You are what you eat, and especially when we are talking about heart health. Specific foods can affect your heart health and a lot time it is just a matter of making a few small additions to your daily routine that will make a great difference.
First, add good fat to your diet. Monounsaturated fat is the heart healthy good fat and as Americans we need more good fat in our diet. Good sources of Monounsaturated fat are olive oil, canola oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, etc) or nut butters (almond butter, peanut butter), avocados and hummus. Below are some easy ways to add good fat to your diet.
• Peanut Butter or Almond Butter with an Apple or on a slice of Whole Wheat Bread
• Add 1 Tbsp Peanut butter or Almond Butter to your Oatmeal or a Smoothie (Chocolate Peanut butter Smoothie)
• Add 2 Tbsp Nuts (Walnuts, Almonds) to your Oatmeal or Yogurt Parfait or Salads
• Use Hummus on your Sandwich instead of Mayonnaise, pair Hummus with Raw Veggies for a healthy snack
• Add Avocado to Salads, Sandwiches, & Wraps
• Make your own Vinaigrette Dressings (use Olive Oil and Canola Oil as your base)

Second, aim for 10 g of soluble fiber per day. Soluble fiber is the fiber that will decrease your cholesterol. Cheerios can say it lowers your cholesterol because it contains soluble fiber, but it only contains 1 g. You really need 10 g soluble fiber per day to have a true effect on lowering your cholesterol. Below is how you can get 10 g of soluble fiber in your diet.
• ½ cup Old Fashioned Oats (measured uncooked) (2 g soluble fiber) with 4 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed (4 g soluble fiber)
• Have ½ cup legumes with a meal (2-3 g soluble fiber)
• Have a Pear or Orange for a snack (2 g soluble fiber)

Remember, little changes can have a big impact on your health, so start making your heart healthier today.

The dream of business success captures the imagination of aspiring and existing business owners everywhere. A vision of flowing profits, industry respect, thrilled customers, and a balanced life permeates our consciousness and keeps us motivated. As we struggle through yet another year of slow economic growth, many of us are working 12, 15, even 18 hours a day just to keep that vision in our sights.

As an entrepreneur, time is your most valuable asset. It’s the only part of your existence you can’t leverage. You only have so much of it in your day and you can’t add more to those 24 hours, no matter what you do or what you pay.

You may think you’re doing your business a favor by sacrificing hours of sleep, your diet, and your exercise program to get ahead. The truth is that you’re doing the opposite. When business magnate Richard Branson was asked his top productivity secret, he said, “Working out in the gym.”

While it may seem counter intuitive, spending a little less of your day at the office and redirecting that time towards optimizing your health may be just the ticket to achieving your professional aspirations.  It’s best to take a business-like attitude toward managing your health.  Set realistic goals and objectives to keep life running smoothly.

Here are three areas in which you can take some simple and time conscious steps to optimize your health:

SLEEP

When you’re tired, your ability to work productively and think clearly may suffer — which could lead to dangerous or costly mistakesand take a toll on your professional reputation.

Poor sleep can make it difficult to multi-task, make you slower to get your work done, and some people report it affects creative thinking and memory.

Here some evidence-supported ways to reduce insomnia:

Take your melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate sleep. As we get older, our bodies produce less and less. Melatonin doesn’t cause dependence or addiction and as a side benefit, it naturally increases your body’s growth hormone production. But, it’s important to combine melatonin with the behavioral tactics below:

Sleep no more than 7 hours. Most people need no more than 7 1/2 hours, but if you cut back to 7, you’ll have sounder sleep with fewer awakenings.

Get up the same time every morning. Your body rhythms are tied to the time you awaken, so it’s important to keep it constant.That means not oversleeping on weekends.

Get into bed only when you’re sleepy. Spending time awake in bed can make you anxious and it can lead you to associate your bed with anxiety. If you can’t drop off to sleep after 15 minutes, try slow deep breaths, which you count. If you reach 200 breaths go to another room and do something relaxing such as reading a book until you are sleepy.

NUTRITION

Nutrition isn’t about a single “perfect” diet. For thousands of years, human diets were simple: We ate what grew from the ground, fell from the trees, ran across our path or swam the waters. Our digestive system’s adaptation to grains and dairy products will take thousands more years.

The diet most synergistic with our Paleolithic-era ancestors: high in nutrient-dense foods (fruits, vegetables, lean meats and essential fats) and low in refined, overly processed foods, fats and simple carbohydrates.

Yet, additives, chemically altered fat (trans fats), preservatives, colorings and high sugar consumption dominate modern diets. Government research in 2002 shows American sugar consumption averaged 170 pounds per person annually.

For reference, in the 1890′s, it was 13 pounds a year. No wonder heart attacks, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, strokes, cancer, hypertension and gastrointestinal disorders are escalating. These diseases were virtually non-existent at the turn of the century.

Here are a few simple steps to improve upon your eating habits:

Choose natural foods: If it grows from the ground, falls from the trees, runs, flies, swims, it is an optimal choice. If you must eat packaged foods, choose those that are minimally processed. Best of all, natural foods are often quickly prepared. Most fruits and vegetables are wash and eat.

Eat once every three to four hours: Your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories for internal functions, is like an engine – the more often you give it fuel, the better it works. When you deprive your body of food, even for short periods of time, it shuts down to preserve energy. Good examples of some snacks to eat in between meals are nuts, cottage cheese, or jerky.  Just make sure to deduct the calories from your daily intake.

Take Supplements:Research is constantly demonstrating that truly therapeutic doses of vitamins and minerals and anti-oxidants -the amounts needed to reduce the risk for various diseases- are substantially higher than the rather paltry RDA’s.  Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to obtain all the necessary nutrients in our diets because of our modern-day growing practices. Therefore, even the best diet is no longer sufficient for optimal health. It’s necessary to obtain some of our nutrients from supplements. I’m not talking about the cheap one-a-day you get at the drug store, but a high-potency, naturally derived, multi-vitamin that may require you to take a couple daily.

EXERCISE:

There are two main exercise categories: resistance/weight training and cardiovascular exercise. Each offers specific benefits, creating a well-balanced exercise program with dynamic results.If you don’t know the first thing about exercising, hire a trainer once or twice to teach you the basics. 30 minutes a day is all you need optimize your health.

Find something that you enjoy: If you don’t like doing it, it’s not going to happen. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as practicing yoga or lifting some weights.

Pump some iron:Weight training is the best way to burn fat; it’s more effective for losing weight than aerobic activity because it burns calories while you’re exercising and at rest. Here’s the math: The body requires approximately 30-50 calories daily, per pound of muscle. When you add 5 pounds of lean muscle, you’ll burn an additional 150-250 calories every day, even on days you don’t exercise. This adds up to 15to 26 pounds of fat loss every year.

Move it or lose it:Do some high intensity endurance exercises. It’s not taking a walk in the park, although you can do that on the side. It is at least 12-15 minutes of pushing your body to the limit of its capabilities. Interval training is the best ways to get a rigorous workout in quickly.  Using a treadmill or elliptical, start at a low to moderate pace for about 1 minute. Then, up your speed to an all-out sprint for 30 seconds. Back it down to the moderate pace for 1 minute, then back up to a sprint for another 30 seconds. Do this 5 times. An alternate would be using telephone poles. Sprint in between two, then walk between the next two, and repeat.

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Your health is your most-treasured asset and should never be put on the back burner. The most serious thing that could possibly happen in your lifetime is the loss of your own productivity- which ultimately not only affects you, but your business, your employees, your family and loved ones.

It’s much better to work for seven hours a day at peak performance than for 10 hours a day at half-consciousness. Get on a good diet, a good workout plan, and get plenty of sleep. It’s fine to be off balance sometimes, but never forget the adage, “Sound body, sound mind.”

It seems like the day after every new year, we recommit to a healthy lifestyle and get serious about exercise . With a gleam in our eye, and determination in our step, we commit ourselves to some sort of fitness routine.

Improving fitness is always at the top of the list of New Year’s resolutions, but it’s always one of the first things we drop. Why?

I find that the number one question my clients ask is “Why can some people stick with their goal of improving in exercise and I simply can not?” It really boils down to you and more specifically, your willingness to want to change and achieve your goals. The number one mistake that I see made when setting New Years goals is that they are too big.

Let’s face it, we live in a  ’right now’ society. We try to go from nothing to everything. We set unrealistic goals and when we can’t immediately realize them, we get disappointed and quit. After the first week it is statistically proven that only 75% of people will still stick with their goal, the second week, only 71%. After the first month it drops to 64% and then 6 months to 46%. (http://proacticechange.com/resolutions/statistics)

Here are a few simple rules to help set the right goals for the New Year:

1) Set simple and realistic goals that you are almost sure you can achieve or surpass.

2) Eliminate the “bad” habits one by one. It will take about two weeks to change one bad habit. Do not try and change all at once.

