Incorporate Turmeric into Your Diet

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Turmeric power. (Photo by Karl Solano via Pexels.)

Looking to reduce inflammation and promote a long life? Turmeric might play a role in that! This bright yellow spice that is often associated with Middle Eastern cuisine is surprisingly packed full of health benefits.

According to registered dietician Lauren Manaker, turmeric contains an active compound called curcumin, which is linked to reducing the risk of chronic health issues. Curcumin is linked to reducing inflammation and it is a powerful antioxidant, which reduces oxidative stress. Thanks to all of the curcumin and its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric can actually provide the following health benefits:

 

When adding turmeric to your diet, it is important that it be eaten with black pepper. Pepper contains a compound called piperine that enhances the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%.

Who knew that this simple spice could have such a big impact on our health! Try using it as a seasoning on your favorite dishes, mix it into juices, smoothies, and sauces, or make turmeric tea!

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

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4 Tips for Stress-Free Travelling

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

Taking trips and traveling to places is a great way to take a break from our everyday lives and relax a little. But sometimes being out of our usual eating, exercising, and sleeping routine can cause a little bit of stress.

family travel

Here are some tips for family travel (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

Here are a few tips on how to take care of your health and stay “mostly” on your routine while traveling so that your trips can be as stress-free and relaxing as possible!

 

  1. Pack your own food.

Taking along your own healthy snacks is a great way to make sure that you’re sticking with your eating goals even though you aren’t at home. It is also a great thing to do if you’re following a strict diet or have food allergies because it is never fun not knowing if you’ll be able to eat anything at your destination.

 

  1. Take along a first-aid kit.

It’s never fun to not be feeling well when you’re away from home. Consider bringing along a first-aid kit with just a few of the basics such as small bandages as well as some medicines such as pain-relievers, heartburn medicine, and allergy medicine.

 

  1. Don’t neglect exercise.

Keeping yourself physically active is a great way to stick to your health goals as well as decrease some stress thanks to the endorphins that start flowing with activity. Take a quick walk, hit up the hotel gym, or do a little workout in your room.

 

  1. Stay well hydrated.

Often, we don’t drink enough water when we’re on trips, whether it be because we don’t want to have to stop in public restrooms, or we simply forget. But keeping ourselves well hydrated is essential to helping our digestion to stay on track, overcoming jetlag, and keeping away dehydration headaches.

 

Traveling to places and seeing new things can be incredibly fun! While it can be stressful to be thrown out of your element, try out a few of these tips to help keep you somewhat in your normal routine!

For more travel articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Study: Daily Exercise Linked to Lessened Disease and Early Death Risk

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

How often do you find yourself exercising? Daily? Once or twice a week? Never? Whether you’re already an avid exercise enthusiast who works out every day, or if you rarely find yourself working out, there are many reasons why you should be getting those exercise minutes daily. Not only does it help to improve your physique, but a recent study found that it can actually lengthen your lifespan.

Exercise is one activity that supports mental health and physical health.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that daily exercise might actually lead to a lessened risk of early death, cancer, stroke, and other heart diseases. Researchers found that moderate-intensity exercises such as walking or biking for as little as 11 minutes daily reduced the risk of early death by 23%, stroke, and heart disease by 17%, and cancer by 7%.

Incorporating 11 minutes of exercise each day is very doable, and the benefits that it can provide make it worth it! Try taking a brisk walk in the morning or evening, going for a quick jog, or playing an active game or sport with your kids or grandkids!

For more articles on exercise, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Arizona Agriculture Offers a Variety of Foods Rich in Vitamin K

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We often hear about all of the different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that we should be getting in order to stay healthy, but one that we don’t as often hear about is vitamin K. This important vitamin plays a big role in a lot of our body’s functions and is found naturally in many different foods. In fact, many of the foods that are good sources of vitamin K are produced right here in Arizona!

So, what exactly is vitamin K? According to registered dietician Julia Zumpano, vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin whose main job is to help your body develop and function properly. Specifically, vitamin K helps with blood clotting and strengthens bones. She says that as long as we eat the right kinds of foods, most of us get plenty of vitamin K through diet alone.

Dairy products, eggs, and leafy greens are all great sources of vitamin K, with leafy greens being the best source of them all. Luckily for us, Arizona agriculture grows and produces each one of these foods! In fact, Yuma, Arizona is considered to be the lettuce bowl capital of the nation! So, regardless of how you like to eat your vitamin K, whether it be scrambled eggs, a bowl of yogurt, or a big salad, Arizona has you covered with fresh, locally produced products!

For more health-related articles, or for more information on where to find Arizona grown products, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

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Are Wellness Shots Worth the Hype?

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

You’ve probably noticed these little, tiny vials of red, green, or yellow colored liquid in the juice section of the grocery store, or at trendy juice bars. These little bottles of liquid are wellness shots, which are essentially concentrated shots of fruit and vegetable juice. They are touted to have multiple health benefits, whether it be to detox your system, reduce inflammation, or boost your immunity, among others, so they carry a hefty price tag. But do these little bottles of juice really do all that much for you to make them worth the money?

Grocery cart filled with nutritious fruits and vegetables. Ultimately, it’s important to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and incorporate more into your diet.

According to registered dietician nutritionist Monica Auslander Moreno, these wellness shots aren’t necessarily bad for you, but they also aren’t doing your health any major favors either. She says that consuming these tiny amounts of the fruits and vegetables that go into these shots doesn’t automatically make you healthy, nor does it cure any ailment. Instead, she says that regularly eating a healthy diet that contains a variety of fruits and vegetables is much more effective.

So, if you’re considering whether or not to start taking daily wellness shots, take a look at your current diet. If you’re lacking in fruit and vegetable intake, you might get some benefits out of taking a small concentrated shot of juice. But if you’re already eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, then you probably won’t benefit much from a wellness shot.

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

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