Are u hungry??! Grab some pistachios and enjoy its crunchy delicious taste. Some people may wonder how do these delicious crunchy nuts could also be good and healthy for them. So let’s bring it up people…

It’s called skinny nuts because it has the least amount of fat and calories, the serving of the pistachio will be half a cup with the shells on or quarter a cup with shells off and 1 serving of pistachio has more potassium than a large banana, has more antioxidant than green tea.

Vitamins , minerals and calories.

Pistachios have more than 30  different vitamins and minerals and vital nutrients. Also pistachios are rich in copper , manganese and phosphorus which helps build up your bones healthy and strong. They also contain a noticeable amount of magnesium and potassium which helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

Pistachios are also rich in B6 vitamin and other B vitamins so they help you build muscles, boost your energy and fight infection.

In USDA study pistachios were placed in the group of the highest antioxidant capacity when compared to 100 other foods. Antioxidants help to prevent cell damage. And what makes the pistachio green is a compound called lutein which is found to prevent the most common form of blindness in adults over 65. Pistachios are the only nuts to contain this powerful antioxidant.

1 ounce of pistachios serving about 28.3 grams with 49 kernels have 160 calories.

Pistachios and cholesterol.

There is a study published by the American journal of clinical nutrition has found that pistachios can be a heart healthy food because it can lower your LDL and raise your HDL cholesterol.

We all need fat in our diets , it adds flavor and helps us feel full for longer but you have to choose the good fat (unsaturated) not the bad fat ( saturated) , pistachio makes a great snack because they contain almost 90 % unsaturated fat. So you can improve your heart health and lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise your HDL (good cholesterol) by replacing saturated fat with mono or polyunsaturated fat.

Pistachios actually can lower the absorption of dietary cholesterol from food thanks for something called phytosterol in pistachios.

Pistachios are wonderful!!

Pistachios are really wonderful as snacks and they are really high in fiber , 1 serving of pistachio can give you 3 grams of fiber so you can snack on these ,  you can put them in your salads or toss them in your greens , you can even put them on your ice cream it would be so delicious and the good thing about snacking on pistachios is that they make you feel full for longer time and increases the length of getting hungry again , well I think that is a bonus!!! And that happens due to its significant amount of protein, fiber and healthy fats.

I hope you enjoyed food for this week .. keep checking my blog and keep updated.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Walnuts

• Helps protect against heart disease
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Good Source of omega-3 fats

Today I am going to post about walnuts , it’s a delicious way to add extra nutrition to your meal , as we all know it is a rich source of omega-3 which helps fight inflammation and also rich in monounsaturated fats those fats are very good for our heart.

Walnuts provides lots of nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, vitamin B9, B6, E, A.

Walnuts also contribute substantial amounts of dietary fiber which makes them useful in case of constipation

A very new research was done on walnuts and came up by this unique information, walnuts contains a compound called ellagic acid which is considered an antioxidant , it appears to block the metabolic pathway that may lead to cancer , the same compound can prevent the cancer cells from duplicating and can detoxify cancer-causing chemicals , so that’s all very exciting news. Walnuts also contain other antioxidants such as selenium and vitamin E.

Image source:whfoods.org

Shopping for walnuts

When you are shopping for walnuts, keep in mind that they are very sensitive to air and humidity so once you’ve opened the walnuts bag store them in an air tight container and preferably in the refrigerator, personally I keep them in a glass jar with a really tight lid they last longer, it protects them and keeps them from going rancid.

Try to avoid roasted walnuts or any roasted nuts because commercial roasting exposes nuts for very high temperature what that does is that it basically ruins the oils and makes them more harmful to us so maybe you are eating walnuts for cancer prevention and if you are eating roasted walnuts it could be actually harmful more than good for you so what you can do is buy them raw it is very delicious that way but if you prefer them roasted you can simply roast them by yourself at home it is very simple , first preheat your oven to 160 degree no higher then spread the walnuts just a single layer on a cookie sheet put them in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes and you’ve made your own roasted walnuts at home and you have protected the oils that are very healthy for us.

