Archive for April, 2010

Top 7 Health Foods for Losing Weight

How many weight-loss strategies have you heard? Probably dozens, if not more. To me, weight loss is all about food, stress management, and exercise. Until you get those factors in order, you are likely to have trouble losing weight. As far as food goes, there is no perfect diet that will work for everyone, but I wanted to share some foods that have helped me in the past. Focus on eating natural whole foods like my Top 7 and you’re on your way to success (just don’t forget about exercise and stress reduction!)

Top 7 Health Foods for Losing Weight

1. Apples – My favorite fruit to snack on. Since they’re crunchy and full of fiber, I can eat an apple and feel really full. Cutting an apple into slices makes it more appealing to eat, and I also recommend buying organic. If you buy a bag of organic apples, they are often pretty affordable. Snacks with low calories and fiber are a great way to keep you from snacking on bad stuff in between meals.
2. Hot Peppers - Adding hot peppers to your meals is a rewarding weight loss technique. Hot peppers contain a natural compound called capsaicin which gives them their spice and hotness. Studies show that hot peppers help curb your appetite and can also speed up your metabolism. They also help keep you from overeating during a meal. Try adding them to salsas, stir-fries, omelets, and salads.
3. Whole Grains – Preparing whole grains with your meals can be extremely helpful for weight loss. Try whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, and buckwheat to make your meals super filling without any guilt. Your body is actually more satisfied after eating whole grains than it is after eating processed bread or cereal (not really whole grains). Each bite takes longer to chew and your body gets more nutrition out of the whole grains. This means less cravings and more weight loss.
4. Almonds – Handfuls of nuts such as almonds are another favorite snack of mine. I particularly love raw almonds for weight loss because they take longer to chew (since they are so crunchy). Homemade almond milk is a perfect substitute for regular milk if you want to lose weight too. It has fewer calories and no saturated fat or weight-altering hormones. Try it in smoothies, milkshakes, or with your morning tea. Dr. Michael Roizin, co-author of You on a Diet, recommends eating a small amount of healthy fat ten minutes prior to your meals (such as a handful of almonds). The healthy fat “helps activate ghrelin, a hormone that lets you know you’re full.”
5. Water – I included water in my list of “foods” because when you’re trying to lose weight, it’s smart to consider water a food. It nourishes your body and you can use it to avoid feelings of hunger throughout the day. Many people walk around dehydrated on a daily basis. Anytime you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water before you start eating. It will help you consume less calories.
6. Root Vegetables – Veggies like carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, turnips, and rutabagas are also surprisingly helpful for losing weight. Root vegetables are naturally sweet and are therefore a big help in reducing cravings for sugar. Try making a pan of roasted root vegetables as a filling side dish (or even main course) for your next meal. They’re high in fiber and are guaranteed to keep you satisfied. Season with fresh herbs and a tiny drizzle of olive oil for flavor.
7. Greens – Last but not least, greens are the most important food that most people forget to eat. First off, green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and spinach and superfoods such as spirulina, blue-green algae, and aloe vera help your body release toxins stored in your blood and cells. Greens are alkaline foods that help balance the acidic environment inside our bodies caused by poor diet. “High acidity is usually the primary contributing cause of being overweight.” (Ref: David Wolfe, Superfoods, p. 8).

If you’ve had success losing weight with any specific foods, please leave me a comment! Let’s share ideas.

Top 7 Health Foods for Losing Weight is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Cancer Cures in Food

I’m absolutely convinced that healthy whole foods can help prevent and cure cancer. Yeah that’s right, I said it. We eat food and it becomes our blood and our cells. Eating a healthy diet not only has an immediate effect on how you feel minutes and hours later, but it also affects our health months and years down the road.

The 10th Anniversary issue of The Oprah Magazine features a big section on the future of health. It predicts that the way we detect, treat, and cure diseases will likely change dramatically over the next decade. I’m willing to bet that food awareness will be one of the major breakthroughs. Future cancer research will likely focus on identifying specific varieties of foods that are most helpful in preventing cancer growth. For example, the following list of foods have been found to be the top “anti-angiogenic” foods. Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood cells which allows cancer cells to grow into “a runaway dangerous disease.”

