Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.
It is surprising to know that a critical function of
sleep is the clearance of toxic waste substances that build up during the day.
This could explain why those who routinely get less than seven hours of sleep a
night may be at increased risk of developing cognitive disorders like dementia.
The lowest risk for developing cognitive impairment was found for those getting
seven to eight hours of sleep a night, which is also the same optimal range
found for diabetes risk. Sleeping too little or too much is associated with
cutting our life short, with the best amount at seven hours a night. Shoot for
seven everyone to live longer and live stronger!
Probiotics are good microbes that are found in fermented foods. Tempeh, sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi are examples. Prebiotics are fiber that feeds good bacteria so they can produce incredible anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids that strengthen the microbiome barrier. You may have heard of “leaky gut” – that microbiome barrier strength is so important, and you can build it up with prebiotic wonder foods like fruits, veggies, beans, grains, and seeds! Plantify your plates on this wonderful Wednesday everyone!
There are many myths about fiber. One is that all fiber is the same, so we need to just count the grams and strive for 50. This is not true - the fiber in cereal or a breakfast biscuit is different from the fiber in quinoa. Also, some believe that fiber just passes through us - the fact is, our microbiomes contain an insane number of digestive enzymes and there are potentially millions of types of fiber in our diet. Every single plant, every single type of fiber requires a unique team of microbes working together. The breakdown of fiber by our gut bacteria unleashes the most healing nutrient in all of nature: short-chain fatty acids - fiber is critical to this process.
It is Fix-it Friday and YAY for Layered Southwestern Salad
Ingredients:
4 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips.
2 cups frozen corn, thawed with hot water.
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced.
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp lime zest
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce.
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped.
1 15-ounce can of non-salt-added black beans, rinsed.
½ cup refrigerated fresh salsa
1 15-ounce can of non-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed.
1 avocado, chopped.
1 recipe of Tofu Sour Cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place tortilla strips in a shallow baking pan and bake 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until strips are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. In a medium bowl, stir together the next five ingredients (through lime zest). Season with pepper as desired. In a 4-quart glass bowl, layer romaine and tomatoes. In a small bowl toss together black beans and half of the salsa and spoon it over the tomatoes. Add Corn. In the same small bowl combine pinto beans and the remaining salsa then spoon over the corn. Add avocado. Spread seasoned Tofu Sour Cream over the salad. Sprinkle with crispy tortilla strips and additional cilantro. For the Tofu Sour Cream, combine one 12-ounce package of extra-firm light silken tofu, drain, and 1 Tbsp each of lemon juice and white wine vinegar in a blender. Blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.
And a Blast from the Past:
On this Meatless Monday, we are talking again about our genetic makeup, that "legacy" that our parents bestow upon us, but we know from last week that there is great news to empower us - we are not victims of our genes. We have more control than we ever thought because most of what we inherit from our family is simply their habits, and we can certainly change our habits! Also, studies show that over 500 genes can be favorably changed through diet. For example, hundreds of oncogenes that promote cancer can be switched off in only three months! And of course, it is by going meatless and increasing vegetables, grains, fruits, beans, and seeds. Stay tuned for more and have a marvelous Monday!
More today about how you can turn up good genes and turn down bad genes - yesterday it was about turning down genes that promote cancer, but our lifestyle habits also affect genes that promote heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and other conditions. Enzymes called sirtuins (sear-tu-ins) wrap your DNA around proteins to stop bad genes - isn't that just miraculous? These sirtuins that we can turn up through lifestyle changes can be called anti-aging proteins and have an important role in many chronic diseases. Our lifestyles can be HEALING. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone and come back tomorrow to learn more to live longer and stronger!
Yesterday we talked about sirtuins, those anti-aging proteins that reduce chronic diseases. Glycation is a process where the sugar in our bloodstream attaches to proteins and fats, and it forms harmful molecules called Advanced Glycation End-products - the acronym is appropriately AGE's - AGE's makes you age! They suppress those good guys, the sirtuins, and therefore make us age faster. AGEs are in our food, especially high in meat. They cause oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to all sorts of health conditions. So, on this wonderful Wednesday, consider improving your wealth of health by eating more plants and less meat.
Yesterday we talked about AGE molecules that make us age by stopping good proteins that help our genes, and those AGEs are found to be exceedingly high in our standard American diet. It is not just the foods we eat but the ways we cook them that can increase the deadly AGEs. Animal foods that are high in fat and protein are AGE-rich and cooking them only increases those AGE's. We know from the book The Blue Zones, that those in the world who live the longest and best eat predominately plants. So again, we can live longer and live stronger by improving our DNA by eating a diet with more of a plant-slant.
We have talked all week about fixing our genes - yes, we can - increasing good proteins called sirtuins and reducing AGEs, both of which can be accomplished through foods and how we cook, or do not cook them. A soy burger cooked in a microwave has only 20 AGEs - those harmful molecules - and if you add 1 teaspoon of oil to a pan and fry it, that number raises to 131. In huge contrast though, two strips of fried bacon, a piece of steak, and a roasted chicken thigh, all with no oil added, have over 10,000 AGEs to age our cells! And if you barbecue that chicken thigh? It goes to 16.000 AGEs. WOW. Consider overhauling your health on the shelf by choosing low AGE foods - vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, beans, and grains, and getting rid of the high AGE meats and have a fantastic Friday everyone!
References: UnDo It! How Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases by Dean and Anne Ornish and The Blue Zones, Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People by Dan Buettner
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