Tropical Avocado “Margarita” Pops

Recipe serving size: 1 pop

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe, fresh avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and mashed

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 cup of orange juice

• ¾ cup lime juice

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup of frozen mango, chopped

• 8 lime slices

• 8 popsicle sticks

• 8 paper cups

Instructions:
Combine avocado, coconut milk, orange juice, lime juice, and sugar in a blender and puree until smooth. Add mango and pulse until combined.
Divide evenly between 8 paper cups. Top each with a lime slice and popsicle stick.
Freeze until firm.

Watermelon Poke Bowl

This raw fish salad is one of the best of Hawaiian cuisine. It is also rich in the omega-3 fats that are good for your brain and heart. The word "poke" comes from the Hawaiian word for "slice or cut."

Ingredients:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup watermelon juice

• 1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 2 green onions, cut on the diagonal with whites and greens separated

• 3 medium cloves garlic or 2 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger root

• 1/3 white onion, thinly sliced

• 3/4 pound ahi tuna, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

• 1 small avocado, diced

• 2/3 cup diced watermelon

• 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

• serving pickled ginger (sushi ginger or gari)

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, watermelon juice, chili sauce, oil, the white portion of green onions, garlic, ginger root, and onion. Add tuna, toss and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• 10 minutes before serving, add avocado and return to refrigerator.

• Plate as *desired and top with watermelon and green onions, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with pickled ginger.

* Watermelon Poke Bowls can be served as individual portions over rice (seasoned with a touch of rice wine vinegar) as a main dish, in small serving bowls as an appetizer or side dish, or on a large platter for a buffet. Garnish with dried seaweed for extra Hawaiian flare.

Recipe by: https://www.watermelon.org/

Summer Guide to Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle Medicine is a new buzz word in the world of health and wellness, and while the term might be new, the principles of Lifestyle Medicine are things nutrition and wellness experts have been preaching for years. According to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as a plant-predominant dietary lifestyle, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, avoiding the use of risking substances and pursuing other non-drug modalities, to treat, and prevent chronic disease. 

This month I’m sharing why the summer is the perfect opportunity to embrace Lifestyle Medicine and how you can incorporate these principles into your day to day routine! With Lifestyle Medicine, you’re empowered to take charge of your own health.

Summer Guide to Lifestyle Medicine

Why wait till September or January to start thinking about changing your nutrition and health habits, when you can start today? The summer is actually the perfect opportunity to embrace Lifestyle Medicine and start implementing new habits. Listed below are some easy things you can start doing today and reaping the health and wellness benefits.

• Eat Seasonal Produce. The cornerstone principle of Lifestyle Medicine is to eat a plant-predominant diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, and seeds. The summer months are filled with produce harvested in their prime including sweet corn, ripe tomatoes, juicy berries, and more. Take advantage of this season to create new lifestyle habits by eating more seasonal produce. Here are a few ideas to get started: mix in spinach, tomatoes, and peppers into your eggs, enjoy fresh fruit and challenge yourself to add more plants to your meals by cooking with at least three different vegetables.

• Sign Up for a Summer Rec League. Summer is the perfect season to sign up for a new sport. While you may love watching a good baseball game on a summer evening, there is nothing like playing the game! No need to let your skill level, age, or your busy schedule hold you back. As I like to say, where there is a will, there is always a way! Check out your local rec center and see what adult leagues are offered. From volleyball to softball to pickleball to kickball there is bound to be something that fits your skill level and schedule. If participating in summer sports does not interest you then sign up for a local running club. The key is to not only find something you enjoy but also has a set schedule of practices and events to show up and participate!

• Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule. Avoid letting the temptation of long summer days, lack of school schedule and vacation mindset result in late nights. While late nights catching up with friends is okay to do every now and then, it is not a healthy habit for the long term. Sleep is not only important for your mental and physical health but also for . healing and repair of your muscles, tissues, and more. Chronic sleep deficiency is linked to increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes as well as mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

• Create White Space In Your Schedule. Stress management is an essential component of Lifestyle Medicine. One thing I’ve observed working with clients is that not having enough time or having too much to do is a big contributor to stress. The summer is the perfect time to address this. Where can you create white space in your schedule to do less? White space, also known as free time, is just as important for your physical and mental well-being as staying active and engaged in physical and social activities. Take the challenge and see where can you create a little more white space in your schedule? How does extra free time help with your overall stress levels? How can you keep this white space protected for your foreseeable future?

