Food Research That… I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT. (O.o) ~ The Grape Debate

Do you love grapes? Almost everyone does. But have you ever stopped to wonder whether seeded grapes are healthier than seedless grapes? 

In Numbers 13:23, the Israelite spies return from Canaan carrying a single cluster of grapes so massive that two men had to carry it on a pole. 

Fascinating scripture… but it never made me ask: Hhmmm??  Were those grapes seeded or seedless?

(AI image made using CoPilot free art tool.)

🍇 Seeded vs. Seedless: A Quick Background

In nature, grapes always have seeds. That’s how they reproduce. Seedless grapes don’t occur naturally — they’re the result of farmers noticing rare vines with undeveloped seeds and propagating them through cuttings. Over time, selective breeding gave us the popular seedless varieties we see today:

• Thompson Seedless (green)

• Crimson Seedless (red)

• Autumn Royal (black)

I was a tad bit upset with my local grocer because I’ve never seen Autumn Royal in the produce section. But I forgave them because they did sell Corinthian grapes.

🍇 Corinthian Grapes: Natural vs. Cultivated

DID YOU KNOW?  Corinthian grapes (the tiny Black Corinth variety) originated naturally in Greece near ancient Corinth. Once farmers discovered them, they preserved the seedless trait through vegetative propagation — basically cloning the vine. Their small size and seedless nature made them perfect for drying into currants, especially the famous Zante currants.

🤔 So… Which Is Healthier?

A friend of mine uses AI to create content for his Patreon page, and one of the articles asked: Which are healthier — seeded or seedless grapes?

Uh huh. Well, that’s a question you think about every day, right?  NOT!

I love all grapes, but if I’m being honest, I pick seedless most of the time. Grapes with seeds require extra effort to eat!

The article concluded that “seeded” or “seedless” shouldn’t be used as a health label.

Whew! What a relief. I’m going to eat as many seedless grapes as I want from now on. 

🥦 Fresh vs. Frozen: A Question I Did Think About

While I never wondered about seeded vs. seedless grapes, I did wonder whether fresh or frozen fruits and veggies are better.

Guess what? The experts do NOT agree. One says fresh is better. Another says frozen is better. Both make convincing arguments.

So I made my own decision: Frozen. Why? Convenience. I can toss them in a blender and make smoothies. Same reason I use canned fruits.

On the plus side, nutritionists say both fresh fruit and dried fruit have their place in a healthy diet — so you’re covered no matter what you choose.

One might say that's not the healthiest choice.  But I say something similar to what Captain Jack Sparrow might say ... Ah!  But they are healthy. Right?

Recipe of the Month ~ From the Kitchen of Barbara Ann Mojica 🍰

Sharing a recipe from Barbara Ann Mojica's kitchen.  She picked her recipe for a delicious Greek Yogurt pound cake as her Recipe of the Month and was kind enough to share it with me. 

 

Ms. Mojica and I met online years ago and have kept in touch.  She is a successful history/travel writer and publishes awesome books for children under the Little MISS History series.

Before I share her recipe, let me share my culinary journey.

My First Food Experience:

I discovered yogurt during my university days. My roommate introduced me to yogurt with boysenberry fruit preserves. It was a two-fer experience.  I had never heard of yogurt and never knew there was such a thing as boysenberry (see NOTE below).  My foodie journey took me elsewhere, and I learned about plain Greek yogurt - no fruit - and all of the wonderful recipes that use it as a key ingredient. 

Greek Yogurt:  FOOD HISTORY and FUN FACTS:

The food history of Greek yogurt is really a tale of patience, craft, and delicious evolution. This thick, tangy staple began as a traditional strained yogurt in the Eastern Mediterranean and has grown into a global favorite thanks to its rich texture, high protein, and incredible versatility.

Greek yogurt, traditionally called “straggisto”, has been made for centuries across Greece and the broader Eastern Mediterranean. It’s created by straining regular yogurt to remove whey, which concentrates protein and gives it that signature velvety body.

By the early 20th century, Greek dairies had refined the technique into a commercial product, and by the 1990s and 2000s, brands like FAGE helped it explode in popularity internationally. 

Greek yogurt’s rise wasn’t just about taste—it aligned perfectly with shifting nutrition trends. As people sought higher protein, lower fat foods, Greek yogurt offered a naturally satisfying option without needing to be ultra-processed. Its success is as much cultural timing as culinary tradition. Today it’s a culinary chameleon: part ancient craft, part modern nutrition trend.

