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 Meal time can be frustrating when you’re offering your children healthy options but they just aren’t into them. Below are some tips that might help get them started on healthy eating habits:
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 Getting exercise doesn’t have to be hard on your body. Whether you have joint problems or just want to switch things up, here are 8 exercises that won’t do damage to your body but are still effective.
 Tomorrow after the big meal, you might feel like snoozing for a bit. What’s up with that? Most people say it’s the tryptophan in the turkey, but that’s not the only guilty party.
🦃 Turkey isn’t especially high in tryptophan; it’s got the same amount as most other meats. Foods like cheese, eggs, soybeans, and pumpkin seeds have more tryptophan than turkey. 🦃 Consuming large amounts of carbs is mostly to blame for the sleepiness. Things like stuffing, potatoes, pies, and cranberry sauce are all carb-rich. 🦃 Carbs trigger an increase in insulin, which leads to an uptake of the amino acids...except for tryptophan. It’s then free to be absorbed by the brain without interference from competitors. 🦃 So tryptophan does play a role in your sleepiness, but turkey doesn’t contain abnormally high amounts of it. 🦃 Overeating pulls blood from other areas of your body to your digestive tract so it can go to work processing everything you just ate. Your brain is one area that feels the effects of this shift. 💤 There are plenty of other factors to consider for your sudden need to nap including: 😴 Traveling 😴 Relaxing after stressful or strenuous preparations for the day 😴 Drinking alcohol 😴 Getting up early that day SOURCES: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/831/2 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/27/2 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3066/2  Acorn squash is a small type of winter squash named for its appearance that’s similar to an overgrown acorn. Of all the many varieties of squash, acorn squash is the most nutrient-dense and contains the highest amounts of antioxidants. Here’s what this mighty vegetable has to offer:
• Vitamin C - immunity and white blood cell production • Magnesium - bone health and relief from depression and anxiety • Beta-carotene - for eye health and prevention of cataracts and macular degeneration • Vitamin A - clear skin free of blemishes and healthy cell regeneration • Potassium - improves blood pressure levels • Fiber - promotes regular bowel movements and regulates blood sugar levels • Calcium, manganese, copper, phosphorus - increases bone density to prevent osteoporosis SOURCES: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2936/2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25433109  We’ve all heard the phrase “apples to oranges” - meaning two things are completely different and can’t be compared. Well, we were curious to see just how different they are. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of 1 cup of apples to oranges:
Calories: 🍎65 🍊85 Carbs: 🍎17g 🍊21g Protein: 🍎1% 🍊3% Sugar: 🍎13g 🍊17g Fiber: 🍎12% 🍊17% Vitamin C: 🍎10% 🍊160% Calcium: 🍎5% 🍊7% Vitamin K: 🍎3% 🍊0% Vitamin B6: 🍎3% 🍊5% Riboflavin: 🍎2% 🍊4% Potassium: 🍎4% 🍊9% Folate: 🍎1% 🍊14% So as it turns out, apples and oranges really aren’t all that different. Oranges come out ahead for protein by a little, folate by quite a bit, and Vitamin C by 150%. Still, you can’t go wrong with either one as a portable, healthy snack! SOURCES: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1809/2 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1966/2  Last week we looked at pineapple and the nutritional differences between canned and fresh and mentioned that bromelain was only present in fresh pineapple. But what is bromelain?
• Bromelain is an enzyme mixture that breaks down proteins. • Pineapple is the only natural food source of bromelain. Amounts are highest in the stem. • It’s also available as a supplement and can be taken orally or used topically. • Bromelain is typically taken for a short period of time to promote healing after surgery or trauma. • It has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce swelling and bruising. It's helpful in breaking up scar tissue as well. • Pineapple can be used as a powder or in marinades to tenderize meat, but don’t marinate for more than a day, as the bromelain’s ability to break down proteins is strong and will turn the meat to mush if left for too long. Several hours is ideal. • This breakdown of proteins is why your mouth feels scorched after eating pineapple. The bromelain is destroying the tender insides of your mouth! The difference is your mouth’s cells regenerate, while a marinating cut of meat won’t regenerate. • Temperatures of 150 degrees or more neutralize bromelain, stopping the tenderizing process. SOURCES: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/pineapple-enzyme-tenderize-steak1.htm https://nccih.nih.gov/health/bromelain  Pineapple has many health benefits such as fiber, vitamin C, and manganese (for bone health). It’s great fresh, but can be time-consuming to prep and is available canned as well. The taste changes quite a bit going from fresh to canned, but what else changes in a 1 cup serving?
Calories ⬆️ Increase by 66 in canned pineapple. This is due to the fact the canned varieties are usually packed in calorie-dense juice. Carbs ⬆️ Increase by 17g in canned, again from the juice. Sugar ⬆️ Increases by 20g in canned, again from the juice. Vitamin C ⬇️ daily value decreases by 92% (but is still relatively high) in canned. Fresh DV is 131%, canned is 39%. Manganese ⬆️ for bone and skin health DV increases by 64% in canned. This is because it’s more dense in the juice. Bromelain ⬇️ an anti-inflammatory enzyme, decreases to 0%. This is because the heat from the canning process destroys it. Fiber, protein, Vitamin A, thiamin, and Vitamin B ↔️ all stay about the same in canned pineapple. So while canned pineapple loses some vitamins and minerals, it’s still not a bad choice to get your fiber, thiamin, and B & C vitamins in. It’s more convenient than fresh but be sure to keep the calories in mind too. SOURCES https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2021/2 https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2019/2 |
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