Sometime in life in order to move forward you have to take a leap of faith. Depending on the choices you’re facing it can be either a big one or a small one.
When it comes to food it’s rarely a big one. Even if it might take some courage to try a snake meat shred soup or monkey brains (yuk!) the worst that can happen is that you’ll spit it out or just get nauseated. No biggies.
So what I’m asking you today is to take a leap of faith and try this smoothie. It’s made with an unconventional ingredient: cannellini beans. But you’ll have to trust me when I say that you won’t taste them, and that this is an awesome smoothie.
A smoothie with the highest protein content ever. But that’s not all. The proteins come from all different sources: legumes, dairy, nuts, and protein powder. Also, since we’re not using fruits or juices it’s pretty low in sugars hence it can make a great alternative if you have friends and/or relatives that need to keep their blood sugar low.
I was talking to my friend Sam last week and he told me that lately he’s been experiencing some knee pain after his morning runs. I know from experience that knee pain should be taken very seriously and it's not something you wanna mess up with so I sat him down and started asking him all kind of questions. Turns out he’s been running on a pair of shoes that are at least 2 years old and that he’s also been using for walking, working out, shooting hoops and a number of other activities.
So I told him that before having his knee checked, he should try buy a brand new pair of running shoes and give it shot. He called me last night saying that he did as I told him and that he no longer experienced knees pain after running.
His story gives me the opportunity to talk about one of the most important things in running: replacing running shoes.
Prepare to be amazed beyond all expectations as today I’m going to give you one of the most magical recipes you have ever witnessed. And there’s no trick, just healthy culinary science at its best.
A great tasting dish that is also healthy, gluten-free, full of color and, last but not least, easy to make.
I know, you’re probably thinking that I’m way overselling this...but I’m actually not. I’ve made this recipe over and over again and serve it to all different kinds of people and the response has always been: “enthusiastic”.
Sodas act fast, really fast. Before you know it they have messed up your entire metabolism.
According to a recently published study, in as little as 30 days sodas change the way our muscles use food as fuel, making them prefer to burn sugars over fats. This increases fat gain by inhibiting fat metabolism and raising blood glucose in the body. And those changes are lasting which means that getting back on the right track, afterwards, becomes a really complicated task.
It is said that Native Americans discovered popcorn by chance when they threw some of the whole ears of the corn in the fire, and it suddenly started popping like crazy. Since then popcorn has become one of the favorite snacks all around the world.
Popcorn is easy to make, cheap and gets delightfully stuck in your teeth.
And today we have one more reason to enjoy popcorn, as scientists have discovered that it’s packed with polyphenols the famous antioxidant.
Last week I dragged a lot about Greek yogurt and blueberries, so I knew that I had to provide you guys with a solid recipe combining the two. Just telling you to mix blueberries with Greek yogurt was a bit short on creativity. Plus it would have made a lame post. If you know what I mean...
So we’re doing something a little bit more complicated: panna cotta.
Losing weight is not a simple task. Even the most fit people may struggle when it comes to shed a couple of pounds. For instance, my target weight is 175 pounds, but in the last two weeks for some reason I have reached 178. It’s no big deal but in a triathlon race, when I push myself to the extreme those 3 extra pounds might make a difference. Thus I need to lose them. Now, I might be able to do it in just a couple of days but even I will need to stay focus and not indulge if I want to do it properly.
And that’s precisely what a recently published study claims: losing weight is no joke, and does not happen overnight. It takes focus, dedication and perfect planning.
In particular, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have discovered that the recipe for success is faithfully keeping a food journal, avoid skipping meals and eat less out, especially at lunch time.
The above food journal can be downloaded from www.theprojectgirl.com
Let’s make a bet. If I win you’ll promise to eat only healthy foods for the remainder of the month. If I lose, I’ll do the same. But also if I win I’ll do the same. And also if you win you should do the same. It’s basically a win-win-win-win situation.
Anyway, I’ll bet that if you look around on the internet (or on magazines) for articles on the healthiest foods around (so-called “powerfoods”), blueberries will make the cut 9 times out of 10.
There’s a reason for that: blueberries are a health wonder; packed with vitamins, antioxidants and other precious nutrients.