3) Find ways to enjoy or treat yourself when you achieve your goal. Reward yourself after each positive step you take.  I like to call them “reward markers”.

4) Set a goal for one to two months at a time and then progress. Write down your goals each month as well as your ultimate goal.

Try these few pointers and you’ll be amazed at your progress.

Folic Acid is a B vitamin, which helps the body make healthy new cells. Folic acid is the manmade form of folate.

Women, especially in the childbearing years should aim for plenty of folic acid to prevent spina bifida and anencephaly.  Aim for at least 400-800 mcg folic acid daily. There are some people who may need additional folic acid: if you are taking medicines to treat Epilepsy, Type 2 Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Psoriasis, and IBS. If you have kidney disease and on dialysis, have liver disease, sickle cell disease, celiac disease or consume more than one alcoholic drink a day may need additional folic acid.

There are plenty of low glycemic foods that are high in folic acid. Aim for at least 400-800 mcg folic acid daily. If you are not consuming 400-800 mcg of folate daily from food, then you might consider supplementing with a Multivitamin/mineral that contains folic acid.

You can’t get too much folic acid from foods that naturally contain it. But unless your doctor tells you otherwise, do not consume more than 1,000 mcg of folic acid a day. Consuming too much folic acid can hide signs that a person is lacking vitamin B12, which can cause nerve damage.

Black eyed Peas (1/2 cup): 105 mcg (25% DV)

Spinach (1/2 cup): 100 mcg (25% DV)

Great Northern Beans (1/2 cup): 90 mcg (20% DV)

Asparagus (4 spears): 85 mcg (20% DV)

Spinach (1 cup): 60 mcg (15% DV)

Green peas (1/2 cup): 50 mcg (15%)

Broccoli (1/2 cup): 50 mcg (15%)

Broccoli, raw (2 spears): 45 mcg (10%)

Avocado: 45 mcg (10%)

Peanuts, (1 oz): 40 mcg (10%)

Romaine Lettuce, (½ cup): 40 mcg (10%)

Wheat Germ, (2 Tbsp): 40 mcg (10%)

Tomato Juice (6 oz): 35 mcg (10%)

Egg (1 whole): 25 mcg (6%)

January is national thyroid awareness month and thus a good discussion on the topic of hypothyroidism is in order.

Low thyroid levels affect many hundreds of thousands of men and women in the United States. Termed hypothyroidism, low levels are often misdiagnosed. A deficiency of the thyroid may cause poor sleep, decreased energy, dry skin, depressed mood, aches and pains, weight gain, allergies, heart disease and failure when not properly treated.

Hypothyroidism mostly affects women in their 40′s and older, and is treated either with supplements or in more severe cases, with thyroid medication.

If you believe your thyroid is underactive, it’s critical you speak with your physician who can diagnose and treat your condition to bring you back into balance.

It is not entirely clear how to prevent thyroid dysfunction, but there are natural methods to keep your thyroid gland working optimally. Here are 7 ways to naturally maintain a healthful, functioning thyroid.

1) Take iodine.
Iodine is critical in the thyroid hormone manufacturing process in your body.  A deficit can lead to hypothyroidism. The Japanese for example, have a diet rich in seafood and sea veggies, and therefore have a very low incidence of thyroid dysfunction. On average, the Japanese get 80 times more iodine in their diets than Americans.  Iodized salt went far to provide Americans with necessary iodine supplementation, but because we now recommend a low salt diet, this supplementaton has been reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to additionally supplement with iodine.

2) Take multivitamins.
Selenium, iron and vitamin A are critical to normalized function of your
thyroid. Most Americans do not get the required amount of selenium in their food.

3. Consider coconut oil. Many alternative medicine practitioners recommend 1 tablespoon of coconut oil a day to restore proper thyroid function. Added benefits are often weight-loss and increased immunity.

4. Supplement with Vitamin D3. 2 decades of research now show
that individuals with low thyroid levels also suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. You should ask your  doctor to test your Vitamin D levels if you have already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Your body naturally produces some vitamin D on its own from sunlight. Thus those living in southern climates are much less suceptable than those living in cold
northern climates where people are exposed to less sunlight. Current
recommendations are between 5,000 to 10,000 units a day.

5. Watch your soy. Natural, fermented soy foods like tofu and miso are not a problem. Taking supplements that contain soy isoflavones can be detrimental to the functioning of the thyroid. Its important to read the bottle label. High amounts of soy isoflavones are most often found in
supplements to support menopausal women to assist with hot flashes.