Walnuts makes a great snack!

Walnuts make a great snack as is but you can add them to your salads they are great in salads, you can add them to your rice or to yogurt and if you are still using croutons on  your salads consider switching them out with walnuts because croutons are empty calories and most people wants them on their salads for their crunchiness and you can get that from the walnuts, you can also get the healthy nutrients from them that are good for our heart and protect us from cancer.

Walnuts are so healthy grab some and enjoy a healthy delicious crunchy snack!!

Sweet potatoes:                                                        

• Aids iron absorption from cereals
• Linked to reduced risk of arthritis
• A good source of vitamins A,C and E

This week I am going to talk about sweet potatoes, it is a very sweet delicious food let’s talk about its nutritious value.

Nutritious value

Well sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin A (beta-carotene) and a very good source of vitamin C and manganese also a good source of copper, vitamin B6, dietary fibers and iron. 

Now vitamin C and beta-carotene are very powerful antioxidants which have healing properties they work in the body to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that damage cells and cell membranes and they cause some bad health conditions such as atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and diabetic heart disease, that’s why vitamin C and beta-carotene are very helpful for preventing these conditions. And it’s good to know that the deeper orange, the sweet potato and the higher its beta-carotene content.

High blood level of beta-carotene can reduce skin sensitivity to sunlight, that’s not an alternative for sunscreen lotions or sun exposure precautions.

 Beta-carotene appears to double the rate of iron absorption from cereals such as rice, corn and wheat.

It has anti-inflammatory properties also so it has been linked to reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. And that is why sweet potatoes are a better alternative than the starchy white potatoes. Sweet potatoes helps to prevent arthritis unlike white potatoes that angervate the symptoms of arthritis. Recent studies on animals have shown that sweet potatoes may regulate blood sugar level so it is a very good food for diabetic people to include in their diet.

Check the nutritional value of sweet potatoes in the table below.

  Image source: whfoods.com

How to buy your sweet potato?

First thing you have to avoid sweet potatoes in the refrigerated sections because what happen is the moisture from the refrigeration will change the flavor of the sweet potatoes and cause it to sprout so keep in mind when you bring them home do not store them in the refrigerator just store them in a cool dark place and they last for about a week.

How to include sweet potatoes in your diet?

You can chop them, steam them and serve it with feta cheese salad with a dressing from your choice (low-fat dressing) or you can steam them and mash them serve it with some shredded coconut and some nuts it will be an excellent side dish. The best way and my favorite it to bake them just wash them cut them halves, sprinkle a little salt on it and bake them for about 30 minutes are a little more if it was a big one, the combination of the sweetness of the sweet potato and the saltiness of the salt will give a great taste you can add a little olive oil if you like (Beta-carotene is best absorbed when eaten with fat) I like to eat it with its skin so in that case try to buy organic sweet potatoes, you don’t want to eat those pesticides.

So at the end I hope you enjoyed food of this week try to include it in your diet because it is such a nutritious food.

Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

Strawberry

• Has anticancer effects
• Raises body antioxidant level
• Rich source of vitamin C

Today’s health topic is about strawberries, well it’s summer and we have delicious fruit season coming our way, I will talk about one of my favorite which is strawberry. Strawberry come into season in april they last all the way through July so take advantage from them now while they are the most nutrient condensed and the most delicious.

Strawberry health benefits

So today I will be sharing with you the health benefits of strawberries, not we really need a reason to know the health benefits because they are really delicious but you have to know that they are packed full of antioxidants that are very powerful and has anti-inflammatory properties and very highly concentrated of vitamin C plus strawberries are very supportive for joint health, a great food to add if you suffer from arthritis, strawberries are also packed full of vitamin K and magnesium which support our bone health, it also contains potassium, vitamin B2 and B5.

Image source: whfoods.com

Strawberries are a key source of ellagic acid which is a phenolic acid that has a potent anticarcinogenic activity and also acts as an antioxidant. Lots of laboratory studies indicate that ellagic acid can inhibit the growth of tumors.

