2015 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen: Know Your Produce Is buying organic really the healthiest way to eat produce? Sometimes yes, but sometimes surprisingly, no. The “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists of 2015 can help you decide what fruits and veggies have the least amount of pesticides — organic or not. Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) provides a Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce with the intention of helping consumers decide whether buying organic is in their best interest. Key Findings from the EWG: 99 percent of apples, 98 percent of peaches and 97 percent of nectarines tested positive for at least one pesticide.The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample contained 15 pesticides.Single samples of cherry tomatoes, nectarines, peaches, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides apiece. “Dirty Dozen,” fruits and veggies with the most pesticides… 1. 1.
untitled untitled Turmeric's 'Smart Kill' Properties Put Chemo & Radiation To Shame The ancient Indian spice turmeric strikes again! A new study finds turmeric extract selectively and safely killing cancer stem cells in a way that chemo and radiation can not. A groundbreaking new study published in the journal Anticancer Research reveals that one of the world's most extensively researched and promising natural compounds for cancer treatment: the primary polyphenol in the ancient spice turmeric known as curcumin, has the ability to selectively target cancer stem cells, which are at the root of cancer malignancy, while having little to no toxicity on normal stem cells, which are essential for tissue regeneration and longevity. Click to view The study identified the following 8 molecular mechanisms by which curcumin targets and kills cancer stem cells: Down-regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6): IL-6 is classified as a cytokine (a potent biomolecule released by the immune system) and modulates both immunity and inflammation. Continue to Page 2
6 Healthy Breakfast Recipes You Can Eat at Your Desk A healthy breakfast sometimes falls by the wayside when time is tight, but that shouldn’t be your excuse for sinking your teeth into donuts and muffins at your desk just because you had no extra time to prepare your morning meal at home. Instead of breaking your health pact by 9 a.m. and indulging on the always available donuts and muffins at work, challenge yourself this fall to packing one of these six healthy breakfasts that can easily be prepared in the office and eaten at your desk. They’re not fussy or fancy, but they are appetizing, and they’re guaranteed to keep you coming back for healthier breakfast options more and more. Source: iStock 1. Perhaps one of the best breakfasts you can easily prepare in the office kitchen and enjoy morning after morning at your desk is hot oatmeal. You also have the option of preparing overnight oats if you like your oatmeal cold, and/or don’t want to use the office microwave. Ingredients: Directions: Stir everything together in a bowl. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Cats who are stealing your sh*t 2 clicks Because cats have a hard time respecting property rights. 1. "This is mine now." Reddit: llama_laughter 2. "Gimme it." Reddit: Lou882 3. Reddit 4. Instagram 5. Reddit: thisbikeisatardis 6. Reddit: 5paz 7. Reddit: lfaust1124 8. Instagram 9. Reddit: followthebunny 10. Reddit: lovethedaffodil 11. Instagram 12. Reddit: pointhwerp Instagram 14. Reddit: Spare_Ribz is a staff writer at The Dodo, having previously worked at BuzzFeed.
22 Delicious High-Fiber Foods Fiber is incredibly important. It escapes digestion in the stomach and ends up reaching the gut. There, it feeds the friendly gut bacteria, leading to all sorts of health benefits (1, 2). Not surprisingly, studies show that people who eat the most fiber tend to be the healthiest. Fortunately, increasing your fiber intake is relatively simple, and some foods that are high in fiber are also incredibly delicious and easy to incorporate into the diet. Photo Credit: Flickr/Rebecca Seigel 1. The pear is a popular type of fruit that is both tasty and nutritious. Fiber content: 5.5 grams in a medium-sized pear, or 3.1 grams per 100 grams (1). 2. Strawberries are incredibly delicious. Fiber content: 3 grams in a cup, or 2 grams per 100 grams (2). 3. The avocado is different from most fruits. Fiber content: 10 grams in a cup, or 6.7 grams per 100 grams (3). 4. Apples are among the tastiest and most satisfying fruits you can eat. 5. 6. Love This? Thanks for subscribing! 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
The 7 Healthiest Carbs You Can Eat For a few decades now, carbohydrates have been considered by many to be the be-all-end-all of worst types of foods to eat. But, not so fast; carbs are an essential building block of a healthy diet. Sure, you can technically survive without carbs, because your body will use fat and protein for energy instead, but that doesn’t mean it’s a safe — or smart — way to eat. There are plenty of great, superfood-caliber carbs, out there. Read on for some of the best carb-loaded foods you can eat. 1. Regular ol’ potatoes are loaded with carbs, and are lacking in plenty of other healthy nutrients. 2. Ah quinoa, that mighty Incan superfood. 3. No, really! The trick to enjoying the taste and the nutritional benefits of popcorn? 4. Apples have plenty of carbs, but they also have plenty of other great nutrients, too. 5. This cereal grain is rich in fiber, manganese and molybdenum. 6. This breakfast staple is one of the healthiest carbs you can eat. 7.