6. Stay away from starches and sugars. Natural, whole foods support thyroid health. Processed trash food provides empty calories while not supplying the body with nutrients, factors, co-factors and minerals.

7. Get regular exercise. Exercise leads to blood circulation and overall health which are both essential to healthy aging. While setting a specific exercise time daily is important, don’t forget it is also important get up from behind that desk and move regularly throughout the day.

Note: If you are taking thyroid medication, calcium carbonate supplements should be spaced out at least 4 hours and possibly 12 hours later. Calcium affects your ability to absorb thyroid hormones. Fruit juices are often supplemented with calcium and should additionally be avoided when taking thyroid meds.

GRILLING MEAT  is an inherently dumb thing to do. Why?… Cooking animal flesh over a hot open flame triggers a series of chemical reactions that yield a meal loaded with carcinogens. Scientists have been warning us about this danger for two decades. Cancer-causing compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) can form, particularly when cooking animal flesh over high heat, which is common when barbequing. These chemicals – the same chemicals that are found in cigarette smoke – have been shown to cause cancer.

For example, in a Harvard study by Erin Richman and colleagues, results of which were published in March 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, men who ate cooked chicken at high heat with the skin on had twice the risk of having their previously diagnosed prostate cancer return or get worse than those who ate skinless chicken. The researchers’ theory to explain these chicken skin findings: The HCAs formed in chicken skin during cooking were the culprit of the cancer relapse.

 Is there a solution; a way to avoid filling your body with HCAs? Don’t grill your meat (or don’t eat meat at all, since research suggests grilling vegetables does not generate HCAs). The trouble with that “solution” is that we’ve been cooking dinner over open fires for two million years. Taking pleasure in grilling meat over a fire is so deeply ingrained in our blood that most people aren’t about to change.

That said, researchers studying the production of heterocyclic amines during the cooking process have discovered a number of “tricks” that may reduce the risks posed while barbequing, either by interfering with the creation of HCAs or inactivating them once they’re formed. For example, precooking a hamburger patty for two minutes in a microwave before barbequing reduces heterocyclic amines by a whopping 90 percent, according to research. Adding vitamin antioxidants to the meat or marinating it in antioxidant-rich spices before cooking appears to work almost as well.

When it comes to marinades, there are also important things to know. First, not just any marinade seems to work – old-style tomato-based barbecue sauces actually increase heterocyclic amine production, while marinades like teriyaki sauce reduce heterocyclic amines produced during cooking by half. Those packets of store-bought powder marinades that you add oil and vinegar to also seem to be surprisingly effective.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Food Science measured heterocyclic amine levels in pan-fried steaks that had been marinated in one of three popular store-bought products. They found “Caribbean Blend” to be the best choice, reducing levels by 88 percent. “Herb Blend” came in second, reducing heterocyclic amines by 72 percent, and “Southwest Blend” came in third, but still lowered levels by 57 percent.

 This isn’t product promotion: there’s nothing special in any of these mixtures that you can’t get just about anywhere. It turns out that many common spices have strong antioxidant effects. Rosemary is particularly effective at reducing production of HCAs, suggests a 2010 study. Marinating chicken in red wine also may reduce production of some heterocyclic amines. Ray Pleva, a Michigan butcher, is famous for adding cherries to his sausage meat. Adding cherry pulp to meat not only makes the burgers juicier, but the fruit also acts as an antioxidant. The cherries prevent heterocyclic amines from being formed, reducing levels by 90 percent. Vitamin E works as well; a single 400 IU capsule is enough to treat 10 pounds of hamburger.

There is also another approach to reducing the harm caused by heterocyclic amines. A number of foods have been identified that neutralize heterocyclic amines in the intestine and prevent them from causing DNA damage. For example, several studies suggest that the Lactobacilli strains in yogurt do this, so serving yogurt on or with meat meals provides additional protection because it actually reduces the harmful effects of these chemicals.

Certain alcoholic beverages also neutralize heterocyclic amines. Sake, brandy, white wine and stout ale have all been shown to prevent heterocyclic amines from causing DNA damage. Ale was the most effective. And though few people will choose this method, freeze-dried beer powder also works.

It would be great if the marinade manufacturers specifically designed meat and chicken marinades to lower production of these chemicals even further. Of course, they would be stuck. Under current law, they would be prohibited from making any health claims on the labels about the product’s benefits regarding HCA neutralization.

