There are many oils such as Olive oil that have great Omega 3 and 6 and great for the body, but unless they are cold pressed then we are not getting all the antioxidants and nutrients that our body needs.

What is Cold Pressed?
Cold pressed oils are produced at very low temperatures which help them retain their nutritional values.

Top 7 cold pressed oils to boost your immune system help you stay healthy are:

Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Evening Primrose Oil
Walnut Oil
Black Currant Oil
Borage Oil

How do I get them in?

Try cooking with different oils or add them to your salad, morning yogurt or smoothies!!

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Benefits of Bone Broth

1.  Joint Health

Bones actually give the body 50% of its protein.  The collagen from the bones, tendons and ligaments are broken down in the cooking process and turn into a gelatin which is actually a protein.  Gelatin contains several amino acids that help rebuild our connective tissue, especially our tendons and ligaments.  This is why people that have arthritis start feeling less pain once they boost their intake of bone broth because as we maintain the connective tissue in our body we reduce the risk of aching joints.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) best known as glucosamine is a family carbohydrate found in bone broth, which thousands of people take every day as a joint health supplement.  A recent study showed that chicken collagen dramatically improved the symptoms with rheumatoid arthritis.

The minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium are crucial to help strengthen out bones and reduce osteoporosis.

2.  Gut Health

Glycine, an amino acid in bone broth helps to reduce symptoms of acid reflux.  Contrary to what you might think, acid reflux is actually caused by a lack of stomach acid which makes digesting food difficult.  Glutamine, another amino acid found in bone broth, is a natural remedy for “leaky gut syndrome”, which basically means the lining of your intestines are not working properly and can set off a number of autoimmune issues.

3.  Immune Health

The marrow in bone broth is extremely rich in nutrients.  It helps immune function, especially for colds and flu. Bone broth also contains a variety of valuable nutrients in a form your body can easily absorb.

How to Make Bone Broth

The best bones to choose for making bone broth are the ones with the most marrow.  Depending on the bones, I recommend simmering the broth for 8-48 hours. I usually like to rinse my bones with vinegar to minimize the strong bony taste.

Ingredients:

   •      2 pounds of bones

   •      1 gallon water

   •      1 small piece of peeled ginger

   •      1 onion

   •      2 large carrots (if from an organic source, you can rough chop and don’t need to peel)

   •      2 celery stalks, rough chopped

   •      salt,pepper, and spices to taste

 Directions:

  •   Place bones in a large stockpot and cover with water.

   •      Roughly chop the vegetables and add to the stockpot. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower to a simmer.

   •      For beef broth, simmer for 48 hours, for chicken broth, simmer for 24 hours, for fish broth, simmer for 8 hours.

   •      Allow to cool slightly and strain. Store in an airtight Mason jar or freeze until ready to use.

3 Ways to eat Bone Broth

You can drink a mug of it daily as you would your morning coffee to get all the health benefits it has to offer, or use it as a base of a soup for added nutrients and flavor

In a smoothie

There are many companies that sell polvarized bone broth which can be used in a smoothie. This is how I boost my kid’s immune system.

Recipe:

2 Tbsp. of Great Lakes Collagen

1/2 cup of Strawberries

1/2 Banana

2 cups of Milk ( can also use almond milk or other non dairy options)

Direction:

Blend all ingredients and enjoy.

Bulletproof Bars and Snack Bites

There are now many companies that are using bone broth as a key ingredient in their snacks and bars.  It is a great way to get nutrients while snacking

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Fall is actually one of the best times to grow herbs. If you like to have fresh, tasty herbs in your kitchen, consider growing them during fall. This is particularly true for areas with mild winters.  There are many great cold loving herbs that can be grown in the fall and winter. Mint is a great herb to grow as it’s able to tolerate most conditions.

Since mint comes in at least 30 varieties, you could “experi-mint” with flavors such as spearmint, pineapple mint or chocolate mint.

Mint used alone or in combination with other herbs, sliced fruits or vegetables, can increase your enjoyment of water and reduce your sugar intake.   As the cold weather approaches, hot mint infusion tea is a great way to boost your immune system.

• Start with a handful of clean, fresh mint leaves, tear them up and place in the bottom of a teapot or French press.

• Cover the leaves with 2 cups of boiling water and let this steep for 3-7 minutes.

Benefits of Mint

Mint provides small amounts of several B vitamins, Vitamins C and A and minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, magnesium and calcium.

Another great benefit is that mint helps to reduce your sugar intake. As Halloween gets closer mint is a great herb to use in recipes to help suppress sugar desire.

The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that added sugar should be limited to 6 teaspoons a day for women or 9 teaspoons a day for men.  Added sugars may, according to a 2009 AHA statement, increase your blood levels of triglycerides, a cardiac disease risk factor, while decreasing the desirable HDL.

Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Chile, Lemon, and Mint

Courtesy of myrecipes.com

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( optional)

2 green onions thinly sliced and divided

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

Directions:

Heat a large skillet and add 2 tsp. of olive oil.  Add snap peas, onions and sauté for 3 minutes until peas are crisp tender. Season with salt and red pepper. Toss in 1/4 tsp of rind and remove from heat. Garnish with mint.

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How to make the 6 menu item most popular during Thanksgiving

1.  Turkey

Turkey is the main dish during this time and the best way to not add extra calories is to avoid eating the skin.

2.  Stuffing

You may be surprised to know that stuffing is often the highest calorie builder in the entire dinner. Depending on how it’s prepared, it can be close to 500 calories per serving.

One way to make it healthier is by using chicken stock during its preparation instead of fat.

Removing the cornbread and just using bread along with lots of vegetables like onion, apples and celery can also help trim down the calories.

Another option to making it healthier is not to stuff into the turkey…it’s leaner if cooked separately.

If you are one of those people that can’t live without stuffing and can’t control how it’s made, then treating it like dessert and eating a small portion can be an ideal way not to add the unwanted extra calories.

3.  Mashed potatoes & Candied Yams

When it comes to eating potatoes, sweet potatoes and the Yukon Gold potatoes are the better ones to choose from. The good news is that they don’t need much flavoring since they are flavorful from the start so you can save up on the calories.

Instead of using Marshmallow for sweet potatoes, ginger and cinnamon can be a great option to lower unnecessary calories.

For the mashed potatoes, fat- free buttermilk is light and airy and is a good substitute for butter.  You could save yourself extra calories for dessert with this simple ingredient swap.

Always remember portion control when it comes to starchy vegetables, and for those willing to give it up, quinoa can be a great healthy substitute.

4.  Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is not bad if prepared from scratch. The canned ones are too high in sugar and preservatives.  There are great healthy recipes to lower its tart flavor and still control the amount of sugar that is being added.

5.  Pies

Desserts like Pumpkin, apple and pecan pie are traditional desserts that make Thanksgiving special for some of us.  The best is to eat the filling and avoid the crust if possible, otherwise enjoy them as if you were doing a test tasting experiment.

6.  Green Beans

Vegetables are the healthiest sides in a Thanksgiving dinner if they are not from a can and don’t have a lot of cream soups and butter added to them.  Use fresh green beans and other vegetables to up the nutrients.  Salad is also always a good choice.  Ideally, you would like half of your plate to consist of vegetables.

***

As you prepare your feast, keep in mind there are great healthy recipes substituting oil & seasoning for flavoring instead of butter and cream.  Make use of them whenever possible.

Make this Thanksgiving a memorable one by making healthy choices so that you can enjoy many more Thanksgiving meals to come!

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Benefits

They are especially important in the digestive system, but also help increase nutrient absorption and support the immune system.

When we think of bacteria we think of something that causes disease, but our bodies are full of bacteria.  Probiotics are the good guys.

We can incorporate probiotics through different foods and through supplementation. By incorporating a variety of probiotics, we can offer the body different types of beneficial bacteria to help it in different ways.

Supplementing with Probiotics

When using supplements, you want to try to pick a probiotic that is refrigerated since these are live bacteria and want to choose one containing different strains of friendly bacteria.

There are 7 types of friendly bacteria

• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Lactobacillus bulgarius
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Streptococcus thermopiles
• Saccharomyces boulardii
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Bacillus subtilis

 Eating Foods Rich in Probiotics

Probiotics food is rich in bacteria, and usually the more fermented the product, the richer in probiotics.

5 Foods Rich in Probiotics

1. Miso

This soup made from fermented soy is high in good bacteria.

2. Yogurt & Kefir

Rich in lactobacillu, bifidus and acidophilus. Make sure label states live bacteria and choose low sugar products. For individuals with lactose problems, Kefir would be a great option.

3. Sauerkraut

This fermented cabbage mixture contains lactobacilli plantarum and has been shown to give the immune system a big boost.  Helps with digestion of lactose and great for reducing the growth of yeast (great for women who develop continual yeast infections).

4. Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Besides helping with digestion, it has a myriad of benefits such as fighting candida overgrowth, mental clarity, detoxes the liver and helps reduce symptoms of depression and fibromyalgia.

5. Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from salted and fermented vegetables.  It is rich in probiotics and great for gut health.

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With the holidays coming up it is important to stop and think about your body.  We tend to put our bodies in a lot of stress without even realizing it.

The stress hormones released from our bodies produce “flight” or “fight” responses.  They protect the body and prepare our bodies for quick reactions; however, it’s the chronic stress that can affect the overall health of the body.

Anxiety, depression, insomnia are just some ways that the body gets affected with chronic stress.

Different types of Meditation

1. Concentration Meditation/ Mindfulness Meditation

This is the traditional form of meditation. It involves focusing on a single point and can be as simple as following your breath.  Music can be a great tool for this type of meditation, or just simply by focusing on a single word like saying “Om”.