8 Great Benefits of Onions Never mind the tears they bring on–onions are an ace ally in your fight against disease. A prized member of the lily family, onions lavish you with health benefits while adding oodles of taste to your food. Not to mention you can buy a bundle from the grocery store for mere pennies. Here’s a quick glimpse at their incredible health benefits: The phytochemicals in onions along with their vitamin C help improve immunity.Onions contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar.For centuries, onions have been used to reduce inflammation and heal infections.Do you enjoy sliced onions with your food? Which type of onions are the healthiest? My favorite way to enjoy onions is to slice them really thin, squeeze some lemon juice on top and add a little salt. Here are some other ways to enjoy onions (click on the titles or images for the recipes): 1. Love This? 2. Onion and Sweet Potato Foccacia | Image and recipe credit: Chef Nathan Lyon 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Gingery Miso Peanut Sauce Makes Everything Taste GOOD I like to make a big batch of this nutty, sweet, gingery sauce to use in lots of ways throughout the week – as the dressing for a rice bowl, as a sauce for baked tofu, as a dip for carrot and cucumber sticks, a marinade for grilled shrimp, and more. It does require a little slicing and dicing and the use of a food processor but it’s really pretty easy, especially if you are in the habit of washing your Cuisinart in the dishwasher. A little garlic, a lot of ginger, some nice, mellow white miso (you can use any kind you like, though), a good, organic, unsalted peanut butter, some soy sauce, a little sugar, and a few other things go into the food processor. Add a little hot water and blend until it’s smooth and creamy. If you want to take this in more of a Thai direction, add coconut milk, up the chili paste a bit and add some fish sauce. Use it to dress a salad, drizzle it over baked tofu, dip carrot and cucumber sticks in, etc. Gingery Miso Peanut SauceMakes a little more than 2 cups 1. 2.
Top 12 Anti-Inflammatory Foods Inflammation is an important immune system function. But, when out of control, it can cause serious damage. Inflammation has been linked to major diseases such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and signs of aging. There’s good news: many foods are naturally anti-inflammatory. 12 Natural Anti-Inflammatory Foods Beets’ red color actually helps with inflammation. 1. 2. 3. 4. Green tea is the most popular health drink in the world. 5. 6. Ginger has many health and medicinal benefits. 7. Read more: 7 Heavenly Health Benefits of Ginger 8. Onions taste so good that it is easy to forget how healthy they are for you. 10. 11. Turmeric is the king of anti-inflammatories. 12. Read more at: Turmeric: The Spice of Life To get healthy recipes and tips sent to your mailbox once a week with more information about these foods, subscribe to my newsletter.
Benefits of Fermented food Wondering what all the fermented food fuss is about? Sick of trying to figure out what probiotic supplement is best for your belly? Look no further than the back of your fridge where the often-neglected pickles and sauerkraut live. These delightfully tart foods (and many others) bolster bacteria in your gut and give your body the juice it needs to absorb nutrients. The infographic below is a quick but thorough guide to all your fermented food questions. This infographic originally appeared on HealthCentral RelatedDIY Fermented Foods: Healthy Sauerkraut10 Benefits and Uses for MisoHow to Make Live Culture Pickles
8 Tips to Buy Better Yogurt Despite all of the hype, not all yogurt is good for you. Here are 8 tips to help you select the best and healthiest yogurt for you: 1. Look for live cultures. The live cultures in yogurt provide the many beneficial gut health and overall health benefits we attribute to yogurt. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules since there are many manufacturing and processing variables that determine the quality of the yogurt you choose but the above guidelines will help you pick the best one for your buck. For more information check out my book The Probiotic Promise: Simple Steps to Heal Your Body from the Inside Out (DaCapo, 2015, Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM).