HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--HEALTHY FOOD SWAPS

Healthy Food Swaps

We all know we should eat more healthful foods, but it’s the stuff that’s not very good for us that often tastes the best—recipes made with bacon, heavy cream, fats, salt, mayonnaise—those usual suspects.

Instead of denying yourself foods you enjoy, try swapping out some of those not-so-good-for-you ingredients for healthy alternatives. Trust me, the recipes will taste just as yummy, and you’ll be doing your body a favor.

Here are some great substitutions that won’t take away from your gastronomic pleasure:

If a soup recipe calls for heavy cream, place 1/2 broth and 1/4 cup white beans in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add to soup.

Instead of salting your food, add a squeeze or two of lemon or lime to chicken, fish, rice, and vegetable dishes.

When baking muffins, brownies, and sweetened breads, replace half the oil with applesauce or pureed prunes.

Another baking tip: replace half the white four with whole-wheat flour.

Paprika mimics the smoky flavor of bacon. Sprinkle it on your morning eggs or any recipe where you’d normally add bacon.

Do you like mayo on your sandwiches? Try substituting a smear of mashed avocado on your bread.

Instead of breadcrumbs for casseroles, meatloaf, and breading, use rolled oats which you’ve first pulsed until grainy in a food processor.

When recipes call for sour cream or buttermilk, substitute plain yogurt. 

BEAUTY WITH NICOLE - GUEST BLOGGER, KATIE BRIND'AMOUR

Guest blogger Katie Brind'Amour is back today with some tips for starting out the new year by eating your way to healthier skin. -- AP

Eating Right can Protect Your Skin

While many people know that eating certain foods can improve mood, trim your waist, and affect your energy levels, it may be a lesser known fact that eating right can protect your skin from the inside out.  I recently moved to not-so-sunny Columbus from sunny-everyday Phoenix, and I must admit, my skincare concerns are a bit different in this part of the country.  Instead of worrying about a daily sunburn (yes, even in December!), I’m worried about ashy winter skin and a dull complexion.  Oh, how the Midwest has changed me!

Thankfully, nature has been good to us in this realm, as in many others.  There are a variety of things you can put into your body to keep your skin looking great, naturally, safely, and on a regular basis – no expensive creams or serums required. 

Munch and sip your way to healthier skin with the foods below.

For starters, swap your Diet coke for some green tea.  The antioxidants help your skin protect itself from ultraviolet rays while repairing DNA damage.  In addition, the zero calorie hydration you will get from regularly sipping this healthy tea will keep your skin more moisturized and brilliant.  Bonus: you can apply it directly to your skin if you prefer to take your tea topically!

Yogurt or other sources of low-fat dairy are essential to healthy skin.  Not only are the protein and calcium essential for a healthy diet, but the Vitamin A that dairy is filled with is also critical for your skin’s elasticity and firmness.  Vitamin A helps your skin produce and protect its collagen, which builds the structure of your skin and can help keep your skin elastic and resilient.  For an awesome combo, try adding berries to your yogurt to get a boost from the fruity antioxidants that will help fight ultraviolet ray damage.

Chow down on some salmon.  The healthy fats, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and other fish, nuts, and vegetable oils (like olive oil) can help reduce inflammation, protect skin from some amounts of sun exposure, and boost your immune system.  Salmon in particular contains astaxanthin, an antioxidant that may fight sagging and wrinkles.  Olive oil, which is high in healthy fats, can also work as a topical skin relief ointment when applied to mild dermatitis.  If you prefer to get your healthy fats from nuts, try Brazil nuts – their selenium can boost your immune system and their Vitamin E can improve circulation, giving your skin a healthy glow. 

Little green fruits are your friends, so grab a kiwi.  This potent and tangy fruit is chock full of Vitamin C (even more so than most citrus fruits!) and can help protect the collagen in your skin by building and repairing connective tissues, such as your skin. 

Whole grains, which are healthy for a number of reasons, can help boost your skin’s immunity and general resiliency and health.  Not only are grains high in fiber and a healthy source of complex carbohydrates, but they also provide plenty of important B vitamins for your skin, such as folate, niacin, and rutin.  They also contain skin-saving micronutrients such as zinc and magnesium, which can boost your skin’s overall health.

Spice things up with turmeric.  A wildly popular spice in India and many areas of the Middle East, turmeric is a potent source of curcumin, which may help prevent the growth of squamous cell carcinomas, a dangerous and increasingly common form of skin cancer.  Yes, this should have been a regular ingredient in my cooking in Phoenix.  The antioxidants in this miracle spice also reduce inflammation and protect your skin cells from damage caused by the sun and other factors. 

Is there anything dark chocolate can’t do?  In my last guest post, I was thrilled to report the positive impact dark chocolate can have on mood and mild symptoms of depression; now I am just as excited to report that in addition to mental health benefits, dark chocolate can protect your skin!  Not only can the topical application of cocoa butter serve as an emollient that preserves your skin’s moisture and elasticity, but eating dark chocolate can protect your skin from sun damage and promote blood vessel health.  This in turn boosts oxygen flow to your skin, creating a healthy glow. 

Eat Up, Already!

