Tag: diet

This article is sponsored by Best Choice Brand.

Olive Oil is noted as one of the best options to cook with. 

The Process
Simple enough: olive oil is formed from pressing the oil from olives. Extra virgin olive oil is cleverly abbreviated as EVOO. Extra virgin olive oil is cold pressed through a process using water at the same temperature of the olives at specific stages of the oil extraction. The difference between regular olive oil is that extra virgin olive oil doesn’t use hot water or chemicals to extract oil for lower quality oils.

The Benefits
This oil is high in antioxidants and is a healthy source of high-quality fat. EVOO is included in a Mediterranean Diet for its healthy fats. Some even believe that EVOO can fight against heart disease.

What makes Best Choice extra virgin olive oil special?
The Best Choice EVOO olives are from Southern Italy. The olives are grown in Calabrian Region (Boot of Italy). These olives are touched by the caring hands of an Old Word Family Farm, not a big corporate bottler. Also, the EVOO olives are Italian olives and not a blended oil made from multiple countries. This ensures the highest quality.

Best Choice’s unique packaging also stands out as well and provides additional quality components. Any quality EVOO should be in a dark green bottle because everyday light in homes can breakdown the healthy qualities of EVOO. This is why the Best Choice Olive Oil is packaged in a dark green bottle. The 34 oz bottles of EVOO come with a unique, pop-up pour spout. The spout offers a cleaner use as well as an easier way to pour for all of your recipes.

For recipes highlighting EVOO or olive oil, click here: https://bestchoicebrand.com/news/benefits-of-best-choice-olive-oil-and-evoo/

Small amounts of sugar are not harmful to the body and can help enhance the flavor of foods, but our bodies do not need sugars to function. Too much sugar can be harmful and increase your risk of obesity and heart disease. Sugars increase the number of calories in foods and give zero nutrients in return. 

When discussing sugars, it is important to note that there are two kinds of sugars that are in foods: naturally occurring and added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are found in foods naturally, such as the sugars in fruits and milk. Added sugars are sugars or sweeteners, which are added to products either during preparation or processing. 

The American Heart Association suggests that women should have no more than 100 calories or 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day and men should limit their intake to no more than 150 calories or 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Reducing added sugar intake can help regulate weight and reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease.

Spotting added sugars in your food products can be tricky, here are a few common names for different types of added sugars: 

• Brown sugar 
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup 
• High fructose corn syrup 
• Honey 
• Sugar 
• Molasses 
• Syrup
• Any ingredient ending in –ose (such as sucrose, fructose, lactose)

Here are some tips to start cutting down on the amount of sugar you eat a day:

• Cut back on the sweetened beverages
  • Such as  soda, sweet tea and energy drinks
• Look at the food label and choose products with less added sugar 
• Add fruits to your meals instead of sugar
  • Add fresh or dried fruit to your oatmeal instead of sugar 

• Try extracts such as almond or vanilla instead of adding sugar to recipes 
• Reduce the servings that you consume
  • Add less sugar to your coffee, less syrup to your pancakes and add less sugar to your dessert recipes

Sodium has many benefits in your body, such as controlling the fluid balance, and maintaining blood volume and blood pressure. However, having too much sodium in your diet can lead to raised blood pressure and can cause fluid retention. The American Heart Association recommends about 1,500 mg of sodium a day for adults, but on average, Americans tend to consume more than 3,400 mg a day. By simply cutting back your sodium intake by 1000 mg a day, you can drastically improve your overall health. 