Your parents have probably told you this a million times when you were a teenager: “Be careful in selecting your friends” or “You should hang out with the right crowd” or “That kid is bad news, I don’t want you to go out with him” and so on.
Back then those remarks were pretty frustrating to handle because no 16 years old wants to be told with whom he should or should not hang out.
But, as it often happens, your parents were right. Having the right friends will not only keep you out of trouble when you’re a teen, but will help you keep those extra pounds off and leading an overall healthier lifestyle. As a newly published study in the journal PLoS ONE has provided new evidence on how a person’s circle of friends may influence his/her weight and health.
Mondays are great days to think, ponder and, why not, even meditate about things that we’re doing wrong.
When I found this U.S. Food Administration manifesto, I was pretty excited because it does bring some relevant food for thought.
It’s simple, yet delivers savvy advice.
I wonder: where did we lose such great advice along the way? If we had just sticked to those 6 simple rules, today we would not be this nation of overweight/obese people, facing an health collapse.
Don’t you think?
The Iron You
Sometimes I wonder: “What my life would be without Greek yogurt?”
I’m one of the biggest consumer of Greek yogurt in the whole world. My fridge is constantly stacked with huge amounts of Greek yogurt: 0%, 2%, plain, you name it.
When I feel like having a snack there’s nothing else I’d rather have than Greek yogurt.
Funny thing is that I don’t like regular yogurt but I’m totally hooked on Greek yogurt.
With Greek yogurt the combination are endless: blueberries, raspberries, nuts, honey, etc..everything goes well with it. Plus, it is a great substitute for mayo in all the recipes that call for the latter ingredient (such as chicken salad).
Last, but not least, the fact that it’s low in fat and carbs and super high in protein makes it a perfect IronYou food. Are you convinced? If not keep reading...
Hummus is a perfect dip to have in your fridge. It’s healthy, low in calories, has a great nutritional value and it’s very versatile.
Great to “dunk” your veggies in (carrots, celery, tomatoes, etc). It’s also delicious if used as spread in sandwiches or as a sauce on meats!
Grocery stores are packed with several different brands of hummus but, let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like making your own.
Over the years I’ve tried hundreds of different recipes. Even though the ingredients used are always the same, different processes bring different results.
This recipe is the combination of many recipes (and tips) I’ve collected over the years. My tastebuds are convinced that it’s absolutely the best of the best, I hope that yours will think the same.
The vegetables in salads are chock-full of important vitamins and nutrients, but you won't get much of their benefits if you’re not pairing them with the right type and amount of salad dressing, a Purdue University study shows.
And not surprisingly researchers have found out that olive oil works the magic when it comes to boosting health benefits and control calories.
Summer is in full swing and with the right music playing on your iPod it can be the best time ever to have an awesome workout!
First question: who doesn’t love diving into a juicy, crisp, slice of watermelon when it’s toasty outside?
It’s probably the most refreshing fruit one can think of and a great friend when it comes to fight the heat. But watermelon does much more than that as it is one of the most recommended fruits when it comes to weight loss. To the point that some dietitians have created a “watermelon diet”.
Going gluten-free is one of the latest trends these days in the food market and among celebrities. Just recently, singer Miley Cyrus claimed that her recent weight loss is due to a shift toward gluten-free and lactose-free eating for health reasons.
Miley is not the only claiming going gluten-free, “New Girl” star Zooey Deschanel has also sticks to a rigid diet that excludes, among other things, wheat because of sensitivity. So do New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees and no.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic, just to name a few.
With so many celebrities and champions swearing to go gluten-free the power of suggestion can become particularly strong. And while Cyrus may be sensible to gluten, her new physique is most likely the result of clean eating and a good amount of fitness.
Before embarking on a gluten-free diet it’s better to understand what really entails cutting out gluten and if it’s something that anyone can do.
Almost every diet in the world shares the same rule: avoid desserts. And if you have a sweet tooth sometimes it’s hard to stay on the right track.
But not all hopes should be lost, because there is a solution. According to a newly published study one can have less hunger and cravings throughout the day by front loading carbs (and sweets) with the breakfast.
