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Tag: health

The Importance of Produce

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

June is Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only 1 in 10 Americans consumes the recommended daily requirement for fruit and vegetables. It’s recommended that adults consume 1.5 to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables. Multiple studies show that eating a diet rich in produce can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and some cancers. Fruits and veggies also provide lots of fiber, essential vitamins, and minerals plus disease-fighting antioxidants.

Here are three easy ways to start enjoying more produce on a daily basis:

  1. Try to eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack.
  2. Keep yourself well stocked with produce. As you make a grocery list, plan to purchase salad ingredients for the week or buy extra frozen veggies if you won’t be able to grocery shop on a weekly basis.
  3. Look for local fruits and vegetables from your local grocer. The summer months provide a great opportunity to enjoy seasonal favorites.

Search for produce based recipes on our site: memphiscashsaver.com/category/recipes/

Health Benefits of Garlic

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

For many years, garlic has been used in Mediterranean, Italian, and Chinese cooking because of its fragrant aroma and delicious flavor. Garlic not only delivers a savory taste but it has long been used for its medicinal properties. Studies show that garlic can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels which can reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s also notable that garlic contains a high concentration of antioxidants and nutrients that can assist in boosting your immune system while also helping ward off brain conditions like dementia.

The best way to reap the most beneficial nutritional properties from garlic is by chopping or crushing the garlic clove after removing it from the garlic bulb.  A mechanical garlic press can make this process simple and easy. Crushed garlic is very delicious cooked into a stir fry, mixed in a salad dressing or used as a marinade. It’s also easy to roast a whole bulb of garlic. Then you can have a hearty stock of fragrant caramelized garlic ready to use in a variety of recipes. Roasted garlic helps jazz up roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, a green salad or scrambled eggs. If you love garlic consider adding more of this healthy and delicious food to your meal plan.

Here is a recipe for Easy Roasted Garlic:

2 garlic bulbs
Clearly Organic Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the head off of each garlic bulb to expose most of the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place bulbs cut side down on a piece of foil. Secure foil around garlic bulbs. Then roast in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Garlic skins will turn golden brown and the cloves will become tender.

5 Ways To Stick With Your Health Goals

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

After the holiday season of eating, drinking and merriment many fitness centers see a rise in gym membership and attendance. However, regardless of this enthusiasm statistics show that gym attendance is typically back to its regular numbers by mid-February. No matter what your New Years health and wellness goals involve here are a few simple tips to stick with your good intentions.

  1. Write down your goal. Putting pen to paper helps many people make a more specific, measurable and achievable goal.
  2. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask how to use a new machine, a piece of lifting equipment or the proper technique for a particular exercise.
  3. Make a schedule. To accomplish any goal you have to manage your time wisely. Pick a time of day that is sustainable for focusing on your goals.
  4. Diversify your wellness routine. Goals are about results and there are multiple ways to get results. Experiment with new exercises and foods to achieve your goal
  5. Find accountability. To stay on track schedule a time with a personal trainer of fitness coach. Find a workout buddy or use a digital fitness tracker to give you honest feedback.

A bonus tip that’s always well received is Reward Yourself. No one has to be told twice to cut themselves a little slack. Treat yourself to a little relaxation on your day off from working out or plan a fun event to look forward to celebrating your accomplishments.

Eat More Vegetables

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

The world of nutrition and fitness has multiple different approaches and opinions, but one thing everyone can agree on is vegetables are a vital part of living well. Veggies can improve your health if you incorporate them into your meal plan on a daily bases. However, that is part of the challenge. Many people find vegetables hard to cook and lacking in flavor. So when you hear that you need to eat vegetables everyday and we need to add more of these super foods to our diet we start to dread what that might involve.

Here are a few easy ways to eat more veggies.

  1. Try a new vegetable based recipe. Scan the web for appealing photos of vegetables, and test out a new way to prepare a veggie you enjoy.
  2. Add extra vegetables to an existing recipe. It’s easy to add extra veggies to a soup or hot dish. Also try adding vegetables to a non traditional recipe like homemade meatballs or meatloaf. You can add minced carrots, cauliflower or broccoli to these recipes.
  3. Try a veggie smoothie. You know you need more greens but the thought of eating another salad is nauseating? Try a spinach, frozen berries and almond milk smoothie.
  4. Make a veggie bag. The prep work for vegetables is usually what keeps people from eating them. If you can set aside one day to wash, chop and prep your veggies you’re far more likely to get your needed 5 plus veggies servings each day.

Activate Vitamin D

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining longer it’s time to allow our bodies more time outdoors to activate vitamin D. This fat soluble vitamin helps calcium, magnesium and phosphate absorb in our intestinal tract. The unique aspect of vitamin D is that it can be ingested from foods that we eat or it can be synthesized from sun exposure. About 10 minutes outside is all it takes to naturally activate vitamin D.

Foods containing vitamin D include fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. Most vitamin D containing foods in the US are fortified like dairy products, soy milk and some cereals. While we can achieve our vitamin D needs from dietary intake it’s also nice to allow the sun its chance to brighten our mood, boost our immune system and allow vitamin D time to activate. Take advantage of your spring and summer months with more time outdoors.