Tag Archives: nut

Categories Free Resources, Read

Should we consume superfoods?

The term superfood is quite magical for those of us wanting to improve our health. Think of exotic berries or ancient seeds that can provide us with nutritional benefits like no other food. But should we dig deep into our wallets and invest in such foods? Let’s explore:

What does the term superfood mean?

When the term superfood is used, it usually refers to a certain food item being exceptionally dense in nutrients. That means such food would have a relatively larger number of nutrients per gram, might be linked to certain disease prevention, or may provide certain advantages beyond its nutritional ability. However, it is important to understand that the term superfood is not regulated nor scientifically based but is more of a marketing term.

What are some examples of superfoods?

The American Heart Association references these so-called superfoods as legumes, dark leafy greens, certain berries, some nuts & seeds, salmon, green tea, avocado, garlic etc. However, the AHA also clearly points out that only consuming superfoods will not make us healthy.

Which superfoods are the best?

One of the most recent hypes was about blueberries. There is no doubt that blueberries are truly fabulous being high in antioxidants, can inhibit the growth of cancerous human colon cells, and can help in protecting the body from free radicals. But what if you don’t like blueberries? Would that mean you would be missing out on these benefits and cannot get them by eating other fruits or vegetables? What about apples, bell peppers and carrots? These have not been categorized as superfoods yet, so should we put less emphasis on eating them? Do they not provide great health benefits? Most plant foods provide a wonderful package of valuable nutrients that contribute to our health in different ways. Focusing on consuming a variety of whole foods is an important part of healthy eating.

What about the research done on superfoods?

Research done on a certain type of berry or seed will provide more knowledge about that specific food. However, it does not mean that other food items which were not researched are not beneficial to us. The known phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” probably increased the sales of apples, but does that mean that oranges wouldn’t help do the same? What about pears, spinach and cucumbers?

Should I invest in superfoods?

As marketers want to increase sales, they take an already-perceived-as-healthy food item and sell it for a higher price by marketing its unique qualities that could contribute to our health more than other foods. It is important for people seeking to improve their health to understand that we need to manage the different components of a healthy lifestyle in order to achieve such a goal.
At the end of the day, whether to buy superfoods or not is a personal choice. My concern is that this fancy term can advertise the wrong notion that healthy eating is pricey and out of reach to the majority.

My hope with writing this is twofold: To create awareness of fancy marketing words that may cause unnecessary confusion, overwhelm and a big hole in our pocket, as well as to reiterate that a healthy lifestyle is accessible and can be done by most. If we really want to improve our health, we should probably focus more on eating enough fruits and vegetables daily, consuming a variety of wholesome foods, keeping active enough, sleeping well, staying well hydrated, enjoying a nourishing social life and surrounding ourselves with love.

Categories Recipes, Snack

No-Bake Granola Bars

No-Bake Granola Bars

Author Shani - Lemon Tree Nutrition
The shelves at the grocery store are packed with granola bars. Why bother making them at home? Because these seriously beat any granola bars I have ever had. They are incredibly delicious, satisfying and simple to make. When feeling like having something sweet and nutritious, these will become your favourite go-to granola bars.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Refrigeration 4 hours

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Small saucepan
  • Medium bowl
  • Baking pan, 9x9 inches
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 200gr pitted date fruits
  • 1.5 cups large oats
  • 1 cup almonds or hazelnuts
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • ½ cup sesame paste
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder optional
  • A pinch sea salt
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Place dates in the food processor and pulse until small, sticky crumbs are formed. These may come together to a ball as you process. Move into a medium bowl and set aside. No need to clean the food processor yet.
  • Lightly toast the almonds or hazelnuts. Place in the food processor and pulse into medium-size pieces. Add the nuts to the bowl of dates.
  • Lightly toast the oats. Add to the bowl of dates and nuts.
  • Place the honey (or maple), sesame paste and cinnamon powder (if using)  in a small saucepan and warm up. Stir to combine. Do not boil or overheat.
  • Pour the warm mixture onto the dates, nuts and oats. Add a pinch of salt.
  • Mix well with a fork, ensuring the dates pieces are well spread in the mixture.
  • Allow mixture to cool a bit.
  • Add chocolate chips and mix in with a fork.
  • Line your 9x9 pan with parchment paper leaving enough paper edges for easy removal of the bars after cooling. Pour the mixture in, flattening and levelling it in the pan.
  • Cover with Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  • Using the edges of the parchment paper, carefully remove the bar from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 8-10 even bars. Keep refrigerated in an air-tight glass container for up to a week.