Modern uses of Greek yogurt show off its versatility

• Breakfast bowls — A creamy base for fruit, nuts, honey, and granola.
• Savory dips — Essential for tzatziki and a lighter stand-in for sour cream.
• Marinades — Its acidity tenderizes meats while adding subtle tang.
• Smoothies — Thickens and boosts protein without overpowering flavor.
• Dressings — A creamy base that keeps things bright and light.
• Baking swaps — Adds moisture to cakes, muffins, and breads.

Ms. Mojica used it in her cake recipe.

🍰 🍰 🍰 

Greek Yogurt Pound Cake - From BAM's Kitchen

Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or packing into a picnic basket before visiting a historic site!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Stir in yogurt and vanilla.
5. Combine dry ingredients and gradually mix into the batter.
6. Pour into a greased Bundt or loaf pan.
7. Bake 60–70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool before serving.

A sprinkle of powdered sugar or fresh berries makes a delicious finishing touch!

The cool thing about this cake recipe is that any month of the year is just fine! 😊

[NOTE:  A related fun food fact.  The boysenberry is a four‑berry hybrid—raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, and dewberry—all rolled into one juicy overachiever. It was nearly forgotten until Walter Knott rescued the vines, turning the berry into a legend.]

How to make Greek Yoghurt — @FavoriteFoodie on Read.Cash

Matcha Tea is Body Fuel: Nutrition Trends: 2015 and Beyond!

Nutrition Trends That Continue to Power an Era of Wellness

The wellness world has evolved dramatically since 2015, but one idea has only grown stronger: food is fuel. Today’s consumers aren’t just eating to survive — they’re eating to perform, focus, recover, and age well.

From Austin, Texas — still one of America’s fittest cities — to global wellness hubs, people are choosing foods that support energy, immunity, gut health, and longevity.

Back in 2015, Austin Fit Magazine highlighted five rising “body fuel” foods. Nearly a decade later, these trends haven’t faded — they’ve transformed. Here’s how these once emerging favorites have evolved into 2024/2025 wellness essentials.

1. Matcha Tea — From Trend to Daily Ritual

Matcha’s popularity has only intensified. What began as a niche superfood is now a global staple, thanks to its:

• Calm, sustained energy (no coffee crash)

• High antioxidant content

• Role in mindfulness and ritual

In 2025, matcha is no longer just a drink — it’s in smoothies, lattes, protein bars, and even skincare.

2. Bone Broth — The OG Functional Beverage

Bone broth has moved from grandma’s kitchen to mainstream wellness culture. Today’s versions include:

• Collagen boosted blends

• Bone broth protein powders

• Ready to sip broths with turmeric, ginger, or adaptogens

What families across cultures have known for generations — that broth nourishes the body deeply — is now backed by research on gut health, immunity, and joint support.

3. Fermented Foods — Gut Health Goes High Tech

Fermented foods exploded in popularity as gut health became one of the biggest wellness movements of the decade. In 2025, the trend has expanded to include:

• Small batch kimchi and sauerkraut

• Probiotic beverages

• Fermented plant-based yogurts

• Prebiotic plus probiotic “synbiotic” snacks

We now understand that the gut influences digestion, mood, immunity, and even cognitive function — making fermented foods a long-term staple, not a fad.

4. Coconut Sugar — A Natural Sweetener That Stuck Around

The coconut craze has matured, but coconut sugar remains a favorite for people seeking:

• Lower glycemic impact

• A caramel-like flavor

• A less processed alternative to white sugar

In 2025, it’s used in baking mixes, energy bites, and “clean label” packaged snacks. For those of us who grew up cracking coconuts in the backyard, this trend feels like home.

5. Seaweed Snacks — Now a Sustainability Superstar

Seaweed has evolved from a niche snack to a climate-friendly superfood. Today’s seaweed products include:

• Crisps and chips

• Seaweed-infused noodles

• Seaweed protein powders

• Kelp-based meat alternatives

Rich in minerals and grown with minimal environmental impact, seaweed fits perfectly into the 2025 focus on sustainable nutrition.

Why These Trends Still Matter a Decade Later and Beyond

These foods weren’t just passing trends — they were early signals of a larger shift toward:

• Functional nutrition

• Holistic wellness

• Sustainable eating

• Cultural food appreciation

From matcha mornings to fermented snacks, the “body fuel” movement continues to shape how we eat, live, and take care of ourselves.

