Within the past month, many of us have been sheltering in place or staying at home amid COVID-19 concerns. Many may be moving less, snacking on unhealthy food more, staring at our computer screens all day, being more stationary, staying up too late or lacking quality sleep- which can all compromise our immune system to fight infection and illnesses.
During this crisis, it is especially important to nourish our body with wholesome, immune-boosting foods and beverages. These 4-ingredient healthy cookie dough bites are so simple to make. The combo of protein and healthy carb can help you stay energized. If you have a little helper or two at home, turn off the TV and make it a family activity to make some smart cookies together !
💪🏻 Eggs are rich in zinc, which is linked to the production of WBC and can help support our immune system
💪🏻 Avos and Egg yolks are a source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) that contain Oleic Acid (a MU Omega-9 FA) which may reduce inflammation, protect against cancer, boost memory & protect against cognitive decline (which may prevent Alzheimer’s disease).
💪🏻 Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, watercress, arugula, and mustard greens promote gut health to aid healthy absorption of immune boosting nutrients.
💪🏻 Avos, Eggs, and Dark leafy greens contain carotenoids, an antioxidant that may protect against cancer .
💪🏻 Avos, Eggs, and COOKED dark leafy greens contain lutein + zeaxanthin ( a type of carotenoids). These antioxidants protect eye health by filtering out much of the harmful blue light rays, especially the UV rays, which also help to maintain healthy, glowing, youthful skin. ( ✅ Connect via my SkinBetter to purchase my favorite face serum that offers daily antioxidant protection for your skin and improvement of the appearance of uneven tone and redness. Stay tune for product reviews)
💪🏻 Avos and RAW spinach contain Glutathione, an antioxidant that can protect against oxidative damage and support your immune system. Glutathione is also naturally produced by your body but the level may be depleted with aging, poor diet, and chronic disease/stress. Since dietary glutathione is not well absorbed, you may benefit from taking a supplement. (✅ Contact me to learn more about how S-Acetyl Glutathione provides intracellular antioxidant support for immune function and which top rated brand I trust the most. )
Keto AvoEgg: Video Recipe on My IG StorySkin Better Science
✅Turkey and Eggs are both good sources of Selenium- a powerful antioxidant that may lower inflammation and enhance your immunity.
✅Our gut wall is the first line of defense from harmful substances and toxins. Goat cheese provides a great dose of probiotics to support healthy microbiome in your gut to boost your immune system and is easier to digest than cow’s cheese. (See 👩🏻⚕️RD’s Choice Probiotic Below)
✅Served with avocado, mango, and a handful of almonds for an extra boost of antioxidants to support vision, skin, hair, and heart health .
3-Ingredient Immune Boosting Omelette
👩🏻⚕️RD’s Choice
(Is there really a difference between store-grade supplements VS. pharmaceutical-grade, professional-grade supplements? Review this chartand decide.)
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cavities remain the most common chronic disease faced by school-aged children and adolescents. In addition to brushing 💡 at least twice a day and flossing daily, here are 10 ways to maintain good oral health through proper nutrition and lifestyle.
Such as jelly beans, cough drops, caramels, mints, sugary flavored yogurt, sugary cereals, snack bars/pasta sauce/ketchup/salad dressing with added sugar
Avoid frequent snacking
Visit your dentist every 6 months
💡 Make your Homemade Toothpaste by combining:
3 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Peppermint Oil
*? If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), you may be advised to limit your phosphorus intake. Reach out to me to tailor your diet to meet your specific needs.
Beet is well known as a liver and blood cleanser. Due to its high-antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, it has been linked to the prevention of lung, liver, colon cancer and many diseases.
Simple ways to incorporate beet into your diet include:
Make an immune-boosting smoothie with beet, lemon, ginger, and raspberries
Make a healthy side dish with roasted beet
Add grated beetroot into your big salad
Add fresh beet leaves into your big salad
Steam beet, broccoli, cauliflower, tofu together and serve over brown rice or quinoa
Make a beet and carrot soup
Make a Beet Latte with beet juice, almond milk, ginger, and honey/maple syrup
During the cold months, not many brave souls who can choke down a 20 ounces cold smoothie or frosty green juice after a workout. The basic components of recovery meal include a complex carb, lean protein, healthy fat, and veggies. My winter post-workout meal consist of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants to help decrease inflammation and aid in muscle recovery. The ingredients can be mixed and matched according to your taste. Read about the benefits of these 6 superfoods and YOU can prepare your next post-workout meal in less than 15 minutes.
