What's in Season - Summer easy eating

What’s in Season – August

 August is best known for bringing us a rainbow of fruit and vegetables that includes bell peppers, peas, radishes, summer squash,  blackberries, cantaloupe,  grapes, honeydew, kiwi, plums and raspberries.

Bell peppers 

Bell peppers are fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free, high in vitamin c, and are a good source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, which comes in red, orange, yellow and green.

Peas

Green garden peas are a valuable source of protein, iron and fiber. Sugar snap peas and snow peas are an excellent source of iron and vitamin C.

Radishes

Radishes are low in calories and are a good source of potassium, vitamin C, folate and fiber. They are also fat free, cholesterol free and low in sodium.

Summer squash  

Zucchini and yellow squash are good sources of beta-carotene. They are also a good source of vitamin C and B6 and fiber, are low in calories and are fat, cholesterol and sodium free.

Blackberries

A tasty way to add fiber and vitamin C to your diet, blackberries are low fat, cholesterol and sodium free and are a great source of vitamin C and fiber.

Cantaloupe

The cantaloupe is 95 percent water and is low in calories. Cantaloupes contain some iron, calcium, fiber and protein.provides 80% of the recommended daily allowance for both vitamins A and C

Grapes

Grapes are a good source of fiber, are sodium, fat and cholesterol free and are high in vitamin C and potassium. Research has also shown that all colors of grapes are sources of antioxidants. 

Honeydew

These delicious green melons are low in calories and sodium, are fat and cholesterol free and a good source of vitamins A and C and potassium.

Kiwis contain more vitamin C than 2 oranges, more potassium than a banana, more vitamin E than an avocado, more fiber than an apple and they are a good source of folate. They also contain copper and magnesium, two minerals that are tough to get in your diet. 

Plums

Plums are fat, sodium and cholesterol free and are a good source of vitamin C. Plums and prunes are loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamins that help keep eyes, skin and organs healthy.

Raspberries

Raspberries may be red, black, yellow, or purple. All raspberries contain fiber, folate, and vitamin K. They are also full of  antioxidants .

Yours in health!

Dr. Velonda

www.drvelonda.net 

Vegan Please - Nutrition Nugget

 

Vegan Please

 

There are many reasons to choose the vegan style of eating. Some think eating meat and dairy products is cruel to animals, some believe it is better for the environment and some think it’s simply a healthier lifestyle choice (that would be me).  From Bill Clinton to Ellen DeGeneres, celebrities are singing the benefits of a vegan diet.

 

Vegans are those who refrain from eating any kind of animal derived food, including products such as milk, cheese or honey. A key to better health is making informed choices about the foods you eat.

Some of the disease prevention and physical benefits of eating a healthy vegan diet includes:

1.      Cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health. Vegan diets go far in preventing heart attack and stroke.

2.      Cholesterol. Eliminating any food that comes from an animal and you will eliminate all dietary cholesterol from your diet.

3.      Prostate cancer. Studies have shown that men in the early stages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of the cancer or may have even reversed the illness.

4.      Breast cancer. Countries where women eat very little meat and animal products have much lower rates of breast cancer than do the women in countries that consume more animal products.

5.      Macular degeneration. Diets with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, can help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration.

6.      Arthritis. Eliminating dairy consumption has long been connected with alleviating arthritis symptoms.

7.      Weight loss. A healthy weight loss is a typical result of a smart vegan diet. Eating vegan eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues.

8.      Energy. When following a healthy vegan diet, you will find your energy is much higher. Healthy skin. The nuts and vitamins A and E from vegetables play a big role in healthy skin, so vegans will usually have good skin health.

9.      Longer life. Several studies indicate that those following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle live an average of three to six years longer than those who do not.

10.  Body odor. Eliminating dairy and red meat from the diet significantly reduces body odor. Going vegan means smelling better.

SOURCE: http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

 

 

With our fast paced world and given the fact that we are away from home more than not, convenient places to grab lunch or dinner, vegan style are growing exponentially in recent years. Detroit, Michigan is becoming a mecca for natural health and plant-based dining options.