Is there anything more glorious than learning that you can eat your way to a beautiful complexion and healthy, glowing skin?  I think not.  Even though I am a notorious failure at regularly wearing sunscreen, I can at least boast a diligent adherence to the skincare regimen of eating dark chocolate.  I wonder if there is an exponential effect, wherein the more I eat, the better my skin gets…maybe I will give it a try.  I figure as long as I occasionally trade it out with some yogurt, berries, nuts, or kiwi, it’s OK to experiment!

Thanks, Katie! I'm off to scarf down some guilt-free dark chocolate! -- AP

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE - GUEST BLOGGER, KATIE BRIND'AMOUR

Katie Brind’Amour is a freelance writer and food aficionado eating her way through Columbus, Ohio one delicious dish at a time. When she’s not busy trying to identify the perfect combination of chocolate and wine, she writes on health, nutrition, pregnancy, and friendship for Elance clients and on her personal blog . -- AP

Eat to Beat the Winter Blues

There’s something about beef stew, chicken noodle soup, buttery golden biscuits, potatoes, cocoa, and pie (not all at once, though!) that scream “winter comfort food” to me.  I basically gravitate toward warm, delicious, fatty, starchy foods to make me feel cozy and satisfied during the long winter months, and I have a feeling this is the case for many people out there.  After all, Thanksgiving is about stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie – not carrot sticks, salad, and rye bread!

The appeal of filling and fattening foods during colder months is perhaps a biologically programmed weakness, but in modern times it would be tough to argue that this does us any sort of favor.  (At least, ever-widening hips and a bulging belly don’t exactly meet my definition of a gift from the universe…)

Luckily, Mother Nature has something in store for those of us with less desire to store fat and more interest in staying trim despite the holidays and never-ending onslaught of flavored coffees and flaky, buttery cookies.  She gave us foods to get us through winter in an entirely different way.

In fact, there are a whole slew of healthy foods that can actually improve your mood and get you through the cold months with more energy, better health, and a sharper mind (http://www.helpfordepression.com/slideshow/lifestyle-changes/10-foods-boost-your-mood).  Sign me up!

For those of you who are health junkies, the fact that salmon is one of these super foods should be no surprise.  Dietitians and health nuts have long been singing the praises of its healthy fats for brain development, but its nutrients can also improve your attitude and help beat mild depression by increasing levels of serotonin and certain hormones that help regulate mood and memory. 

Eggs are another delicious food that supply a number of important vitamins for your foggy winter brain, of which Vitamin D and B12 help improve your mood – just be sure to eat the yolk, as the egg whites don’t contain equally beneficial amounts of these brain-boosting nutrients!  Unless you already have high cholesterol, there is no need to avoid the yolk, which can provide a healthy source of fat and protein to give you a slow release of energy throughout the day.

Think green!  Spinach and other dark leafy green vegetables are powerhouses of magnesium, folic acid, and antioxidants, all of which can improve energy levels, reduce fatigue, and help you better manage the stress that comes from buying exactly ten thousand holiday presents.  This protective level of magnesium is also found in bananas, which also contain high levels of potassium and tryptophan as well as many vitamins and minerals.  So instead of sugared dates, try snacking on a banana to improve oxygen flow to your brain, reduce stress, and even help you sleep.

And speaking of tryptophan and improved sleep, remember that your Thanksgiving turkey has plenty of health perks as well.  The tryptophan that helps your mind relax is paired with melatonin in turkey, which encourages your body to relax.  Even better, the tyrosine contained in turkey can help you achieve better energy levels and triggers the release of dopamine and norepinephrine in your body, which improve your reaction time and may help boost your motivation.

For those of you who love nuts, breads, and even fruitcakes, remember that whole grains and walnuts can also be lifesavers during the winter.  Whole grains – like oatmeal and whole wheat bread as well as other high-fiber foods like legumes and some vegetables – can help deliver a slow and steady dose of glucose to your brain, keeping your energy stable and giving your thyroid gland the selenium it needs to keep your mood controlled as well.  Walnuts may go one step further and help prevent mood swings by zapping away mild depression, anxiety, insomnia, and irritability (can you say, “miracle food?”) 

If anxiety and frustration are your problems, try drinking a glass of milk with those walnuts or bananas.  Milk can increase your body’s ability to absorb important vitamins and minerals from the food you eat while pumping you full of mood-boosting whey, magnesium, protein, and healthy carbohydrates. 

Last, but certainly not least, comes dark chocolate.  Hooray!  This is perhaps the best news of all for those of us searching for a healthy replacement for snicker doodles.  Besides the benefit your blood vessels get from the antioxidants found in dark chocolate, the phenylalanine delivered in bars with 70% cocoa or more are believed to boost levels of dopamine in the brain, flooding you with happy feelings and the very happy realization that winter doesn’t last forever.  

If all else fails, think positive (www.healthline.com/health/depression-alternative-treatments)!  As a chronic daydreamer, it’s comforting to know that imagining myself at the beach while eating a salmon and spinach salad is officially a healthy activity with the added perk of beating the winter blues. 

So go ahead, indulge this winter – just be sure to indulge in the feel-good foods that satisfy your natural urge to glut yourself and provide a natural and healthy dose of happiness and energy!

Thanks for the great tips, Katie! I’m off to dip a banana in melted dark chocolate and roll it in walnuts. Yum! And it’s good for me! -- AP