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** Gleaned a lot from reviewing the #AFMbestof article. Hope you liked my rehash. :)  

• REFERENCE: Jarzabkowski, Tori. "Nutrition Trends for 2015." Austin Fit Magazine: Best of 2014 Issue Jan. 2015: 22-23. Print. AFM Issue #207. Est. 1997. Official website: http://www.austinfitmagazine.com/

 ♦ ♦ ♦ Original content published January 10, 2015, at Writedge.  (Site shut down.)♦ ♦ ♦

Food and Nutrition: You Must Find Ways to Eat Your Veggies (It's Not That Hard)

Eat your veggies. I know this. But for me, it just required a little creativity. However, I learned that saying it and doing it was easy! 

I Ate What My Mom Cooked!

My diet when I was growing up basically consisted of greens or legumes (black-eyed peas or lima beans) seasoned with ham hocks or smoked pork neck bones. That’s how my mother cooked. That’s what my mother cooked. And that’s what we ate. My mother let it be known that if we didn’t like what was on the stove, we were welcome to go out and try to find our own food. Or? We could hold out until we got hungry enough to eat it!!

Most of the time I was hungry enough!

But looking back, when I think about it, had my mother simply not added that one ingredient – the meat for seasoning – we could have been an almost vegetarian family. I say almost because of course for Christmas and Thanksgiving there was always turkey. For Easter, there was a ham. And for most of our Sunday dinners, there was fried chicken. Occasionally during the week we might have smothered pork chops or smothered liver.

I was blessed to receive government grant money which paid for my tuition and books, my dorm room, and my meals at the university cafeteria. It was in the cafeteria that I learned that it was perfectly normal to eat a large bowl of salad for lunch! A large bowl? Loaded with veggies? Really? My mom never served us a big bowl of salad!

Plant-Based Foods and Meatless Mondays

Nowadays plant-based food and meatless meals are all the rage. On Twitter, they circulate lots of recipes and meal ideas and hashtag them #MeatlessMonday. Not only are we treating our bodies well but we’re saving the planet too!

Life events actually forced me to completely change my dietary and eating habits. My late husband was diagnosed with heart disease. Consequently, when making out the grocery list beef and pork was no longer on the list. And we started adding more veggies to our meals. It wasn’t a difficult adjustment to make actually. Lots of times when I was at the grocery store there were certain veggies that I wanted to try. But we had a budget. By the time I finished buying all of the other foods on the list, there was no more money left for trying those veggies. But what do you know? Not buying beef or pork freed up $30 to $35. Now I had the money to buy zucchini, swiss chard, bok choy, cauliflower and lots of other fresh vegetables.

Cooking Tasty Veggie Dishes is Not That Hard

Now my only challenge was how to cook them and make the veggies tasty and not boring. TV cooking shows, food blogs, and Twitter to the rescue! There is no shortage of veggie recipes on the Internet. In fact, if you can find an Indian TV cooking show or YouTube video to watch, an Indian food blogger or an Indian food Twitter account to follow, you can learn all kinds of ways to prepare your veggies as a side dish or as the main meal. The spices they use to add flavor are amazing!!

However, if you’re not an adventurous cook and you just want a no-fuss way to cook and eat your veggies here is a way that is quick and easy.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Chop up some veggies. What kind of veggies? Whatever you want. Pattypan squash (or any other squash), peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, etc. Season with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, oregano – whatever herbs you like. Add chopped garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss them in some olive oil. Mix all your ingredients, wrap in foil on a baking dish. Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes. You can drizzle the roasted vegetables with your favorite balsamic reduction or not! You can serve over rice, quinoa, crusty bread, etc. or just eat them!

Most dietary experts say that you should eat 5 cups of fruits and veggies per day. Most people don’t have problems finding fruit to eat. We like fruit. It’s sweet! But when it comes to the veggies? We know it’s good for us. But we have to get creative.

Content previously published at 100Springs.com

Foodie Nuggets: Why I Like Black Food

Black jobs might be a figment of former President Trump’s imagination but black food is real! It is both delicious and nutritious.

AI_Generated Art Using DreamUp Free Art Tool

I never liked black food. Unless it’s ice cream. Just kidding.

When I used to think of black food I thought people were saying that the food was burnt. But that’s not so. I discovered that there is black ice cream, there are black vegetables, and people intentionally add certain ingredients, like charcoal or squid ink, to make the food black.

