Today’s Health Tip ~ Up Your Nutrition with Black Beans

The Health Benefits of Black Beans

Black beans have been a staple of North American diets for at least 7,000 years. Known as Phaseolus vulgaris in scientific circles, they’re also called “turtle beans” in English and frijoles negros in Spanish. Black beans have a satisfying texture and mildly sweet flavor. They’re also incredibly healthy, providing multiple vital nutrients with minimal fat and sugar. The antioxidants, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates in black beans make them nutritionally powerful. A diet rich in beans can reduce your risk of several serious medical conditions and help your body to process calories more effectively.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Are Pears a Healthy Choice?

Pears Are a Super Healthy Choice

A medium-sized pear (178 grams) provides the following nutrients:

    • Calories: 101
    • Protein: 1 gram
    • Carbs: 27 grams
    • Fiber: 6 grams
    • Vitamin C: 12% of the
      Daily Value (DV)
    • Vitamin K: 6% of DV
    • Potassium: 4% of the DV
    • Copper: 16% of DV

This same serving also provides small amounts of folate, provitamin A, and niacin. Folate and niacin are important for cellular function and energy production, while provitamin A supports skin health and wound healing.

Pears are likewise a rich source of important minerals, such as copper and potassium. Copper plays a role in immunity, cholesterol metabolism, and nerve function, whereas potassium aids muscle contractions and heart function.

What’s more, these fruits are an excellent source of polyphenol antioxidants, which protect against oxidative damage. Be sure to eat the whole pear, as the peel boasts up to six times more polyphenols than the flesh.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Grape Seeds: Are they safe to eat? What are their benefits?

Can Grape Seeds Be Safely Eaten?

Grape seeds are small, crunchy, pear-shaped seeds found in the middle of seeded grapes. . . . While they may not be the tastiest, they’re harmless for most people to eat. If you choose not to spit them out, it’s OK to chew and swallow them. In fact, ground up grape seeds are used to make grape seed oil and grape seed extract, which have become popular health foods. However, certain populations may want to avoid eating grape seeds. Some research has found that grape seed extract has blood-thinning properties, which could interfere with blood-thinning medications or be unsafe for people with bleeding disorders.

Nutritional Benefits of Grape Seeds

Grape seeds are a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids, and melatonin, which may support heart and brain health, better sleep, and normal circulation.

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🍎 Health Hack: Almonds for a Healthy Heart

Almonds

Almonds are rich in healthy fats, fiber and protein, these nuts are made for more than snacking. Use slivered almonds as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, add them to muffin recipes, or use almond flour in place of regular flour in pancakes.

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🍎 Health Hack: It All Begins at Breakfast

“A fiber- and protein-rich breakfast may fend off hunger pangs for longer and provide the energy you need to keep your exercise going.  Follow these tips for eating a healthy breakfast: Instead of eating sugar-laden cereals made from refined grains, try oatmeal, oat bran, or other whole-grain cereals that are high in fiber. Then, throw in some protein, such as milk, yogurt, or chopped nuts. 

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Nutrition Hack: Embrace Whole Grains

4 Benefits of Whole Grains

  1. Bran and fiber slow the breakdown of starch into glucose—thus maintaining a steady blood sugarrather than causing sharp spikes.
  2. Fiber helps lower cholesterol as well as move waste through the digestive tract.
  3. Fiber may also help prevent the formation of small blood clots that can trigger heart attacks or strokes.
  4. Phytochemicals and essential minerals such as magnesium, selenium and copper found in whole grains may protect against some cancers.

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Health Hack: Pass the Guacamole

Avocados Are Giving Your Heart Lots of Love

Avocados are a fun food to eat, they’re nutritious, and they’re a good source of monounsaturated fat, which can reduce your risk of heart disease. A recent study found that LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol was lowered when people replaced the saturated fat in their diet with one Hass avocado a day. The study also found decreases in the LDL particle number and the ratio of LDL to HDL (“good” cholesterol), suggesting avocados have even more cardiovascular benefits. Researchers concluded that avocados may protect the heart in a similar way as olive oil and nuts do in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.

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Nutrition Hack: 10 of 10 Intuitive Eating Principles

Honor your health — gentle nutrition

The food you eat should taste good and make you feel good. Remember that it’s your overall food patterns that shape your health. One meal or snack isn’t going to make or break your health.

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Nutrition Hack: 9 of 10 Intuitive Eating Principles

Intuitive Eating Principle #9

Exercise — feel the difference

Find ways to move your body that you enjoy. Shift the focus from losing weight to feeling energized, strong, and alive.

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Nutrition Hack: 8 of 10 Intuitive Eating Principles

Intuitive Eating Principle #8

Respect your body

Rather than criticizing your body for how it looks and what you perceive is wrong with it, recognize it as capable and beautiful just as it is.

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