Add some sweetness to your Valentine's Day!

 This is a re-post from last year. I thought it was such good info that I wanted to share it again. Enjoy!


Happy Valentine's Day! Are you enjoying anything sweet today? I have a horrible sweet tooth. I really do. I love almost anything that is sweet. The sweeter the better in my opinion. All in moderation of course:) I do realize that all sweets are not created equal when it comes to your health. So today, in honor of St. Valentine's Day, I thought I would add some sweetness to my blog by talking about sweeteners:)



Did you know that sugar comes from processed sugar cane? The liquid is taken out and boiled, leaving just the crystals. Unfortunately for us sugar lovers, there aren't any nutrients in this. Molasses is also left behind, which does contain nutrients. (things are looking up for the sugar lovers!) I used to think that brown sugar was better then white sugar. This really isn't true however, because brown sugar has a very little amount of molasses in it, making it pretty much nutrient free. (looking down again for the sugar lovers!) Unfortunately for people with a sweet tooth, no good can come from it. It plays a negative role in pretty much every body process, which leads to many different health issues. And sugar is in so many of the foods we eat. It has been estimated that the average American consumes 158 pounds of sugar each year and it is negatively effecting our health. Today I would like to tell you about some natural alternatives that my family has been using lately that taste as good or even better then regular sugar and are even a little better for you! yay!



So you may be wondering if artificial sweeteners (aspartame, NutraSweet, Equal etc) would be better for your health then regular sugar. I'm actually not going to blog about artificial sweeteners because that would make my blog way too long. In my opinion though, these are not good for a person's health and I have read a lot of things recently that suggest artificial sweeteners are linked to many health problems. If you'd like to know more about that, then you may be interested to check out the book, "Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, NutraSweet and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health" by Dr. J. Mercola. You can see some info from him and his book here.

What I do want to talk about is natural sweeteners. I am quickly learning that there are natural sugar substitutes out there that actually taste really good and are much better for you then plain old sugar. One of my favorites is Pure Maple Syrup.


My family went to a small maple syrup festival last spring, about an hour from our midwest home. It was so interesting to learn about how maple syrup is made.
This is a picture of how they boil the sugar water down so they can make the maple syrup.
The blue bag is collecting the sugar water from the maple tree. Judging by the tree's size, it is not too young! We took this tour at a sugar camp and it was really interesting.

We did a lot of tasting that day, and ever since, the only maple syrup we use is pure maple syrup. There is nothing artificial in it. It's a little more costly then some of the non-pure varieties, but so much better for your health because it is a natural form of sugar that contains many B vitamins, iron and some trace minerals. Yum-O!

Another of my favorites is honey.



And not just regular honey, but raw honey. We buy ours from a health food store because I can't find it at the regular grocery store. It looks a little different then the honey I grew up with, and in my opinion, actually tastes better. It is thicker and more of a dull color. It has a richer taste and is a natural product, which makes it a good sugar substitute.

Next up - Molasses.



This is one of my husband's favorites. We made the Best molasses cookies the other day. They really were. Much better then store bought, and when you make them yourself, you can control the ingredients. We cut down on the sugar we used and substituted brown sugar in place of white sugar. Here is the recipe. Molasses has many nutrients including calcium and iron. This is esp. true in blackstrap molasses. It does have a very distinct dark taste. I would not say that molasses is sweet, but when you use it in the right recipe it is very good.

We have also used Agave nectar as a sugar substitute.



This is also very good. There are several different varieties. It tastes a bit sweeter then regular sugar; yet, has a low glycemic index which is good for insulin levels. Agave nectar has saponins, which are known to have natural anti-inflammatory and immune strengthening components.

There are other natural sweeteners out there. I certainly haven't talked about them all here. But I did talk about the ones that I have tried and liked lately. Some of these are good sugar substitutes. You could also substitute with mashed banana or applesauce in some recipes. I use a lot of the sweeteners I talked about to sweeten my oatmeal in the morning. So good!

What type of sweeteners do you prefer?

I hope you enjoyed reading and have an extra sweet Valentine's Day today!

Rebecca

Heart Health

Note: this is a re-post from last year. Today is the 29th anniversary of my grandfather's passing and February is also American Heart Health Month so I thought I would re-post. Shaklee has improved their CoQHeart supplement. You can also still get the Cinch Sampler Pack for free through March of this year. Enjoy!

