Why should you eat a protein with a carbohydrate?

I get this question a lot working with clients "Why should you eat a protein with a carbohydrate?"

Since we are overwhelmed with dietary do's and don'ts I wanted to help to simply clarify this question since most of us have heard about this theory one place or another.

As a health coach I truly believe each of us are different and digest foods differently, but it is helpful to understand how we break down and metabolize what we eat.  Eating protein helps us stay satisfied throughout the day and when we eat this along with a carbohydrate it helps slow down the rate our body digests carbohydrates. This is a big benefit since we know when we eat carbs our body breaks them down to blood sugar or glucose, and we want to avoid that blood sugar spike that comes after eating say a piece of fruit like an apple. So when you eat an apple combined with a protein such as almonds your blood sugar rises more slowly and gently so you stay full longer then eating the apple alone.

Ginger

Ginger Benefits

Ginger has been used effectively for gastrointestinal problems as major as colitis and as minor as motion sickness. It stimulates good digestion. It helps alleviate congestion and minimizes mucous, even helping asthmatics. Various ginger extracts have been shown to improve cardiovascular health and circulation.

It is also an excellent natural anti-inflammatory. More naturopaths and even MDs are picking up on the fact that daily ginger consumption helps sooth daily arthritis pain as well other chronic aches and pains. Even brain inflammation is sometimes handled or alleviated with ginger.

How to Use Ginger
Since ginger extracts have so many powerful mainstream medical applications as implied above, your daily or frequent use of ginger roots will certainly provide considerable health benefits as well.

Powdered ginger capsules are handy to have on hand. But either juicing or brewing as a tea from fresh ginger roots are the best ways to use ginger. Make sure the ginger roots you purchase are crisp with smooth outer skins. Avoid the moist, wrinkled roots.

A traditional method is to first skin the roots, then cut several long thin slices that can be placed into a pot of pure water. The more ginger slices the better. Too strong is easily thinned down with added water. Too weak is almost useless as a tonic or remedy.

After bringing the pot to a boil, bring the heat down and let it simmer for around a half-hour. The pot with water and ginger can remain intact overnight for additional steeping. Go ahead and have a cup, but pour the rest into a glass container to refrigerate.

If the tea is strong enough, you can treat it like a concentrate. Pour some into a cup and add hot water each time you have some. If the taste is slightly offensive, add some raw honey.

If you have a slow speed masticating juicer, you can juice a small (two inch long), freshly peeled piece of thick root as part of whatever juice you like to drink. If you make water kefir, you can add a tablespoon or two of this thick heavy ginger liquid into the fermentation process for every pint of water kefir you brew.



Source for this article include: Natural News

"fancy" dessert

I am so sorry I have been MIA the last few days, life is quite busy at the moment (but I wouldn't have it any other way). Plus I did get to sneak in a few nights of horse back riding so that's always a great thing!

I went tailgating this weekend and I had to bring a dish. I was definitely stumped because tailgates usually = unhealthy food options. I decided on 3 desserts that I will share with you over this week, they were a huge hit!!!

This little dessert was super easy to make but had a fancy appearance.

All you need are dried apricots, dark chocolate and pistachios. Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler then dip the apricots in the chocolate only covering half of the fruit and then roll in crushed pistachios. Place on wax paper and cool in the frig until the chocolate is hardened. Then arrange on a beautiful place and you have the perfect snack or sweet treat your guest will love!

Love Fall

I woke up this morning and I could feel the cool air, I know in my heart fall is on its way! Fall always feels like a new start for me, maybe its from my childhood days when I was heading back to school. I was that kid who would wait all summer for my school supply list to come in the mail. Now even though I am in the working world this feeling of new, and a fresh start has never left me. Its better than January as I am not a fan of new years resolutions....its fall, my favorite season of all!! (and no that rhyme was not intended. haha)

These are a few of my favorite things that refresh my health and wellness!

 Windows Open

 Hot Cups of Peppermint Tea

 Apple Picking

 Mountain Biking

 Horseback Riding

 Hiking as the leaves turn

 Cute Jackets and Jeans

Pumpkins

Lettuce-less

So lately I have been on a HUGE Greek salad kick! Its the only thing I crave lately, but I guess that's not a bad thing.  Over the weekend I went to make lunch (Greek salad of course) but I was out of lettuce. I thought why do salads "always" have lettuce? That being said I decided to be a rebel (ha ha) and make a lettuce-less salad, and while I love a crisp fresh lettuce my lettuce-less salad may just be a new favorite.

1 cucumber diced
1/2 container of grape tomatoes; halved
diced red onion
1 oz feta cheese
8 black Olives diced
1 TB Olive dressing that I found at Whole Foods

This is one of many lettuce-less salads you could make.What is your favorite mix?

Vegan Tortilla Soup

Source photo and recipe: Oh She Glows

Don't let the word vegan turn you off, this soup is delicious and extremely filling. Its the perfect transition into fall and will become a staple in our home! Adding these ingredients to your next shopping list is a must :)
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 ear fresh corn
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 tbsp ground cumin
One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained (optional)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (or beans of choice)
salt & pepper & crushed red chili pepper, to taste
Fresh lime juice, to garnish on top
Non-Dairy Cheese (I use Daiya cheese), for sprinkling
Chopped avocado, for garnish
Tortilla sticks (flour tortillas, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, to taste)

1. In a large pot over medium to low heat, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven on medium broil setting.
2. Meanwhile, chop the peppers, zucchini, green onion, and remove corn from cob (I take a chef’s knife and slice down the 4 sides). Add the veggies into the pot and sauté for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Add in the crushed tomatoes, cumin, broth, and chia seeds. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low-medium heat for 25-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make your tortilla strips. Slice flour tortillas into 2 inch strips (see below). Place in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle on garlic powder and chili powder (to taste) and mix well with hands. Place on a lined baking sheet and broil for up to 3 minutes on medium. Watch very carefully. When golden, remove from oven.
**I added the beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
5. After the soup simmers, ladle into bowls, and top with chopped avocado, fresh lime juice, cheese, green onion, and tortilla strips. Serve immediately. Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for 1 month.

Green Monster

In the past I have attempted making a green monster smoothie but the pieces of spinach left gave the drink a chewy texture compared to the liquid I was hoping for. That being said I went back to my true love my juicer for my morning green juices.

Well yesterday I decided to give green monsters another chance and I am so glad I did, it was *delicious*

I filled my blender 3/4 of the way full with organic baby spinach
1 cup of frozen organic blueberries
1 cup of frozen organic mango
1.5 cups of cold water
.5 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 TB of chia seeds for an added dose of Omega 3's

Blend together using the liquify button or blend for at least 5 minutes. Feel free to use 2 cups of water instead of almond milk and play with the fruit and veggie combinations. Anything will work!

Now how to sneak some spinach into Jason's next smoothie without him knowing :)