• Soak Up Sunshine! The sun is one of the best ways to get vitamin D, the nutrient essential for bone health and fighting depression, just to name a few. While it is important to wear sunscreen when spending time outdoors and sunscreen will inhibit some vitamin D absorption. However, you will still get some of the benefits. The more time you spend outdoors the more your body will be able to absorb this nutrient over time. Sunshine is also very good for your overall mental and emotional wellbeing. Whenever spending time outdoors be sure to follow the sunscreen guidelines from your physician.

• Be Mindful of Summer Drinking. Summer can be a challenge for people who’ve struggled with alcohol and other substance abuse issues. Be mindful not to fall into the habit of drinking a few cocktails or glasses of wine during the summer nights on a regular basis. And if you’ve already kicked the habit (like stopped smoking, recreational drug use, or reduced alcohol consumption), don’t fall back into it. If this has been a struggle for you in the past, know that the simple act of self-awareness of what, when and where your struggles are is huge. The next step is to create a support system and plan on how you will not revert to old habits. Lifestyle Medicine is avoiding the use of risking substances because the effects on your overall health and well-being are serious and can be life-threatening.

5 Reasons Not to Go on a Diet

Before diving into all the reasons to stop dieting, let’s clarify the difference between a diet and dieting. 

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, diet is defined as food and drink regularly provided or consumed; habitual nourishment; the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason. Whereas the act of dieting is defined as: to cause to take food; to cause to eat and drink sparingly or according to prescribed rules.

The dieting mentality is associated with a variety of physical and emotional health risk that won’t lead to lasting weight loss and in the long run, could be more detrimental to your health. This month I’m sharing a few reasons not to go on a diet and how you can shift typical diet mentality thoughts into creating a healthy relationship with your daily diet, ultimately creating a healthy lifestyle. 

Here are the reasons:

1. Dieting actually leads to weight gain. As counterintuitive as it sounds, dieters are more likely to gain weight after the diet than non-dieters. Dieting (aka restricting), triggers an increase in stress hormones which is also linked to weight gain. The rules and restrictions that come with diets have you ignoring and suppressing your body’s natural hunger cues. Over time, this can make you more vulnerable to binge eating and less intuitive about listening to your body’s internal hunger and fullness cues that help naturally regulate weight.

2. Dieting can slow down your metabolism. Restricting calorie intake can lead to weight loss, however, the drop is due more to a loss in metabolically active muscle mass than actual fat loss. By losing muscle, there is a decrease in the amount of energy the body needs to maintain its weight, meaning a slower metabolism. A slow metabolism burns fewer calories at rest and therefore you have to eat less to avoid gaining weight.

3. Dieting often means numbers trump nutrition. When following a diet, you are often most concerned about calories than anything else. This leads to eating foods based off a number rather than actual nutrition, and let’s face it, not all calories are created equal. A hundred calories of Swedish fish isn’t the same as a hundred calories of Greek yogurt and fresh berries. Foods labeled as “reduced-fat” often means more sugar or other additives to make it palatable. Taking out the fat means taking out some of the flavors, and eating foods with less flavor often leads to consuming more to feel satisfied. By just focusing on calories, you lose sight of the nutrition your body needs. However, eating a balanced diet takes into account the nutrition that is essential for regulating hormones, fighting diseases, managing cravings, and giving your body energy to thrive.

