LIVING
PREPPED
|
|
 Vitamin K has been shown to keep your bones strong and help with proper blood clotting. It’s also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and heart health, as well as reducing the risk of cancer. The vitamin is split up into two groups: K1 and K2. K1 is responsible for the clotting factor in your blood and comes mostly from plant sources. K2 activates inactive proteins in the body to keep your all of your systems healthy. Sources of K2 are mainly from animal sources and fermented foods. The recommended daily amount of Vitamin K for females is 90mcg and for males it’s 120mcg.
Vitamin K1 amounts from a one cup serving: Kale: 1,062 mcg Collard greens: 1,059 mcg Spinach: 889 mcg Turnip greens: 529 mcg Broccoli: 220 mcg Brussels sprouts: 218 mcg Vitamin K2 amounts from a one cup serving: Nattō (Japanese fermented soybeans): 1,062 mcg Pork sausage: 383 mcg Hard cheeses: 76 mcg Pork chop (with bone): 75 mcg Chicken (leg/thigh): 60 mcg Soft cheeses: 57 mcg Egg yolk: 32 mcg SOURCES: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminK-HealthProfessional/#h2 http://vitamink2.org/newsroom/faq/ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k1-vs-k2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27191033
0 Comments
 A few days ago we told you about why we love kale and how good it is for your body. Most kale you’ll come across is a variety called “curly kale” which is mild and works well in many different dishes. Forget any horror stories you’ve heard about it being bitter and tough. We’ve got some tips for how to prep the leafy green goodness:
• Remove the leaves from the stem: You’ll want to remove the leaves from the crunchy stem so simply tear the leaves away from the stem until they’re all removed. You can then tear the leaves into smaller pieces or roll the leaves up and cut into thin ribbons. • Massage kale to soften it: If you’re going to eat it raw, the key to kale that’s not tough, is massaging it. Pour some olive oil, salt, and pepper over your kale leaves and begin to knead them with your hands. The leaves will turn a darker green and begin to get smaller as the plant fibers break down. Adding something acidic such as lemon juice or a vinaigrette will help break down the roughness of the kale even more. • Cooked kale is even easier: If you’re going to cook the kale, massaging isn’t necessary. You can roast kale in the oven to make crunchy chips. You can throw it into a skillet if your meal needs some greenery. For most dishes, you can prepare them as usual then add the kale at the end. Several minutes of heat mixed in with the rest of the dish is usually all it needs to be ready to serve. • Add into soups instead of spinach: If a soup recipe calls for spinach but you don’t like how the spinach tends to get thin and break down, then add kale instead. It’ll hold up better and even leftovers will have a little bit of firmness. • Avoid blanching: Blanching is when you place a fruit or vegetable into boiling water for an amount of time then remove it and place in cold water to stop the cooking process. Doing this with kale robs it of some of its nutrients, as they get left behind in the water. Photo by Deryn Macey on Unsplash  You probably already know this by now, but kale is one of the healthiest and most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. It comes in several different varieties and is easy to add to your meals. We’re going to share six reasons why kale has a reputation as a nutritional powerhouse:
• High in iron - Depending on the variety, kale can have as much iron as beef (sometimes more) but also contains vitamin C, which helps with absorption. • High in vitamins - One cup of kale contains 684% of your vitamin K daily value, 206% of vitamin A, and 134% of your daily vitamin C. • Anti-inflammatory - One cup contains 10% of your daily value of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help fight arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune disorders. • Antioxidant - Kale is rich in antioxidants like quercetin, kaempferol, and beta-carotene. These have numerous health benefits, such as protecting your heart and lowering blood pressure just to name a couple. • Helps Lower Cholesterol - There’s a substance in kale called bile acid sequestrants that help increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol. • Eye health - Two nutrients known for promoting eye health, lutein and zeaxanthin, can be found in kale. These can help lower your risk for macular degeneration and cataracts. SOURCES https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2461/2 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale#section1 http://www.organicauthority.com/11-health-benefits-of-kale-trendy-yes-but-its-still-so-good-for-you/  Iron is an essential mineral that mainly serves to create red blood cells and carry oxygen throughout your body. It must be acquired through food, as your body can’t produce it on its own. Deficiencies can make you feel fatigued or lead to anemia if amounts are very low. Luckily there are plenty of options for iron-rich foods.
Below are ten of them as well as the percentage of your recommended daily intake (RDI) they provide for a 100 gram serving: 1) Clams: 132% RDI 2) Pumpkin Seeds: 83% RDI 3) Dark Chocolate: 66% RDI 4) Organ Meats (liver, kidney, heart, brain): 36% RDI 5) Spinach: 20% RDI 6) Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas): 19% RDI 7) Red Meat: 15% RDI 8) Tofu: 15% RDI 9) Dark Turkey Meat: 13% RDI 10) Quinoa: 8% RDI SOURCES http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4182/2 http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3066/2 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/10352/2 http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4467/2 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-healthy-iron-rich-foods  Taking a few minutes for yourself to stretch at work can help regain your focus, reinvigorate you, and help prevent injuries.