I was 7 years old when my grandfather died of a massive heart attack. It was his second. He was 66 years old. Although I was quite young at the time, I have some clear memories of my grandfather: His short white buzz cut hair and how soft it was. I remember his nick name for me. I remember how he loved to fall asleep on his hammock with a good book. And how he loved to fish. I also remember feeling very sad because I wasn't going to get to see or talk to my grandpa ever again. He was too young to die and I was too young to not have him around anymore to learn from.

Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of Americans. I have a tendency to think, "that may be true, but I am healthy. I don't smoke, for the most part I eat healthy, I try my best to exercise, I keep my weight in check so that doesn't apply to me". But the truth is, that CAN be me or any of us. Heart disease runs in my family. Not only did it take my grandfather's life, but my dad had triple bypass surgery in 1987 at the age of 43. It is a reality for me and for many of us.

But there are things we can do to help prevent this disease. Because February is American Heart Month and also the anniversary month of my grandpa's passing, I thought it was a good and important topic to blog about now. The first step to prevention is to know your risk factors. Some of these, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, being overweight or obese, and stress can be controlled. That is good news! Other factors, such as family history, age and gender cannot be controlled. When we know our risks and make healthy choices, our chances of not having a heart attack improves dramatically.

Some facts to keep in mind for prevention:

Diet & Exercise

Good prevention starts with healthy food choices and also exercise. The exercise doesn't have to be a huge change. If you are not currently exercising, just start by walking for 15 minutes a day. Then gradually increase it. Find something that works for you. Maybe try parking a little further away from your office or the grocery store. Or take the stairs rather then the elevator. Just getting your heart rate up each day can help tremendously. And it also helps to manage stress. For me, I love doing yoga. It really helps to relax me and is also a nice form of exercise. Whatever you can do will help in this area! By starting to lose inches, particularly in the belly area, your risk of having a heart attack will go down. You may want to look into an inch loss program. Shaklee, the #1 natural nutrition company in the US, has a wonderful and clinically proven inch loss program called Cinch. This is a research-based weight loss program that is powered by leucine, which will help you to lose the fat and not the muscle and actually keep it off. Through March of 2012, you can get a Cinch Sampler Pack for free!! If you are struggling with weight like so many Americans are, then this could be a great way to start turning that around and help to get yourself and your heart healthy once and for all! By keeping yourself to a healthy weight, your heart doesn't have to work as hard.

Cholesterol

Healthy food choices will also help you to keep saturated and trans fats intake low. These are found in a lot of deep fried and processed foods. It's bad because it raises our LDL or bad cholesterol, which puts us at risk to have a heart attack. I have been hearing a lot of success stories lately about Shaklee's Cholesterol Reduction Complex. Also, taking a good quality multi vitamin such as Vita-lea will help to "fill in the gaps" in our nutrition and help to ensure that we are getting the vitamins and minerals that our body needs to help to maintain good health. If you do have some of the risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol, you may want to look into Shaklee's CoQHeart. This has CoEnzymeQ10 plus resveratrol (the 'good for you stuff' found in red wine) that helps promote cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart muscle and promotes healthy blood flow to the arteries.

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is another risk factor for heart disease. Keeping stress levels and weight low and making healthy food choices will help with this. Normal blood pressure ranges from 110/75 to 140/90. By eliminating things like smoking, caffeine and excess weight (esp. in the belly), we can help to regulate our blood pressure.


Omega-3 Fatty Acid

These are so important for prevention. Omega-3's (DHA and EPA) help to prevent blood clots and can lower your risk of having a heart attack. They also helps to maintain healthy triglyceride levels, maintain normal blood pressure and supports brain, eye and joint health. Omega 3's are found in some fish, especially in wild caught salmon. I have been buying more salmon lately and have found some good quality wild caught salmon in the frozen section of Aldi's for a reasonable price. You can also find Omega 3's in flaxseed. I have been adding this to things like soup and oatmeal lately. It doesn't have any taste, so it is a good way to sneak some nutrition into your food, esp. if you have children! Omega-3's are also in different nuts and seeds and also in sardines, but I think I will pass on those! Most people are not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet however. Because of this, you may want to consider adding a supplement to your diet to ensure you are getting your daily allowance. For adults, you may want to try Shaklee's OmegaGuard. It is a natural fish oil supplement from small cold-water fish. It is gluten free and contains all 7 omega 3's including DHA and EPA. For children, Omega-3's can be helpful for brain development and concentration. Shaklee makes a tasty orange chew Omega 3 called Mighty Smarts which my 2 year old loves. We give him half of one a few times a week.

