The Importance of Protein

Everyday I tell clients about the importance of protein in their diets.  Not only does it help with blood sugar control but it helps regulate your feeling of fullness (get you full and keep you full longer).  A recent study found that a diet that had 15% protein compared to a diet with 10% protein resulted in an overall lower caloric intake and less snacking.  (Gosby et al, Testing Protein Leverage in Lean Humans: A Randomized Controlled Experimental Study. PLoS ONE, 2011; 6 (10)).

Try to these tips to help increase your protein intake:
- have a source of protein with each meal and each snack (vary the type... be creative)
- choose seafood twice a week
- make meat & poultry lean
- have eggs (they are good for you... if you have high cholesterol, limit the yolks and eat the whites where the protein is found)
- have nuts & seeds!!!  Try almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds...  the sky is the limit!  Definitely go with unsalted and try to have raw when possible.
- Eat plant protein foods more often: beans and peas (black, pinto, garbanzo, lentils, hummus, red beans, kidney beans- you name it), tofu, tempeh, veggie burgers
- Remember that you should still be watching your portions... If you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks that are well balanced (contain protein, fruit and/or veggie, whole grain and dairy) you will obtain all of the nutrients you need, eat small portions, feel satisfied and get to a healthy weight!

Enjoy and be well...

Fill half of your plate with fruits & veggies

How many apples or mushrooms or salads do you or your kids need to eat to get your 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day? Is it even 5 servings any more or is it more? So much seems to have changed which leaves many of you confused!!! A tool has been developed to help getting your fruits and veggies easier: fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal and try to snack on fruits and veggies too.


If you make fruits and vegetables a priority of every meal it will help you meet your goal each day— simple as that!

The new MyPlate icon (which has replaced the food guide pyramid) developed by the USDA supports this concept … fill half your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables at every single meal! Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more details, recipes and lots of great interactive tools.

Fruits and Veggies... What's in Season in the Summer?

What’s in season for the summer (June, July, August)???

Remember, you can enjoy the taste of any fruit or vegetable year-round.
Fresh, frozen, dried, and 100% juice (no more than 1 serving of juice per day) - it all counts! Try to get 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies daily for maximum health benefits.


Apricots
Asian Pear
Beets
Black Currants
Bell Peppers
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Breadfruit
Butter Lettuce
Cantaloupe
Casaba Melon
Champagne Grapes
Chayote Squash
Cherries
Cherries, Sour
Corn
Crenshaw Melon
Crookneck Squash
Cucumbers
Durian
Eggplant
Elderberries
Endive
Figs
Garlic
Grapefruit
Grapes
Green Beans
Green Soybeans (Edamame)
Honeydew Melons
Jackfruit
Jalapeno Peppers
Key Limes
Lima Beans
Limes
Loganberries
Longan
Loquat
Lychee
Manoa Lettuce
Mulberries
Nectarines
Okra
Passion Fruit
Peaches
Peas
Persian Melon
Plums
Radishes
Raspberries
Sapodillas
Shallots
Strawberries
Sugar Apple
Sugar Snap Peas
Summer Squash
Tomatillo
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Zucchini

This list was developed with the help of the amazing wesite www.fruitsandveggiesmorematter.org Visit it for great recipes, info, tips and all things fruits and veggies!

Guide to Avoiding Pesticide in Your Produce

Every year the Environmental Working Group publishes a list of the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen". The "dirty dozen" are fruits and vegetables that either are highly treated with pesticides OR retain significant amounts of pesticide. These are the foods that you want to buy organic. Overall, they are fruits and vegetables with thin skins such as peaches, potatoes and berries but also include some leafy greens such as kale and spinach.

The "clean fifteen" are fruits and vegetables that retain little pesticide or are not treated with pesticide ( or a very small amount).

These are the fruits and vegetables that you can risk buying non-organic. Generally these have thicker skins like kiwi and melon. These also include grapefruit, eggplant and cabbage. Since organic is often more costly then conventional, you can save some money by buying conventionally grown "clean fifteen" and organically grown "dirty dozen".

You can also save money by buying organic frozen fruits and veggies. Frozen fruits are a great snack. Frozen vegetables can be even more nutritious then fresh as they are frozen right in the fields, retaining most of their vitamins and minerals. Fresh veggies often travel long distances and lose nutrients through exposure to heat and air. Just remember whatever you cook, frozen or fresh, use as little water as possible and cook for as short a time as possible.

And when you wash your fresh veggies and fruits, don't waste money on produce washes, plain water is more effective.

Find the guide at http://static.foodnews.org/pdf/EWG-shoppers-guide.pdf

-Patricia