Notes

Nut-free version - Replace the nuts with sunflower seeds. 
Vegan version - Use maple syrup (instead of honey) and vegan chocolate chips.
Categories Free Resources, Read

7 important things to know about protein intake

How much protein do we really need? How do we get enough of it? Should we follow a high-protein diet?
Protein is found in every cell of our body and has many functions. It is involved in many chemical reactions and is an important macronutrient for putting some meat on our bones, making blood, skin, hair, enzymes and more.
To keep our body in a healthy state, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) per day for an adult is 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight. However, depending on our sex, age, lifestyle, frequency and intensity of physical activity, goals and other factors, an individual may need more than that. Let’s look at some important points to consider:

1. Too much of a good thing

Although protein is an important macronutrient, the expression “the more, the better” does not apply to its daily intake. A healthy diet should consist of all 3 macronutrients which are properly balanced and designed to the individual and their personal goal.

2. Remember your personal goal

Different people may have different goals when it comes to weight management, health and fitness. If someone is a bodybuilder, while your lifestyle is sedentary, the amount of protein requirements will be substantially different for the two of you. Your protein intake should be matching your goals, life choices, biology and other factors. Remember we are not all the same.

3. Consider the source of protein

Protein can come from animal and plant foods. When choosing your protein, remember it comes in a package that normally includes other macronutrients or other characteristics. For example, animal protein such as beef, chicken, fish, dairy and eggs, will also include some fats. While fats are an important macronutrient, some animal protein provide high amounts of saturated fats aside from protein. Saturated fats should be consumed in moderation.
On the other hand, protein from plant sources may have a reduced bioavailability. Being aware of that and incorporating cooked veggies and grains into our food intake can help increase bioavailability.

4. Adjust the total food intake

When our goal is to maintain or lose bodyweight, whenever we increase the intake of a certain macronutrient, we should make adjustments so we do not consume more food than we require. Meaning, if you have not changed anything in your diet except increase your protein intake, you may experience some weight gain due to overconsmption of calories. Swapping foods can be a good solution in this case. For example, instead of snacking on a couple fruits, swap with a few carrot sticks and hummus dip, while maintaining a similar caloric amount.

5. Get to know your protein powder

Some people may choose to incorporate protein powder into their food intake. While such powders are a great way to supplement our diet with protein and a great solution when you are in a hurry or on the go, we should learn what is really in our powder. Such powders may come from different sources (dairy, eggs, plant-based) and can often contain other ingredients such as vitamins and minerals, thickeners, added sugars or other sweeteners, as well as artificial flavouring. When choosing a protein powder, make sure to read the nutrition and ingredient labels first and see if you are okay with the final product.

6. High-protein diets

A very high-protein diet normally encourages an extremely low carb intake which may translate into overall minimal consumption of fruits and vegetables. While high-protein diets may offer certain benefits to certain people for a limited time period and under clinical supervision, studies have shown over and over again that daily consumption of enough fruits and vegetables contributes to our health in many ways and can be helpful and even preventative for many diseases.

7. Protein for vegetarians and vegans

Getting enough protein from non-animal sources is possible. Although a bit more planning may be required, achieving the protein intake requirements only through plant protein can be done. While vegetarians who eat dairy, eggs or fish can meet their protein intake requirements quite easily, vegans need to plan a bit more but can still get enough protein regularly. A common concern in some vegetarian diets or a vegan lifestyle is unintentionally creating a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals. If you plan to become a vegetarian or vegan, a professional nutritional guidance or in-depth planning should be done to avoid such deficiencies.