Life at its Best: bulk foods

Showing posts with label bulk foods. Show all posts

With 18 amino acids, nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It is up to 55% high quality protein and contains 15 minerals!!

Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamin B complex that helps in managing stress levels, maintaining a good metabolic rate, preventing cancer of the pancreas and ensuring healthy skin. Vitamin B12 (deficient in most vegetarian foods), is added in certain varieties of nutritional yeast. This vitamin is produced separately from bacteria and then added to nutritional yeast to increase its health benefits.

Other health benefits of nutritional yeast include:

-It maintains ideal intestinal ecology.
-It improves blood production.
-It helps in maintaining optimum cholesterol levels.
-It improves liver health and function.

Nutritional yeast flakes or powder, has a nutty, cheese-like flavor which makes it very popular. It is favored by many as a cheese substitute and can be found at any natural health food store. I buy it in the bulk section at The Wedge.

Here are some ways in which nutritional yeast can be included in the diet:

*Use it as a topping for popcorn, instead of butter and salt.
*Put in on your scrambled eggs! (One of my favorites!)
*Use nutritional yeast for its cheesy flavor in pizzas, pastas and casseroles.
*Add to soup to give it a creamy taste without adding milk.
*Can be used with gravies and sauces.
*Mix it with vinegar and oil and use as salad dressing.

Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

The new year always brings about weight loss resolutions and everyone seems to be going on a "diet." I cringe every time someone tells me they recently started Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, The Adkins Diet, or those businesses who send meals directly to your house... This seemed like the perfect time to post a blog about dieting!!

DON’T DIET!!! There are many people reading this right now who have tried every fad diet under the sun. You may have lost some weight for a period of time and then gained it back when you got sick of the constant restrictions - only to go on to another diet later and repeat the cycle all over again. The problem with fad diets is that people often go through this cycle, and end up either giving up or reaching for the latest “diet” food.

Take a look in the aisles of the grocery store. We see “fat-free”, “sugar-free”, “carb- free” , and “calorie-free” everywhere. It takes more effort to find the “chemical-free,” doesn’t it? But that is what we truly need in America right now. Foods are becoming more and more chemically altered in an effort to help us lose weight, yet obesity rates continue to soar higher and higher. This is not a coincidence!!

Here’s the thing about hunger. Hunger isn’t influenced by willpower as much as it is influenced by hormones. Two major hormones, ghrelin and leptin, influence your cravings. Leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells, which tells your body that you are full. Ghrelin is responsible for telling you that your body is hungry. These two hormones have to be in constant neurological balance for you to know when you are truly hungry and when its time to put down the fork.

When we eat overly processed foods, our bodies don’t recognize them as real food, which causes us to kick out more ghrelin and less leptin. Now, we’ve already eaten our diet food, yet the brain is still screaming for more. This is a recipe for disaster.

Chemicals in these “weight-loss foods” can even cause us to get fat. Many diet foods are laden with artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just recently the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to rename high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar” in an effort to persuade the public into thinking it is a natural product. Don’t be fooled! These poisons will actually remain in the body and interfere with the sensors that react to leptin. The overall effect of this is constant hunger, even if your body’s needs have already been met. All those high fructose corn TV commercials drive me insane!!

So what do you do? Here is a great way to start:

1. Eat Natural Foods - as untouched by man as possible. When looking at ingredients labels-less is more! You should know what everything on the label is!! Shop the perimeters of the grocery store-produce, meat, fresh foods!!

2. Eat Healthy Fats - Remember, fat is a vital building block in our cells. Fat has gotten a bad rap, however good fats are important in many functions that go on in our bodies. It also will help you feel full longer. Examples of good fats: olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, flaxseed oil, fatty fish.

3. Work Up a Sweat - This will never change. You have to move in order to lose weight. Toxins are released when you sweat! They are stored in your fat cells!! Drinking half your body weight in ounces of purified water each day will also help flush out toxins.

If you have any other questions please let me know!! I offer nutrition consultations and grocery store tours! Click on my website for all of the services I provide and my rates: http://www.optimumwellnessmn.com/

http://www.maximizedliving.com/

Plan your meals for the week ahead of time and create a list to shop from. Be sure to check your refrigerator and cabinets to see what you already have!

