Go Green for March
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day our theme will be green. “Green” foods illustrate two different things: 1) Eco-friendly foods, choosing foods that are good for the environment and 2) the color of the food itself, like green vegetables. Fulfilling both "greens" are good for both your overall health and the health of our planet.
- Eco-friendly foods - These are foods grown in manner that supports the environment by maintaining healthy soil, without using petroleum based pesticides and rotated in a way that doesn’t deplete the soil. This type of agriculture, which can be called “eco-culture”, produces a healthier plant with higher nutritional values as a result of growing in the nutrient-rich soils. Additionally, eating a mostly plant-based diet uses fewer resources and prevents chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Start small, you don’t have to become a full fledged vegetarian, try to add more vegetarian meals into your diet. For example, incorporate “Meatless Mondays” into your diet plan.
- Eat Local - Locally sourced foods also fall into this category of eco-friendly foods. They have a lower carbon footprint as they have traveled fewer miles, are fresher and more nutritious. Moreover, you'll be supporting local farmland and farmers, while eating in-season fresh produce.
- Green Vegetables - Okay, not everyone’s favorite topic, but they can be prepared in many tasty ways. Let’s name a few top contenders: kale, chard, spinach and broccoli (as well as the related broccolini and broccoli rabe). All of these vegetables can be simply steamed or sautéed in garlic and olive oil, then seasoned with salt, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar or a flavorful sauce. The trick to preparing most vegetables is to avoid over-cooking or try having them raw. Explore recipes through cookbooks and internet searches. Cruciferous vegetables are some of the healthiest of choices.
- Explore Cruciferous Vegetables -
These are a family of vegetables that contain the powerful cancer fighting and detoxification compound called "sulforaphane." Add these dietary inhibitors of cancer to your meals, and you'll load up on antioxidants and fiber. Here's a sampling of cruciferous vegetables:
- Broccoli, broccolini, broccoli rabe
- Cabbage (green, red and purple)
- Cauliflower (white and purple)
- Bok choy
- Kale
- Brussels sprouts
FITNESS/NUTRITION in the NEWS
20 Minutes to Alleviate Depression
Regular physical activity has been associated with alleviating symptoms of depression. A recent study continued to support this evidence, but also revealed additional information on how much activity and what type. The study was amongst 4016 adults aged 50 or older and collected 10 years of data. It showed moderate to vigorous physical activity lowered odds of depression. However, they looked at the lowest dose of activity that reduced depression. The findings suggest that as little as 20 minutes per day of 5 days per week (or 100 minutes per week), of moderate-intensity activity (e.g. brisk walking) was sufficient to lower the risk of depression. Additionally, higher levels of activity lowered those risks even more. Strive for at least 20 minutes of brisk walking 5 days per week to reduce symptoms of depression and improve your health, even more is better.
Sheri is a Certified
Nutritionist
with a master's degree in nutrition, with over 15 years of clinical counseling
experience, an ACE-certified Personal
Trainer with advanced certifications in medical exercise, senior fitness and health coaching. All nutrition consultations include exercise guidance, dietary
analysis and meal plans to meet your individual lifestyle, calorie and nutritional needs.
Free introductory 15-minute appointments are also
available.
To schedule an appointment with Sheri Mar, email:
info@EatWellBeFit.com or call: 206.789.6440
Do you have a nutrition topic for the month?
Email your suggestions to info@eatwellbefit.com
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