Fiber

Many Americans just are not getting enough fiber in their diet. Good fiber can be found in whole grains, fruits and veggies. Fiber helps to decrease bad cholesterol and gives you nutrients to help keep your heart healthy. For added fiber, you could try Fiber Plan which is a powder that you can mix into juice or other liquids or you could try the apple cinnamon Fiber Advantage Bars.

Salt and Sugar Intake

When keeping your heart healthy, we need to think about our salt and sugar intake. The amount of salt that we take in influences our blood pressure. By cooking our own food and staying away from the processed foods, we can control what we put into the food we eat. I actually don't use much salt when I cook. I can thank my parents for this because after my dad had his bypass surgery years ago, my mom took most salt out of our diet. I am not used to it so I don't crave it. If you like a lot of salt, then try to gradually decrease the amount you use. I have heard that our bodies adjust to the amount we crave as we change our intake. I am thankful that my husband doesn't like too much salt either. His dad has kidney disease, so because of that, he did not grow up with highly salted food either. A friend of mine from college came to visit me a few years back when I was living in California and I had to leave for the day because I was on jury duty. When I got back, she asked me where I kept the salt. I realized then that I actually did not own any! Those were back in the days when I lived alone and did not bake much:)

Another thought for prevention is to keep sugar intake low, which will keep our weight low. Now if my friend would have asked me if I had any of THAT in my apartment, I would have been able to point her to several locations! Sugar is my weakness! But if we remember to keep our sugar intake low, that will help prevent diseases like diabetes. I wrote a blog about natural sugar substitutes last week that you can find HERE. One thing that helps me with my sugar addiction is to simply not buy too much of it. I make sure I am not hungry when I go to the grocery store and I stick to my list to avoid the impulse buys. I do believe that "everything in moderation" is ok for most of us, esp. when using the natural sugar substitutes that I talk about in my blog.

Whew! That was a lot of info, but worth reading I hope. I am not an expert on heart health. These are just my opinions and info I have gathered from researching the topic. Whenever making changes to diet, exercise, supplements, etc, it is always a good idea to consult with your doctor. I did talk a lot about Shaklee products here. If you are interested in knowing more about Shaklee products, the company and the science behind it, please visit the "why Shaklee" tab on my website.

Thanks for reading and have a great and heart healthy week!

Rebecca

Disclaimer: I have been working on this blog for days and it has seemed to take on a mind of its own. If font size, color, links (or lack there of!) etc get weird as you read, I apologize. I am just so frustrated so I am putting it up anyway! Probably not too great for my blood pressure! lol Any blogging logistical tips would be appreciated. :)

a new take on oatmeal!

After writing my Heart Health Blog recently, I got to thinking about ways that I try to keep my heart healthy. I started eating oatmeal regularly a few months ago. I initially started it because I knew it was healthy and more filling then the toast and juice I had been eating. At first, I wasn't thrilled about the taste. I knew the instant oatmeal packets weren't good for me because of the high sodium and sugar content, so I went for the quick whole oats. I will admit that it was pretty bland until I started sprucing it up a bit. I talked about some of those ways in my Natural Sweeteners blog. Some of my favorite things to add to it are: pure maple syrup or raw honey, 1/2 of a mashed banana and cinnamon. Cinnamon alone has several great health benefits. Taking 1/2 tsp. a day can help to lower bad cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, and can increase cognitive functioning and memory. Cinnamon has also been used in cancer research, has anti-clotting components in the blood and is a good source of fiber, iron and calcium. When mixed with a tablespoon of honey before breakfast, cinnamon has been known to help with arthritis pain.

I mix my oatmeal with water and microwave it for 50 seconds. I finish it with a sprinkle of flax seed, which is a great source of omega 3s and doesn't change the taste. I also add Protein after I heat it, which helps to keep me going and full for quite awhile. I am a mom of a toddler and a baby, so the extra boost of energy is much appreciated in my busy days!

Instead of water, my husband has also made a baked oatmeal by adding eggs and milk and cooking them slowly. I haven't tried this yet myself, mostly because of the time factor with my kiddos, but he said it was really good and filled him up until lunchtime.

So if you are looking for a tasty, quick and healthy breakfast option, I would encourage you to take a look at oatmeal. With the right additions, it may just give you what you are looking for:)

Thanks for reading and have a great and healthy week!!

Rebecca

March is National Nutrition Month!

