It’s National Nutrition Month® and each March the focus is on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
Category: Healthy Eating
Benefits and Needs for Fiber
While there is a wide range of foods that provide fiber, in today’s world, it is difficult for most of us to consume enough fiber to satisfy the daily minimums. An article from Food is Medicine, shares twenty foods that provide high levels of fiber.
Today’s Western diet probably satisfies only about half of the recommended amount of fiber that you need. As the article states: this is a big deal because high fiber foods guard against a number of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Many processed foods are “fiber enriched”, but these are not the most desirable source of this valuable (and indispensable) dietary need.
The article makes the case for foods high in fiber as the best way to satisfy your needs, it also admits that it is unlikely that you will be able to with diet alone. It also identifies the probability that you will need a supplement to meet your daily requirements. It also points out that the quality of the supplement can and will make a big difference.
An effective supplement will contain a recommended balance of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber provides bulk in the digestive system which helps the elimination process, expelling carcinogens and toxins from the bowels. Soluble fiber is actually retained in the bodily system, creating a gel that prolongs elimination so that key nutrients can be absorbed more efficiently.
Some fiber supplements do not contain soluble fiber at all. Still, others do not contain enough insoluble fiber to do the job properly. It is important to have the correct balance of both. As has been stated, a healthy diet is best and this list of high in fiber foods will give you a handy guide for healthy meal planning.
The company with whom I am associated offers a complete array of supplements and high-in-fiber snacks that allows me to effectively control my fiber intake daily. They all contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. I am convinced that my good health is as a result of these indispensable products. Here’s to your health!
Healthy choices.
If you’ve ever been on a diet and failed, you will love how simple this is.
You are not required to weigh food, measure, count calories or keep a journal.
I love that it’s not a diet. Most of all I love my results and how I feel!
So glad I took a chance, I’ll never go back. Its all about healthy choices.
A Valentine’s Kiss, before or after?
Do we kiss or drink coffee?
Why, we drink coffee first, of course!
Especially since we drink what must be the best coffee ever!
There’s no bitter aftertaste, nothing added, no chemical processing, just 100% Arabica Coffee beans from Colombia. Delicious!
It doesn’t need to be a National Coffee Day for us to be excited about our coffee. We get excited to drink Mountain Cabin Coffee every morning and every evening!
Now where is that Valentine’s morning Kiss?
#CoffeeLovers #MountainCabinCoffee #GetYourOwnBag #NationalCoffeeDay #InternationalCoffeeDay
Grandma was right
Your little old soup making grandma who claimed chicken soup would cure what ails you was right as studies show many soups also have medicinal purposes. What was once considered a wives’ tale, chicken soup now has the backing of the scientific community with helping relieve the symptoms of the common cold. Scientists believe that a bowl of the soup may reduce inflammation of the lungs. It is thought that chicken soup slows down the activity of white blood cells that can cause the inflammation.
So break out that bowl and spoon! Umm, ummm, good!
So what are good carbs?
When people decide to get a healthier lifestyle many start with looking at their diet and removing unhealthy items, switching out carbohydrates and in some cases avoiding carbohydrates entirely.
Avoiding carbs completely is probably the worst thing you can do, you need some sure cutting out breads, pastas and cereals is a start, but what carbs can you keep to benefit for your health?
Here is a short list that includes 15 starchy or complex carb foods:
Vegetables: All of them, especially pumpkin, butternut squash and fresh beets. It is best to eat a variety of vegetables every day.
Whole fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, berries, etc.
Tubers: White potatoes with skin, sweet potatoes, yams, etc.
Legumes: Lentils, kidney beans, peas, peanuts, etc.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc. Avoid Brazil nuts.
Seeds: Chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Whole grains: Choose grains that are truly whole, as in 100% whole wheat bread, 100% whole wheat pasta, pure oats oatmeal, couscous, brown rice, Basmati (a long grain rice) etc.
Tubers: White potatoes with skin, sweet potatoes, yams, etc.
Cereals: Oatmeal (old-fashioned or steel cut), Cream of rice hot cereal, multigrain hot cereal, barley, oats, rye, triticale, and a few others)
Living longer with coffee?
I love my Mountain Cabin coffee and drink a cup or more daily. Growing up ideas on coffee have changed many times. Some years coffee was good for you with it’s energy boosting caffeine, then it was bad for you, too much caffeine was unhealthy and every few years the position would revert good to bad or bad to good. All I know I wasn’t giving up my coffee, I was sticking to caffeinated, black coffee and drinking in moderation. Most recently, coffee has been back on the “nice” list because it contains antioxidants that are good for us all.
