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 Stress can cause you to eat and sometimes what you eat isn’t great and doesn’t really help.
Instead, here are some healthy foods you can go for that could actually make you feel better and relieve some stress: • Pistachios The process of cracking open pistachios can help reduce stress by slowing things down a little and giving your hands something to do. Pistachios are heart-healthy and can lead to lowered blood pressure and a more calm heart rate. • Sweet Potatoes Nutrient-rich carbohydrates like sweet potatoes have been found to help reduce the stress hormone cortisol that can wreak havoc on your blood pressure and sleep quality. • Swiss Chard Magnesium plays a large part in your ability to handle stress and just one cup of cooked Swiss chard yields 36% of your daily recommended intake. • Eggs Whole eggs pack a variety of vitamins, minerals, and acids that are useful in combating stress. One such nutrient found in eggs is choline. It’s been found that choline can have antidepressant-like effects on your brain’s health. • Fatty Fish Fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring are great sources of omega-3 fats and also vitamin D. Both nutrients have been shown to improve your mood, reduce stress, and increase your brain and body’s ability to handle stress. • Broccoli Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli offer a huge range of health benefits. In regards to stress relief, the high levels of magnesium, vitamin C, and folate they offer have been shown to boost your ability to cope.
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 Christmas brings with it many great traditions and foods you only see once a year. One treat you may have seen is a cake that’s shaped and decorated to look like a log called a Yule Log Cake. Ever wondered why that’s even a thing?
• Yesterday marked the Winter Solstice and also the start of Yule, which is a 12-day celebration observed by Germanic people dating back to the Iron Ages as they looked forward to the days being longer and nights being shorter. • One of the ancient Yule traditions was to burn a large log or stump known as the “Yule Log” on the hearth in an effort to keep it lit for the entire 12-day celebration. • In 1615 the first known recipe for a Yule Log cake made its appearance as a sweet homage to the traditional log burning. This treat was popularized in the 19th century. • These cakes typically consist of chocolate sponge cake rolled up and filled with mascarpone whipped cream, covered in chocolate ganache, and decorated in ways to really play up the log appearance. • The end of the rolled cake is sometimes cut off and added to the top or side to make it appear as a trimmed branch jutting out of the log. • The outer frosting is usually roughed up to appear like bark and powdered sugar can be added to add a snow-like look. • Finishing touches to the log include cranberries and rosemary to act as mistletoe, marzipan leaves, and meringue mushrooms.  If the holiday season has you longing for “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” you may be happy to know that not only is it something fun and different you can do at home, but roasted chestnuts also bring a variety of health benefits.
• Fiber Just 1 cup will provide 30% of your daily fiber. This will help your digestive health and, combined with the complex carbs we just mentioned, can help reduce blood sugar spikes. • Vitamin C Most nuts don’t provide any vitamin C, but roasted chestnuts are unique and 1 cup brings around 65% of your daily intake of this vitamin. • Heart Health Chestnuts are low in fat, but high in magnesium and potassium, which can help boost heart health and reduce cardiovascular issues. • Complex Carbohydrates While not as high in protein as nuts like almonds and peanuts, chestnuts provide complex carbs that your body digests slowly and uses as a stable energy source that lasts longer than most others. • Copper A 1 cup serving of roasted chestnuts is good for 36% of your daily copper needs. This can help support forming red blood cells and also healthy blood vessels, nerves, immunity, and increase iron absorption.  Antioxidants are used by your body to remove your cells’ waste products and protect new cells. Your body is able to generate some antioxidants but it’s possible to boost these amounts with food.
Below is a list of the foods with the highest amounts of antioxidants (shown with serving size and antioxidant capacity): • Red Kidney Beans: 1/2 cup = 13,259 • Blueberries: 1 cup = 9,019 • Cranberries (Whole): 1 cup = 8,983 • Artichoke Hearts: 1 cup = 7,904 • Blackberries: 1 cup = 7,701 • Prunes: 1/2 cup = 7,291 • Raspberries: 1 cup = 6,058 • Strawberries: 1 cup = 5,938 • Red Delicious Apples: 1 apple = 5,900 • Pecans: 1 ounce = 5,095 • Cherries: 1 cup = 4,873 • Russet Potatoes (Cooked): 1 potato = 4,649  Our new Marmalade Chicken is out and if you’ve ever wondered what makes marmalade different from jam and jelly, we’ve got you covered.
Jam, jelly, and marmalade are all made by heating fruit with added sugar. The difference between each is how much fruit is left and the consistency. • Jam Made from whole or cut fruit, cooked to a pulp with sugar for a chunky, less-rigid texture. • Jelly Made using only fruit juice from slow-cooked and strained fruit with sugar, resulting in a smooth, firm finished product. • Marmalade Closer to jam, but made from citrus fruits using all of the fruit, including the rind. This makes for a chunky product with rich, complex flavors of sweet from the fruit and slightly bitter from the rind.  Good food can fuel your whole body - and that includes your brain. When it’s time for cramming for classes or a big exam, try giving your brain a boost with some of these foods:
1. Citrus Fruits (Oranges, Grapefruit): Flavonoids promote learning and memory. They also protect nerve cells and fight against mental decline. 2. Fish: Omega-3s build brain cells and nerves and good fat helps boost memory functions. 3. Eggs: Vitamin B12, Cholene, and Selenium help with memory, the act of learning, and production of neurotransmitters. 4. Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts): Vitamin E and zinc are essential to brain health. 5. Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries): Flavonoids called anthocyanins increase blood flow to your brain, reduce inflammation, and speed up response times. 6. Avocado: Lutein, which is a carotenoid, has been shown to improve mental performance.  Blueberries are a sweet and easy way to boost the nutrition of a dish or they’re great on their own. You can easily add them into your yogurt, cereal, or pancakes (like the Blueberry Protein Pancakes on our menu). Here’s why we love throwing in blueberries:
• They’re low in calories, but high in fiber and vitamins C and K. • Blueberries have one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all common fruits and veggies. • They can boost your heart health by reducing your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and also blood pressure. • Their antioxidant properties can help minimize delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous workouts so you can recover faster. • Blueberries are closely related to cranberries and have been shown to help reduce urinary tract infections by preventing bacteria growth in your bladder. • Multiple studies have shown that the antioxidants in blueberries can help aid brain function.  Most varieties of nuts are good sources of fiber, healthy fats, and protein among other things. However, the amounts can vary between the different kinds.
Here are the types of nuts with the most protein in a 1oz (handful) serving: • Peanuts - 6.6g protein • Almonds - 6.2g • Pistachio - 6.0g • Cashews - 4.3g • Walnuts - 4.3g • Hazelnuts (filberts) - 4.2g |
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