Food News & Chews follow-up

The podcast is live – and I’d love for you to check it out both via Apple Podcasts & on Spotify – and be sure to subscribe! “Not just about cooking, FNC is all about food and its place in our lives. And more than just one more recipe for cheese onion dip or leftovers after Thanksgiving, the world of food is explored as something more than that in our lives and culture. Whether related to health and wellness, safety, environmental protection, economic strength or access and affordability, food lies at the root.”

We really crammed a LOT in during our discussion, and I wanted to share some follow up information and references if something piqued your interest!

*Please note, I am not a physician and this is not medical advice – it is imperative to check with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet and exercise regime*

moderation vs 80/20

I am not a fan of the word moderation when it comes to making healthy diet and lifestyle choices. First, I feel like it’s such a subjective term that can allow us to justify bad habits – who’s to say how much of an indulgence is a moderate amount? Additionally, if I were to have a “moderate” amount of sugar, “moderate” amount of fast food, “moderate” amount of saturated fat, and so on, I’d pretty quickly shift away from more healthy options as a whole. I coach my clients to be more accountable in an objective way by identifying a few healthier habits at a time and aiming for an 80/20 approach. We use a tracker (DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY HERE) and check off each habit daily while allowing for occasional indulgences or ‘miss days’. If 80/20 seems daunting, try 50/50 and increase over time to a higher rate. Check out my tracker for this month – note that I also list all the different plants I consume each week – more on that topic below! (I had a lot going on the first week of the month & didn’t list them).

olive oil

THIS ARTICLE in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that “Consuming more than 7 grams (>1/2 tablespoon) of olive oil per day is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disease mortality and respiratory disease mortality, according to a study publishing today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study found that replacing about 10 grams/day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise and dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil is associated with lower risk of mortality as well

diversity of plants/american gut project

Check out the Fiber Fueled book HERE

What’s the microbiome (“gut”)? Learn more HERE

The American Gut Project HERE

indulgences

When my sweet tooth needs attention, my favorite healthier indulgence is below. It doesn’t sound super exciting, but it is delicious!

  • 2 dates – remove the pit & split open lengthwise to make a little crater
  • smear a little natural nut butter in the crater
  • top with a couple non-dairy dark chocolate chips, if deisred

… and HERE is the mug cake I make (note -this definitely is NOT a healthy, whole food and includes inflammatory oil that I typically avoid – but I count it as a rare/ occasional indulgence in my 80/20 lifestyle). Sometimes, you just want a little treat!

inflammatory oils

Industrial seed oils (including Canola, Corn, Cottonseed, Soybean, Sunflower, Safflower, Grapeseed) are thought to be highly inflammatory and raise our omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratios, which may have significant consequences for our health. I avoid these and personally prefer to get my fat from whole plant foods including organic olive oil, avocados, nuts, flax and chia seeds. Ask your healthcare provider for more info, and check out THIS ARTICLE for easy to read facts about these oils.

mediterranean diet

Check out the Blue Zones HERE

The Mediterranean Diet and the Ornish Diet tied for #1 in best heart healthy diets in U.S. News – check out the rankings HERE. Read more about the Ornish lifestyle HERE ( I love his book, Un-Do It!)

Check out my thoughts on “busy-ness”in THIS POST.

carolina gold rice

I order from Anson Mills HERE and check out THIS ARTICLE about the history and benefits of Carolina Gold Rice.

WANT MORE?

Please consider subscribing to my email list at the top of the page, follow me on social media on Instagram @gretchen.farah and Facebook @goalfitmethod, and join our monthly membership community HERE where I share Food, Fitness, and Focus strategies to up-level and live your best life. As I said in the podcast, life is so short and precious, and we have each been gifted this on vessel in which to live it. Let’s take the best care of it that we can.

Reduced risk of premature death with plant protein

A study released today by the Journal of the American Heart Association found that “Older women who ate more plant protein had lower risk of premature, dementia related death.” The main takeaway is that “Substituting red meat, eggs or dairy products with nuts was associated with a significantly lower risk of death from all causes”.

  • Compared to postmenopausal women who had the least amount of plant protein intake, those with the highest amount of plant protein intake had a 9% lower risk of death from all causes, a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of dementia-related death.
  • Higher consumption of processed red meat was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying from dementia.
  • Higher consumption of unprocessed meat, eggs and dairy products was associated with a 12%, 24% and 11% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, respectively.
  • Higher consumption of eggs was associated with a 10% higher risk of death due to cancer.
  • However, higher consumption of eggs was associated with a 14% lower risk of dying from dementia, while higher poultry consumption was associated with a 15% lower risk.

Need some delicious, easy to prepare recipes that have plenty of healthy plant protein? Join us in the Goal Fit Monthly Membership! It’s just $10.99/month! Click here to get started!

Source

Beans and Greens Soup

Warming & hearty – this healthy soup is quick to prepare and delicious!

  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp Herbamare or salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 box / 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 TB miso paste (white or yellow)
  • 1 can cannellini beans-drain and rinse
  • 1 can chickpeas-drain and rinse
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup quinoa (dry)
  • 2 cups collard greens – remove stems and chop
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 2 cups kale
  • juice of 1/2 lime

Heat oil in large stockpot, add onion and saute until transparent. Add celery and carrot, saute until tender. Add garlic, Herbamare/salt, pepper and miso – saute, stirring constantly 1 more minute. Add beans, tomatoes, quinoe, broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice followed by greens and stir until wilted, then serve.