I was pretty excited to learn that the American Dietetic Association has made March National Nutrition Month! I have been interested in nutrition and health in general for sometime now, esp. in the last few years since I became a mom. My education is in music therapy, so I do have a big interest in health and wellness. Nutrition plays a strong role in that.

This year's theme is "Eat right with color". I love that! Most people, myself included, don't get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet. I talked about some of this a few weeks ago when I posted about Heart Health.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. They can help to prevent diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes. And I have found that it really doesn't require too much effort to sneak them into food. Try keeping a few bags of your family's favorite frozen veggies on hand and add them to soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. You can do this even if the recipe doesn't call for them. I really love to cook but I really do not like to follow recipes. I tend to put dinners together with what I have on hand, so this tip works well in my house. I like to cook with different spices too, instead of salt. Spices add a lot of flavor without the salt. Here are a few pictures of some dinners I created recently with various things we had in the house. They aren't fancy but they tasted great and gave us some good color and nutrients:
This was a simple stir fry that I put together with chicken breast, brown rice, and whatever veggies I had on hand which were red onions, bell pepper, spinach and mushrooms. I just added some garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, a little low sodium soy sauce and worcestershire sauce and ginger powder. It turned out pretty good!
Here's another for some fish tacos I made. I cubed the salmon (a great source of Omega 3 fatty acid) and cooked it in a little extra virgin olive oil with some cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and chili powder. Then I sauted some red onion and added tomato and fresh cilantro. (I don't always have fresh herbs in the house but I wanted it for another recipe so I bought it. They are pretty reasonable and add a ton of flavor to dishes and soups. )
Here is the end result of the above pic: salmon fish tacos! yum! I added some fresh spinach and brown rice, a little salsa and sour cream. They were pretty tasty and my 2 year old loved them!
Here is another where I sauted the veggies up and served them over baked salmon with whole wheat pasta. So good and lots of good color! :)


And one more with some asparagus with a vinegar base. My family loves asparagus. One of my favorite ways to cook it is to put it on a baking sheet with some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and add a little course salt or other seasoning. I put it in the oven at 350 for about 15 min. It's an easy side that I can throw in with other things that I am baking.

I am always careful to really clean my fruit and vegetables well before eating or cooking with them. I used to only use water but I have learned that water doesn't always do the trick in removing any chemicals or wax from the produce. So now I use my Basic H2. Just one or two squirts from the window mix bottle (16 oz water, 1-2 drops of Basic H2) and some water cleans them well.

Some other good ways to add fruits and vegetables into your meals:

-add cut up veggies to sandwiches or wraps. I love wraps, so I often do this with beans and veggies and/or left over rice. It's an easy and quick lunch for me and my toddler.

-add veggies to pizza. I love to make my own but if you are in a rush, you can also add veggies to store bought. We got a Papa Murphy's take and bake pizza the other day and I added some spinach and tomatoes to it. Here's a pic:
Another idea:

- add fruit to yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, etc. We made pancakes this morning and I added some mashed banana. Big hit in my house! I have also made them with blueberries. I have been eating a lot of oatmeal lately, and love to put a mashed banana or other fruit in that along with one of the natural sweeteners that I talked about here.

Supplement Your Diet

Since it is very difficult to get enough of the vitamins and minerals that we need for good health from our food, I love knowing that the quality supplements that I take and my husband takes help to "fill in the gap" in our nutrition. I also add protein powder to my oatmeal or shakes in the morning, which help to give me extra nutrients and energy to get through my day. These have been a real lifesaver since I am a busy mom with a 2 year old and 7 mo. old to take care of. My children also take Shaklee supplements and I am so thankful for our family's good health because of them! We are really rarely sick and my kids have never had ear infections. I will write more about children's health next week and share my kid's stories there.

Healthy Weight with FREE Shaklee Cinch!

One last thing to keep in mind when talking about good nutrition is maintaining a healthy weight. They really do go hand in hand. Shaklee has an awesome promotion running right now through the end of March where you can get a Cinch Sampler Pack for FREE!! Shaklee's Cinch Inch Loss Products are a natural and healthy way to lose the inches of fat while keeping the muscle. It's great for people who only have a few pounds to lose or others who have a few more to lose:)

This was a fun post for me to write since I love learning and sharing about nutrition. I hope you took some things from it to use for your own family! Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a comment with any nutrition tips that you have found work well for you and your family!

Have a healthy and colorful week! :)

Rebecca