Green Tea with Mint, Lemon, and a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
Replenish fluid lost in exercise
Support weight management
Reduce muscle soreness
Sweet Potatoes
Restore glycogen level
Sustain energy
Support weight management
*Miso Soup with Mushrooms, Celery, and Organic TofuPlus (by @nasoya)
Restore electrolytes
Boost energy
Boost immune system
Promote gut-health
Chia Seeds
Reduce inflammation
Boost energy
Support bone and joint health
Avocados
Prevent muscle cramps
Maintain electrolyte balance
Raw Cacao Nibs
Boost energy
Speed up recovery time
Maintain muscle function
Support weight management
Support muscle growth
*Miso soup is a vital, versatile item at my house. You can add any vegetables and lean protein you have on-hand. Get this 10-minute Green Tea Noodle Bowl Recipe by me.
1. Eat Eggs occasionally, but not Egg Beaters
2. Pastured Eggs are ideal (Buy at Fairway Market)
3. Second choice: Organic or Free-Range Eggs
4. Top 5 nutrients in Eggs:
?Sulfur – boost Skin and Joint Health
?Vitamin B12- boost Energy and fight Depression
?Choline- boost Energy and Brain Health
?Vitamin D- boost Immunity and Bone Heath
?Lutein- boost Vision Health
5. Egg yolk contains most of these vitamins and minerals
Understand Egg Label
Photo by The Humane Society of The United States
Read more about eggs and choline in my Eat Eggs blog post.
Why do so many of us have chocolate cravings? My patients are wondering if it is due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Overall, chocolate is a good source of magnesium and iron. I tried to provide other (magnesium and iron) alternatives such as nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, lentils & beans, and did not find any reduced cravings of chocolate in my patients. Perhaps it is due to the mood-calming compound in chocolate that release your body’s “feel good” chemical- Dopamine and Serotonin, or just the complex, rich flavor and smell of chocolate ??.
Chocolate craving is not a nutritional concern as long as you are sticking with the less processed forms. In fact, the flavonoids in dark chocolate is beneficial to your skin and heart health. This powerful anti-aging antioxidant can help to reduce blood pressure, the bad cholesterol “LDL”, and keep your skin soft & moist.
I like the bitterness, woody taste and smooth texture in a piece of dark-chocolate (85% cocoa), a warm cup of unsweetened almond milk with a tablespoon of pure cocoa powder, or a few bits of cacao nibs in my homemade smoothie or oatmeal.
I do not recommend white chocolate, milk chocolate, peanut butter/caramel chocolate candy bars, or chocolate with more than 10g of sugar per 40g serving.
Last year, I posted a recipe of Homemade Protein Chew on my Instagram. I was exploring a caffeine-free version and have created this Vegan, Less Fat, Sugar-Free formula. I replaced the cocoa and honey in the original recipe with Chatfield’s All Natural Carob Powder* (naturally sweet, low in fat).
Photo Credit: Chatfield’s
* While Carob powder is a good substitute of cocoa powder for those who are very sensitive to caffeine or watching their weights, please note that it doesn’t contain the phytochemical flavonoids. However, this product is delicious in warm, almond milk and baked goods.
Recipe:
Raw Vegan Protein Chew
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp of Epic vanilla protein *
3 Tbsp raw shelled #hempseeds (@harvesthemp)
6 Tbsp Chatfield’s All Natural Carob Powder
1 Tbsp #coconutoil
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup of Almond Milk
Directions:
1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. 2. Add almond milk gradually while mixing the batter.
3. Knead and roll batter into #proteinballs.
4. Place on wax paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Enjoy ?
* Reviews of Epic Protein Supplement
a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal;
oats, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, sweet potato for fuel;
healthy nuts & seeds for snacks;
more plant-based protein
One of the nutrition questions I get from many of my patients is regarding the high fat content of nuts. It is true that many nutrient-dense plant foods such as Avocados, Nuts & Seeds, Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Tofu, Edamame are high in fat. They naturally contain unsaturated as well as saturated fat. Here are some things you should know: The presence of saturated fat in a plant-source, whole food doesn’t label a food into the unhealthy category if it is loaded with more essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, the healthy fats, which make up the majority of the fat content in the above high-fat plant foods help reduce LDL cholesterol and lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
Here are some things you should know: The presence of saturated fat in a plant-source, whole food doesn’t put a food into the “unhealthy” category. You have to look at the complete nutrition profile.
