Age GracefullyThe First Taste of Fall: Apples & Pears
There’s always a moment when I realize fall has arrived. Here in Southern California, it isn’t necessarily because the temperature has dropped or the leaves have started changing. Sometimes, it’s simply walking through the market and seeing beautiful displays of crisp apples and ripe pears. To me, apples and pears are some of the first tastes of fall. I love them because they’re delicious just as they are, but they’re also incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Slice them into a salad, pair them with nuts and cheese, cook them alongside a savory meal, or bake them with cinnamon and warm […]READ MORE
July 29, 2015
Published by Grace O
I don’t know about you, but I can hardly keep up with which fats are good for you and which to avoid. Most of us have learned about the health benefits of olive oil and that the saturated fat in coconut oil, once a nutritional no-no, is now recognized as extremely healthful because of its antioxidants and ability to be easily turned into fuel by the body. The information on oils and their health properties is changing rapidly. Recently, health experts have been talking about unrefined red palm oil. I have to admit, I didn’t know anything about it, […]
July 22, 2015
Published by Grace O
It’s possible to adjust your mood by adjusting your diet. Certain FoodTrients—like choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and tryptophan—promote healthy neurotransmitters in the brain, allowing calming signals to get through more effectively. Many vitamins and minerals—especially B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and the FoodTrients vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc—are used up when we’re under stress and should be replenished ASAP. To contribute to a good mood, we should be eating whole grains, poultry, eggs, citrus, berries, and dark green veggies. Putting the right foods into our bodies is only half the battle. We also need to be sure we’re not […]
July 4, 2015
Published by Grace O
At this point in the year I start to lose my enthusiasm for my New Year’s resolutions. My energy fades. Fortunately, there are foods I can turn to that will help me. What a relief! And I’m not just talking about caffeinated beverages. They will boost my energy for a short time, but I’m looking for a long-term solution. I want foods that will stimulate my metabolism, help me build muscle, and help me grow new red blood cells. The catechins in green and black tea can raise your metabolism, so even if you drink decaf tea, you will get […]
May 26, 2015
Published by Grace O
I was sitting in my friend’s lush, tropical-style garden recently, admiring her beautiful collection of flowering bromeliads. These are very exotic looking plants with spiky leaves and red, pink or golden elongated flowers reaching out from the middle. They are native to the tropics of Central and South America and West Africa. In a colorfully glazed pot there was a miniature ornamental pineapple. I remembered that pineapples are also bromeliads and this got me thinking about how much I enjoy pineapple and the wonderful things pineapples do for your health. Pineapples are second only to bananas as Americans’ favorite tropical […]
May 19, 2015
Published by Grace O
Here in the U.S. when you see fresh cherries in the stores, you know it’s really summer. Growing up in Southeast Asia, even though they are not a fruit native to the tropics, we did eat cherries imported from China, which is the #3 producer of cherries in the world, right ahead of the U.S., which is #4. Of course, cherries taste wonderful and they are a rare treat because their season is short—May through July—and they are very fragile. There are two main types of cherries; the sweet ones grown in the Pacific Northwest that we eat fresh, and […]
April 29, 2015
Published by Grace O
Cancer is responsible for 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S.A. One of the best cancer-prevention tools for health is eating the right foods, but finding the motivation to eat right sometimes alludes us until we, or someone we love, is faced with a deadly disease. Garlic, produces sulfur compounds and allicin. Sulfur compounds detoxify the body and help prevent cancer. Allicin thins the blood and reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer. It’s best to eat garlic after it has been crushed so that these cancer-fighting compounds can form. Dried garlic or roasted garlic doesn’t […]
March 11, 2015
Published by Grace O
Protein is very important for strong muscles and bones. Lean protein helps achieve weight loss. I love meat—it has riboflavin, vitamin B12, tyrosine, and the FoodTrient zinc—but I enjoy it in moderation, which protects against cardiovascular disease. I also am careful about eating cured meats, which can aggravate joints and promote gout. Whenever possible, I use grass-fed beef over corn-fed beef because cows were created to eat grass, not corn. The meat from animals that graze grass—cows, lambs, or even buffalo—contains more of the good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids and less of the bad-for-you omega-6s. And I make sure I buy […]
December 23, 2014
Published by Grace O
With all the entertaining that goes on during the holidays, I like to find dishes that offer more than great taste. I look for ways to pack as many age-defying nutrients into most of the dishes I serve. Quinoa is a versatile and delicious grain that is not only a good source of fiber, but is a nutrient-dense ingredient that acts as a complete protein. Quinoa also has silica for building collagen, which helps keep your skin’s elasticity. The tomatoes provide lycopene, the parsley gives us chlorophyll and antioxidants, and the olive oil helps lower inflammation. My Quinoa Tabbouleh on […]
December 10, 2014
Published by Grace O
The holidays always call for plenty of desserts. Whether I’m throwing a party, giving gifts of food, or reliving holidays past through sweet treats, desserts are integral to my life this month. I’ll share a few of my favorite recipes with you. Every year I host a Christmas caroling party at my home. Choirs from churches all over the area stop by to sing in my living room. Sometimes a Filipino celebrity or two will perform. My guests just love it. I like to put out a dinner buffet so that the choirs have something to eat before they go […]
December 2, 2014
Published by Grace O
Even though I grew up in Southeast Asia, which is blessed with a wide variety of tropical produce available year-round, I associate guava with being on vacation in Hawaii,
November 30, 2014
Published by Grace O
During the holidays nothing puts me in a festive mood more than the aroma of something sweet baking in the oven. For many of my friends, cinnamon is what puts them in a holiday state of mind. Made from the ground bark of a genus of trees called Cinnamomum, the top cinnamon producing countries are Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. There are two main types: Ceylon cinnamon, produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean, and cassia cinnamon, which comes mainly from Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Cinnamon is one of those delicious spices that also has […]
November 18, 2014
Published by Grace O
Turkey gets a great deal of attention around the holidays as standard fare in many homes and restaurants. What better time to talk about all the health benefits of eating this nutrient-rich food! I’ve long advocated that we can get wonderful nutrients from our food if we focus on fresh ingredients. Fresh turkey meat tastes great when roasted and it provides our bodies with much-needed lysine, selenium, and vitamin B12. Lysine is an essential amino acid that our bodies use to build muscle, absorb calcium, and produce hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. Because our bodies can’t manufacture it, we can only […]
September 4, 2014
Published by Grace O
Here’s a fact that will make your day: Many professional in the fields of medicine and nutrition consider avocados a superfood! This is great news, as avocados are one of my very favorite foods. What could be better? A buttery, rich-tasting, creamy fruit that not only tastes sublime and spreads like a dream but is cholesterol-free, sodium-free, is loaded with healthy vitamins and a good dose of fiber. Avocados have the well-earned reputation for being high in fat calories. However, those calories are nutrient dense and the fat is monounsaturated, so it is readily used by the body as energy […]