There has been a study done on animals which they eat strawberry rich diet they’ve found that strawberry actually fight free-radical that decrease brain function so they found that those animals improved their motor skills and their learning capacity, so that is really wonderful!

Strawberries are always a sensual delight and with their low calorie content they are a giult-free indulgence. 1 cup of strawberries contain about 43 calories so if you feel you need something sweet grab some strawberries instead of chocolate or candies, they are sweet by themselves!!

How to pick your strawberries?

Now you have to know how to pick your strawberries from supermarket or grocery stores, first of all you have to choose the ripen strawberries because once they are picked they don’t ripen anymore. Then you have to smell the strawberry it should have a really rich aroma, then next notice the color choose the deep dark red and healthy strawberries have a dark green stem to it.

One thing you have to know about strawberries that they do not last long so you have to eat your strawberries with in 3 days, and if you washed them before you refrigerate them that will actually shorten their life so try possibly to wash them right before eating.

Strawberries are really delicious as is, so you do not need a recipe to include strawberries into your diet, but if you need some healthy ways so you can add some strawberries to your fruit salad or eat strawberries with low fat cheese it is really delicious, you can add some honey on your strawberries and be a little creative and add some nuts to make it even more healthy so you have strawberries, honey and nuts yummy what could be better than that?! or you can bake a strawberry cake, try making strawberry cheese cake using low fat cream cheese into it, it will perfect.

And for a bonus strawberries have a low glycemic index about 40 so consider it if you are following a low-GI diet and certainly you can add it to a healthy balanced diet because it is low in calories as I mentioned previously.

So I hope youo enjoy strawberries while they are in season, and I hope you find good useful tips for you in this article.

Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

Pineapple

• May have an anti-inflammatory effects.
• Used as a meat tenderizer.
• Useful source of vitamin C and potassium.

This week I am going to talk about a healthy juicy yellow fruit which has that tasty tropical flavor, it is pineapple.

Pineapple health benefits

Most people complain about improper digestion due to over indulgence at weekends. Pineapple helps in digestion so if you know that you’re going to over indulge make sure to eat couple of slices of fresh pineapples right after your meal to avoid this discomfort feeling after eating. Fresh pineapple is famous for containing the plant enzyme bromelain, that acts as digestion aid, bromelain breaks down proteins and most is found in the stem rather than the fruit of the plant. Bromelain is used commercially as a meat tenderizer and there has been much interest in its potential medicinal uses as supplement. Bromelain is only found in fresh raw pineapple you will not going to find it in canned or cooked pineapple, so make sure you eat your pineapple fresh.

Canned pineapple are also delicious but I want to encourage you to look carefully on the label some contain antacid with has aluminum that cause kidney stones, it also inhibit mineral and nutrient absorption from our foods but you do have a natural solution and that solution is fresh pineapple.

Pineapple has anti-inflammatory properties to it so it is a very good food to add it to your diet if you suffer from inflammatory issues like arthritis or sinuses or even sore throats or asthma, also pineapple are very high in vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant it also contains manganese and vitamin B1 and B6 and it is very low in calories about 76 calories for a full cup so it is excellent for a snack.

Image source: whfoods.com

How to purchase your pineapples?

Well it is very easy, all you have to do is smell the pineapple it should have a sweet aroma it should also be heavy for its size and if you press it with your thumb it should just give slightly, another thing, you don’ want to bring your pineapple at home unripe because once they are picked they do not ripen anymore.

The best way to eat your pineapple is simply raw, you can add this to your salad or to your smoothies, you can make fruit salad with pineapple, mango, kiwi and papaya for example it will be great. And you can add pineapple slices to your grilled fish with lemon, mustard sauce, or make it as a topping for your cooked chicken, you can make this topping by adding cilantro leaves, some lemon juice, little garlic and some small cubed tomatoes and olive oil to pineapple it would be a very tasty dish.

Pineapple has a medium glycemic index which is 59, make sure you add it to your diet.

I hope you enjoyed food of this week. always take care of your health because it is worth it!