Sodium and salt are two words that are usually used interchangeably, but are not the same thing. Sodium is a mineral that can be found naturally or added during processing. Salt is a combination of sodium and chloride. It is said that about 70% of the amount of sodium people eat actually comes from packaged, processed and restaurant foods, not from the table salt. In order to cut back on the amount of sodium consumed, try incorporating these tips into your daily routine: 

• Reduce the amount of salty foods in your diet, look for low sodium products with under 140 mg per serving
• Reduce the amount of salt you add during cooking 
• Season your foods with spices, herbs or pepper rather than salt
• Avoid foods that have 400 mg or more sodium because these foods are considered high in sodium
• Try having more home-cooked meals
• Avoid smoked, cured, salted or canned meats 
• Avoid salted nuts 
• Avoid mixes or boxed meals 
• Use low sodium or no sodium can vegetables 
• Select condiments that are reduced or low sodium 
• Drain and rinse canned foods
• You can cut the amount of sodium by around 40%

According to the American Heart Association the foods that contain the most salt in the American diet are: 

• Breads and rolls 
• Pizza
• Sandwiches
• Cold cuts and cured meats 
• Soup 
• Burritos and tacos 

This list may seem surprising, but many companies add sodium for preservation and enhancing flavor and texture. It is important to look at the labels to find the lowest sodium options to help improve your health.

Your Cheat Sheet to this Important Food Group

In the protein food group, there are a wide variety of choices such as meats, poultry, legumes, eggs, processed soy products, nuts and seeds. Protein plays a key role in the body by helping build and maintain strong muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. There are also key nutrients that can be found in these different food products. Some of these nutrients include: 

• B vitamins which help release energy, play an important part in the nervous system, form red blood cells and build the tissues throughout the body. 
• Iron which carries oxygen in the blood.
• Magnesium which builds bones and helps releases energy from the muscles. 
• Zinc which is key in the immune system. 

While there are many choices to choose from, some are higher in saturated fats which can lead to detrimental health risks. To avoid those health risks, try to eat leaner proteins. Lean proteins are defined as containing less than 10 grams of fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fats. Here are some examples of lean proteins:

• White fish
• Haddock, cod, flounder, halibut, tilapia 
• Chicken, skinless white meat  
• The breasts, breast tenderloins and wings 
• Lean beef 

• Loins, rounds, flank steaks, brisket flat half
• 95% lean ground beef 
• Pork loins 
• Tenderloin,  pork chops, sirloin roasts, pork top loin 

• Plain Greek yogurt 
• Beans, peas and lentils 
• Low-fat milk
• Low-fat cottage cheese 
• Lite tofu 
• Shrimp
• Egg whites

Another way to make your proteins healthier is by the way you cook them. Here are some helpful tips on preparing your protein in a healthier way:

• Trim the fat before cooking 
• Use marinades to tenderize and flavor leaner meats 
• Drain / skim the fat 
• Reduce portion sizes
• Use low-fat cooking methods (grilling, broiling, roasting, sautéing, baking) 

Nuts and seeds are another great source of protein that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, it is important to know that nuts and seeds are higher in calories so eating smaller portions are a must.

We all need to indulge now and then. What’s the best way to indulge without the guilt? Choose dark chocolate for antioxidants, minerals and a lower-sugar sweet option. 

Here’s how to make Homemade Dark Chocolate: https://clearlybrand.com/news/homemade-dark-chocolate/

Sponsored by Clearly by Best Choice.

For many years, garlic has been used in Mediterranean, Italian, and Chinese cooking because of its fragrant aroma and delicious flavor. Garlic not only delivers a savory taste but it has long been used for its medicinal properties. Studies show that garlic can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels which can reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s also notable that garlic contains a high concentration of antioxidants and nutrients that can assist in boosting your immune system while also helping ward off brain conditions like dementia.

The best way to reap the most beneficial nutritional properties from garlic is by chopping or crushing the garlic clove after removing it from the garlic bulb.  A mechanical garlic press can make this process simple and easy. Crushed garlic is very delicious cooked into a stir fry, mixed in a salad dressing or used as a marinade. It’s also easy to roast a whole bulb of garlic. Then you can have a hearty stock of fragrant caramelized garlic ready to use in a variety of recipes. Roasted garlic helps jazz up roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, a green salad or scrambled eggs. If you love garlic consider adding more of this healthy and delicious food to your meal plan.

Here is a recipe for Easy Roasted Garlic:

• 2 garlic bulbs
• Clearly Organic Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the head off of each garlic bulb to expose most of the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place bulbs cut side down on a piece of foil. Secure foil around garlic bulbs. Then roast in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Garlic skins will turn golden brown and the cloves will become tender.