Monday, October 27, 2014

CASHEW COOKIES


CASHEW COOKIES
Cookies (makes 1 dozen)
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
  • 1 Tablespoon ground sage
Drizzle
  • 1 banana
  • 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon)
  • 1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil

 Directions
  1. In a food processor, blend cashews and sage. Add the dates and process until mixture becomes sticky
  2. Roll into balls, and then press into cookie. Refrigerate.
  3. Blend all drizzle ingredients until smooth. Spoon a dolop on the center of each cookie (or spread on top).

MANAGING ARTHRITIS WITH FOOD

Food can’t cure arthritis, but it can make the disease less painful and help keep it from getting or worse. Small changes in your diet can yield big rewards in managing the disease. Every pound you carry around your belly puts 10 pounds of pressure on your joints.


#1: Fatty fish (salmon, herring sardines) or any other food with omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, soy beans, flax seeds, canola oil and pumpkin seeds
Omega-3s decrease the production of chemicals that spread inflammation
Fatty fish also contain
vitamin D, which helps prevent swelling and soreness.
Get at least one gram of omega-3s a day. Four ounces of salmon, for example, has 1.5 grams of omega-3.
Add ¼ walnuts  to a salad
Add  two tablespoons flaxseed  to your cereal.
Spend 10-15 minutes a day in the sun to trigger vitamin D production in your body.

 #2: Extra-virgin olive oil
Olive oil contains oleocanthal, which blocks enzymes involved in inflammation.
Approx 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil acts like one-tenth of a dose of ibuprofen (Source: Monnell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia)
 Eat one tablespoon a day on salads, bread or vegetables.

#3: Sweet peppers, citrus fruits and other vitamin C-rich foods
Vitamin C protects collagen, a major component of cartilage.
Eat 200-500 milligrams a day.
 An orange or a cup of broccoli will net you about 200.
High in vitamin C foods have other plant nutrients that you won’t get from a vitamin C supplement.

#4: Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts contain huge amounts of selenium
Low selenium may also be linked to rheumatoid arthritis. The mineral helps antioxidants clear out cell-damaging free radicals, aids the regulation of the thyroid gland and may prevent cancer.
Eat 55-200 micrograms a day.
Eat tuna
One cup of cooked oatmeal will provide 12 micrograms

 #5: Onions and leeks
Onions and leeks contain quercetin, an antioxidant that may inhibit inflammatory chemicals (much like aspirin and ibuprofen)
Eat ½ cup of a high-quercetin food a day
Eat kale, cherry tomatoes or apples – all are high in quercetin.

#6: Tart cherries
A diet plump with tart cherries can cut inflammation. The magic ingredient is anthocyanins

Eat ½ cup of tart cherries – fresh, frozen, canned or dried – or 8 ounces of juice.

#7: Green tea
Studies show that certain antioxidant compounds in green tea lessen the incidence and severity of rheumatoid arthritis. One University of Michigan study found that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) lowers production of inflammation-causing substances in the body that cause joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Drink  3-4 cups a day.

 
Foods to Avoid


Bad food #1: Shellfish, red meat (
especially if you have gout)
Why they hurt: Gout results from the build-up of uric acid in the blood, which forms crystals that painfully settle in the joints. Purine, a compound that’s abundant in shellfish, meats, high-fat dairy foods and beer, converts to uric acid. For people at risk for or suffering from gout avoid clams, oysters, mussels, anchovies, herring, mackerel, liver, brain, kidney and sweetbreads.
Alternative: No more than 5-6 ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish a day. For protein, eat some beans instead; they offer muscle-relaxing magnesium and bone-building calcium.
Bad food #2: Sunflower, safflower, corn and soybean oils
Why they hurt: They're high in omega-6 fatty acids, which increase inflammation. Alternative: Switch to healthy olive or nut oils.
Bad food #3: Sugar
Why it hurts
: Studies suggest that sugar may increase inflammation. Sugar is also high in calories, which leads to weight gain leading to additional pressure on your joints.
Alternative
: fresh fruit; 2-4 half-cup servings a day.

 
Yours in health,
Dr. Velonda
Facebook: Be-Fit, Inc.    Twitter: #drvelonda 877-888-3546

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Happy National Watermelon Day



National Water Melon Month


Beat the scorching summer heat with a cup of wonderfully delicious, juicy watermelon chunks – a great source of much-needed water to quench thirst while re-boosting your body with anti-oxidant lycopene and vitamin-A. Watermelons are very low in calories (just 30 calories per 100 g) and fats yet very good source of potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus offering protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases (Rudrappa, 2014).
Watermelon research is expanding due to health scientist’s interest in the citrulline content of watermelon. “Citrulline is an amino acid that is commonly converted by our kidneys and other organ systems into arginine (another amino acid). The flesh of a watermelon contains about 250 millligrams of citrulline per cup. When our body absorbs this citrulline, one of the steps it can take is conversion of citrulline into arginine. Higher levels of arginine can help improve blood flow and other aspects of our cardiovascular health” (The George Mateljan Foundation, 2014).

Botanically, the fruit is related to the cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin. These family members grow as vines on the ground surface. The Guinness Book of World Records states that the heaviest watermelon weighed 262 pounds. To learn more interesting watermelon facts, check out www.watermelon.org.



Smoothies are a great way to pack in vitamins, minerals and energy on the go!

Watermelon Smoothie
2 cups watermelon
1 cup cracked ice
½ cup plain yogurt
2 – 4 dates (pitted)
½ teaspoon ground ginger,
handful of almonds (or 1/8 teaspoon almond extract)
Combine all ingredients in blender container. Blend until smooth.

Peach Green Dream Smoothie
2 Handfuls of red leaf lettuce
4 dates (pitted)
2 cups watermelon chunks
2 tablespoon ground flax seed
4 small peaches (peeled, cut into chunks)


References:
Rudrappa, U. (2014). Watermelon nutrition facts. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/watermelon.html

The George Mateljan Foundation. (2014). What's New and Beneficial About Watermelon. Retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31

Yours in health!
drvelonda@gmail.com         TWITTER: #drvelonda        FACEBOOK: Be-Fit, Inc  1-877-888-3546

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Summer Sizzles - Fruit, Fun and Farmers Market



This is the time of year where "eating like a rainbow” is a no brainer.


You have heard it before, fruits and vegetables are not only good for you, they are your ticket to a lifetime of disease free health. They are not just for preventing disease, they provide essential nutrients and minerals that research has shown will ease chronic health conditions. In addition to research showing that a diet that is rich in fruit, veggies & fish keeps the doctor away, experts believe that pigments in fruits and leafy vegetables provide high levels of antioxidants. 


 https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3360566404910454886#editor/target=post;postID=5975239027146959176
You won’t need a doctor to fill your farmers’ market prescription for health.  Top 5 buys you don’t want to leave the market without:
1.       Spinach is loaded with iron, beta carotene, vitamin C and folate which supports healthy hair follicles and scalp oil circulation.
2.       Kale contains more antioxidant than any other leafy green vegetable; which help ward off cardiovascular disease.
3.       Blueberries are known to  help lower blood pressure with their high levels of antioxidants
4.       Beets, packed with fiber magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and folate are known for their cancer preventing properties. Beet also have anti-inflammatory properties.
5.       Tomatoes provides our body with lycopene; which help protect your skin from sun damage.


Summer Sizzles with farmer friendly fresh food and fun. 


Registration is now open. For more info call 313-757-2635 or email keepgrowingdetroit@gmail.com 

Yours in health,
Dr. Velonda 
1-877-888-3546


Twitte: #drvelonda