Top 33 Anti-angiogenic (Cancer-Fighting) Foods:

• Green Tea
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Apples
• Pineapple
• Cherries
• Red Grapes
• Red Wine
• Bok Choy
• Kale
• Soybeans
• Ginseng
• Maitake Mushroom
• Licorice
• Turmeric
• Nutmeg
• Artichokes
• Lavender
• Pumpkin
• Sea Cucumber
• Tuna
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Tomato
• Olive Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Dark Chocolate
• Pomegranate

References: Oprah Magazine (April 2010) and William Li, MD, President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation.

Cancer Cures in Food is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Yessir, Food Matters

I just finished watching a new documentary called Food Matters, and I loved it. The 80-minute long film takes a look at the current state of health in the U.S. and the tremendously powerful ‘Sickness Industry.’ It also provides a ton of evidence to prove that nutritional therapeutic treatments (eating healthy and taking vitamins) are typically the most powerful, safe, effective, and economical methods for improving overall health and treating disease.

My favorite part of Food Matters is that it focuses on interviews with leading experts in the holistic health and natural healing fields such as David Wolfe, Charlotte Gerson, Andrew Saul, and more. Each of them has inspiring insights, and I actually learned a ton of new information that I didn’t know on the topics of nutritional therapy as cancer treatments and natural detoxing. Additionally, the film does a great job of promoting the need to add more raw foods and superfoods to your diet. Can you say “hello, goji berries!!”?

I really recommend that everyone see this film. I can’t wait to show it to my clients, family, and friends. The good news is you can watch it online for only $4.95. Sweet deal, huh? The DVD is also available for sale on the FoodMatters.tv website if you want a home copy. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Yessir, Food Matters is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Make Your Pledge for Better Health!

I kept the windows open in my office today and I was actually wishing I had an air conditioner! Haha, that means Spring is finally here in New York. Springtime reminds me of being outdoors, and it’s also the perfect time of year to start or re-start healthy habits. To celebrate the warmer weather, I’m hosting a little giveaway to help raise awareness for GE’s “Healthymagination” initiative in support of National Women’s Health Week (May 9-15, 2010). GE setup a website where you can “Pledge for Better Health.” My pledge is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every single day.

To submit your entry to win a $20 Whole Foods gift card:

1. Sign GE’s Pledge for Better Health and leave me a comment on this post with the link to your pledge. You’ll see the link after you enter it. (See my pledge for an example). To earn additional entries, come back another day and leave a link to a new pledge. (maximum of 1 pledge per day is allowed)
2. To receive an additional entry, follow me on Twitter and tweet my contest. Leave me a comment on this post with your tweet link. Here’s an example of what you can tweet if you need help: “I made my @PledgeforHealth to enter to win a $20 @WholeFoods gift card from @laurelmoll http://bit.ly/aHdqtJ.” (maximum of 1 tweet per day is allowed)

All entries must be submitted by Friday, April 30th 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen at random and notified by email. If you win, I’ll need your full name and address to give to GE so they can send you the gift card by mail.

Thanks to GE for providing this offer! Good luck everyone! I can’t wait to read your pledges.

Make Your Pledge for Better Health! is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Healthy Lunch: Sesame Tofu Salad

I regularly eat salads for lunch. They’re light, fresh, and don’t make me feel sluggish for the remainder of the afternoon. Many times I go meatless and include my favorite salad toppings like avocado or nuts to keep me full. Another great meatless option is firm tofu. I saute mine in a pan for about 5 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time to throw together a quick salad. At lunchtime, I’m usually trying to hurry to get back to work, so raw foods and quick-cooking meals are the best.

Sesame Tofu Salad (for 1)

1 cup fresh arugula
1 carrot
1/2 avocado
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 block of organic firm tofu
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 cup red bell pepper

Heat up the sesame oil in a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Cut a block of firm tofu into quarters and reserve the rest in the refrigerator for another time. Cut your quarter block into rectangle slices, and add to the pan to sauté for about 5 minutes. Turn a few times to brown all sides. When it’s done, drain excess oil on paper towels. Meanwhile, add fresh arugula to a salad bowl. Cut up the avocado and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Add to the arugula. Peel the skin off the carrot and use a grater to grate it on top of the salad. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar on top. Add the slices of tofu and finish with black pepper.

Tip: I didn’t have any around at the time, but sesame seeds would be a delicious crunchy topping for this salad. You can also add any fresh herbs you like, such as basil.

