{Banana & Kale Smoothie}

Sometimes smoothies are just the best. They’re convenient, taste great, and they pack in some serious nutrition. Like almost all dietitians, we have a love affair with kale; and when it’s used in your morning smoothie, it’s a great way to add a serving of veggies to your day. This recipe below is a wonderfully delicious way to start your day with a super boost of nutrients! 

Banana & Kale Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 small banana
½ cup frozen kale
½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup skim milk
2 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce
1 ½ tablespoons chia seeds
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients in to a blender, excluding ice. Blend on high for approximately 30 seconds.

2. Add the ice and blend until smoothie thickens. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving

Enjoy!

Recipe from our wonderful contributing blogger, Jaime Ruisi.

Six Tips for Improving Your Cholesterol Profile

Dear Nutritionist, My new year’s resolution this year is to finally take my doctor’s advice and make some lifestyle changes to reduce my cholesterol.  Do you have any advice?

Congratulations on taking control of your health!  Lifestyle changes can be powerful in improving your ‘numbers’ and your heart health.   

The topic of cholesterol and heart disease is a complicated one—not all experts agree on causes and treatment, and new research is being published continuously.  Please work with your doctor to find a solution that is right for you, taking into account your total health picture, not just your total cholesterol number.  New studies show that your total cholesterol isn’t the best indicator of heart health.  You also need to consider your weight (especially your waist size), blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, and level of HDL (good) cholesterol. 

Here are a few recommendations to get your new year off to a heart healthy start.

1.  Limit your intake of trans fats.

Trans fats, also called hydrogenated fats or oils, are mostly man-made fats that help to increase the shelf life of foods. Trans fat increases your LDL (bad) cholesterol and decreases your HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fat are listed as an ingredient on food labels.  Try to avoid all trans fats.

2.  Chose mostly monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, with saturated fats in moderation.

By eating mostly monounsaturated fats, you can lower your total LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase your HDL (good) cholesterol.  Foods rich in monounsaturated fats are include extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados, and many nuts and seeds.

Omega-3 fattyacids are another type of healthy fat found in fatty fish and plant proteins like flax seed and walnuts.  The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of fish (preferably fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon) at least twice a week.

The American Heart Association still recommends limited saturated fats to no more than 7% of your total calories.  However, new research suggests saturated fats do not correlate with risk of heart disease, while diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates do increase risk of heart disease.  My advice is—until more definitive research is complete—to eat saturated fat in moderation, but do not replace saturated fat in the diet with low-fat or fat free foods, which usually increases carbohydrate and sugar intake. 

Following a Mediterranean Diet (high in monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids and fruits and vegetables) is a powerful prescription for preventing heart disease.

3.  Eat enough fiber

Soluble fiber—found in foods like oatmeal, beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes—helps to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.  The average American adult consumes only 10 grams of dietary fiber per day, far below the recommended 25 to 35 grams per day.  To increase your fiber, aim for at least five servings of fruits or vegetables a day, and then choose other whole, intact carbohydrates that are rich in fiber like beans, lentils, and whole grains.  Anything with 5 g of fiber or more is a high source of fiber.

Get the recipe for this slow-cooker oatmeal here.

4.  Practice weight management

One of the best ways to increase HDL (good) cholesterol is to achieve a healthyweight.  If you are overweight, a decrease of only 2 pounds of body weight can increase HDL cholesterol by 1 percent!  If you need help with weight loss, please consider attending my No-Diet Weight Loss class on February 17.

5.  Exercise regularly

The other most effective way to raise HDL (good) cholesterol is regular exercise.  Aim for 30 minutes of activity or more on most days of the week. Three 10-minute bouts of exercise are just as effective as one 30-minute session.  Exercise of moderate intensity more than three times per week can increase HDL cholesterol an average of 4 percent!  Exercise also helps to lower triglycerides.

6.  Choose healthy habits

Overall, lifestyle changes like exercise and healthy food choices can generally reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol by 20 to 40 percent.  In addition, manage your stress in healthy ways, don’t smoke, and drink alcohol in moderation.  Smoking cessation can increase HDL by 3 to 6 percent.  Moderate alcohol consumption (1 – 2 glasses per day) can increase HDL by 4 mg/dL. 

Again, be sure and talk to your doctor about all of these lifestyle choices, and whether or not you may need medication or other supplements.

This article was written by Lisa for the January 2014 issue of the Bellingham Community Co-op Magazine.

Keeping it Simple (and a recipe for Hemp & Cranberry Power Bars)

Food, like fashion has its fads. Whether it’s acai berries, kombucha, flax seeds , kale, or coconut oil – there always seems to be a new trendy food. Yet, just as all the fashion “dos & don’ts” can be overwhelming, so can food fads...

