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.
A sweet potato is more than just a delicious addition to your plate; it's a nutritional powerhouse that can significantly boost your health. In Okinawa, where women enjoy some of the longest lifespans on the planet, sweet potatoes are a dietary staple. Here are some compelling reasons why you should make sweet potatoes a regular part of your meals:
2. Anticancer Properties: Sweet potatoes contain a type of protein linked to anticancer effects. Incorporating them into your diet may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
3. Vibrant Colors for More Nutrients: The brighter the color of the sweet potato, the higher its nutritional content. Purple sweet potatoes are considered exceptionally nutritious.
4. Cooking Tips: When preparing sweet potatoes, consider boiling or microwaving them. These methods help preserve the nutrients better than baking. And don't forget to eat the peel, as it contains valuable nutrients and fiber.
5. Travel-Friendly: Sweet potatoes are an excellent choice for on-the-go snacks during your travels. They stay well-cooked in containers and provide a satisfying alternative to the usual apples and oranges.
6. Meatless Monday Inspiration: As it's Meatless Monday, head over to nutritionfacts.org for a variety of sweet potato-based recipes that not only satisfy your taste buds but also boost your health.
Transition Tuesday: Making Healthier Beverage Choices
Transition Tuesday is all about reevaluating our beverage choices, which play a critical role in our overall health and longevity. Here are some key considerations:
1. Alcohol Awareness: Even small amounts of alcohol can have detrimental effects on our health. It damages DNA, causes oxidative stress, depresses the nervous system, and is associated with various cancers. Contrary to popular belief, the supposed heart benefits of moderate alcohol consumption are questionable at best.
2. Sugary and Caffeinated Drinks: Sugary and caffeinated drinks, often popular among young people, increase the risk of obesity and related health issues. Reducing their consumption can significantly improve your well-being.
3. Dairy Dilemma: Dairy products have raised concerns from a health perspective. Transitioning to alternatives like almond milk, oat milk, or other plant-based options can reduce health risks associated with dairy consumption.
Try It Out: Consider trying a three-week experiment of healthier beverage choices and see how it positively impacts your overall well-being.
Optimal Timing for Exercise and Fat Metabolism
1. Fasted Exercise: Exercising in a completely fasted state, such as before breakfast, may be optimal for most individuals. This approach can help maximize fat metabolism.
2. Post-Meal Exercise for Diabetics: If you're diabetic or pre-diabetic, consider exercising after meals. Studies have shown that exercising after dinner can reduce blood sugar spikes by up to 30%. Even a short 10-minute walk after a meal can make a significant difference.
3. Timing Matters: To achieve the best blood sugar control, aim to start exercising about 30 minutes after beginning a meal. Ideally, the exercise session should last around an hour. If you must choose one meal to exercise after, consider making it for dinner.
Make the Most of Your Evening: Why not take a relaxing walk this evening? It's a simple yet effective way to boost your health and well-being.
Discovering the Forgotten Flavor: Spicy
While most people can name the basic tastes, such as sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, there's another flavor that often goes overlooked: spicy. Embracing spicy foods can have remarkable benefits for your health:
1. Lifespan Extension: Research suggests that regularly consuming spicy foods can lead to a 14% reduction in total mortality risk, meaning a lower risk of premature death.
2. The Power of Pepper: Surprisingly, black or chili pepper consumption provides a lifespan extension like turmeric, even at just a pinch a day. Combining black pepper with turmeric can boost its health benefits by an astonishing 2000%.
Add a Pinch of Pepper: By simply adding a pinch of black pepper to your meals, you're enhancing your health while enjoying a burst of flavor.
Fix-It Friday: Cheezy Kidney Bean and Rice Casserole
It's Fix-It Friday, and we have a delicious recipe for you to try: Cheezy Kidney Bean and Rice Casserole. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 2 cups unsweetened plant milk, such as almond or
rice milk
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Pinch of ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 ½ 15-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups 1/2-inch broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add onion, mushrooms, garlic, and oregano. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently and adding water as needed to prevent sticking.
3. For the sauce, in a medium bowl, combine the next six ingredients (plant milk through pepper) and 1 cup of water, mixing well.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, rice, beans, and broccoli. Add the sauce and lemon juice. Reserve 1 tablespoon of dill for garnish and stir the remaining dill into the vegetable mixture.
5. Spread the mixture evenly in a 3-quart baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with the reserved dill and serve.
Enjoy your Cheezy Kidney Bean and Rice Casserole on this Fix-It Friday!
From the archives:
As we revisit some valuable insights from the past, let's take a moment to reflect on certain behaviors that can either lengthen or shorten our lives:
Behaviors That Shorten Lives:
- Diets high in processed meats like bacon, ham, hot dogs, lunch meat, and sausage are associated with over 100,000 annual deaths due to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Consuming just one serving a day can age you by two years.
- Being 11 pounds overweight can reduce your lifespan as much as smoking two cigarettes a day or drinking two beers.
- A single burger can take away 30 minutes from your life, equivalent to smoking two cigarettes after lunch.
Behaviors That Extend Lives:
- Regular exercise, even just 20 minutes a day, can add an hour to your life every time you work out.
- Consuming five or more servings of
Fruit and vegetables daily can add several years to your lifespan.
Marvelous Meatless Monday:
Today's message is clear: let's embrace behaviors that promote longevity and well-being. Have a marvelous Meatless Monday!
