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 30, 2024
Published by Grace O
If you’re like me, I am always looking for ways to cool off in the hot summer weather. Who can think of cooking or eating in this weather? When it’s like this, I just want to drink my meals and what could be better than icy-cold smoothies that are full of healthy FoodTrients! Just for fun, I created several more exotic smoothie recipes with a few of my favorite fruits from Southeast Asia. Don’t be frightened by the fierce-looking jackfruit. It’s a native of Southeast Asia and probably first appeared in India. Jackfruit is a nutritional staple in tropical countries. It […]
July 30, 2024
Published by Grace O
Long the scourge of suburban lawns, dandelions are actually one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat. Here’s the low-down on the not so lowly dandelion: They can control blood sugar. Dandelion greens can lower blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. Diuretic effects. The high potassium content of dandelion greens means they work as a diuretic, helping to reduce water retention. Lower blood pressure. The diuretic effect of dandelions can help treat high blood pressure. While not as powerful as a prescription medication, it can still contribute to lowering blood pressure. Lower inflammation. Dandelion greens […]
July 14, 2024
Published by Grace O
When pollen is flying through the air on a summer breeze, foods that reduce allergy symptoms can be a lifesaver. I immediately head to my kitchen to make my Apple Barley Salad. Eating specific compounds—such as the FoodTrients omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, gingerol, oleuropein, and quercitin, as well as probiotics—go a long way toward reducing the swelling of nasal passages and the production of antihistamines. The old adage about an apple a day is really true for allergy sufferers. Apples contain quercitin, which supports the immune system, reduces inflammation, and may reduce allergic sensitivity. Quercitin is found not only in […]
July 7, 2024
Published by Grace O
If you dream of going to a tropical paradise for a relaxing vacation, but you can’t get away anytime soon, we’d like to bring a little paradise to you with some delicious ideas for tropical fruit treats. Just a whiff of these succulent fruits will take you away to the beach and thoughts of relaxing under a palm tree. You’re probably familiar with mangoes, papayas, and pineapple. But there are so many fruits we don’t see often in the U.S. And most of these exotic fruits are full of FoodTrients® including vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and more. Full disclosure: You won’t […]
July 2, 2024
Published by Grace O
When it comes to a small but mighty summer fruit, it’s hard to beat blueberries. Is there anything more simple and delicious? You can eat them plain by the handful or add them to smoothies, yogurt, whole-grain cereals, pancakes, desserts, you name it. Growing up in the Philippines, we had blueberries, but they were a rare treat, so I appreciate the abundance of fresh berries available here in California. Native to North America and now cultivated widely in Chile and New Zealand as well, blueberries are an undisputed “superfood.” They are high on any list of foods that do so […]
June 17, 2024
Published by Grace O
When mangosteens are in season, from May to September, I can’t wait to get my hands on some to eat fresh and in my delicious chutney. I know that these exotic treats, sometimes called purple mangosteen, will soon be gone. These beautiful little fruits are about the size of a baseball. Dark purple in color, they have a tough outer shell. The top is crowned with small green leaves and the bottom is stamped with a flowerlike shape. They almost look manufactured, but this is how God makes them. You have to carefully cut a line around the tough outer pericarp—the […]
June 17, 2024
Published by Grace O
I’ve written about Mediterranean cuisine and the Mediterranean diet before. But it’s worth writing about again because it’s so delicious and so good for you! Cardiologists recommend a Mediterranean diet with its healthy fats, lean proteins and whole grains for weight control and a healthy heart. If there is one word that most defines the cuisines of the Mediterranean, it’s VEGETABLES! Sure, there’s plenty of meat, chicken, seafood and fruit, but the basis is an abundance of vegetables and creative ways to enjoy them. When describing a Mediterranean diet, we’re talking about the cuisines of Southern Europe—France, Spain, Italy, Greece, […]
June 1, 2024
Published by Grace O
Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete or body-builder—as I certainly do not—you should be concerned with muscle health. Skeletal muscles are the tissues that enable your body to move, whether it’s gardening, a stroll in the park or a triathlon. Smooth or visceral muscles are the ones that line the stomach, intestines and blood vessels. And keep in mind that the all-important heart is made up of specialized cardiac muscle that must work continuously without a break our whole lives. In total, muscles account for about half your body weight. That’s a lot of mass to keep healthy […]
May 20, 2024
Published by Grace O
One of our FoodTrients® team members, Amy Sawelson Landes, recently spent a week in Mexico City. You wouldn’t necessarily think of Mexico as a place to find foods that add to your health and quality of life, but you’d be wrong! Most of us think of Mexican food as those combo platters oozing with cheese, rice, beans, and fried taco shells. Delicious, yes, but not as a steady diet and certainly not what we aim for at FoodTrients. Mexico City is a huge cosmopolitan metropolis. You can find almost any cuisine there. Mexico City residents seem to be especially fond […]
May 7, 2024
Published by Grace O
You may have decided that quinoa is ‘soooo 2016.’ Yes, it’s a healthful grain from Peru that was all the rage a few years ago, and rightfully so. It’s versatile, nutritious and contains twice the protein of white rice, and it’s gluten free. If you really want to be on the cutting edge when it comes to grains, try fonio. It’s an ancient grain that’s been cultivated in West Africa for thousands of years. The plant itself is extremely drought-tolerant and sustainable. With grains the color and texture of fine sand, it’s known as ‘The Seed of the Universe, the […]
May 7, 2024
Published by Grace O
Okinawa is in the southern-most prefecture of Japan, straddling the East China and the Philippine Seas. With its white, tropical beaches and turquoise waters, it’s not what you usually imagine when you think of Japan. Besides being known as the location of a U.S. Army base, Okinawa is one of the five ‘Blue Zones’ described by journalist, author and National Geographic fellow, Dan Buettner. These are five populations throughout the world with unusually high numbers of individuals who live happier, healthier lives, often to one hundred and beyond. In a nutshell, what these societies have in common is they: 1. […]
April 9, 2024
Published by Grace O
Golden berries go by many names. Some call them ground cherries. They grow on bushes, individually wrapped in husks like their cousin, the tomatillo. They are native to the Andes, which is why some people call them Inca berries or Aztec berries or even Peruvian cherries. Golden berries also grow in South Africa, where they are known as Cape gooseberries. Whatever you call them, just be sure to eat these bright yellow-orange fruits about the size of a cherry. Here in America, we most often see golden berries dried because they have a short growing season and an even shorter […]
April 9, 2024
Published by Grace O
After a very challenging winter (at least here in Southern California where we actually had blizzards that left ten feet of snow in the local San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains), we are so ready for spring! In most of the country, you can get most any vegetable any time of the year, because we import many items from places like Mexico and Central America. But beginning in March and April, spring vegetables are ready for action and local produce becomes readily available at markets—farmers and super. Here are a variety of spring vegetables that are especially sweet and delicious […]