Doing research I discovered that in London, they have a Black Food Festival. But don’t be confused. The food isn’t the color “black”. It’s called Black Eats Fest and it celebrates food from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. It’s a celebration of culinary diversity.

This content is about food that is the color “black”. It’s a brief introduction by way of sharing fun facts, which are the reasons why I like black food.

(1) Black foods are not just a novelty; they have great nutritional value. So when people tell you “eat the rainbow”, be sure to add black veggies to your diet. Learn more: Exotic Vegetables: Do You Include Black Veggies When You Eat the Rainbow?

(2) At one time, in ancient China, there was black rice (some say dark purple), which was also known as “forbidden rice”. It wasn’t forbidden to everyone. The emperors could have some and of course, the wealthy. But these days, it’s available to the masses and even shows up in U.S. restaurants. Black rice is the “perfect choice for vegetarians and vegans looking for additional protein”. Learn more: What Is Forbidden Rice? | Eating Well

(3) Black sesame seeds are not the lighter sesame seeds that are colored black. The black color comes from anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid with antioxidant properties. Plus, they are a great source of calcium and magnesium. Learn more: What is Black Sesame, Actually? | Sporked

22 Black Foods That Taste Amazing And Are Super Good For You

Black foods are anything but bland; they are full of nutrients and antioxidants! So if you're a fan of this classic…

www.sidechef.com

Seafood: Which is More Nutritional? Salmon or Trout?

Seafood is included in the diets of people all around the world because of its nutritional value.  Everyone will probably agree that trout and salmon are both highly valued food. Either that or the fishmonger at the local grocery store is charging a fortune for cheap goods. Just kidding. Love my local grocery store. There’s always lots of fresh quality foods and the free samples offered at the Cooking Connection and at other stations in the store are delish! Though we may agree that the price we pay is reasonable, we may not agree on the real value of this seafood. 

Do we know how these type of fish contribute to the human diet, nutrition and well being?

Seafood is not my specialty, so bear in mind that the information below is not being supplied by an expert. It’s just tidbits gleaned from a little bit of research. OK. Here we go!

Trout versus Salmon. A few quick facts.

May the best fish win!

Quick Nutrition Facts About Trout

“Trout is one of the healthiest fish you can include in your diet, says Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Farmed trout, especially farmed rainbow trout, is a better choice than wild lake trout since farmed trout are raised in freshwater ponds and raceways that are protected from environmental contaminants.” (Source Number 11)

Per Professor Paul Addis, University of Minnesota Department of Food Science and Nutrition, lake trouts are known to be the most beneficial source of omega-3 fatty acids and niacin. A 98-gram serving of trout provides 40% of our daily protein requirement, and the RDA or Recommended Dietary Allowance for humans is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (assuming the person is not overweight). Regards fat content: The average lake trout has 6 grams of total fat: 1.4 grams of saturated fat, and 60 milligrams of cholesterol in each 3-ounce serving.

Quick Nutrition Facts About Salmon

“The term “salmon” refers to a variety of species that are all “anadromous” fish, which means they are born in freshwater rivers and streams, migrate to the ocean to mature and spend much of their adult life, and then return to the streams and rivers in which they were born to spawn (reproduce) and then die. Six types of salmon are consumed in the United States including Atlantic, Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, and Sockeye Salmon. Of these, five species (Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, and Sockeye) are harvested from wild fisheries in the Pacific Ocean and one type, Atlantic salmon, is primarily farmed raised.” (Source ~ Archived content.)

Similar to lake trout, salmon from a lake (or river) is also a tremendous source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, salmon provides more total fat and less cholesterol in a 3-ounce serving. A 100 gram serving of consists of 231 calories, 25 grams of protein, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, and 3.2 grams of saturated fat. A 3-ounce serving consists of 10.5 grams of total fat and 54 milligrams of cholesterol. 

Conclusion of the Comparison 

Trout is more nutritious than salmon, in terms of total fat content and saturated fat content. But salmon consists of vitamin D which is the very vitamin trout lacks. Eat trout for your B vitamins and salmon for your D vitamin. In other words, neither one is better than the other. Me personally? I like the taste of trout better than salmon. But if you invited me to your place for lunch or dinner and served salmon, it would be gladly received with thanksgiving. As long as my seat isn’t next to the bear. 

(Image AI-generated using ChatGPT.)

