(Learning which foods can help you gain or keep your strength is key to healthy aging. That’s the focus for this last part in our series on the nine benefits, which are at the core of FoodTrients® and all of our recipes. What you eat matters, which is why we’ll explore one of these incredible anti-aging benefits each month and show you how they help fight the diseases of aging.) Building and maintaining strength and vitality is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and graceful aging. Increasing the strength of your muscles, joints, and bones can promote a healthy […]
Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies These chocolate chip and spice cookies are packed with wholesome ingredients like walnuts, rolled oats, whole-wheat flour, and applesauce to reduce caloric content while maximizing nutrients. They are made without butter and without white or brown sugar, yet they maintain a traditional taste and texture. Oats have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-itch, and anti-irritant properties. The fiber and omega-3 fatty acids in oats help lower your cholesterol. Cinnamaldehyde is a powerful antioxidant found in cinnamon. The spice also contains coumarin, a natural blood thinner. YIELDS 24 Cookies Ingredients 1 cup rolled oats (not instant or steel-cut) 1 cup […]
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a carb-loaded, over-eating frenzy. You can make satisfying, healthy, anti-aging food choices for this holiday that will leave you feeling thankful for indulging. Take turkey, for example. I cook at least four turkeys each Thanksgiving because I usually have about 30 people over for dinner. Turkey contains tryptophan, which produces niacin, giving us energy. Tryptophan also builds the hormone serotonin, which helps ensure healthy neurotransmitters in our brain. Turkey also contains the FoodTrient selenium, a detoxifying antioxidant. You don’t have to drown your turkey in fatty gravy. It can be deliciously sauced using healthier ingredients. […]
Pumpkins and Squash Have Souper Powers. You may only associate pumpkins with Halloween, but fresh pumpkins are available from October through February. They contain large amounts of potassium (33 percent more than a medium banana) and beta carotene without a boat-load of calories—49 per cup mashed. The high amounts of potassium in pumpkins works with sodium to balance the amount of water in the body. A diet high in potassium helps keep blood pressure at a healthy level and assists with the prevention of strokes. Pumpkins contain more than 2400 mcg of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important […]
While most people only think of pumpkins on Thanksgiving or Halloween, the seeds of this fruit offer an impressive cocktail of health enhancing and disease fighting compounds, vitamins, and minerals that can be consumed year-round. In addition, they are packed with tryptophan and essential fatty acids. Emerging evidence indicates that pumpkin seeds represent a potent functional food in the battle against heart disease, osteoporosis, bladder dysfunction, anxiety, and arthritis. Pumpkin’s History Native to North America, pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) were first embraced by Native Americans for their multi-purpose properties before the fruit’s seeds were passed along to European explorers and spread throughout Europe. Pumpkins, and […]
I like to frequently use an ancient Socrates quote to my patients when I try to drive home the importance of eating the right foods to both preserve and heal their health. The saying, roughly, goes, “Let your food be your medicine” and with these 2 nutritional powerhouses, that I’m going to tell you about here, old Socrates couldn’t be closer to the truth. These 2 simple foods are quinoa – an ancient super-grain – and the beautiful kale plant. They not only taste great but I’m going to tell you how they can actually save your life. The Amazing Health Benefits […]
The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but not so good at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen leading causes of premature death—illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and others—claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn’t have to be the case. In Dr. Michael Greger’s book, How Not to Die, there’s lots of advice, all of it backed up by strong scientific evidence, to help you live better and longer. You will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle habits to change in order to prevent […]
The Chinese have been growing and eating jujubes for over 4,000 years. Jujube, or Chinese date, trees are shrub-like with thorny branches. The fruits are shaped like small apples that are green when unripe and turn brownish red. As they ripen and age they wrinkle and shrink to the size of a large date. The flesh of the fruit is most like an apple when it’s unripe. As it ripens it becomes soft and spongy. Asians generally steep slices of jujubes in hot water and make a jujube tea. Sometimes they reduce the tea on the stove and add […]
Chronic stress can be worsened by low levels of magnesium. A new form of magnesium has been shown to produce a brain-calming effect. In a 2022 report, the American Psychological Association noted that 73 percent of U.S. adults say they feel “overwhelmed by the number of crises facing the world right now.”1 Chronic stress has been linked to:2,3 Anxiety and depression Cardiovascular disease Obesity Menstrual problems Sexual dysfunction Gastrointestinal problems Hair and skin conditions People suffering from stress-related symptoms, depression, or anxiety often have low blood levels of magnesium.4 In a follow-up analysis of a clinical study, it was found that approximately 44 percent of participants screened for stress were magnesium deficient.5 Preclinical studies found […]
The change in season is such a wonderful time, even in temperate Southern California. Yes, the days can be hot, but the sun sets earlier and though it may still reach 80-plus degrees at 2:00 pm, evenings are cool, and thoughts turn to comforting, fallish foods, including vegetables. Most fall vegetables are available in winter, too, and most vegetables, for that matter, are available year-round thanks to farmers in Mexico and Central America. The key is that typically fall vegetables are at their peak this time of year, so take advantage of them at their best. Here are some vegetables […]