The bottom line for anyone who wants to cook meat, whether chicken, beef, pork or anything else on the grill is simple – make sure to marinate all meats before cooking. When cooking ground beef, knead in herbs and/or vitamin E. Stick with skinless chicken if cooking poultry. Always accompany barbecued meat with a yogurt dish and a little alcohol, preferably stout ale; and use a yogurt salad dressing or even something as simple as frozen yogurt for dessert. And, remember that you can cook vegtables on the grill without the danger of heterocyclic amine formation – and increase the nutritional content of your meal at the same time. Talk to your doctor for more information.

BBQ the Safer Way

Here are some of the best way to ensure you enjoy the summer BBQ season without risking consumption of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines, formed when meat is cooked at high temperature:

By Jacob Schor, ND

 According to a study led by the CDC, the average American diet appears to have the ratio the wrong way round: high sodium and low potassium, which increases risk of death, instead of low sodium and higher potassium, which reduces it (1). Researchers found that a high sodium to potassium ratio (too much sodium, not enough potassium) increases risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease by nearly 50%, and more than doubles the risk of death from heart attacks (1).

The American Diet is often extremely high in sodium (especially if you eat out often or eat processed foods), averaging 4000 mg/day. A low sodium diet has been touted for decades, and the need for potassium is imperative, but how do you combine the two and stay within the Cenegenics low glycemic guidelines? Before you run for the bananas and potatoes, realize that there are other foods that contain large amounts of Potassium. Below is a list of Low Glycemic High Potassium Options, which all contain higher amounts of potassium than a banana (467 mg potassium).

So, now that you know how to get low glycemic potassium in your diet, let’s tackle the sodium. Choose whole unprocessed foods most of the time (fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish). Instead of using salt as a seasoning, try out the herb blend below for a great taste but not the sodium. Limit your eating out, this is a huge source of sodium for most Americans.

Low Glycemic High Potassium Food: Dried Apricots, Avocados, Cantaloupe, Halibut, Cod, Tuna, Low Fat Yogurt, Artichokes, Legumes, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Spinach, Soy Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peanuts, Almonds

Make your own Herb Blend for Seasoning

4 tablespoons dried oregano crushed
4 tablespoons onion powder
4 teaspoons dried marjoram crushed
4 teaspoons dried basil crushed
4 teaspoons ground savory
4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme crushed
2 teaspoons dried Rosemary crushed
1 teaspoon dried sage crushed
1 teaspoon black pepper

Stir together all ingredients. Store mixture in a shaker or a lightly covered container.
Sprinkle over fish, chicken, salads or vegetables. 

1)    http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p0711_sodiumpotassiumdiet.html

 By: Kerri Napoleon, RD, CSSD, LD/N

Is there a link between obesity and eating out? Of course there is. New research is pointing to a link between eating at restaurants and an increase risk of obesity (1). This makes total sense considering the portions of meals and the calories associated.

According to the US Department of agriculture, 1/3 of the calories Americans eat comes from restaurants, which is almost double what it was 30 years ago. More than half of adults eat out three or more times a week and 12 percent eat out more than 7 times a week. Even the economy has not had that much impact on the number of times per week that people eat out, instead of reducing the number of times they eat out they are now choosing lower priced restaurants. Unfortunately this usually means higher calorie, lower nutritious meals.

            When I am talking to people about watching their weight and eating healthier, one of the first recommendations I make is to reduce the number of times they eat out. The second recommendation is not to treat each time you eat out like it is a splurge. If you are going to eat out regularly then you need to think about 2 things: Calories and Healthiness of you food choice. You can make healthy low calorie choices when eating out, but sometimes it is not going to be the choice that sounds the most tempting. Make sure you get a fruit or vegetable (potatoes do not count) at each meal. Watch your portions, ask for a to go box and put half in the box or split a meal with a friend or spouse. Follow the tips below to make healthier choices when eating out.

Eating Out Tips:

• Stick to the basics – grilled/baked chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp
• Always increase your veggies: Have a salad and a side of veggies
• Order Salads, Try to frequent restaurants that have sides of vegetables or high amount of vegetables in dishes (BBQ, Chinese restaurants), Order extra vegetables as sides (especially at sit down restaurants), Order vegetable or bean soups when eating out. If you can go to a natural foods or fresh foods store, many will have ready made sides that you could buy for the day….when you can’t get vegetables, aim for fruit.
• Try Broth Based Soups – especially with vegetables and or beans
• Salad with a protein (chicken, fish, turkey, shrimp) and dressing on the side….watch the extras (croutons, etc)
• Stay away from high fat meats (bacon, sausage, duck, Italian meats, regular beef, lamb)
• Order an appetizer of shrimp cocktail or tuna tartare
• Skip the bread, chips, pita and tortillas

