Take Your Ginger and Turmeric!

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

If you follow healthy food trends, then you’ve probably heard about all of the many health benefits that ginger and turmeric have to offer. In fact, you’ve probably noticed how they are included in a lot of juices and foods found in the health section of the grocery store. It is because these two spices are chock full of nutritional value and can do a lot for our health!

According to registered dietician Rachael Link, ginger and turmeric, both come from the roots of their respective plants and have been used for a very long time in natural medicine. Both ginger and turmeric are amazing sources of antioxidants, which lends to the many health benefits that they provide. Some of these health benefits that ginger and turmeric provide when consumed include:

  • Alleviating pain
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Support immune function
  • Reduce feelings of nausea

Incorporating these two spices into your diet is very easy! Use them in sauces, salad dressings, smoothies, and teas, or simply use them to sprinkle over foods! One popular way to get your daily dose of ginger and turmeric is to make little shots of these spices mixed with some juice to make it taste better on the way down! Or you can also find ginger and turmeric supplements at the store. However you choose to consume your ginger and turmeric, you’ll be benefitting from all of the powerful antioxidants that they contain!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Kombucha – The Drink that Packs a Punch

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

There are SO many different health drinks that line the shelves at the grocery store, such as energy drinks, coffees, protein shakes, sparkling waters, juices, teas, and many others. My personal favorite, aside from coffee, is kombucha. If you haven’t heard of it before, kombucha is basically fermented tea.

The fermentation process turns the tea into a probiotic powerhouse. Thanks to all of the probiotics and many other healthful compounds in kombucha, this drink provides lots of health benefits. The Cleveland Clinic notes that the following are ways that drinking kombucha can benefit your health.

  • Reduced inflammation
  • Provides B vitamins, essential minerals, and organic acids
  • Detoxifies the liver
  • Fights against bacterial growth

 

Since it is fermented, some kombuchas have a very pungent, acidic taste, which some people hate and others love. But there are some brands of kombucha that have fruit juice added to them, so you’re still getting all of the great health benefits from the kombucha, and it’s easier to swallow! Some of my personal favorites are the GT’s Synergy kombuchas, which have no added sugars aside from the fruit juice! In my opinion, the best flavors are:

  • Trilogy
  • Carrot Turmeric
  • Mystic Mango
  • Guava Goddess
  • Ginger berry

Next time that you’re at the grocery store, pick up a bottle of kombucha or two and get your daily dose of probiotics and other healthful nutrients!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Mediterranean Diet on a Budget

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Recently, there has been a lot of hype surrounding the Mediterranean diet and the health benefits that come along with eating this way. And, if you study what makes up the Mediterranean diet, you’ll discover that even in Arizona, we grow or raise quite a bit of what the diet calls for.

According to registered dietician-nutritionist Janet Helm, those who follow the Mediterranean diet are more likely to be at a healthy weight and have a lesser risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. But following this diet can often be on the pricier side. So, here are some dieticians’ tips for following the Mediterranean diet while staying on a budget as well!

Center meals around whole grains.

Whole grains are an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. Think rice, quinoa, wheat berries, farro, bulgur, and others. Whole grains are very shelf stable and are often sold in bulk, which is much cheaper than buying prepackaged whole grain products like bread, pasta, or crackers.

Use beans.

Beans, whether they be canned, fresh, or dried, are a great source of protein. Plus, the canned and dried varieties are very shelf stable so there is no need to worry about spoilage. Thanks to their versatility, use them to add protein to different dishes.

Use canned fish.

Fish is also an important ingredient featured in many Mediterranean diet recipes. But, as we all know, fish can be quite challenging to cook or find your favorite variety, especially for those of us who live in Arizona. So, try using canned fish. And, our grocery markets normally have a wonderful selection of fresh fish. While there is nothing better than fresh fish, certain recipes would come out almost the same as canned fish, and your wallet will thank you.

 

Cut your greens and make your dressings yourself.

While the convenience of pre-made dressing or pre-cut veggies is always nice, especially on a time crunch, it is not the most economical. Instead, buy whole veggies and cut them yourself. Also, make your own dressings using oils, vinegar, seasonings, and other ingredients you already have around the house!

Use frozen vegetables.

Frozen vegetables are a convenient, cheaper way to add veggies to your meals. Not only do they last a long time, but they are often fresher since they are frozen quickly after harvesting. And, they contain the same nutrition as their fresh counterparts!

 

While buying high-quality, nutritious foods can be expensive, it doesn’t always have to be. Follow some of these tips and look for other ways to save a little on groceries when you can. A little always add up!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Less Processed Sugar Substitutes

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Last year I began to follow the paleo diet. While there are a lot of details and specifications about what you can and can’t eat on that diet, the basic goal of the paleo diet is to avoid all processed foods, instead eating only whole, real, and natural foods.

One area in which I really had to adjust was when it came to options for adding sweetness to drinks and desserts since the typical white cane sugar is heavily processed. So, here are my two favorite sweeteners that are very minimally processed, and actually more nutritious than regular sugar!

Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar has become my newfound favorite sugar substitute. This is because it is granulated just like regular sugar and can be used as an even replacement for regular sugar. Coconut sugar is made from ground-up sap from coconut palms, and it is similar to brown sugar in color and taste. In terms of nutrition, coconut sugar has more nutrients than regular white sugar. It contains more zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, and B and C vitamins, and it is much less processed than white sugar.

 

Honey

Honey is also an amazing natural sweetener. It is rich, versatile, and packed with health benefits. I love to use it in baking recipes and also in dressings, coffee, and tea. Researchers have found that consuming honey lowers fasting blood glucose and bad cholesterol, and it also increases good cholesterol. In order to reap these health benefits, it is important to be consuming raw honey rather than pasteurized honey, as the processing weakens the healthfulness of honey.

Whether you’re looking to use alternatives to sugar for a specific diet, or just to reduce the amount of processed foods that you’re consuming, honey and coconut sugar are great! I would strongly suggest giving them a try! Who knows, you might like them better!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Take Your Time When Eating

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Whenever we’re trying to improve our health with our diet, some of the factors that we consider are what we’re eating, how much we’re eating, and how much physical activity we get. Those are all great and super important things to consider.

But have you ever thought about the time you are taking to eat? It turns out that the time that it takes you to finish a meal plays a big role in how much you end up eating.

According to registered dietician Abigail Hueber, we should be aiming to make our mealtime last at least 20 minutes. Why such a specific number? Hueber explains that it takes about 20 minutes for our satiety hormones leptin and cholecystokinin to tell our brain that we are full. These hormones begin to be produced the moment that food begins to enter your stomach while the hunger hormone ghrelin is slowly reduced. Waiting till your satiety hormones are telling your brain that you’re not hungry anymore is a great way to prevent overeating and improve your digestion.

Next time you’re sitting down to eat, take your time and don’t rush. If you find it hard to make yourself linger at the table, consider talking to the rest of the people at the table, reading a book or magazine, or trying my personal favorite and doing a crossword puzzle!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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