The Health Benefits of Turkey

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 23, 2012

Source: williams-sonoma.com via Katy on Pinterest

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I think the reason I love Thanksgiving is because it is a relaxed holiday centered on a great meal shared with family and friends. Another reason to love Thanksgiving is the leftover turkey.

After indulging in turkey, you can feel good about its health benefits. Turkey is a good source of protein and essential amino acids. Lean, white turkey meat is low in calories, sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat compared to other meats.

Benefits:

  • Helps to maintain healthy function of thyroid and immune system with selenium.
  • Boosts antioxidant defense system by helping to eliminate cancer-friendly free radicals with selenium.
  • Promotes in the formation of red blood cells with the vitamins B6 and B12.
  • Maintains healthy brain function and normal nerve function with vitamin B6.
  • Helps to break down and digest protein with vitamin B6.
  • Lowers bad cholesterol with vitamin B3.
  • Improves mood and promotes sleep with the amino acid tryptophan.
  • Promotes cell and tissue repair and growth with zinc and selenium.
  • Improves blood flow with arginine.

With a little imagination your leftover turkey will be gone in no time. Turkey can be used in sandwiches, soups, salads, omelets, curries, potpies and casseroles. Naturally low in fat and calories turkey is a healthy addition to your diet year round.

♥ ♥

 

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Easy Tropical Smoothie

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on November 21, 2012

I often make this for myself when I don’t want to eat breakfast…which is quite often.  I’ve always struggled with eating breakfast for some reason.  I love pineapple and I always seem to have frozen pineapple chunks in my freezer.  Here’s my 2 minute recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 -3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks
  • 1 cup almond milk (plain or sweetened if you like your smoothies on the sweet side)
  • 1/2 cup tropical juice (I used orange-peach-mango)
  • 1/4 tsp. coconut extract

Blend all of the above ingredients together and enjoy.  I use a Magic Bullet.  🙂

♥ ♥

  Sumo's Sweet Stuff HungryLittleGirl

 

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WIAW #32

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 21, 2012


 
Hello Everyone. Happy What I Ate Wednesday!  I am sharing my meals from last Saturday. This Saturday, my husband and I went to the Cleopatra exhibit at the California Science Center with a group of friends. We were able to try a new restaurant too. Thank you to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting the WIAW.

This is what I ate:

Breakfast (7:00am)

I started the day with coffee and a power crunch protein bar.

 Cleopatra: The Exhibition at the California Science Center.

Lunch (1:30pm)

At the Daily Dose in downtown Los Angeles, I had a wonderful latte with a ham and cheese sandwich called The Taylor and finished with a chocolate chip cookie.

 Rosanne and Augie

 Mickey

Dinner (6:00pm)

Quick tofu tacos from Wahoos.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope your day was full of healthy meals! 

♥ ♥

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This Holiday Season Give Yourself the Gift of Laughter

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 Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 19, 2012

Source: theworldofaclassylady.tumblr.com via Jennifers on Pinterest

The holidays are a wonderful time of year but it can also be a very stressful time. One of the best ways to reduce stress during the holidays is to find some “me time” everyday and try to laugh. Laugh about your day or something on TV; it does not really matter as long as you enjoy it.

Laughing has many health benefits both long and short term. Short term, laughing soothe tension by stimulating circulation which promotes muscle relaxation. Laughing increases the amount of endorphins released by the brain, which boost your mood. Laughter increases your heart rate and blood pressure causing you to feel relaxed after.

Laughter long-term improves your immune system by improving your mood with positive thoughts helping to reduce stress. Personal satisfaction is increased because laughter makes it easier to cope with difficult situations. Laughter causes your body to produce its own natural painkiller.

This holiday season laugh at life’s little annoyances and try to find the humor in difficult situations. Remember laughter is the best medicine.

♥ ♥

 

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Eating Well and Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on November 16, 2012

Believe it or not, the holidays are already here.  Most of us are on the run and ignore our diets with all the craziness that accompanies the holidays.  It doesn’t help that there are so many eating opportunities around!  Here are some tips for surviving the holidays:

  • Take one day out of the week to plan out your meals for the week (make a shopping list, go to the market, etc.)
  • Take non perishable items such as granola bars, fruit, etc. with you wherever  you go so you won’t be tempted to eat too many of the tempting goodies out there
  • Don’t forget to make exercise a priority, no matter how busy you are.  Try not to let your busy schedule be an excuse for not exercising.
  • When dining out with family and friends, pick a very simple dish that won’t contribute too  many unwanted calories.  Pictured above is the shoyu glazed black cod from Yamashiro in Hollywood.
  • Host a holiday gathering with friends at your home so you can control the menu
  • Try not to overdo it throughout the holiday season.  You can’t do it all…

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

♥ ♥

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Pumpkin Smoothie

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 14, 2012
 
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 3 TBSP canned pumpkin
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 TBSP peanut butter (or any nut butter will do)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 TBSP ground flax seeds
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • a sprinkle of nutmeg
  • a sprinkle of all spice
  • a few ice cubes (depends on how thick you like it)
Instructions:
  1. Add all ingredients to electric mixer.
  2. Blend for about 2 minutes.
  3. Enjoy!
* This is not a very sweet smoothie; I think many pumpkin drinks are too sweet for me. If you would like yours sweeter, add maple syrup or agave nectar.

♥ ♥

52 Mantels What's cooking, love? SixSistersStuff.com Foodie Friends Friday Sumo's Sweet Stuff Chef In Training

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WIAW #31

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 14, 2012


 Hello Everyone. Happy What I Ate Wednesday!  I am sharing my meals from last Saturday. This Saturday, I ran lots of errands and ate on the run. I hope you enjoy my day. Thank you to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting the WIAW.

This is what I ate:

Breakfast (7:30am)

I started the day with coffee and a pumpkin smoothie ( my recipe).

AM Snacks (10:00am)

A pink lady apple and pumpkin seeds.

Lunch (11:30am)

A small green salad topped and a Greek turkey burger at the Orange Tree Deli.

PM Snacks (2:00pm)

Cheddar Cheese. 🙂

Dinner (5:30pm)

Grilled fish with tomato slices and coleslaw at The Crab Cooker.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope your day was full of healthy meals! 

♥ ♥

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What is an Eggling?

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on November 12, 2012

Meet my Basil Eggling.  I got this as a gift from my friend Kyoko and wanted to share it with you.  It’s a really cute way to start a mini herb garden.  A porcelain egg comes in a really cute, nicely designed box.  All you have to do is crack the top of the egg, add water daily, and watch your herbs grow.  It is really easy and looks awesome on your window sill.  I think it is also a great gift for the cook in your life.  You can find more gifts like these at:  www.eggling.com

 ♥ ♥

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Book Review – Vegan’s Daily Companion

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Posted by Jennifer (the student) on November 10, 2012

The Vegan’s Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a book that offers 365 days of inspiration for the vegan, vegan curious or new vegan. This book is full of information about the vegan lifestyle with a focus on activism.

This book is divided by the days of the week and each day focuses on a topic. Mondays topic is For the Love of Food, it outlines healthy food options. Tuesdays are about Compassionate Communication, techniques for peace and nonviolence. Wednesdays are Optimum Health for Body, Mind, and Spirit, featuring health tips and lifestyle choices. Thursdays are Animals in the Arts, stories about animals in literature and film. Fridays are Stories of Hope, Rescue, and Transformation, stories and photos of animals that have been rescued. Saturdays and Sundays are Healthful Recipes, featuring simple vegan recipes.

This beautiful book would be a useful guide to someone who is thinking about adopting a plant-based diet. Some may be turned off by heavy activism tone.  I enjoyed many of the recipes and the layout of the book.

♥ ♥

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