Here are 3 quick and low-key stretches you can do at your desk and then get back to work: 1) Trunk Rotation While still seated, sit tall and straighten your back. Gently rotate your core and shoulders to one side as you grab the knee of the side you’re turning towards. Hold, then repeat with the opposite side. 2) Shoulder Stretch Sit up straight with your hands on your thighs. Roll your shoulders forward and then up into a shrug and hold for a couple seconds. Release the shrug as you move your shoulders back down and squeeze your shoulder blades together. 3) Neck Rotations Sit up straight and tilt your head back towards the ceiling. Rotate your head clockwise and drop your chin towards your chest at the halfway point. Continue until you’ve done a full rotation. Then reverse direction and repeat. SOURCES https://blog.fitbit.com/stretches-for-office-workers/  Earlier this week we told you about the EWG’s Dirty Dozen of non-organic produce items that contain the highest amount of pesticide residue. On the flip-side of that, here’s their list of fifteen items that contain the least amount of residue. You can feel good about buying non-organic produce from this “Clean Fifteen” list:
1) Avocados 2) Sweet Corn 3) Pineapples 4) Cabbages 5) Onions 6) Frozen Sweet Peas 7) Papayas 8) Asparagus 9) Mangoes 10) Eggplants 11) Honeydews 12) Kiwis 13) Cantaloupes 14) Cauliflower 15) Broccoli SOURCES: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash  Pesticide residues are commonly found on conventionally-grown produce even after it’s been washed and peeled. For this reason, people are turning to organic produce to avoid any harmful effects of leftover pesticides.
Every year, a non-profit called the Environmental Working Group publishes the top twelve produce items with the highest amounts of pesticides found after testing. Here’s their Dirty Dozen list for 2018: 1) Strawberries 2) Spinach 3) Nectarines 4) Apples 5) Grapes 6) Peaches 7) Cherries 8) Pears 9) Tomatoes 10) Celery 11) Potatoes 12) Sweet Bell Peppers SOURCES: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php  Cooling off with a frozen treat doesn’t have to mean derailing all of your hard work. There are now more low-calorie frozen options than ever and we’re going to take a look at 5 of them that have less than 100 calories per serving:
Outshine Fruit Bars Calories: 70-90 Packed with real fruit and free of artificial colors, flavors, and corn syrup, Outshine bars are refreshing and light. Chloe's Fruit Pops Frozen Treats With Less than 100 Calories Cooling off with a frozen treat doesn’t have to mean derailing all of your hard work. There are now more low-calorie frozen options than ever and we’re going to take a look at 5 of them that have less than 100 calories per serving: Outshine Fruit Bars Calories: 70-90 Packed with real fruit and free of artificial colors, flavors, and corn syrup, Outshine bars are refreshing and light. Chloe’s Fruit Pops Calories: 60 Right on the box they state “Just fruit, water, and a touch of cane sugar” and they aren’t kidding. Simple ingredients so you know what you’re eating and low calories make Chloe’s a win. Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt bars Calories: 80-100 Yasso bars are frozen Greek yogurt so that means an extra 5g of protein for you. Many awesome flavors are available from fruit-based to pistachio to S’mores. Enlightened Ice Cream Bars Calories: 70-100 These bars are not only sweet, but most flavors contain 7g of protein and 20% of your daily fiber, making for a seriously satisfying treat. Snickers Mini Ice Cream Bars Calories: 90 These are just smaller portions of the satisfying full-size ice cream bar. Yeah, the bigger size is more fun, but you won’t have to feel bad about the Minis and it’s better than not having Snickers ice cream at all! SOURCES: Outshine - Peach https://www.outshinesnacks.com/products/frozen-fruit-bars/peach RASPBERRY https://www.chloesfruit.com/snacks/cpg/raspberry/index.html Yasso - CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH https://yasso.com/products/bars/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough/# Enlightened - Sea Salt Caramel https://eatenlightened.com/collections/high-protein-low-sugar-ice-cream-bars/products/sea-salt-caramel-ice-cream-bars SNICKERS® ICE CREAM MINI BARS http://www.snickers.com/Nutritional-Info#MiniIceCreamBars  It’s especially important on the hottest days of Summer to make sure you stay hydrated. You don’t have to always drink your water...you can eat it too!
Here are 12 foods that are made of over 90% water: • Cucumber - Water Content: 96.7% • Iceberg Lettuce - Water Content: 95.6% • Celery - Water Content: 95.4% • Radishes - Water Content: 95.3% • Tomatoes - Water Content: 94.5% • Green Peppers - Water Content: 93.9% • Cauliflower - Water Content: 92.1%: • Watermelon - Water Content: 91.5%: • Spinach - Water Content: 91.4% • Star Fruit - Water Content: 91.4% • Strawberries - Water Content: 91.0% • Broccoli - Water Content: 90.7% SOURCES: 15 Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20709014,00.html PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Harshal S. Hirve on Unsplash |
Archives
October 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed