we eat. It may take a little more effort to get your daily intake of fruits but if your body really is your temple then it should be an easy choice. Drink wisely!
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t have it all, because the truth is, you can—especially when it comes to indulging in delicious foods that are as healthy for your body as they are tasty on your tongue. By nourishing ourselves with healthy foods that help us glow from the inside, we grow stronger in mind, bone, and body. But, as women, we also have crazy cravings that must be cured! I get it. I am a “fit-foodie,” who believes it is entirely possible to have your chips and eat them too without one ounce of guilt and with plenty of pleasure, because what is life without pleasure?
How about chips and a Milkshake for a healthy snack? Don’t believe it can be done? Try the recipes below!
Sweet n’ Spicy Kale Chips
Some of you might be wondering how baked kale chips made my “having it all” list. Those of you have tried these, when fresh and well-seasoned, know what I’m raving about. My potato-chip-loving boyfriend now craves these and he considers himself a chip connoisseur. Crunchy? Check. Flavorful? Oh yeah! Do they cure a salt craving? You bet girlfriend. Packed with fat? Nope—packed with nutrients, including vitamin K, which according to Maureen Callahan, MS, RD, is a potent bone builder. “Researchers find that women who eat diets rich in vitamin K are at lower risk of hip fracture. Seems the body requires vitamin K to activate bone proteins needed to ward off osteoporosis, the crippling bone disease that strikes women four times more often than men,” Callahan writes in this article on CookingLight.com. Just know, these chips are addicting and yes, you can eat the whole batch.
Ingredients
Directions
Mango Coconut “Milkshake”
The next time you want to treat yourself to something cool, sweet and creamy, try this tropical shake made with almond milk and just a hint of coconut. Feeling romantic? Add a second straw for your lover, who will surely enjoy this decadent dessert with you. You would never know it, but you’ll be getting a healthy dose of ground flaxseed, which contains three potentially beneficial compounds according to Maureen Callahan, MS, RD. “Plant based omega-3 fats, fiber, and disease-fighting compounds called lignans [are all found in flax seed]. A Mayo Clinic study finds 40 grams of crushed flaxseed can cut down on hot flashes, and several reports suggest flax can lower ’bad’ or LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. (Interestingly, in one Chinese study, the cholesterol-lowering impact was more pronounced in women.) The brown or gold seeds may even play a role in fighting breast cancer. One caution: if you're pregnant or nursing, some experts suggest avoiding flax until more studies are done,” writes Callahan in this article on CookingLight.com. Cheers to you, another Made Woman!
Ingredients
Directions
This post was part of our series "30 Days of Made: Love Yourself." Each day we released updates of videos, poetry, images, and original content, all based on the theme of loving yourself. Click the link to read more!
Do you eat between 400 and 600 grams of fruit a day? That is the recommended daily amount. We all know the good ole’ food pyramid and how we’ve been taught to eat since elementary school. But when was the last time you actually ate a whole five servings of fruit in a day? It’s important to eat our fruits and vegetables, and yet we don’t seem to make it happen. For me, eating an orange, banana, peach, apple AND tomato (yes, it’s considered a fruit) all in one day, seems nearly impossible.
There are a few easier ways to get our fill of fruit in a day. Let’s start with buying more juice. However, don’t be deceived. Not all juices are made equal. In fact, many of the juice beverages you find in the super market carry little to no juice at all. For example, a Capri Sun “fruit” drink contains less than 1/8 part fruit. Impostor!
What you need to make sure of when purchasing any sort of juice, is its actual nutritional breakdown. If you want to receive the benefits of fruit, you need to be drinking juice that comes closest to the fruit itself and isn’t made mainly of concentrate. For example, fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized orange juice is the closest thing to consuming the orange itself. The highest-quality, most nutrient rich juices are those without additives or flavor packs inserted. Tropicana, Naked Juice, Innocent, POM Wonderful and Bolthouse Farms top my list of healthy juices available in most grocery stores.
Because fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized juices typically are produced in smaller juicing operations like a local citrus grove, to find juices of this quality, it may mean traveling to your local farmer’s market or a specialty food store instead of the normal grocery store.
Another option is taking it a step further by making your own juice using a juicer after purchasing your own organic fruits and vegetables to throw into the mix. It would be fun, tasty, and at the same time, show you exactly how many servings of fruit you’d be consuming.
Lastly, with the advancement of technology, we now have ways to consume all the vitamins and minerals of fruits in supplement form. In fact we can even get considerably more than 5 servings of fruit a day by using them. One product I highly suggest is called “Isagenix Fruits” which in one serving of nutrient-rich powder provides you the health benefits of consuming the equivalent of 30 fruits. It can be used in a juice you make at home, in a protein shake, or on its own mixed with water.
Through these methods, we can assure that we’re getting quality nutrition into our bodies including valuable antioxidants through the fruits we eat. It may take a little more effort to get your daily intake of fruits but if your body really is your temple then it should be an easy choice. Drink wisely!
September 12, 2011
After working and running around all day, you’re finally home…and STARVING! Wait, it’s way after 7 pm and you know you’ve heard that eating after 7 will make you pack on the pounds. The last thing you want are extra inches around your hips.
Guess what? I’m gonna give you some good news. That is just an urban legend. Eating after dark is not enough to make food magically convert to fat and store itself around your belly and thighs, or any other area that you don’t desire the extra cushioning. The superfluous padding gets packed on when we eat more than our bodies actually need. (The simplest way to estimate your basic caloric need for organ function can be calculated by adding a 0 to your body weight in pounds.)
So, how did this rumor get started? The “recommendation” to not eat after six, seven, eight, or other evening hours was probably initiated by some health professional to prevent clients from overeating. In some ways, that can be true. You know the saying that nothing good happens after midnight? Well, no good comes from eating crap late at night, either (or any hour, for that matter).
The truth is, most of us have bustling work schedules that don’t allow us to eat our last meal of the day until late in the evening - and that’s okay as long as you do it right. Here’s a guide to evening eating and staying the same size:
Have a small, light meal consisting of a lean protein—no larger than the size of the palm of your hand and consisting of mainly vegetables.
A late dinner is okay if your caloric needs have not been met for the day. Ideally, this would be a dinner consisting of something less along the lines of a double cheeseburger and chili cheese fries, and more along the lines of grilled chicken and broccoli. See above recommended small, light meal.
Late night meals aren’t ideal…but they’re often our only option. A good habit to get into is being mindful of the way you fuel your body throughout the day. Until you catch the break that allows you to have earlier dinners, you’re now equipped with knowledge of how to eat late night without having to let your clothes out.
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