Be a Creatine Machine!

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Photo courtesy of the Arizona Beef Council.

If you’ve ever been into working out, you’ve probably heard of a popular supplement called creatine. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike take this supplement whether it be in a powder form, or already put into energy drinks, as it offers a lot of performance boosting benefits. But did you know that beef is an amazing source of creatine, and it also helps our bodies to naturally produce their own creatine?

According to dietician Michael Joseph, there is about 350 milligrams of creatine in every 100 grams of beef consumed. And, to top that off, our livers naturally produce about 2 grams of creatine per day, but only as long as we have given our bodies the right “ingredients,” which are arginine, glycine, and methionine. Beef is a great source of all three, and as Joseph notes, it is the single most significant dietary source of them.

It is recommended that we should be getting around 1-2 grams of creatine per day so that we can reap some of the benefits it has to offer. Some of the most notable include helping our cells produce more energy, building muscle mass, improving high-intensity exercise performance, and speeding up muscle growth. Eating beef, taking in the creatine that it has to offer, as well as utilizing those three “ingredients” to help our bodies make creatine takes us right to, and slightly above that recommended daily amount of creatine!

So, next time that you want to boost your creatine intake, consider having some beef! We produce some of the best beef here in Arizona, look for some locally raised beef products next time you’re out shopping!

Want to learn more about all of the other health benefits of beef? Check out these articles from Fill Your Plate!

  1. Arizona Beef is Healthy For You! – Fill Your Plate Blog
  2. Arizona Beef Puts ZIP in Your Step – Fill Your Plate Blog
  3. Arizona Beef is the Best! – Fill Your Plate Blog
  4. To Beef or Not To Beef: Nutrition Facts about a Misunderstood Food – Fill Your Plate Blog
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Healthy Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

Let’s face it. Prices are going up everywhere lately, and one place where it is especially noticeable is at the grocery store. This poses quite a problem, as eating healthily was already more expensive than eating cheap, processed foods. But now with inflation setting in, it has only gotten pricier. Luckily, that doesn’t mean that it is entirely impossible! With a few money-saving tricks and tips, you can still eat healthfully while staying on budget!

Woman shopping in supermarket

  • Meal plan – Get a head start on thinking about what ingredients you’ll need for the week.
  • Make a list – This list will not only make sure you don’t forget anything, but also keeps you on track and not buying extra unnecessary items.
  • Hit all the nutritional bases – Make sure you are getting a protein source, healthy fats, and some carbohydrates. Think meats, dairy products, fruits, and veggies!
  • Go for whole foods – Try your best to get whole fruits, vegetables, and meats, rather than pre–packaged and heavily processed versions.
  • Don’t browse – When trying to stick to a budget, don’t wander the aisles and be tempted to buy things you don’t need.
  • Don’t be afraid of canned and frozen foods – The canned and frozen varieties of whole foods such as green beans, corn, salmon, tuna, etc. are just as healthy as the fresh variety as long as it doesn’t have lots of additives.
  • Take a peek at the reduced-price foods – These are often thought of as the reject foods that are probably no longer good, but the opposite is true! These foods are just a little older than the rest but are still nutritious, and much cheaper.
  • Take advantage of coupons and sales – While coupons and sales for a couple of cents off an item might not seem like much at the time, the savings do eventually add up!

Eating healthy while still staying on a budget might require you to alter the way your grocery shop a little, but otherwise it is a completely attainable goal! Go ahead and see just how far you can stretch your dollar on healthy, whole foods!

Want to read more articles like this? Check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Tips for Thanksgiving Planning!

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

The holiday season is finally here, and thanksgiving is just around the corner! For many of us, this time is always filled with enjoying fun, friends, and family at parties and gatherings.

But even with all of the fun and festivities of the season, there can be a lot of stress that comes along with especially if you’re the one hosting. Read on for a list of some past blog articles, yummy thanksgiving recipes, and a super important tip to help you keep your priorities straight through all of your holiday planning!

