Take Care of Your Liver!

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Many of us like to eat and drink certain things to improve the function of a certain part of the body. For example, eating probiotic-rich foods to promote gut health, or eating fiber-rich foods for your digestive tract. But how often do we think about eating to keep our liver healthy?

This little organ does a lot for you, as it removes toxins from your blood which promotes digestion, functions as a storehouse for vitamins, and a whole lot more. Dr. Christina Lindenmeyer suggests the following 8 foods to give your liver a boost!

Coffee

It turns out that coffee can do more than just perk you up in the morning. Besides providing you with a caffeine boost, coffee can also lower the enzymes in your liver, which reduces any inflammation that might have been in your liver. Dr. Lindenmeyer notes that it is important that it be black coffee and not the super creamy and sugary kind.

Tea

For those who hate coffee, green tea can also promote liver health as well! The benefits of tea are similar to the benefits of coffee, as it also reduces inflammation in the liver.

Fish and chicken

Your liver also helps to process some of the macronutrients that you consume. Thus, Dr. Lindenmeyer notes that getting enough lean protein is important to fuel your liver so that it can produce some proteins that are important to your overall health.

Olives and olive oil

Olives are very rich in vitamin E as well as antioxidants, both of which your liver loves. Dr. Lindenmeyer says that olive oil raises your good cholesterol, which can help to prevent fatty liver disease, and not to mention, is good for your heart as well.

Nuts

Just like olives and olive oil, nuts have healthy cholesterol and vitamin E too. They are also very high in protein. Some suggested nuts include almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Leafy vegetables

Your liver is in charge of blood clotting, and vitamin K plays a large role in this function. Leafy, green, vegetables are a great source of vitamin K. Dr. Lindenmeyer also notes that greens provide glutathione, an antioxidant that is good for your liver as well.

Berries

Just like leafy vegetables, coffee, and tea, berries provide a huge number of anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Dr. Lindenmeyer notes that blueberries are a great option.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great source of fiber, which benefits your liver in a somewhat indirect way. All the fiber in that oatmeal is great for keeping you regular. This benefits your liver in that if you get too constipated, toxins begin to build up in the body.

 

So, in addition to eating to maintain the health of our guts, or digestive tracts, among many others, incorporating some foods to promote liver health is great too! What makes this even easier, is that a lot of the foods that promote liver health are also good for other organs or body functions as well!

 

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

 

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Kick That Sugar Craving!

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Every now and then, a sugary snack just hits the spot. Unfortunately, however, these sugary snacks are less than healthy, and sometimes that craving for some sweet goodness is just all too tempting. So, whether you’re trying to avoid sugar for a diet, or just to cut back on your overall sugar consumption, here are some tips to help you kick that craving when it hits.

 

Pick a healthy snack

When that craving hits, resist the urge to grab a cookie, and instead make yourself a balanced snack that will satisfy your hunger and give you some nutrition. Registered dietician Anna Taylor says that when choosing a snack, it is vital that you pair a fiber-rich carbohydrate with a lean protein or a healthy fat. The reason for this is that carbs are digested fastest, so that will give you immediate energy, while proteins and fats are digested much slower, so those will give you lasting energy.

Drink lots of water

Often, when we feel hungry, we’re really just in need of some water. So, whenever you feel a craving hit, start by drinking a good amount of water and see how you feel. It is very important to be drinking enough water everyday anyways, so its beneficial either way.

Don’t skip meals

When you skip a meal or two, it usually leaves you feeling starving by the time your next meal rolls around. As a result, it will probably leave you with cravings and a more likely chance of overeating.

Purchase wisely while at the store

Next time you are grocery shopping, be mindful of what you buy. Try avoiding any of the sugary snacks or desserts that line some of the shelves and instead buy fruits and vegetables and other whole foods. If you don’t have sugar in your house, it makes it much harder to eat it!

So, whenever you begin to crave some ice cream, cookies, or brownies, try out some of these tips and see if they help you to reduce the amount of sugar that you consume!

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

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Beets – A Vibrant and Healthy Veggie!

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

I absolutely LOVE vegetables. I’ll eat them raw, roasted, sautéed, grilled, and pretty much any way that they can be prepared. However, there is one vegetable that I’d rather not eat. That vegetable would be beets. While their color is gorgeous, to me they taste like dirt. But, as we all know, not all foods that are incredibly good for you actually taste appealing.

Yum! Learn to love beets.