Pumpkin seeds

• Helps lower your cholesterol levels.
• Have anti-cancer effect (Laboratory and animals studies indicates that phytosterols in pumpkin seeds can inhibit cancer development in colon,breast and prostate cells).
• Good source of omega-3 fats and zinc ( which is important for immunity and fertility)

This week I am going to talk about pumpkin seeds, those crunchy nutty delicious and nutritious food. After reading this article you are not going to throw your pumpkin seeds away from your halloween pumpkin, it has lots of health benefits. Now pumpkin seeds is a very good source of protein and contain healthy fats which is omega-3 a heart-healthy nutient. It also has beta-carotene.

Zinc is one further nutrient in pumpkin seeds that might impact prostate function, you may suffer from zinc deficiency if you are having common cold frequently or you may have impaired sense of taste and smell. Pumpkin seeds has an effect to lower you blood sugar level too, it also helps to promote prostate health, recent researches have shown that using pumpkin seeds help those who have benign prostate enlargement. Pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin K also tryptophan ( an essential amino acid formed from proteins it may enhance relaxation and sleep and it has also many others health benefits).

Image source: whfoods.com

Preparing pumpkin seeds at home is very easy!

Now preparing pumpkin seeds at home is very easy, of course you can get them from any store so I encourage you to store them in a sealed bag in the fridge to protect those healthy fats and you can store them up to 6 months, make sure you avoid brown seeds which may be rancid and chew your seeds well. But you can prepare your own pumpkin seeds at home so easily. Just rinse them and dry them off, put them on a pizza pan or flat cookie sheet then preheat the oven to 160 degrees you don’t want to burn them keep it on low temperature to save those healthy fats in them.

Seasoning your pumpkin seeds is very simple you can add sea salt maybe cayenne pepper to make them a little spicy or you can be a little creative and add some soy sauce make a soy sauce mister ( spray) like alive oil mister and mist your pumpkin seeds like that.

Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes max you don’t want to burn them you want to protect the healthy oils there.

How much to eat?

One tablespoon of pumpkin seeds about 1\2 ounce (14 grams) unhulled contain about 60 calories.

Be creative!

Enjoy pumpkin seeds in salads, rice dishes and baking. You can make them a healthy snack, add them to your cereals or to your oat meal plus they are wonderful in greens so when you cook your greens add pumpkin seeds to them. You can be more creative, mash them and add them to your meat loaf or hamburger patties or you can substitute pumpkin seeds for pine nuts in home made pesto sauce, just grind pumpkin seeds with pesto or basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.

So now you know pumpkin seeds are very tasty very healthy, make them a part of your diet.

Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

• Linked to reduced risk of heart disease.
• Has anti-inflammatory effects.
• Has anticancer effects. (stomach cancer)

Today I am going to talk to about onions, red onions, yellow and white onions. We’ve all experienced eye irritation when cutting onions some stronger than others and the reason behind that is when we cut an onion and we remove the cell membrane that will release a really potent vital nutrient called allyl sulphide, it is released when it comes into contact with sulfur compound in onions and that’s what makes our eyes water. It has lots of health benefits it helps maintaining  normal blood sugar levels.

Onions nutrition

4 oz of onions about 120 grams contain only 36 calories.

Onions also are rich in quercetin which has anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin is a potent antioxidant, laboratory studies shows the quercetin protects against free-radical damage to bad LDL cholesterol, The highest concentration of quercetin are found in red onions then yellow onions and white have just a few.

Some people use the sweet onions which are left in the soil longer which makes their carbohydrates turn to sugar for that reason they are sweet. And also they lose many of their nutrients because they are kept in the soil for longer, I am not saying to avoid them but just to know the difference, and as for all vegetables and fruit the darker the color the more nutritious to us so use the red and the yellow more than the white and sweet onions, and the stronger they are and the more they make us tear and irritate the healthier they are for us.

Onions are very good source of chromium, and studies with diabetics have actually shown that chromium can lower blood fasting glucose levels, and it lowers cholesterol, triglyceride and raises HDL level which is so beneficial to our heart, also onions are very good source of fiber and rich in vitamin C too.

Onions also contain manganese, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and copper.

And because for it is anti-inflammatory properties it can be used if you suffer from asthma, arthritis and next time if you have a cold or upper respiratory congestion, try adding onions to some of your foods, that’s why we like soups when we are sick because it has an onion-based to it.

Image source: whfoods.com

How to store onions

So red and yellow onions are healthier than yellow onions, yellow onions are harder so they will stay longer and you can store them on your counter top for about a month. Do not refrigerate uncut onions because you will spoil them, you have to store them away from your potatoes because potatoes produce ethylene gas and onions can absorb their moisture and that will make them spoil much faster.

Store your cut onions in the refrigerator covered to use in couple of days to maintain the most nutrients.

Recent studies have shown that when you cut your onion, keep it for 5 to 10 minutes on the cutting board before cooking them, that will increase the health promoting benefits. One another good thing in onions that it has the lowest pesticides load which makes it maybe the cleanest food on our shelves!!

How to use onions

You can use onions in several dishes such as salads or pizza, spaghetti sauce, casserole, stews , add raw sliced onions to sandwiches and wraps, curries , gravies and any of Mexican dishes from fajitas to tacos.

One last thing to mention is onion rings are not considered a healthy food so don’t even think about it!!

The food of this week is pizza, pizza is one of the most popular food that we love but we are always worried about eating it due to its high calorie content, we hate that how much pizza is unhealthy for us. Starting with the crust they are always coming from refined carbohydrates they have trans fat in them and there is the topping coming from cheese to sausage mostly coming from unhealthy animal sources and full of unhealthy fats, So i am going to show you today how to make your healthy pizza without sacrificing flavor or time, this is going to be very easy and fast.

Now I start with a raw flour tortilla because when choosing raw tortilla you can control how its cooked, I cook mine in a non-stick pan with no oil, this tortilla is about 120 calories, that’s awesome for a crust. The next think I do is I saute’ fresh vegetables, I take the opportunity to pack on vegetables to make my healthy tasty pizza. Be creative look up in your freezer what do you have up there, I usually have frozen spinach or frozen artichokes hearts. You can use tomato slices, broccoli that you are not using or some asparagus tips, look to you cabinet maybe you have some sun dried tomatoes or pepper flakes and think about throwing some nuts on the top such as pinenuts to make it even more healthy.

Now the next thing you want to think about  is your pizza sauce, I actually do not recommend using the ready made jarred pizza sauce, because it is full with artificial flovors, colorings and preservatives which always we want to avoid, some stores have fresh made sauce it is ok to use that, or make it at home which is easy and the best, put your favorite seasoning as desired, I actually use more sauce and less cheese.

So now you’ve got all your ingredients, you can put your sauce on your tortilla sprinkle a little bit of cheese mozzarella or whatever you like, try to use low fat cheese, put your saute’ed vegatables, when i saute’ these vegetables I use a little bit olive oil, crushed pepper, some oniones and a little bit of garlic and salt and you can season it how you like it to be. Now you got your pizza ready, sprinkle a little bit more cheese on the top to get the color, bake about 10 minutes, you will get a crispy shell, the cheese is going to melt and the entire pizza will cost you about 350 calories not to mention its packfull of fibers, vitamins and minerals from those vegetables, now if you want to go a step further, cut this pizza in two halves share it with someone else with a side salad dish. I’ve checked on the internet about common pizza restaurants to check the calories of 1 slice and I’ve found that 1 slice from those pizza contain about 300 calories, so why not make your own at home??!

Make your kids help you making this healthy pizza, you will be teaching them how to make a healthy pizza and healthy food in general besides good eating habits. Let them learn that healthy food is also delicious, so why exposing our health to danger by eating those junk food which is full of unhealthy fats, let them know they can make whatever they want at home, and stay healthy.

One more thing I want to share that if you are a gluten intolerant you still can enjoy this pizza just use corn tortilla, it is going to be a little more crunchier but it will stay taste as good.