 

Fill Your Plate Articles

  1. Holiday Hacks – Fill Your Plate Blog
  2. Getting a Head Start on the Holidays! – Fill Your Plate Blog
  3. Four Ways to Celebrate the Holidays Affordably (fillyourplate.org)
  4. How to Celebrate the Holidays- Arizona Style (fillyourplate.org)

Fill Your Plate Recipes

 

Remember!

Regardless of which holiday you’re getting ready for, or what kind of party, it’s always important to remember the real reason for that holiday. Thanksgiving in particular is all about remembering everything that we’ve been blessed with, such as our friends and family, our nation, the food on our table, and more. While it is always nice to have a smooth, well thought-out holiday party, the focus and main priority should really be on the true meaning of why you are all gathered in the first place!

So, with that being said, don’t stress over your holiday gatherings! Browse through some of the articles above and consider some of the recipes that were listed! Have fun and remember why you’re celebrating!

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Can Food be Your Medicine?

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

You might have heard the quote, “Let thy medicine be thy food, and thy food be thy medicine.” This quote is often attributed to Hippocrates, but there is some debate as to whether or not he was truly the one who said it. But either way, there is a lot of wisdom in the idea of food being healing to the body. What you eat or choose not to eat can have some significant impact on your health and your risk of disease and illness.

So, how exactly can the foods that we eat act as our “medicine”? Registered dietician Jillian Kubala gives a short, concise answer to that question saying, “Eating whole, nutritious foods is important because their unique substances work synergistically to create an effect that can’t be replicated by taking a supplement.” She also notes that the typical American diet lacks in many vitamins and minerals which causes diseases and other health issues. When eating a diet of whole, unprocessed foods, you’re giving your body antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as healthy proteins and fats, all of which promote overall health and prevent diseases.

While eating a whole, unprocessed diet can dramatically improve your health overall, there are also many individual foods that help with certain conditions. Just to give a few examples, the omega-3’s found in fish are excellent for preventing brain conditions, spearmint tea and ginger work wonders for digestive issues, raw, local honey can alleviate allergies, and cinnamon can reduce insulin levels! There are so many more examples of how the foods we eat can treat or prevent some of the health conditions we may have.

Arizona produces lots of these healthy, whole foods including meats, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains! These can easily be found at your local farmers market or grocery store. For more resources for seeing what is growing this season, or for finding a farmers market, check out the Fill Your Plate website! Over the last 15 years, it’s been Arizona Farm Bureau’s aim to provide nutritious information about Arizona agriculture.

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Eat Your Meats!

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

When creating a healthy diet, it’s important to include a balance of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, as each one gives your body the necessary nutrients it needs to be fueled for the day. While they are all beneficial and important, protein is extra important, as it is the one that helps your body cells to grow and repair themselves. Certain proteins, such as animal proteins, offer many more health benefits than plant-based proteins.

According to registered dietician Amy Goodson, it’s vital to choose a high-quality protein source. She defines this as a protein that contain all 9 of the essential amino acids, including histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine, all of which our bodies don’t produce on their own and must be gotten from food. Animal proteins are a sure source of all 9 of these essential amino acids, whereas most plant proteins don’t offer them.

Goodson offers the following tips for meat-lovers in terms of healthfully selecting and preparing your meats!

  • Choose lean meats – Both lean cuts, and lean ground meats.
  • Trim excess fat – Fat does add some flavor, but not all of it is necessary!
  • Use lean cooking methods – Grilling, baking, roasting, or broiling are all good, oil-free options!
  • Watch your portion size – Its possible to have too much of a good thing. The USDA Dietary Guidelines suggests 5.5 ounces of protein per day in a healthy diet.

Arizona farmers and ranchers produce lots of locally raised meats! You can find chicken, pork, beef, lamb, goat, and more all raised right here in our home state! The Fill Your Plate website has lots of resources you can use to find where you can purchase some of these animal proteins! Special note: We just updated the “beef” section in the search option under “Farm” products.

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