1)      Eating at restaurants boosts risk of obesity, experts warn

By: Kerri Napoleon, RD, CSSD, LD/N

When I talk to people about healthy eating, the vision that comes to their mind is a plain piece of fish or chicken with steamed vegetables or a salad with grilled chicken or fish. In my opinion, eating plain, boring food is one of the most destructive “lifestyle changes” a person can make.  Continuously eating the same food and flavors often leads to cravings for other foods (often not so healthy foods), and often diminishes the enjoyment of eating. I find that people who eat the same plain boring meals are the ones that do not make healthy eating a lifestyle change, but more like a diet. What is the solution?

            Healthy eating does not have to equate to boring food. Utilizing different flavors, herbs, and seasonings is the key to turning your boring meal into a flavorful, satisfying meal. Below are a few tips for adding flavor to your meals without adding fat and excess calories, as well as a tasty fresh herb salmon recipe that really makes that plain fish pop!

When you reduce the fat and calories in a dish you often lose flavors. Use highly flavored ingredients to replace the lost flavors.

•  Herbs & Spices add flavor & fragrance – add at the end of cooking. (Look at the ingredient list – especially combination spices, stay away from ones with salt as the first ingredient)
• Acidic ingredients – citrus juices (Lime, Lemon, O.J., Pineapple) and Vinegars (Flavored or plain)
• Citrus Zest adds a fresh zing to a dish
•  Sweet Ingredients – dried fruits, brown sugar, honey, & maple syrup soften the acidity in tart dishes
• Flavorful oils – olive or sesame oil – add subtle flavor with small amounts
• Nuts,(in small amounts) especially toasted, add crunch & flavor
• Wines & Spirits add a deep flavor
• Onions, Shallots, Scallions, Garlic form an important base
• Hot peppers give ordinary dishes a bit of fire
• Salty ingredients – soy sauce, parmesan cheese, olives – lift the flavors in a recipe – Use in moderation
• Canned tomato products add flavor, body & texture

Grilled Salmon with Herb Crust

Prep: 15 minutes, Grill: 6 minutes, Serves: 4

12 oz fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets, about ¾ inch thick

1/3 cup coarsely snipped fresh oregano

1/3 cup coarsely snipped fresh cilantro

¼ cup sliced green onions

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp minced garlic (1 clove)

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper 

1)      Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 serving size pieces; set aside.

2)      In a food processor bowl combine oregano, cilantro, green onions, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process until chopped. Transfer to a shallow dish. Generously coat both sides of fish with herb mixture.

3)      Place fish on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 6-9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through grilling.

1 serving: 126 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 207 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrates, 17 g protein

By: Kerri Napoleon, RD, CSSD, LD/N

Blueberries are in season, which means it’s a great time to enjoy the benefits of these little berries, not just because of their taste, but for their health benefit as well. Blueberries rank very high in their capacity to destroy free radicals and are packed with antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins which neutralize free radical damage. Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, another phytochemical that has been shown to prevent cell damage. Blueberries have been touted to protect the brain from oxidative stress, promote gastrointestinal health, prevent colon and ovarian cancer (1) and new research points to them having an inhibitor effect on the development of adipocytes (fat cells) (2).

Blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and both soluble and insoluble fiber. They are low on the Glycemic Index [GI](an index which ranks the amount of sugar in a food) and Glycemic Load [GL] (the speed in which your body absorbs that sugar). 1 cup of Blueberries has a GI of 40 and a GL of 5 and 80 calories.

Blueberries do, however, rank high on the list of produce with the most pesticide residue (4), ranking #10 out of 12. So, make sure to buy organic blueberries whenever possible, or thoroughly wash them with soap and water prior to consuming. They make a great addition to oatmeal, smoothies, salads and muffins, but they can also be added to savory dishes as well. Below is a great Blueberry Ginger Relish (3) that pairs well with chicken, pork or fish.

Blueberry Ginger Relish

• 1 cup fresh blueberries, coarsely chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Prepare relish about 20 minutes before cooking meat. Combine blueberries, shallot, chile, cilantro, lime juice, ginger and salt in a small bowl. Makes 4 servings (1/4 cup).

Resources:

1)       www.whfoods.com

2)      Experimental Biology 2011 Meeting, April 2011, Washington, DC

3)      www.eatingwell.com

4)      www.thedailygreen.com

By: Kerri Napoleon, RD, CSSD, LD/N