To save money, use coupons, check the weekly grocery ads, and incorporate sale foods into your meal planning.

Don't shop hungry: An empty belly often results in impulse purchases that may not be the healthiest.

Produce: Spend the most time in the produce section, the first area you encounter in most grocery stores (and usually the largest). Choose a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables. The colors reflect the different vitamin, mineral, and phyto-nutrient content of each fruit or vegetable.

Breads, Cereals, and Pasta: Choose the least processed foods that are made from whole grains. For example, regular oatmeal is preferable to instant oatmeal. But even instant oatmeal is a whole grain, and a good choice. Experiment with different grains and flours besides wheat such as: Quinoa, Amaranth, Teff, Almond flour, Tapioca Flour, Bean Flour, Brown and Wild Rice, Bulgar, Barley, and etc.

When choosing whole-grain cereals, aim for at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and the less sugar, the better. Keep in mind that 1 level teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams and let this guide your selections.

Meat, Fish, and Poultry: The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week. Salmon is widely available, affordable, not too fishy, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to choose lean cuts of meat (like round, top sirloin, and tenderloin), opt for skinless poultry, and watch your portion sizes. Tuna and other non-breaded seafood are also good choices.

Frozen Foods: Frozen fruits and vegetables (without sauce) are a convenient way to help fill in the produce gap, especially in winter. Frozen fruits can be added to smoothies!!

Canned and Dried Foods: Keep a variety of canned vegetables, fruits, and beans on hand to toss into soups, salads, pasta, or rice dishes. Whenever possible, choose vegetables without added salt, and fruit packed in juice. Tuna packed in water, low-sodium soups, nut butters, olive oil, and assorted vinegars should be in every healthy pantry. It is best to avoid too much packaged and processed “convenience” foods though!!

Be sure to add some raw nuts and seeds to your cart for protein too!

5 Simple Shopping Rules

1. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish are usually located. Avoid the center aisles where junk foods lurk.

2. Choose "real" foods, such as 100% fruit juice or 100% whole-grain items with as little processing and as few additives as possible. If you want more salt or sugar, add it yourself.

3. Stay clear of foods with cartoons on the label that are targeted to children. If you don't want your kids eating junk foods, don't have them in the house.

4. Avoiding foods that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.

5. Shop every 3-4 days for freshness!

Sometimes it is hard to get alot of discounts when shopping for natural and organic products.

Here are a few tips I have to save some dough:

1. Produce that is most contaminated by pesticides are called the “dirty dozen”. The “dirty dozen” that should always be bought organically are:

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Kale
• Cherries
• Potatoes
• Grapes

However, produce such as asparagus, onions, cabbage, bananas, mangos, avocadoes, and produce where you do not eat the peel have a lower chance of not being contaminated. Therefore, you can buy the non-organic versions of these produce and still reap the healthy benefits. And remember to buy what is in season!

2. Become a member of a food cooperative- get member specials and deals, case discounts and a dividend at the end of the year!!

3. Shop in the bulk section-cheaper and less packaging! Better for the environment! Re-use your containers! I even buy my shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel in bulk sometimes.

4. Email organic/natural companies of products you love and ask them to send you coupons!! I just received a few coupons in the mail from Jason after telling them I love their Powersmile toothpaste!! Some websites even have coupons you can print off and use.

5. Trader Joes, Whole Foods and Costco (if you have a large family to feed)-large variety of natural and organic food. I have even found frozen organic broccoli and some quinoa pasta I like at Cub Foods at a great price. Comparison shop for the best deals!!

6. Buy local-check out the Farmer’s Markets and local farms in your area. If you have a farmer’s market near you, start exploring. Get to know the vendors and learn how they grow their food. They may not be certified organic, but if their food is grown locally and without pesticides, it is worth buying. Making friends with the vendors can lead to discounts in the near future.

7. Shop for most supplements online-I have found the best deals and prices shopping online. You can even get free shipping on most orders over $50. I have realized the supplement mark-up is huge after working at a natural food store. This has been the best option for me with my small budget.

Life at its Best

Nutritional Yeast- Yellow Flakes of Goodness!

Diets = Bad and Ugly!

Grocery Store Shopping Tips!!

Tips for Saving $$ on Organic and Natural Products

Jackie Mart

My Mission

Popular Posts

Blog Archive