Healthy Lunch: Sesame Tofu Salad is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I had leftover roasted chicken and potatoes to eat this weekend, but needed to make some fresh veggies to go along with them. The Brussels sprouts looked super fresh at my local market (and they were on sale), so I grabbed a bag full and brought them home. I wrote up a quick recipe for how I made them below. Notice that I boiled the sprouts for a few minutes before roasting them. I think this helps calm down some of the bitterness they tend to have. They were a surprising hit among my friends…I think the little honey drizzle at the end is the key ingredient.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1.5 lbs Brussels Sprout
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
Salt
Pepper

Wash the sprouts and cut the ends off. Drop the sprouts in boiling water and let them cook for 2-3 minutes. Strain the sprouts in a colander and then transfer to a cutting board. Cut each sprout in half vertically, and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil on top with a light shake of salt and pepper to cover the pan. Toss the sprouts in the olive oil to coat each side. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Stir the sprouts several times during baking to ensure all the sides get browned. When the sprouts come out of the oven, drizzle the honey on top. Serve immediately.

Health tip: Brussels sprouts are a super healthy vegetable in the cruciferous family. Cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprout, broccoli, and kale are full of cancer-fighting nutrients. Brussels sprout are also high in vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, and folic acid.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts is a post from: Laurel On Health Food

Cut the Salt!

I have to admit, I love salt. I’m much more prone to craving salt than sugar, and if I’m having a stressful couple of days, I find myself looking for a big bag of salty chips. Can you relate? Luckily, by including tons of whole foods in my diet, I don’t have to feel horrible if I occasionally indulge them. Everybody has their thing. Instead, I focus on removing unnecessary salt from my diet in other areas.

First off, salt is not necessarily a bad thing. Our bodies need salt to function properly, but unfortunately, most processed foods and foods from restaurants and take-out places use WAY TOO MUCH salt. Experts have been estimating that the average American is consuming about twice the amount of salt we should be having every day. This problem puts our bodies on salt overload and leaves us at risk for a slew of problems including high blood pressure and reduced kidney function.

Here are a few places you can cut the salt:

• Canned vegetables and soups – look for “no salt added” cans for a dramatic reduction in sodium. Read the label on a regular can versus a “no salt added” can and you’ll see the dramatic difference. If you’re using a canned vegetable in a recipe (such as tomato paste), you’ll likely add your own salt anyways (in a smaller amount per serving).
• Frozen dinners – these can be a salt trap, so make sure you read the labels to compare. Some healthy frozen dinners (such as Amy’s Meals or Kashi) are a fantastic substitute when you’re short on time. So, if you do have one, just be mindful of the salt and limit your intake for the rest of the day.
• Chicken/vegetable/beef stock – store-bought broths or stocks are a dream for people who make a lot of home-cooked meals (I’m one of them). But, they usually have a ton of salt too. So, I always buy the “no salt added” or “low sodium” kind.
• Cereals - this one surprises a lot of people, but cereals are often loaded with salt. Consider cutting down on processed breakfast cereals and replace with natural granolas or oats that do not have added salt (check the ingredient list…you don’t want salt in there).
  
• Deli meats – try to avoid buying any pre-packaged deli meats. Instead, opt for organic and free range meats and cut thin slices yourself. You’ll be doing yourself a big favor.
• Spaghetti sauce – again, look for “no salt added” varieties.
  
• Salad dressing – instead of buying it from a bottle, just keep a few items on-hand for easy salad dressings that take 1 minute to prepare (for example, a little drizzle of olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, and lemon juice).
• Nuts – reach for unsalted nuts. If you toast your nuts in a saute pan or in the oven, they will have a fabulous crunchy texture and you won’t miss the salt as much. Raw is great too and full of the most nutrients.
  
• Chips – just try to eat these sparingly. Many brands are also offering lower salt varieties.

Tip1: Remember to look at how much salt is in each serving. One “serving” is often much less than we normally consume.

Tip2: It’s worth it to buy high-quality, unrefined salts from your local health food store to use in your cooking at home. They are better for you than traditional white table salt because they have not been stripped of their essential minerals. Plus, many of us agree that unrefined natural salts taste better too.

For more information, check out this interesting article from the NY Times, “Throwing the Book at Salt.”

Cut the Salt! is a post from: Laurel On Health Food