According to registered dietician Sarah Thomsen-Ferreria, “Beets are unique for their cardiovascular and heart health benefits. Due to a combination of compounds found in beets, they are able to enhance blood flow, improve the health of arteries, support lower homocysteine levels, and reduce LDL cholesterol.” Thanks to betalains, which are the compounds that give beets their gorgeous color, beets are an amazing source of anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Additionally, they are a great source of fiber, nitrates, and potassium, all while being low in calories!

If you’re like me, you’d love to reap the health benefits of eating beets, but you just can’t get over the dirty taste that they often have. Well, read on for some tips on how to prepare them deliciously!

  • Add into salads and mix with other toppings
  • Blend some into dips like hummus
  • Add into a smoothie to mask the flavor
  • Roast them

So, let’s not give up on beets entirely. Try out some of the preparation tips above and see if you can find a way to make these beautifully red veggies enjoyable to eat! Not only will you be adding variety to your diet, but you’ll also be getting a load of health benefits!

Looking for some recipes that use beets? Check out these from Fill Your Plate!

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Resurrection Rolls – A Fun Easter Activity!

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Easter? Gather your family and a couple of simple ingredients and make resurrection rolls! Not only do they make a delicious breakfast for Easter morning, but they are a great way to illustrate the meaning of Easter, as each ingredient is symbolic of a part of the Easter story, as is what happens after they are baked!

My brothers and I loved making (and eating!) these when we were younger. So, I would highly recommend that you give them a try!

Ingredients:

  • About 16 giant marshmallows
  • ½ C. Melted butter
  • ¼ C. Sugar
  • 2 T. Cinnamon
  • 2 (8oz) Cans of croissant dough

Directions:

  1. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
  2. Open the croissant dough and separate each croissant.
  3. Roll each marshmallow in the melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon sugar.
  4. Place each marshmallow in the center of a piece of dough and seal the dough around the marshmallow.
  5. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.
  6. After baking, brush the tops with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar.

The meaning behind the ingredients is based on the story found in the Bible about Jesus’s burial and resurrection. The marshmallows represent Jesus’s body, which was prepared for burial with oils and spices, which is represented by butter and cinnamon sugar. His body was then placed in a tomb, which is represented by the croissant dough. After 3 days, the Bible says that Jesus was resurrected, and the tomb was left empty. Just like Jesus’s tomb, these croissant tombs will be empty after baking, as the marshmallow melts and soaks into the croissant dough!

Give these resurrection rolls a try and have some fun with your family all while learning about the true meaning of Easter!

 

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

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Extraordinary Easter Eggs!

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

When my brothers and I were younger, our favorite thing to do for Easter was to dye eggs. Whenever the grocery store would put cartons of eggs on sale, our mom would buy each of us a dozen or two and a couple of boxes of Easter egg dye, and the night before Easter, we would all sit around the table and dye eggs together. Then, after church on Easter Sunday, my parents would hide the eggs all over the backyard and we kids would compete to see who could find the most. Below are some unique egg-dying ideas to take your family’s Easter eggs to the next level!

Silk Tie Eggs

Silk tie eggs? Yep, you read that right. Wrap your eggs in a silk tie, boil them, and then remove the tie once they’re cooled. This will leave behind the pattern and color of the silk tie. For best results, use ties that are vibrantly colored.

Watercolor Eggs

Who says that coloring eggs are just limited to using the pre-boxed dye kits? For a fun, pastel look, use watercolor paint and brushes! What makes this method even better is that you can freehand your own designs!

Striped Eggs

Making striped eggs is incredibly easy. All it takes is a variety of rubber bands! Just wrap them around your egg in whatever pattern you’d like, and then plop it into the cup of dye! After the egg dries, peel off the rubber bands and you’ll have stripes all over the egg!

Marbled Eggs

To create eggs that have a marbled effect, just add a little vegetable oil to your cup of egg dye! Since the water of the dye doesn’t mix with the oil, you’ll have spots on your egg that did get colored and spots that didn’t. Once the eggs are dry, just wipe off the extra oil that may be on the shell.

Rice Eggs

Did you know that you can dye eggs using rice? All it takes is a bag of rice and some food coloring. Just add a few drops to the bag of rice, shake it around a little to get color on the grains of rice, and then put an egg in the bag and shake it around to create a delicate speckled look on your egg.

So, this Easter, get a couple of cartons of eggs and start dying away! Not only is it a lot of fun, but it is also a great opportunity to spend time with family during the holiday!

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

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