Close your eyes. Sit still. Don’t talk.  Take a deep breath, Exhale slowly. From your shoulder and just breathe.

As a beginner, I suggest to initially start meditating for a few minutes and then work up to longer durations.

Benefits:   Reduces stress and helps to relax the mind and body.

2. Moving Meditation

This kind of meditation allows your thoughts to flow freely while moving.  Some examples are tai chi, qigong and walking meditation.

Benefits:  Reduces stress by allowing the body to have an outlet, whether physical/mental or spiritual to release its energy.  Stimulates creative thinking and problem solving.

3. Creative Meditation

This is a harder type of meditation where you have to get into a “creative zone”.  Great to do with a group that is doing the same thing.  This type of meditation allow new creative ideas to flow through your body by using different techniques such as brainstorming, free writing and just simply thinking.

Benefits: Taps into creation of new ideas. Allows creative expressions. Encourages creative collaboration.

Whatever type of meditation that you choose to do, the goal is to relax your body and let your thoughts move into a creative flow.

The key is to be consistent and to make time every day to sit, breathe, and connect with yourself.

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Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates, such as refined grains, white bread, white rice, sugar, fruit juice and most breakfast cereals don’t have enough energy to fuel exercise. As a result they compel the muscles to use protein as energy, leading to loss of muscle tissues. Complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes and whole grains, on the other hand, provide slow-energy.  It means that they are stored in muscles as glycogen and help to power your workouts. When it comes to doing long cardiovascular workouts, it is best to start with a complex carbohydrate rather than a simple one. This is called carb-loading and helps to avoid muscle tissue loss.

Ultimate Pre-Workout Foods

Fruit Smoothies High- Protein Oatmeal Banana Apple with Peanut butter Yogurt Parfait

Protein

The breakdown of protein depends on the type of exercise and the intensity of exercise, but it is important to replenish the body’s protein after a workout to avoid muscle protein breakdown. Protein has essential amino acids that help to repair and rebuild muscles.  Having a protein bar containing at least 20 -40 grams of protein or a protein shake with the same amount will help to build new muscle tissue.  

Ultimate Post- Workout Foods

Egg omelette Protein shake Protein bars Tuna with toast Eggs with toast & avocado

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Exercise

Jump start your metabolism, burn fat and improve cardiovascular health by exercising at least 20 minutes a day.

Sugar

Cane sugar is the number one enemy for lowering immune system and decreasing gut health.  Start being more conscious of the sugar content in the foods you choose to eat.  The simple rule is always to try picking items that have 0-5 grams of sugar per serving.  Indirectly, your caloric intake will decrease by choosing items that are lower in sugar.

Apple Cider Vinegar

End your day with 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar with a small amount of honey.  It is a great probiotic and helps to digest food faster by increasing stomach acidity.

Experiencing heartburn? A tsp. of apple cider vinegar will help resolve it.

Apple cider has also shown to help lower belly fat, lower blood sugar and helps to lower cholesterol.

Recipe for Red Cabbage and Apple Salad With Vinaigrette

Hydration

It’s important to keep bodies hydrated at all times.  In adult men, 60 percent of their body is water and 55% in adult women.

As we get older, our metabolism slows down and our bodies have a harder time flushing out waste so it becomes even more important to drink plenty of water to flush away waste and detox our bodies.

Diversity

Latest research has shown that you can actually lose weight and boost immune system by adding more color to meals.

Nuts and seeds are also great ways to add more flavor and color to foods.  Increase omega and fiber intake by just simply adding 1 Tbsp. of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to oatmeal, granola, yogurt or even salads.

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The American Heart Association ( AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoon of added sugar for women and 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day for men.

In general it is recommended for kids to have no more than 3-6 teaspoon of added sugar per day.

For most people some added sugar is okay, unfortunately we are having 19.5 teaspoon of sugar per day.

Natural Sugars

There are natural sugars that are in fruits such as fructose, and in dairy in the form of lactose, that are better for us and don’t count as added sugars.

When it comes to looking at sugars, try to pick an item that has 0-7 grams of sugar per serving.  An easy calculation is that 1 tsp. of sugar is equal to 4 grams of sugar, so if your yogurt states 7 grams of sugar that is 1.75 tsp. of sugar. This will help in not exceeding the recommended sugar intake per day.

As we are shifting to decrease our sugar intake, more and more research is showing that we are consuming too much artificial sweeteners which have their own problems.

The best way to cut down on sugar is to use in moderation, and if using sugars, try to use natural forms to sweeten foods.

Top 7 Natural Sweeteners

1 Raw honey

2 Stevia

3 Dates

4 Coconut Sugar

5 Fruits puree- Banana, Apple Sauce, Natural Fruit Jam

6 Monk Fruit Extract

7 Natural Maple Syrup

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