How About A Mandarin???

 

 I don't know about you, but as both a Registered Dietitian and a Mom, I can talk and preach till I am blue in the face, but there is only so much I can say to get my kids to try new fruits!!!!  Forget my background, forget the fact that I try to set a good example by eating fruits daily.......it took a company with marketing genius to get my kids to actually ASK...yes I said ASK me to buy Mandarin's....AKA Halo's!!!!!!  For once, the power of marketing to my kids and many kids out there is totally positive and dare I say GENIUS!!!!   The commercials were hysterical not only to my kids, but to me and my husband!!   I knew they hit their target market when I brought my girls to the market and they said, "I want Halo's!"  For once, I was more than pleased to oblige them...it was almost as if I was actually getting what I want with absolutely no effort on my part.  Think about all the advertisements our kids get bombarded with on a daily basis and now think about how many of them are actually beneficial and positive.  I can't think of many positive!!! 
Now lets talk about what a Mandarin is......it is a small citrus fruit with a loose skin.  The three requirements to be a Halo is it has to be easy to peel, seedless, and sweet.  The benefits of consuming these sweet little beauties are that they are naturally fat and cholesterol free, they come with their own neat packaging (thanks to Mother Nature!!!), they are rich in Vitamins A, B6, Thiamine, Niacin, Folate, Antioxidants, and Vitamin C.   In a nut shell, consuming these can decrease your risk of developing Diabetes, Stroke, Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, and Hypertension.  If this is not enough to get you excited, how about the fact that they are rich in Soluble Fiber and Minerals including Potassium, Copper, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium.   These help with Red Blood Cell Synthesis and bone support, as well as support immune system health. And last but certainly not least, how easy it is to put these in our kids lunch boxes.....no snack or sandwich bag needed!!!
So, for once I will say, "Thank you for marketing to my kids in a positive way!!!!"  I love it!...the more help to get our children to eat healthier foods the better.  To use the power of marketing for something positive is awesome!!!!  Let's hope this starts a trend!!!!





 

TAKE THE QUINOA

CHALLENGE!!

 

 

 

 

 

Conversations with my girlfriends always go something like this....what are you doing??  do you want to do something this week??  what's your schedule like??? and last but not least...WHAT ARE YOU MAKING FOR DINNER???   I don't know about you and your girlfriends, but with mine...it's all about the food!!!!  More often than not....one of us is making Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah).   I started thinking...Quinoa is very "hip" and "happening" now.....but why????   Let me give you the skinny on Quinoa.

For me and a lot of others, Quinoa is truly a super food that I feel deserves a lot more attention and shout outs!!!    To start, most people think Quinoa is a grain, but it is actually a protein packed seed!  Yes....I said a seed.  It contains healthy fat and most importantly contains all of the essential amino acids and can also therefore be considered a complete protein....the best of its kind.   1 cup of Quinoa contains 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 222 calories. And yes....its low on the Glycemic Index (a measure of how quickly foods raise your blood sugar) and high in Antioxidants!   How could you go wrong??

One of the best things about Quinoa, besides my kids loving it!, is that it takes on whatever flavor you decide to add very well, whether it be garlic, onion, cilantro, or shallots.  You can serve it hot or can make a great cold salad with it for the summer. 

So I challenge all of you to try it out!! Take the Quinoa challenge!!  Use it in place of rice, potatoes, and pasta for one month and I guarantee you will see magical results in the mirror and it will change how you feel.  Let me know what happens....I want to hear from you!!! 



 



1. Blueberry Season is Here!!

 

Yes!....those beautiful little jewels are back and in season!!!  Not only is it the best time to buy them for their best peek flavor, they are also at their least expensive price!!!  

 

In case you haven't already heard all of the great benefits your body and mind can receive from these little gems...lets talk!! 

• Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant contents among all fruits.  What does this mean for you??  It means that they can optimize your health by fighting all of the "free radicals" that enter your body and damage your cells on a daily basis.
• New exciting evidence now suggests that blueberries can help improve memory, prevent Alzheimer's Disease, and may even reverse some memory loss due to aging.  Anthocyanin, which give blueberries their rich blue color is the powerful antioxidant found in blueberries.
• Not enough time to eat all of your blueberries right away...no problem!  Just freeze them...studies show that by freezing your blueberries, you will not damage their anthocyanin antioxidants.  Yay!!
• Blueberries function as a Low Glycemic Index fiber rich fruit in terms of their effect on your blood sugar.  What this means is that they do not have a big impact on your blood sugar level.  A subject we can talk about in more detail in the future!!!
• 1 Cup of Blueberries provides only 84 calories, 3.6 grams of dietary fiber, and 24% Daily Value of Vitamin C based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Repeated studies have shown, consuming 1-2 cups of blueberries per day and over a period of 3 months can improve blood fat balances.  This means a reduction in total cholesterol, increase in HDL cholesterol (the good stuff!), and a decrease in triglycerides (the bad stuff!). 
• Studies have shown that routine blueberry intake can also support healthy blood pressure.  In people with high blood pressure (Hypertension), blueberry intake has been shown to reduce both systolic (the top number..tells you the pressure on the walls of the artery when your heart is pumping)  and diastolic (the bottom number.. tells you the pressure in your blood vessels between heart beats, at rest)  blood pressures. 

How do we choose the best blueberries in the supermarket??? Just make sure they are firm and if you shake the container, they should move freely.  If they do not, this may mean that they are too soft or moldy.  The blueberries should also be free of moisture and have a lively hue.  Blueberries can range in color from deep purple-blue to blue-black.  Don't be afraid of the silvery sheen called a bloom.  This is just a natural protective shield also found on apples and pears.  It is safe to eat and helps preserve the fruit longer.  Blueberries will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator if kept dry.

 

Some great ways to include blueberries in your healthy eating lifestyle (notice I didn't say diet!!) is by adding them to smoothies (see previous recipe), cold/hot breakfast cereals, or yogurt.  They are also great over your morning pancakes or waffles.   A great dessert that I have made for both kids and adult parties is I buy the wooden kabob sticks and place fresh blueberries on them (think BBQ style).  I then melt dark chocolate and spoon it over the blueberry kabobs (cover them completely)  and then place them on a wax paper lined tray and place them in the refrigerator.  Delicious!!!!  It's so easy and the kids even love them!!!

 

So the next time you head to the supermarket with your GalsShopper in hand, make sure blueberries are on the top of your list!!!

LETS TALK FISH!!

 

 

Most of you already know that fish is a protein packed power house food. But, did you also know that research suggests that eating fish may actually help you lose fat!!  How??  The answer...fat, yes fat!  The more fat the fish contains, the better!  What??

Certain types of fish, like some kinds of tuna, salmon, sardines, and trout contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.  Now you're probably saying...What is an omega-3 fatty acid???  Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fat found primarily in seafood.  They are great for our cardiovascular system because they help prevent irregular heartbeat, decrease blood clotting, increase your HDL (the good cholesterol), decrease blood pressure, and help reduce the build-up of "fatty" plaques inside our artery walls.....WOW!!!   Now scientists have also found that eating omega-3s also increases your bodies fat burning ability and if you combine this with regular exercise, you can actually lose weight faster. 

Another perk to eating more fish....I find it is so much easier and faster to cook fish than chicken or beef when I am pressed for time.  You can bake it in the oven, grill it on your stove top. or put it in one of those great "fish baskets" for your BBQ grill.  My family loves it when I grill tilapia fillets and make fish tacos!!! 

Here's a quick guide the next time you go to the supermarket:

Tilapia (4oz)   Calories: 108  Fat: 2 grams     Protein: 23 grams
Tuna     (4oz)  Calories: 131  Fat: 1 gram       Protein: 29 grams
Salmon (4oz)  Calories: 131  Fat: 4 grams     Protein: 22 grams

So the next time you head to the market, when you think fish....you can  think "fat burning" and protein!!!!