Is caffeine good for us? What’s the deal with wheat? Do we need to double up on protein? Do beets have too much sugar? Is it better to have salmon than supplements?

Nutrition is undeniably a hot topic–but it’s for a very good reason: it’s important! With that being said, conflicting information and all the differing nutrition philosophies can often leave people confused.

That’s why we feel so good about recommending real foods to our clients, readers, and loved ones. Rather than stressing about every number on nutrition labels or allowing yourself to get overwhelmed by the latest trends, we recommend you focus your efforts and energy on:

1.      eating whole, unprocessed foods – those you can imagine growing – the majority of the time.

2.      practicing moderation. Fill  half your plate with fruits and vegetables and enjoy a good quality protein and starch at each meal.

3.      nourishing your body regularly – every 3 to 4 hours.

4.      balancing nutrition with pleasure. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not cause guilt. If you’re craving something sweet, allow yourself a single serving of something you really love.

5.      sharing meals with those you love.

And now, for a recipe.

 

This is healthy bar recipe below does not make just any bar...one serving comes packed with a protein, fiber, and antioxidants! It features hemp seeds and flax meal, which like chia seeds, both provide a wonderful vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids. This recipe also highlights cranberries – a food considered to be a cancer prevention powerhouse. The American Institute for Cancer Research has recently added cranberries to their list of foods that fight cancer.

 

Hemp & Cranberry Power Bars

These bars are perfect for a quick and easy breakfast or for an on-the-go snack. Serve over a scoop of yogurt or ice cream for a sweet dessert.

 

Ingredients:

¾ cup rolled oats

1 cup almond meal
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried plums
¼ cup hemp seed
¼ cup flax meal + ½ cup water
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal and water until they become gelatinous.

3. Combine the dry ingredients: almond meal, oats, and hemp seed with the flax meal mixture.

4. Mix in the apple sauce and dried fruit.

5. Grease a 7x9 baking pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Spoon the mixture into the baking pan.

6. Place in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes.

7. Allow bars to completely cool before serving.

 

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.

So Much to Love About Omega-3s

Omega-3s seem to be the talk of the “healthy fat” town these days. And there’s no denying how much we love them.  Here’s why:

There are many benefits of consuming omega-3 fatty acids – they help to lower blood pressure, reduce the level of triglycerides in blood, have an anti-inflammatory affect in the body, and also help to prevent chronic diseases.

Omega-3s are what are referred to as essential fatty acids, meaning our body cannot make them, and so we must consume them through food.  There are two main categories of omega-3 fatty acids.  EPA and DHA omega-3s come from fish sources and ALA omega-3s come from plants. 

EPA and DHA, the omega–3 essential fatty acids in fish oil, have been shown to also have mood-boosting qualities, including:

ü  Prevention and treatment for clinical depression – up to 50% reduction

ü  Supporting memory and learning ability

ü  Reducing anger and irritability

ü  Increasing focus and attention

ü  May help slow the progression of age-related memory loss

ü  Protecting nerve and brain cells from oxidative stress and damage

Why? One reason…the brain is nearly 60% fat, and DHA makes up 20% of the total fatty acids in the part of the brain responsible for memory and attention. 

To get the optimal mood-boosting potential, stick with fish-based sources of omega-3s (DHA and EPA). Here are our general recommendations below:

ü  Aim for at least 2 (3 ounce) servings of coldwater fish per week

ü  If choosing a supplement, choose one with at least 1000 mg combined of DHA + EPA per day, for support and maintenance. ***We love this video by registered dietitian, Jennifer Neily to help you understand how to best choose a fish oil supplement.

We also encourage you to enjoy plant-based sources of omega-3s (ALA) such as walnuts, olive oil, flax seeds, and chia seeds on a regular basis to reap the other wonderful benefits associated with omega-3s.

Since we’re such fans of getting our omega-3s, we absolutely love Barleans Omega Swirl in Lemon. We add it to our smoothies, stir it into yogurt, and recommend it to our friends, family, and clients for its great taste and nutrition.

A couple weeks ago at FNCE, I ran into the wonderful Nutrition Babes who shared this delicious recipe featuring another fun Barleans’ product – Barleans’ Greens Chocolate Silk. We put it to the taste and love it! Hope you do, too!

Power Green Smoothie

By Nutrition Babes

Photo by our wonderful contributing blogger, Jaime

Ingredients:

½ cup low fat cottage cheese
6 oz milk or milk alternative (i.e. almond, soy, rice)
1 scoop Barlean’s Greens Chocolate Silk
1 large handful of darky leafy green, such as kale, Swiss chard, or spinach mix
4 ice cubes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well until smooth.

Sweet Twist:
Add fresh raspberries for an added touch of sweetness. 

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.