Webinar – Cultivating Mental Wellbeing
- March 3rd, 2021
- in Webinar
Alyssa Bean, UA CPD Student
We all know that eating our vegetables during the holiday season can be difficult, especially when grandma makes her world-famous thanksgiving feast that is loaded with excessive calories. But, let’s try to change how we view vegetables this holiday season and make them the centerpiece of the table! Fall to spring is the best time to eat root vegetables as they are in peak season, so they are more flavorful and cheaper!
1) Carrots
Considered a fleshy root veggie, these may already be a staple for your holiday meals. Instead, make carrots into an appetizer with some colorful beet hummus to provide a healthy, snack to avoid overeating later. Try roasted rainbow carrots that can be baked with olive oil and a variety of herbs to provide a beautiful, and more importantly flavorful, centerpiece.
2) Parsnips
Often referred to as the albino carrot, these veggies have a deeper and more “cinnamon-y” flavor to them. Try adding them to your stuffing or dressing alongside your celery, carrots, and onions to sneak hidden vegetables into your meals. They can also be mashed with potatoes as they have a similar texture and subtle flavor.
3) Sweet Potato
Arguably the most recognizable vegetable in the holiday line-up, have you tried mixing it with other ingredients. A pumpkin-sweet potato- carrot pie, per-chance? Sweet potatoes and carrots when boiled release a natural sweetness that can be enhanced with adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Baked sweet potato wedges are a healthier alternative to a sweet potato casserole.
Alyssa Bean, UA CCPD Student
I know what you’re thinking… Pumpkins are only for Fall lattes, pies, and carving, but did you know that this seasonal gourd is a host of health promoting properties! Pumpkins are considered a “superfood,” due to their high antioxidant content and vitamins and minerals.
1) Antioxidants
Antioxidants help to reduce free radicals in the body, which can be caused by stress, poor diet, smoking, and other factors. Excess free radicals in the body can lead to certain cancers, eye disease, heart-related conditions, and others. Pumpkin has extremely high levels of vitamin C and E, which are known antioxidants. So, ditch that lemon water and start eating pumpkin! A delicious way to eat pumpkin during the colder months is with a creamy pumpkin soup.
2) Vitamin A
In one cup of cooked pumpkin, there is 245% of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A! Vitamin A is linked to proper immune function and helping fight off infections. Seeing as we are approaching cold and flu season again, immune function can be lowered from colder weather, so immune system boosting pumpkins can help you stay healthy.
3) Fiber
With 3 grams of fiber per cup cooked, pumpkin may aid in weight loss. Fiber promotes digestion and overall satiety levels as it is usually more difficult for your body to digest, and often linked to lower cholesterol levels, improved gut function, and improved heart function. The American Heart Association recommends around 21-25 grams for women and 30-38 grams for men per day. After one cup of pumpkin, you are already 10% of the way there! You can add roasted pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, to salads, soups, stews, or can be eaten as a snack on their own.
Dr. Harriet Myers, PhD, discusses how to develop a mindfulness practice to reduce stress.
Katie Hamner, UA CPD Student
Simple carbohydrates are a kind of sugar that is quickly metabolized for energy. Complex carbohydrates are sugars that take longer to digest; therefore, they keep you satisfied longer. Both simple and complex carbohydrates can be found in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and peas. These foods also provide essential components to the diet such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Simple carbohydrates in candy, sodas, table sugar, and syrups do not have vitamins and minerals, and only provide calories.
Certain kinds of fruit juices contain a high amount of added sugar. In fact, fruit juice and regular soda are very similar in their sugar content. Simple sugar creates empty calories that do not contribute any other nutrients. Whole fruit, on the other hand, has potassium, vitamin C, folate, as well as dietary fiber to help keep you full. Choose whole fruit over fruit juice for these reasons in order to prevent weight gain and to reduce the risk of certain diseases.
White rice is a starch that has been refined and many of its nutrients removed during processing. For this reason, white rice is a source of empty calories. Steel cut oats are a great source of fiber, iron, and protein. Oats are whole grains, complex carbohydrates, and a low glycemic index food. Choosing to eat steel cut oats for breakfast will help sustain your energy level throughout the day. However, something this healthy and delicious should not be limited to breakfast. Check out the link below for savory oatmeal recipes or replace rice in any recipe with steel cut oats.
The typical American diet is deficient in vitamin D and calcium. We mainly get these nutrients from dairy. However, sources of these nutrients in dairy products such as coffee creamers, whole milk, and half-and-half are also high in fat and added sugar. Low-fat dairy is the best source of these essential nutrients and contains only natural sugar from lactose. If you like flavor in your morning cup of joe, then skip the flavored creamer and try cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamon.
Making healthy choices is not always easy when money and time are a factor. Supermarket Solutions for Healthy Living will provide tips for making a grocery store trip more efficient. Learn how to navigate the store, where to find the healthiest options, and how to read a nutrition label. This wellness webinar will empower you to make healthy choices, the easiest choices.
Dr. Josh Eyer discusses strategies to successfully implementing positive changes in daily life.
Katie Hamner, UA CPD Student
There are many fad diets out there that claim fat is the enemy to healthy eating and living. Maybe you have seen fad diets that want you to eliminate fat from your diet. This is a big problem because fat is necessary to be healthy. Essential fatty acids need to come from the things we eat since the body is unable to make its own. Although certain types of fat should be restricted like trans-fat and saturated fat, we do need other types of fat like monounsaturated fat as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Here are a few healthy alternatives to consider when choosing the healthiest fats possible.
One tablespoon of regular mayo provides 90 calories that all come from fat. There are no other essential nutrients or vitamins, so this is a calorie-dense food option. Saturated fat should be restricted to less than 10% of your daily calorie needs. One tablespoon of mayo gives 8% of the daily value from saturated fat. If you want to add a delicious flavor to your sandwich without the guilt, try adding your favorite hummus instead. One tablespoon of hummus has half the calories and fat when compared to mayo. It is nutrient-dense which means that it contains more vitamins and minerals. Hummus is creamy and comes in a wide variety of flavors. You can also eat hummus as a snack or side by dipping all kinds of veggies in it.
Although the label may claim to be fat-free, food companies often replace the calories from fat with calories from added sugar. The dressing just would not taste very good without it. When you pour that fat-free dressing on your colorful and healthy salad, you are probably making that meal less healthy. Vegetables contain vitamins which require fat in order to be absorbed. If these vitamins are not absorbed, then the body discards them as waste. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins and essential for a healthy diet. Try mixing four parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar. Or try the recipe below for creamy avocado dressing.
Protein should be consumed from a variety of food sources like legumes, eggs, and yogurt. Although animal protein is a good source of Vitamin B12, intake should be limited since consuming excess has been linked to unhealthy weight gain, high triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and risk of certain diseases. Choose the leanest meats if you consume animal products regularly. Chicken, turkey, and fish are the best options. Red meat, cold cuts, and sausages are high in fat, sodium, and cholesterol and should be restricted to special occasions. When working with pork chops or steaks, make sure to trim the fat as you prepare your meal. Remember to balance your meals with plant-protein sources such as beans, lentils, and tofu.