I hope you find these tips helpful for enjoying a healthy pizza, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Tomatoes… Has anticancer effects/ Linked to a reduced risk of heart attack/  Useful source of vitamin C and A

There are three kinds of tomatoes :

Cherry tomatoes         Plum tomatoes          Beefsteak tomatoes

Tomatoes most season is July and it stays for the next 4 months so it is good to take advantage from it at that time, it is going to be the most nutritious and delicious. I am going to talk about the health benefits of tomatoes because they are many. One of them is the anti-inflammatory properties in tomatoes such as vitamin C and vitamin A they help to control free-radical damage which occurs on daily basis. Free-radicals were linked to diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer, even arthritis and heart diseases.

The main phytochemical found in tomatoes is lycopene. Up to 85% of lycopene in the diet comes from tomatoes and tomato products. Lycopene was shown to prevent cancer. We can benefit from lycopene better from cooking tomatoes, you can use tomato sauces or canned or you can make it at home (home-made) that’s the best.

If you suffer from low energy, tomatoes will be the best food for you due to its high content of iron and B vitamins such niacin (B1), B6, B3, B2 and B5. Also tomatoes contain a good source of vitamin K and magnesium which is good for our bones as well. And for a bonus tomatoes are very low in calories, 1 cup of raw tomatoes contains about 38 calories, so consider that when you are looking for a snack, maybe a handful of raw cherry tomatoes instead of a handful of potato chips. That would really be a great alternative.

It is important when you go to shop for tomatoes to pick the organic ones, because the non-organic ones have wax on them which will trap pesticides. Another thing you have to know where tomatoes do come from, actually they do not ship very well, so they are picked early which means GREEN, which means they haven’t developed the great vital nutrients which our body needs and they are artificially ripen, they treat it with gas (ethylene) and certainly that is not the most beneficial way for us to be consuming our fruits and vegetables.

Tomatoes are best to serve as raw. You can put them in different salads, you can put them in your wraps and sandwiches. One thing I like to do is cut some avocados and cucumber and add tomatoes, serve it with balsamic vinaigrette dressing or lemon mustard dressing, it would be great delicious and most nutritious.

Another thing you can do is to cut a beefsteak tomato in halves and add some cumin and cayenne pepper or you can add oregano and basil or simply just salt and pepper put them on your grill or cook them in your oven to have the most benefit from lycopene

If you are a big tomato lover why don’t you grow your own tomatoes it is really simple, what’s better than picking tomatoes from your backyard!!

Below you can check all nutrients in tomatoes.

Image source: whfoods.com

Mangos… Linked to reduced risk of cervical and colon cancer / Good source of vitamin C and E

Mango!! It’s called “the king of fruit”. This juicy delicious fruit, who can resist its adorable taste or fragrant smell, this tropical fruit has lots of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. It’s one of the most nutritious not to mention delicious fruit.

Calories

1 medium mango about 200 grams has about 130 kcal

Vitamins and minerals

It’s rich in vitamin C and Vitamin A (beta-carotene) and vitamin K, . Mango also is a good source of vitamin E which can help the hormonal system perform more efficiently . It’s rich in vitamin B6, riboflavin(B2), thiamin(B1) and niacin(B3).

Mango contains phosphorus, magnesium, zinc. It has also potassium which helps to regulated blood pressure, muscle contraction, and keep your bodily processes working correctly. It has iron, for that reason pregnant women, anemic people and women who have heavy monthly menstruations are advised to include mangos in their diet.

Fiber

Mangos are rich in fiber which help or prevent constipation, also fiber plays a big role against colon cancer, it also helps to lower blood choleseterol levels.

Antioxidants

Antioxidant  are super nutrients in our food that help to protect the body from potentially damaging free radicals, they work as slowing or preventative agents against oxidative damage to our bodies. It contains an antioxidant agent called phenols, this phenolic acid has powerful anticancer effects for the human body.

The phytochemical beta-cryptoxanthin in mango has protective antioxidant properties that can be converted by the body to vitamin A.

Glycemic index

Mango has low glycemic index, for that reason it can be included in a low-glycemic index diet. And also it can be included in a healthy diet because it is very low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol.

To check vitamins and minerals percentages in mangos please check: Bitelog

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