Now there is a new study released by the University of California-Irvine that claims coffee and alcohol could help us live past 90. It claims moderate alcohol and coffee consumption could be linked to living a longer life. Started in 2003, “The 90+ Study” examined 1,600 participants of the “oldest-old” age group, to determine the key factors to living to 90 years of age and beyond. The study is one of the world’s largest examinations of the age group, which is also the fastest-growing in the U.S., the publishers of the study claim. According to the research, “people who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.” Somewhat surprisingly, the study also claims that “people who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.”
There are other studies that claim that having a healthy coffee habit can help you live longer, as well as studies that report moderate alcohol consumption is the key to a long life. Perhaps combining these two things is the fountain of youth. One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that drinking up to eight cups of coffee a day, even decaf, could prevent premature death.
A new study of nearly half a million people in the United Kingdom suggests a lower risk of death was associated with drinking more coffee, including among coffee drinkers who have eight or more cups per day, in both slow and fast metabolizers of caffeine, and in drinkers of ground, instant, and decaffeinated coffee.
The results come with a warning to interpret them with caution because they are based on observational data and cannot prove causation,” a press release about the August 2018 study explained. While a straight line can’t be definitively drawn between coffee and living longer, these types of studies certainly make a case for dedicating more resources to researching the properties of coffee and alcohol.
The critical word in all of this is “moderate” consumption, which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines as up to one alcoholic drink (containing 14 grams of pure alcohol) per day for women, and two for men.
As to whether or not casual alcohol consumption can help you live longer, an analysis of 87 studies about the topic published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reported that there is no direct evidence that drinkers live longer than non-drinkers. Basically, it’s really not clear what will help you see your 90th birthday.
However, if you enjoy coffee, go ahead and drink it. If you like to have a few drinks a week, it’s probably not going to hurt you. However, if neither of these things are your jam, there’s no reason to start consuming them now.
All I know I’m sticking with my Mountaiin Cabin Coffee and wine with dinner.
How about you?
National Sunday Supper Day – January 13
Sunday Supper starts off as one day a week and soon becomes a way of life.
These days families are busy with after-school activities, jobs and homework. Sunday supper has been a disappearing tradition around the country and the Sunday Supper Movement aims to bring families back together in the kitchen and around the dinner table one Sunday at a time. National Sunday Supper Day is another step toward this goal.
It’s National Shortbread Day
In our house we love shortbread, it’s a family favorite and perfect with a cup of tea. Maybe because it hearkens back to our Scottish ancestors, or just because it’s super buttery, Shortbread is a classic Scottish dessert traditionally was made with: 1 part white sugar 2 parts butter 3 parts flour.
Modern recipes deviate from the three ingredient rule by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts of granulated sugar and powdered sugar and add salt. Plain white (wheat) flour is commonly used. However, ground rice or cornflour are also sometimes added to alter the texture.
Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture which is caused by its high-fat content, provided by the butter. “Shortening” is its related word that refers to any fat that may be added to produce a “short” (crumbly) texture.
Elevating Vitality
Sometimes, with all that we do, you just need a boost. Something to make you feel more energetic to keep up with your busy day. But with already two cups of coffee under your belt, you want extra energy without the caffeine.
Energy drinks — sugary, caffeinated beverages that are supposed to provide a quick pick-me-up — have been taking some hits lately. What do you do if you want to cut down the sugar and the caffeine?
Well, my favorite, Vitality Elevate
B-Fuel delivers the energy I need!
Vitality Elevate™ B-FUEL contains five proven B vitamins, including 1,000% of your daily value of B6 and B12, combined with a natural antioxidant blend to give you the boost you need in a caffeine-free energy shot.
I like to keep it around for when I need a boost.
Did you know…
- Research indicates athletes who lack B vitamins may have reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair
damaged muscles - B vitamins are water-soluble and should be replenished to support a
healthy body - B1 (Thiamin)—Helps the body break down carbohydrates and release the energy for use by the body
- B2 (Riboflavin)—Helps release the energy from foods containing protein and/or fat
- B3 (Niacin)—Assists in the production and release of energy stores, especially during vigorous training
- B6 (Pyridoxine)—Supports over 100 enzymatic reactions, including proper nutrient metabolism for energy production
- B12 (Cyanocobalamin)—Supports healthy production of red blood cells, the synthesis of DNA, and energy production A deficiency has been linked to fatigue, weakness and poor memory. Drinks that contain it help convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body, fighting off lethargy.
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