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 Just like internet-famous kid Tariq, we really like corn. Yes, it “has the juice” but there are plenty of other reasons the “big lump with knobs” should be gracing your plate. Here are just a few of the health benefits of corn:
🌽 B Vitamins - One cup of corn has over 10% of your daily value (DV) of vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6. These help your body with a huge variety of functions such as energy synthesis, moving oxygen and nutrients around, and keeping your skin, nervous system, and guts healthy. 🌽 Fiber - Adults need between 25-38 grams of fiber per day and one cup of corn will yield 3.6g of that. Fiber helps promote gut health, balance blood sugar, and keep you regular. 🌽 Heart Health - The fiber in corn can help lower cholesterol levels, leading to increased heart health. This happens because the soluble fiber in corn reduces how much cholesterol is absorbed into your bloodstream. 🌽 Healthy Vision - There are plant compounds in yellow corn that help protect your eyes from light-related damage. Some studies are even showing that these compounds may help lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
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 Food can fuel your body to get through each day, but at night you want to wind down before bed. Here are five foods and drinks that may be ruining your sleep:
💤 Spicy Foods - One possible side effect of spicy foods that could keep you up at night is acid reflux, which only gets worse when you lie down. Another is that the capsaicin in spicy foods elevates your body temperature, which is counter-intuitive since your body naturally lowers its internal temp to fall asleep and stay comfortable. 💤 Chocolate - While it’s not as much as a cup of coffee, chocolate contains some caffeine. The darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine too. So keep this in mind if you’re reaching for dessert and it’s close to bedtime. 💤 Alcohol - While it can definitely make you feel sleepy and fall asleep, alcohol actually interferes with the quality of sleep you’ll get. First of all, it’s a diuretic, so you may find yourself making more trips to the bathroom throughout the night. It’s also been found to make it more difficult to reach REM sleep, which is the stage that leads to improved mood and memory. 💤 Caffeinated Drinks - Caffeine suppresses melatonin and can impact your ability to fall asleep and cause you to never reach deep sleep once you do. It takes most people 5 hours to eliminate caffeine from their system, so keep this in mind as bedtime approaches. Be mindful of any coffee, tea, or soda you have in the evening and make sure you know if it contains caffeine or not. 💤 Sugar - There are plenty of reasons to reduce sugar in your diet and the quality of your sleep is one of them. Evidence has shown that sugary snacks before bed can lead to restlessness and easily-disrupted sleep.  With soup season kicking off, you’re bound to come across beans and may be wondering if they’re good or bad. Aren’t beans carbs? Yes. Aren’t carbs bad? Not necessarily. Let’s look at if beans are good carbs or not:
🫘 First we have to break down carbohydrates briefly. Carbs can either be simple or complex. 🫘 Simple carbs have been processed, which causes the fiber content to be removed or altered. Think white bread, pastries, sugary drinks, candy, cookies. These carbs don’t usually offer too much in the way of nutrition. Some may call these “bad” carbs. 🫘 Complex carbs are unprocessed and have all of their natural fiber content intact. Think whole grains, vegetables, potatoes, quinoa, legumes, beans, nuts. These carbs usually offer some kind of nutrition whether it’s fiber, protein, or vitamins and minerals. These would be the “good” carbs. 🫘 Beans are a complex carbohydrate so we’re going to call them a “good” carb! 🫘 They contain more nutrients and fiber than processed, simple carbs. They’ll help you feel full longer and provide you with usable energy. 🫘 Beans won’t cause blood sugar levels to spike like simple “bad” carbs might. This makes them low-glycemic and a good option for those needing to keep levels stable. 🫘 They also contain both soluble and insoluble fiber to keep you regular. “Musical fruit” and all that. 🫘 Unlike most other carbs, beans contain a good amount of protein. It varies by type but most beans contain around 8g of protein for a ½ cup serving.  • Not usually one to get the spotlight, vitamin K plays a role in vital body functions such as blood clotting, bone metabolism, brain health, and keeping blood calcium levels healthy.
• It’s grouped into two categories: 1. Vitamin K1 - the main type of dietary vitamin K that comes from plant sources 2. Vitamin K2 - secondary type that comes from fermented and animal-based sources • Good sources of vitamin K1 include: - Leafy Greens - kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens - Cruciferous Vegetables - Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cauliflower - Peas - Asparagus - Prunes - Scallions • Good sources of vitamin K2 include: - Nattō (Japanese fermented soybeans) - Pork Sausage - Hard Cheeses - Kimchi - Sauerkraut - Egg Yolks - Grass-Fed Dairy Products |
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