 

 

Can you say vegan crab cakes?

 

Great lakes cakes & spring cucumber salad

http://www.sevarestaurant.com

Yours in health,
Dr. Velonda

Good Health comes in many colors

When it comes to eating healthy, the phrase "eat like a rainbow" is the mantra we all should seek to live by. By getting a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables you not only maximize your intake of a broad range of nutrients, you are also guaranteed a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals. "Nature has endowed each fruit and vegetable variety with certain vitamins, minerals, fibers and more," said Lilan Cheung, director of health promotion and communication with the Harvard School of Public Health.

 

Everyone should be eating nine or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day," Cheung said. "The more, the better!"No single food contains all the necessary nutrients, but different plant color groups when eaten in combination fulfill the average person's daily requirements.

 

 Here are some rainbow groupings, along with their disease-fighting capabilities:

• Red: Tomatoes, beets, radishes, red bell peppers. Lycopene, found in tomatoes, is known to reduce prostate cancer risk.

• Green: Spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, green peppers, kale, collard greens, peapods, asparagus. "Phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin are found in spinach, collards, kale and broccoli," Cheung said. "These antioxidants may protect the eyes and fight against free radicals - harmful substances in our body caused by smoke and pollution."

• Yellow and orange: Carrots, pumpkins, yellow peppers. Especially rich in beta-carotene, which strengthens the immune system.

• Blue and purple: Eggplant. Loaded with antioxidants called anthocyanins that may prevent heart disease by blocking the formation of blood clots.

• White: Garlic, white onions. "These pungent vegetables add flavor to foods so you can cut back on the salt," Cheung said. "The onion family contains allicin, which has anti-tumor properties. Garlic is being studied for its potentially beneficial role in preventing heart attacks and strokes, although the research is still preliminary."

 

Food	May prevent	Nutrients	Notables
Beans (such as chickpeas, lentils, black beans, lima beans)	Colorectal cancer	Fiber and phytochemicals (saponins, protease inhibitors, and phytic acid)	Phytochemicals have been shown to slow the growth of tumors, and researchers have identified probable evidence that fiber protects against cancer. Beans are also a great source of vegetable protein, which is helpful if you are limiting red meat intake.
Berries	Skin, bladder, lung, esophageal, colorectal, and breast cancers	Vitamin C, fiber, and phytochemicals like ellagic acid, flavonoids, and antioxidants	Blueberries contain anthocyanosides, possibly the food kingdom's most potent antioxidants, which attack cell-damaging free radicals.
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy)	Many cancers, including colorectal, breast, oral, gastrointestinal, endometrial, lung, liver, and cervical cancers	Fiber, folate, glucosinolates, crambene, indole-3-carbinol, and isothiocyanates	Studies suggest these veggies fight cancer by regulating enzymes in the body.
Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, Romaine lettuce)	Mouth, pharynx, larynx, stomach, breast, skin, and lung cancers	Fiber, folate, carotenoids, saponins, and flavonoids	Research suggests the carotenoids act as antioxidants, eliminating possible cancer-causing free radicals from the body.
Flaxseed	Colon, breast, skin, and lung cancers	Omega-3 fatty acids, lignans (plant estrogens), alphalinolenic acid	Flaxseed contains more lignans than any other known food. These phytoestrogens seem to mimic the hormone estrogen. Note that flaxseed oil does not naturally contain lignans.
Garlic (and other allium vegetables such as onions, scallions, leeks, chives)	Stomach, colon, prostate, bladder, skin, lung, esophageal, and breast cancers	Allicin, allixin, allyl sulfides, quercetin, and organosulfur compounds	Research shows a “dose-response relationship” with garlic. That is, the more you eat, the higher the protective benefits.
Green tea	Colon, liver, breast, prostate, lung, skin, bladder, stomach, pancreas, and esophageal cancers	Catechins, a type of flavonoid, which are potent antioxidants	A 2007 study by Japan's National Cancer Center showed that men who drank five or more cups a day may reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer by 48 percent.
Pomegranates	Prostate, lung, skin, and colon cancers	Antioxidants, polyphenolic flavonoids	Researchers say pomegranates, which have high levels of antioxidants, have more anti-inflammatory properties than green tea or red wine.
Red and purple grapes	Lymph, liver, stomach, skin, breast, and leukemia cancers	Resveratrol, a type of polyphenol	Resveratrol has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although wine contains resveratrol, research also shows a link between alcohol and other types of cancer, so it's not the best choice. Jam and raisins don't contain much; eat fresh dark-colored grapes.
Soybeans (also soy milk, soy yogurt,tofu, edamame, soynuts)	Breast and prostate cancers	Phytoestrogens called isoflavones, saponins, phenolic acids, phytic acid, and protein kinase inhibitors	Researchers believe soy isoflavones mimic hormones in the body, which may translate to cancer-fighting capabilities. Researchers also recommend that because of possible hormone mimicking, women taking anti-estrogen medicines should limit or avoid soy until more is known.
Tomatoes	Most notably, prostate cancer; also breast, lung, and endometrial cancers	Lycopene, an antioxidant	It appears the red fruit's cancer-fighting potential is higher when the tomato is in sauce, juice, or paste form.
Whole grains (such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn)	Colorectal cancer	Fiber, antioxidants, phenols, lignans, phytoestrogens, and saponins	The phytochemicals from whole grains appear to protect cells from the damage that can lead to cancer. The disease-fighting nutrients and fiber found in the bran and germ of grains are stripped out in the milling of refined grains like white flour, white rice, and pasta.

 . http://Astore.amazon.com/booksbydrv-20

http://www.youtube.com/DrVelonda1

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Be-Fit-Inc/138592976177146

 

drvelonda@gmail.com

 

Real Men Age Gracefully - Nutrition Definitions

Nutrition Definitions men's series:

There was a time not so long ago that “graceful” aging was viewed as a woman’s topic of conversation.  Baby boomers, male and female alike are contributing to a shifting paradigm. Ours is not our grandparent’s “ripe old age”.  Ours is not even our parent’s longevity. According to the 2009 National Vital Statistics Report, 20^th century longevity rate changes are reflected in the trend that shows a new ripe old age of 100; more and more we are likely to become octarians.

A recent Google internet search for the phrase “graceful aging” yielded 79,200 results. The business of staying young has resulted in a plethora of multi-million dollar industries – from hair color to Viagra. The same phrase in a book search on Amazon returned 131 titles including Tales of Graceful Aging from the Planet Denial by Nicole Hollander and Rethinking Aging: Growing Old and Living Well in an Overtreated Society by Norton Hadler. Interestingly enough, the phrase “anti-aging for men” yielded 124,000 results on Google and 97 book titles on Amazon.

 Although we have not arrived, what if we lived in a culture where aging is equated with getting better rather than worse? What if we understood that we really begin to come into our greatness after the age of 50? There are signs that we are embracing the knowledge that aging is not a disease, although many are still intent on finding the magic anti-aging potion. For women it’s about LOOKING younger, for men it’s FEELING younger. “The truth of the matter is that total testosterone levels decline in men at the rate of approximately 1.6% per year starting at age 30. And that’s just the rate that they fall without additional influences.” (from His Change of Life by Chris Meletis & Sara G. Wood, ND)

The new science of biogerontolgy (the biology of aging) makes new the old secrets of healthy longevity: diet, activity and attitude! Bestselling author Andrew Weil, MD is leading the charge in separating myth from fact about life-extending herbs and anti-aging medicines in his book Healthy Aging: A lifelong Guide to Your Well Being. While there are a laundry list of things we can do to keep our bodies and minds in good working order; at the top of the list is FOLLOW AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET!

At the end of the day, the aging journey boils down to prevention and acceptance. Accept the things you cannot change, prevent/change the things you can and allow the aging gift of wisdom to help you distinguish the difference. Sound familiar? Who would have ever thought that the popular poem known as the Serenity Prayer just might be the best advice for the real man on the path of graceful aging!

Meal makeover expert, nutrition coach and Professor Velonda Thompson, PhD helps baby boomers gain control of runaway weight gain and empowers them to age gracefully. As a 25-year health promotion veteran, she is the author of several cookbooks including the newly released, as seen on Fox2 TV cookbook Beyond Candied Yams and Sweet Potato Pie.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/mornings/%22beyond-candied-yams%22-author-talks-healthier-soul-food

80-20 Rule - Wrapping up Women's Health Month

May was not only the month that has been declared National Women’s Health Month but it is also the month in which we celebrate Mother’s Day. One mother that has the whole world watching and listening like E.F. Hutton is First Lady Michelle Obama. Recently on the popular late morning talk show The View, First Lady Obama discussed a topic she and I both are passionate about reducing obesity, particularly among children. http://abc.go.com/watch/the-view/SH559080/VD55206697/the-view-529

The world we live in is not our grandparent’s world - children and adults alike are bombarded with images of so many “foods” that promise to make the lives of busy adults more manageable and dietary choices more convenient. Convenience is killing and Mrs. Obama has committed to using the platform she has to promote a shift that encourages adults to embrace choosing the high road to health. No yo-yo diets or extreme measures, just simple meal make-overs and a little bit of hands in the dirt can forever change the health status of our world.

Reflecting on my work as a nutritionist over the last 25 years, I have lost count of the many times I have said to a client “If you do what you are supposed to do 80% of the time, you’ll have not need for guilt or worry the other 20% of the time.” You know – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Birthdays and office parties. Mrs. Obama and I agree that while the 80/20 rule requires planning and patience and commitment, it will surely lead to a healthier nation in the short and long-run.

For some the following to books will be a start, for others they will add variety to what should be your ever expanding library of tips and trick, menus and meal-makeovers that you will enjoy preparing and will have your family asking for more.

 

AS SEEN ON FOX2 TV HEALTHWORKS

Order your copy now

As seen on THE VIEW

Order Mrs. Obama's book

Yours in health,

drvelonda@gmail.com

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Healthy Easter Eating made easy

If you’re in charge of cooking this year you can modify most recipes simply by reducing the amount of fat, salt and sugar while increasing the fiber content. Here are a few tips for making your Easter menu healthier and avoid packing on Easter holiday pounds:

• Choose healthier cooking options such as grilling, poaching, or baking.

• Reduce the meat in recipes by substituting with lentils, beans and/or peas.

• Serve a vegetarian option such as stuffed portabella mushrooms or the veggie biscuit casserole  in this link http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/veggie-and-biscuit-casserole/0f801dfe-d833-4c8b-9fdd-db4129d52c87/?WT.dcsvid=MjA5OTE4MzE0NwS2&rvrin=C2ED7772-8994-DC11-920E-00110A5B41E6&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_PB_PB_2012_04_03&nicreatID2=Newsletter_PB_PB_2012_04_03#

 

• Use oils rich in monounsaturated such as olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/85379-foods-rich-monounsaturated-fat/#ixzz1r5gs6oBr

• Combine vegetables with nuts and/or fruit for delicious side dishes like this yummy yam casserole http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/pecan-coconut-crumble-yam-casserole/fd66ed2b-b967-490d-866c-fbf6ba09611c/#

 

• Instead of sour cream, use cottage cheese blended with lemon juice.

• Try baking easy appetizers like these pesto pinwheels http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/easy-pesto-pinwheels/d24a66b4-5ca1-4b64-986f-9e96d3fa5a8f/

 

• It’s perfectly alright to enjoy a little chocolate over the Easter holidays if you make sure you eat carefully at other times, watch your portion sizes and cut back on snacking. Choose dark chocolate eggs, which are lower in sugar, lower in calories and you will have the benefit of healthy antioxidants.
• Be sure to drink half your body weight in water  (that’s 75 ounces if you weigh 150 pounds)
• Spring has sprung, so get out and walk or run!

Yours in health!
Dr. Velonda
drvelonda@gmail.com

Free shipping when you order your autographed copy of "Beyond Candied Yams & Sweet Potato Pie" before April 20th http://beyondcandiedyams.eventbrite.com