My new favorite Kind Bar- The Cashew & Ginger Spice Bar contains 200 Kcal, 14g Total Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 4g Sugar, and 6g Protein. It tastes incredible and it’s way healthier than candied ginger!
Photo Source: kindsnacks.com
Epidemiological studies suggest that regular nut consumption is unlikely to contribute to obesity and may even help in weight loss and lower the risk of hypertension. Raw nuts and seeds consumption, (especially walnuts, flaxseed, chia seed) have been associated with cancer risk reduction. Go Nuts with 5 oz serving weekly to maximize the benefits of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to the INC and USDA National Nutrient, the following equal one ounce of nuts:
Photo Source: INC and USDA National Nutrient 150-157 Data Base for Standard Reference, Release 19, 2006.
If you are looking for the perfect sweet & salty granola-like bar, I would recommend KIND Bar’s Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt. Each Bar contains 150 Kcal, 5 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 6 g Sugar, 3 g Protein. It contains all the healthy grains I like: Oats, brown rice, millet, oat flour, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa + a subtle maple flavor blend with the nuttiness of pumpkin & sunflower seeds. It makes a great chewy snack packed with amazing nutrients. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, magnesium, and Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which are great for your immune system, bone and heart health.
source: kindsnacks.com
Bottom line: Fear not the fats in nuts & seeds. You can read more about the latest nutrition research about nuts here.
In celebrating National Nutrition Month, may I suggest all you beautiful people to incorporate more pastured eggs in your diet, to help get your mind and body in shape for professional and personal success?
My mom used to tell me “Eat Fish, It’s a brain food. Eat Egg, it’s the most nutrient dense food”. My typical childhood breakfast was composed of 2 hard-boiled eggs, a papaya smoothie, and sometimes a small bowl of fish congee. It was at a time when I saw chickens roaming in the backyards, eating bugs and worms.
Then, people thought eggs were bad. I learned about all the fancy labels of eggs that I didn’t know about. Some eggs are Conventional, Cage-Free, Vegetarian-Fed, etc…AKA, eggs from over-crowded chicken factory. Later, I heard about the Egg Beaters, a processed product that is fortified and supposed to “make a healthy lifestyle easier”.
Not all eggs are created equal. Let’s look at the ingredients:
Dietary intake of choline has been shown to be associated with lower plasma homocysteine levels (tHcy), which may reduce chronic inflammation (leading to cardiovascular disease, dementia, and osteoporosis). Recent studies support a protective role of choline against the development of some types of cancer. Choline deficiency may increase risk of muscle damage and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (Fatty liver is linked to obesity and insulin resistance).
Choline is an essential nutrient for prenatal and breastfeeding women. Similar to folate, choline plays a critical role in the healthy development of the fetus’s brain and nervous system. Deficiency in pregnancy may increase incidence of neural tube defects and impair cognitive function.
Although some choline is made within the liver, we require dietary source to maintain good health.
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the adequate intake (AI) for choline to prevent liver damage is 550 mg daily for men and lactating women, 425 mg daily for women, and 450 mg daily for pregnant women. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for adults is 3500 mg/day.
Good Sources of Choline:
?Egg yolk- 147 mg per yolk
?Wheat germ- 202 mg per cup
?Beef- 97 mg per 3oz trimmed, cooked
?Scallop- 94 mg per 3oz steamed
?Salmon- 56 mg per 3oz cooked
?Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, bok choy)- 65 mg per cup cooked
?*Please note that prenatal vitamins don’t usually contain Choline, it’s important to nourish your body through whole foods.
Peppery Arugula Omelette with Sweet Fruits
If you are worried about the high cholesterol level in egg yolk, read my related post on Instagram here Dietary Cholesterol. You can learn more about cholesterol with Professor Fred Kummerow’s latest book at 99 years of age Cholesterol is not the Culprit. Kummerow was the scientist who pushed the FDA to ban Trans Fat and he eats an egg daily. The 100 years old Nutrition Scientist.
