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Low Sodium Cooking: 4 Great Tips To Add Flavor, Not Salt

March 29, 2013 by

If you suffer from high blood pressure, or are just trying to get healthier by cutting back on your salt intake, check out these great tips for low sodium cooking from WebMD. Try incorporating them into your diet, and you'll feel better in no time!

  • Stick with real food. Processed stuff often stays good by (surprise!) incorporating lots of extra salt as a preservative. It's often healthier to stick with homemade recipes than to use stuff from boxes, cans, or jars.
  • Ignore some directions! When you're prompted to add salt to a recipe, season with another spice instead, such as cumin or garlic.
  • Watch your butter! Sure, salted butter tastes great on its own, but in some recipes you won't notice much difference if you substitute unsalted butter.
  • Avoid additives like MSG, baking soda, and sodium benzoate. They're all sodium compounds, with similar effects as salt.

You can read more by visiting WebMD's page on Low Sodium Recipe Tips!

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Five of the Planet’s Healthiest Foods

March 15, 2013 by
As a New Year swings into motion, many people make resolutions to lead a healthier lifestyle. Whether or not you’ve put “better health” at the top of your resolutions list this year, you’ll benefit from adding some of these nutrient-dense superfoods into your diet:
 
Kale
Kale is a dark green leafy vegetable that is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with Vitamins K, C, and A, as well as many other health-enriching vitamins and minerals. It is noted as a particularly strong food source in the prevention of cancer, due to its antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Kale is easy to grow, wash, and prepare, and can be used in a variety of dishes. 
 
Blueberries
Blueberries continually land on the top of healthy food lists, known for having one of the highest antioxidant capacities among all fruits, vegetables, seasonings, and spices. Many studies have shown that their unique phytonutrient content has a positive effect on the human cardiovascular system. They can be delicious when eaten in pies and other cooked dishes but are particularly beneficial to one’s health when consumed raw.
 
Garlic
Garlic is an undeniably scrumptious and aromatic enhancement to countless dishes and it has the added benefit of being one of the healthiest foods you can consume. Studies have shown that garlic can lower blood triglycerides and total cholesterol while also protecting blood cells and vessels from inflammatory stress.  
 
Spelt
Spelt is a highly nutritious grain with a rich nutty flavor. Think of it as wheat’s much healthier cousin. In fact, it can often be used as a smart alternative for wheat in products such as pasta and bread. Packed with manganese, protein, copper, and zinc, spelt can help with lowering cholesterol, protecting against heart failure, contributing to cancer prevention, and even combatting childhood asthma, among a host of other notable health benefits.
 
Beets
Beets possess a unique phytonutrient content that makes them strong providers of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Beets help protect against heart disease, certain cancers, and birth defects, and recent studies have shown that the lutein and zeaxanthin in beets make them particularly effective at maintaining eye health. Beets can make tasty and colorful additions to salads and main dishes.

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Start Your Day Right: Healthy Breakfast Ideas

January 3, 2013 by

I'm sure you've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going, and gets you going for the day. Unfortunately, though many Americans don't eat breakfast, or if they do, it's not a healthy, balanced mea. Instead of scarfing down a sugary donut or a fattening Egg McMuffin, start your day with a well-balanced meal.Try one of these healthy breakfasts, to enjoy an energized start to your day!

One traditional, healthy breakfast option is oatmeal. It’s packed with complex carbohydrates that break down slowly, giving you ample energy that will carry you easily until lunch. Top your bowl with nuts for protein, mix in a little milk for calcium, sprinkle with some berries to get extra antioxidants, and drizzle on some local honey for sweetness. And, voila, you have a well-balanced, nutritious meal!

Yogurt is also a fantastic breakfast staple. Not only is it high in protein and calcium, but the probiotic bacteria that live in yogurt can aid stomach function and digestion for the entire day. Sprinkle it with healthy granola and berries, and you’ll be satisfied, happy, and ready to go.

Scrambled tofu may seem a little foreign for some, but, believe it or not, in consistency it’s very close to scrambled eggs! Plus, it has far more protein and less fat. Mix-in veggies like tomatoes, onions, or spinach for taste, and top with a little cheese for a great morning scramble!

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Foot Care Tips For Runners

November 30, 2012 by
Whether you’re a serious runner, occasional jogger, or complete beginner, you need to take good care of you feet so that they hold up when you hit the track, road, or trail. Here are some tips to help you keep your feet as healthy and pain-free as possible so that you can enjoy every stride along the way:
 
Wear the Proper Shoes
If you’re going to run on any sort of regular basis, it’s important to invest in a good pair of running shoes. Don’t throw on a pair of casual non-running-specific sneakers and hope for the best. Do some online research to learn about running shoes that might be particularly well-suited to your needs. Then go to a store that specializes in athletic and running gear and work with a salesperson that will be able to help you find the right shoe for you. Don’t be afraid to try on several pairs, run around the store a bit while wearing them, and take your time deciding. A salesperson knowledgeable about running shoes will be able to identify your gait (whether your roll your feet inward or outward) and guide you toward the best running shoes for your particular feet.
 
Protect Against Blisters 
Painful blisters and feet sore from strain will put a major damper in your running plans. There are a variety socks on the market that are designed especially for the purpose of wicking away moisture and keeping blisters at bay, so invest in at least a few pairs of those. You can also rub some anti-chaffing balm on blister-prone areas, with “Bodyglide” being a particularly popular and effective productive for that purpose. If you do start to develop a blister, make sure you have some padded blister-specific bandages at hand to put on the sore spots when you’re running and also when you’re walking around in normal shoes. In addition, make sure that you air your bare feet out as much possible when you’re not running or walking around because exposing the blister-prone areas to fresh air will help them dry out and heal faster. 
 
Know When To Stop
One of the biggest causes of chronic foot problems in runners is that people don’t always listen sufficiently to their bodies. If you have a mildly painful issue with your foot (such as a mild case of sesamoiditis, a common runners’ condition), it’s not always a good idea to push through it. Foot issues will often get worse and go from small to significant if you don’t give your feet a rest. So it’s important to make sure you temper your running schedule to allow for foot issues to heal before they go from minor to worse to potentially chronic. While you’re taking a break from running, you can find other lower-impact, more foot-friendly ways of getting a workout that will benefit your cardiovascular system (such as the elliptical machine, spin bike, recumbent bike, or regular road bike). 
 
Consider Shoe Inserts
If you want an extremely comfortable and form-fitting shoe that will specifically accommodate your unique feet, consider investing in orthotic inserts. You can get orthotics over the counter or have them prescribed and specially made for you by a podiatrist. Orthotics are often used to treat many forms of running-related injury, including heel pain, shin splints, and chronic blisters. They work by balancing and reducing the amount of stress that your feet experience upon impact. They are also effective at correcting imbalances in your gait, such as a tendency toward overpronation or underpronation – essentially, they help your foot achieve proper alignment, which can be a major preventative measure when it comes to a variety of running-related foot issues. 
 
Avoid Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s Foot is one of the most common foot issues that occur for a runner. It is a fungal condition of the feet and toes that can flare up as a result of running in sweaty socks and shoes. Luckily, though Athlete’s Foot can be pretty uncomfortable, it’s also one of the least chronic and most easily treatable foot issues that a runner can face. Since the fungus thrives and grows in wet conditions, some preventative measures you can take include washing and drying your feet soon after a run and alternating running shoes and socks so the accumulated sweat has time to dry out.  If you do develop a case of athlete’s foot, there are several over-the-counter antifungal creams that can help and your doctor can also prescribe oral antifungal medications if the condition doesn’t clear up within a few weeks. 
 
 
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