The Remarkable Benefits of Fiber
Fiber is a fascinating topic in nutrition, as it has the power to influence various aspects of our health. Consider the following findings:
- Consuming the minimum recommended amount of fiber is associated with a lower risk of developing moderate or severe knee pain.
- Higher fiber intake can reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis.
- Those who consume the most fiber experience a 23% lower mortality rate from cardiovascular disease, a 17% lower mortality rate from cancer, and a 23% lower overall mortality rate.
High-Fiber Foods to Embrace:
Include these high-fiber foods in your diet to promote better health: beans, broccoli, berries, whole grains, apples, dried fruits, and nuts. A high-fiber diet can help you live a longer, healthier life. Have a terrific Tuesday!
Reducing Meat Consumption for a Longer, Stronger Life
Research from Europe reveals that limiting meat consumption to five times a month may be a prudent choice for children due to the associated cancer risk. Additionally, toxins found in meat, such as flame-retardant chemicals in chicken, can contribute to health issues.
Opting for plant-based diets can significantly reduce exposure to toxic substances. Transitioning away from meat and eggs has been shown to lead to a significant decrease in toxic heavy metals in the body. Notably, organic meat doesn't offer significant advantages over conventional meat when it comes to carcinogenic contaminants.
Eating less meat can enhance longevity and overall well-being. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Insights on Non-Caloric Sweeteners
Recent research sheds light on the use of non-caloric sweeteners, such as aspartame, stevia, and monk fruit. While these sweeteners may help reduce sugar intake by about 16 teaspoons per day, they do not necessarily lead to better blood sugar control.
In fact, those who consume non-caloric sweeteners may eat more during their next meal compared to those who consume regular sugary beverages. From calorie intake, blood sugar level, and insulin response perspective, non-caloric sweeteners are on par with sugar.
The conclusion is that sweetness is best when it comes from nature's sources, like fruit.
Fix-It Friday: Fall Harvest Vegetable Chowder
It's Fix-It Friday, and what better way to celebrate fall than with a hearty Fall Harvest Vegetable Chowder? Here's the recipe:
- 1 medium peeled and diced yellow onion
- 3 large, diced celery stalks
- 2 diced medium carrots
- 6 cups of vegetable broth
- 2 diced small zucchini
- 2 diced small, sweet potatoes
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- Kernels from 4 ears of sweet corn
- 4 cups packed spinach leaves
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and 1/2 cup of vegetable stock over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the onion is clear.
2. Add the zucchini, sweet potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
4. Add half of the corn and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
5. Allow the soup to cool, then puree it in a blender. Return it to the pot with the remaining corn and spinach leaves and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Stir well and serve hot. Enjoy your Fall Harvest Vegetable Chowder on this Fix-It Friday!
Simplifying Nutrition with "Food Rules"
In a world where nutrition advice can be overwhelming, Michael Pollan's book "Food Rules" simplifies healthy eating. Two indisputable facts connect diet and health:
1. The Western Diet: A diet high in processed foods, meat, added fat, sugar, and refined grains (the standard American diet) consistently leads to various diseases.
2. Traditional Diets: Non-Western, more traditional diets are associated with better health outcomes and a reduced risk of disease.
Switching from the standard American diet to a healthier one can result in remarkable improvements in overall health. On this Meatless Monday, make a conscious effort to replace processed foods, fats, sugar, and refined grains with whole, real foods.
Embracing Food Simplicity
In his book "Food Rules," Michael Pollan offers simple guidelines for healthy eating. Here are some key principles:
1. Eat Real Food: Avoid processed foods that lack nutrients and may contain toxins. If your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, skip it.
2. Beware of Breakfast Cereals: Avoid cereals that change the color of milk. Many cereals are high in sugar and can contribute to health issues.
3. Avoid "Lite," "Low-Fat," and "Nonfat" Products: These products often contain added sugars and are not as healthy as they may seem.
4. Simplify Your Plate: Shop the peripheries of the supermarket or opt for farmer's markets. Choose foods with short shelf lives and those that have been cooked by humans.
5. Embrace Plant Foods: Focus on plant-based foods, especially leafy greens, and consume a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
By following these rules, you can simplify your diet and promote better health. Have a terrific Tuesday!
More Food Rules for Health
Continuing with Michael Pollan's "Food Rules," here are additional guidelines to help you make healthier food choices:
1. Avoid Foods with Too Many Ingredients: Choose foods with minimal ingredients, as they tend to be less processed and healthier.
2. Skip Products with Unpronounceable Ingredients: If you can't pronounce the ingredients on a label, it's a sign that the food may not be the healthiest choice.
3. Beware of "Lite," "Low-Fat," and "Nonfat" Labels: These labels often indicate that the product has added sugars or other unhealthy additives.
4. Trust Your Instincts: Buy foods that you believe your great-grandmother would recognize as real food.
5. Try Wild Foods: Explore wild foods like lambs’ quarters and purslane, which are highly nutritious wild greens.
6. Embrace Fermented Foods: Include fermented foods like sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, and tempeh in your diet. These probiotic-rich options support gut health and boost your immune system.
7. The 80% Rule: Practice eating less by stopping before you feel full, snacking less, and eating more slowly. This simple rule can have profound health benefits.
By incorporating these food rules into your lifestyle, you can simplify your eating habits and enjoy better health. Have a fantastic Friday!
Resource: "Food Rules, An Eater's Manual" by Michael Pollan
Note: This content provides information and guidance based on Michael Pollan's book "Food Rules." Always consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalized dietary advice.
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