4. Dieting sets off a self-shaming cycle. Beyond the negative physical and health consequences, dieting can have a negative impact on your psychological health and wellbeing. You start your new plan feeling good and optimistic that these rules and restrictions will help you reach their goals. During the first week, you lose a few pounds and you are motivated this will continue. Then you hit a plateau, the scale does not budge. You begin to feel frustrated that your weight is not changing as fast as promised or expected. This leads to feeling upset and maybe a little depressed, feelings of deprivation start to creep in and eventually you give up. You eat something “off limits” from the diet rules, this leads to a binge followed by feelings of despair, shame, and frustration. These feelings lead back to the cycle of dieting -> deprivation -> overeating -> feelings of shame and unworthiness. Over time this cycle can be extremely detrimental to your mental and physical health and this is a big reason diets don’t work!

5. Dieting can lead to eating disorders and disordered eating. “Diets” have you depending on rules telling you what, when, and how much to eat. While this works for a short period of time, eventually you will fall off the diet. Falling off your diet intensifies the feelings of guilt and shame, which contributes to the cycle of restricting, purging, bingeing or excessive exercise. Over time this can develop into a serious eating disorder, leaving you with long term disordered eating habits. Other side effects of dieting include increased risk of depression, decrease in self-esteem, emotional distress and more weight gain.

Inflammation and nutrition

Inflammation is a hot topic in the world of health and nutrition. It’s the body’s natural response to an infection or injury. Without it our body would not be able to heal. However, inflammation that persists—known as chronic inflammation—plays a role in serious illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and many types of cancer. Thankfully healthy food choices among other lifestyle choices can reduce risk of developing chronic inflammation. 
There may not be one super food to cure chronic inflammation, but a healthy and varied diet can boost the body’s immune system and reduce inflammatory stress. 

Although diet is important in fighting inflammation, other lifestyle choices that reduce risk of chronic inflammation include: maintaining a healthy weight, getting plenty of sleep and engaging in regular physical activity.

This month I’m sharing foods and spices that help fight inflammation. This month, eat well to feel great!

Enjoy all the autumn harvest has to offer by incorporating seasonal produce and spices into meals, all while fighting inflammation!
 
Cranberries
Cranberries contain phytonutrients shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on the cardiovascular system and digestive tract. Sprinkle a handful of dried cranberries in your morning oatmeal or mix with roasted nuts for a quick healthy snack.
 
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes have high amounts of antioxidants—beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C—that have anti-inflammatory benefits. Try roasting sweet potatoes in the oven and drizzling with honey or maple syrup for a warm fall dessert.
 
Apples
Apples are plentiful in fall and have been shown to reduce inflammation through their polyphenol content. They’re great on their own for a quick grab and go snack or are delicious baked with cinnamon sprinkled on top.
 
Dates
The magnesium found in dates has been linked to reduced blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory benefits. Dates are naturally sweet and are great used in baking as an alternative sweetener or an elegant appetizer stuffed with cheese or nuts.
 
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is one of the best sources of alpha- and beta-carotene, which gives pumpkin its orange hue. The seeds are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid, known to fight inflammation. Toast pumpkin seeds in the oven and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt for a delicious fall snack.
 
Pecans
Pecans are a traditional fall staple, rich in magnesium and are known to have anti-inflammatory benefits. Pecans are great in salads or as a topping on hot cereal. Toasting pecans enhances their flavor.
 
Turnip Greens
The greens of this root veggie are an excellent source of vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids, both known as anti-inflammatory nutrients. Turnip greens are great sautéed or drizzled with a vinaigrette dressing.

Ginger
 Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols shown to help fight inflammation. Fresh ginger root can be used in teas, baked goods and most commonly in Asian and Indian dishes. Try adding freshly grated ginger to sautéed veggies or rice to spice up any dish.
 
Allspice
Eugenol is the main active compound found in allspice, which has been shown to decrease inflammation within the body. Allspice is a warming spice and has the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Sprinkle over roasted butternut squash drizzled with olive oil for an easy side dish.
 
Cloves
Cloves also contain the compound eugenol. Cloves are a versatile spice and is commonly used in fall recipes, from drinks to meat dishes.
 
Cinnamon
Cinnamon contains compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce the risk of cellular damage and chronic disease. Use in place of sugar in your morning coffee or tea for an alternative sweetener.