Back to Normal

A couple of days later, and I'm feeling great. My health has been restored!

According to the World Health Organization, health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.

And the World Health Organization sets out to improve infant and maternal nutrition primarily through the medical profession, United Nations. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund has established goals based on the concept that a basic nutritious diet is a basic human right. A part of the Child Survival campaign is oral rehydration therapy, breast milk, and immunization.

I thought I would throw in some random little nutrition tidbits into my posts starting now to help me study for the RD exam, and you're totally interested, right? Right.

What have I been doing to restore my health, you ask?

Drinking my greens in smoothie form for breakfast.

The Green Monster mix included 1 C unsweetened almond milk, 1 T almond butter, 1 T chia seeds, a banana, blueberries, 2 C spinach, 3 T Greek yogurt, 1/4 C oats, and ice. Topped with high fiber cereal for some added crunch. Love adding Greek yogurt and oats-makes my smoothies thick and delicious.

Desperately trying to use up the last of my sunflower seed butter, so I can have overnight oats in a jar for breakfast tomorrow, while getting a dose of healthy probiotics.

Stonyfield yogurt, Barbara's Shredded Oats, French Toast Squares, 1/2 sliced banana, blueberries, TJ's Sunflower Seed Butter, and sunflower seeds.

Lunching at Whole Foods.

Salad bar with green bean salad, sautéed asparagus with red peppers and portabellos, tomato basil salad, pesto pasta salad, and tuna salad + shrimp salad for protein.

Eating quinoa for dinner. Too bad I didn't have any kale to go along with it. 

I roasted a big pan of veggies (namely sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, onions, brussels sprouts, and broccoli) and added them along with black beans to the cooked quinoa. Finished off with bbq sauce for a healthy and satisfying meal.

Quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein. A complete protein is a protein composed of amino acids in appropriate portion to each other so when it is the sole source of protein, the amino acids can all be used by the body. The limiting amino acid in all other grains is lysine.

And the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Served on a bed of spinach with sun dried tomato pesto and EVOO + balsamic drizzle. Olive oil is the richest source of monounsaturated fatty acid (79%).

Rounded out with a Fuji apple + sunflower seed butter. 

Apples=soluble fiber + the best source of pectin (located in peel and core). 

Soluble fiber has a thickening quality, absorbs water, and increases intestinal transit time. It also helps to lower cholesterol by binding with bile acids.

Other sources: oat/oat bran, dried beans and peas, nuts, barley, flax seed, oranges, carrots.

Going nuts over nuts.

Cashews, walnuts, and Brazil nuts + a few dates. 

Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, which is an essential cofactor for the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPX). GPX functions with other antioxidants to break down cellular peroxides and free radicals into water and other harmless molecules. The antioxidant effects of selenium overlap with those of Vitamin E; these two nutrients work together to help with healthy cell maintenance. Selenium deficiency can lead to exacerbation of cardiac myopathy (weakened and enlarged heart muscle), skeletal myopathy, anemia, and cardiac disease. So yeah, go eat a Brazil nut.

Putting my culinary skills to work by making Gracie's Whole Wheat Fig & Gorgonzola Pizza.

Oh, yeah. It tasted as good as it looks! I added some walnuts for a little Omega-3 action. 

Omega-3's fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids (healthy fats) that are good for your heart! They help lower triglyceride levels, decrease risk of arrythmias (abnormal heartbeat), slow the rate of atheroscleric plaque, and increase HDL (the good cholesterol). They also reduce inflammation and act as a coagulant to keep platelets from sticking together. Some research has found that they may be helpful in lowering blood pressure. Omega-3 deficiency leads to learning problems and impaired vision, but growth and reproduction rates are still normal (Omega-6 deficiency causes growth retardation, reproductive failure, and skin lesions, which is similar to Zinc deficiency).

Still allowing room for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate=antioxidants, no?

 Trader Joe knows what's up. I think this is better than Chocolove Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate-it took a lot for me to just say that. 

I've also been....

Helping out with the Seed 2 Plate program at Jones Valley Urban Farm. Love this program-I learn something new every time!

This time we made a variety of fruit and veggie dips. I helped myself to a sampler plate of broccoli, red bell pepper slices, and cucumbers + homemade guac and fruit.

Studying for the RD exam like crazy. Anyone care to know that a professional food taster is called an organoleptic or that rennet is used to destabilize casein (80% of milk protein) in cheese making? Or how about that Menke's disease (a genetic defect that results in copper malabsorption, increased urinary copper loss, and abnormal intracellular copper transport) is also known as kinky-hair syndrome?

Being a gym rat. Not exactly, but I have been working out a little longer than usual.

Going to bed at roughly 10 PM. Grandma alert.

Drinking hot peppermint tea. I love two leaves and a bud. The fancy sachet tea bag makes me feel so classy.

Daydreaming about Marcus Mumford. Pictures stolen off MA's camera. Aren't they amazing?

So if you didn't think it was possible for me to get any nerdier, I'm going to spend the remainder of my Friday night studying the Krebs Cycle. Hope your weekend plans are more exciting than mine!