April 2021 Newsletter
April Video Tip Clip: Bang-Bang Shrimp
Better Late Than Never - After simply forgetting to send it on April Fool's Day, I do feel a bit foolish. At any rate, here's our overdue April newsletter! This month, our video tip clip is coming to you from the kitchen of our very own Registered Dietitian, Heather Miller. Watch the video above for her Bang-Bang Shrimp recipe that’s as simple to prepare as it is healthy - and delicious!
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Series: Simple Nutrition Principles To Live By
Article 4- Eat Fruits & Veggies To Stay Healthy & Trim
By Heather Miller, RD, NASM-CPT
Eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables is an especially important part of eating a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain important antioxidant vitamins and minerals, fiber and phytonutrients that nourish & protect our body’s tissues and promote satiety and healthy gut function.
Fruits & Vegetables Prevent Disease
Many studies over the past 20 years have shown that increased fruit & vegetable intake can help prevent health problems. Study after study has shown that incidence of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer is lower when produce intake is higher. Experts say that by simply increasing vegetable and fruit intake, it’s possible that 20 percent or more of all cancer cases could be prevented, and hundreds of thousands of cancer-related deaths each year could be avoided. That’s an incredible reduction that should make us all sit up and take notice! Studies also show that consuming a diet rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods like fruits and vegetables (NOT anti-oxidant supplements) may lower the risk of neurodegenerative disease.
Fruits & Vegetables Help With Weight Control
Fruits & vegetables prevent weight gain in two ways. They contain a high amount of water and fiber, components that help with satiety. I recommended that you eat 1 – 1.5 cups fruits & 2 - 2.5 cups of vegetables daily.
1) Water: When our bodies are dehydrated we can experience feelings of hunger. Our bodies are signaling for water, but we fill the void with food instead and we don’t quench the thirst. The next time you feel hungry, try drinking an 8oz glass of water instead of eating something and wait 10 minutes. See if your hunger subsides or still hangs on.
2) Fiber: Fiber is another powerful satiety nutrient. Fiber, especially insoluble fiber that is found in fruits & vegetables, acts as a bulking agent in your gut. It swells with water and expands producing a feeling of fullness which helps shut down the signal from your brain that your stomach is empty. When you eat foods with more fiber & water, you feel full on fewer calories and eat less. For example, an entire head of cauliflower contains around 150 calories. It will surely fill you up if you eat all of that cauliflower, but you won’t be eating a lot of calories.
For the reasons stated above, I encourage you to fill up half of your plate or meal with fruits and vegetables and try to make at least 60% of that non-starchy vegetables. You will feel full, nourish your body and eat fewer calories overall.
Eat the Rainbow
No one fruit or veggie is king. All of them have different beneficial nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and fiber content. For good health, it is best to eat a wide variety to maximize the nutritional benefit of eating them. There is a really fun world of different fruits and vegetables out there and it can be exciting to try new ones that you have never had before. Have you ever tried purple carrots, dragonfruit or chayote squash? Make a goal of trying 1 new fruit or vegetable each week. Google that item and research the different ways it can be eaten or prepared. You may find a new favorite in the process!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have questions about healthy eating or anything else fitness or nutrition-wise.
Editors Note: Heather Miller is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, and all around wonderful person, whom we’re happy to have on staff. If you’d like to train with her, or consult with her, about your diet, please don’t hesitate to contact her at heather@kennedyfitnessomaha.com today!
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Chickpea Broccoli Salad Wraps
Ingredients
3/4 cup (165g) plain 0% Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups (140g) broccoli, chopped
1 can (15.5-ounce/439g) low-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup (35g) dried cranberries
1/4 cup (27g) red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower seed kernels
4 tortilla wraps (45-gram), low-carb, high-fiber
8 Boston lettuce leaves
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, vinegar, honey, pepper and salt. Stir in the broccoli, chickpeas, cranberries, onion and sunflower seeds.
Line each tortilla wrap with 2 lettuce leaves; spoon a scant 1 cup broccoli salad into each. Roll up and cut in half.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 sandwich wrap
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 264; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 510mg; Carbohydrate: 41g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 14g; Protein 15g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 356mg; Iron: 3%; Vitamin A: 14%; Vitamin C: 44%; Calcium: 34%
This recipe courtesy of: MyFitnessPal