♦♦♦♦♦♦ 

Additional Sources:

1. Trout Nutrition Facts | A 2 Z of Health, Beauty and Fitness
2. How much protein do you need every day? | Harvard Health Publications
3. The health benefits of… salmon | BBC Good Food
4. Is Trout Good for You? | Healthy Eating | SF Gate

Original source

Healthy Eating Tips : Eat Your Greens! Drink Your Carrots!

Growing up, people used to always say to me: “Eat carrots! They're good for your eyes.” I believed what they said. Not dissing carrots, but they were and are not my favorite veggie. So, coming up with creative ways to enjoy them to receive the health benefits and to boost my health naturally was always a challenge.   What's the best way to respond to a food challenge?  COMPROMISE!  😋 

Now in my adulthood, come to find out that according to experts in diet and nutrition, zeaxanthin and lutein, which are the forms of beta-carotene that boost eye health, are found in high levels in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and Swiss chard. That's fantastic! Because for me, greens are the best veggies!! Although, in defense of carrots, the juice mixes well with various other fruits and makes for a delicious, healthy drink!

RE:  Carrots - DID YOU KNOW?

• A carrot is not a vegetable. ...
• The root is not the only edible part of a carrot. ...
• Plant an actual carrot in the ground and it will make seeds. ...
• Carrots are one of the best plants for pollinators. ...
• Carrots were not originally orange.

Source:  Snake River Seed Cooperative

RE:  Green Leafy Vegetables - DID YOU KNOW?

• Packed With Vitamins &Amp; Minerals
• Good Source Of Fiber
• Keeps The Brain Young
• Low In Salt And Fat

Source:  All Women's Talk

Greens Glorious Greens!: More than 140 Ways to Prepare All Those Great-Tasting, Super-Healthy, Beautiful Leafy Greens

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

7 Creative Carrot Juice Recipes

♦♦
 Carrot Juice Recipes | Juicing Carrots Carrot juice recipes are simply wonderful. If you've never had it before, you'll be surprised how sweet it is. It tastes NOTHING like you think it will taste. Its sweet, creamy and delicious. It has a milky texture and has no bitterness.

Related articles:

• 7 Food items that can boost your kid's immune system
• Quick Note on Mustard Greens and Recipes

Health : Control Your Appetite : It's All in Your Head

Another discovery has been made in the study of food, health, and science. Credit is being given to Professor Kazuyoshi Ukena of Hiroshima University for identifying NPGL, a protein in our brain which “apparently aims to maintain body mass at a constant, come feast or famine”.

The professor's finding eliminates the excuse of not being able to lose weight and stop yourself from overeating because you don't have any willpower, because the mechanisms for appetite control are literally ... all in your head. :)

• REF: "New Appetite Control Mechanism Found in Brain." ScienceBlog.com. N.p., 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 09 May 2017.

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More Interesting Links and Recommended Reading:

Frohlich, Thomas C. "25 Cities With the Healthiest Diets." 247wallst.com. AOL-HuffPost Money & Finance, 03 May 2017. Web. 09 May 2017.

Fox, Treathyl. "Do You Know What Gives You Energy?" EES Presents Food Ways. Blogspot.com, 15 Sep 2024. Web.

Kostyo, Mike. "Datassential: 15 Flavor Trends to Watch in 2017 and beyond." SmartBrief. N.p., 12 Dec. 2016. Web. 09 May 2017.

For general info purposes. Not to be substituted for medical advice.

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Related articles

• Overeating is killing us - so here's how to cut down on what you eat(telegraph.co.uk)

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• When you eat may be just as important as what you eat, according to a new study(businessinsider.com)

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Do You Know What Gives You Energy?

When it comes to being health and fitness conscious, making quality of life choices, and developing healthy living habits, citizens of Austin, Texas, set the example for everyone else to follow; including the Californians. { IMHO ☺} Sharing a recap of key facts to peak your interest and some information links on health, wellness, and fitness, diet, nutrition, and exercise for further reading and research.

Foodie Friday : Winter Salad Binging

There's #FoodieFriday, #FollowFriday, #FriendlyFollow … whatever! It's the weekend!  Just pick a food and drink topic to share and run with it! 

Connie Guttersen, author, dietitian, nutritionist, a lady on Twitter (@ConnieGuttersen) inspired me to pick salad for my topic.  She shared a Tweet (below) about all the different kinds of lettuce that are “worthy”.  Appreciated the info, but from there it was a leap into “winter salads”. Why? Because during the cold months, salad is not always on my menu. Bowls and bowls of warm and hearty soups. Yes!  But salad? Not so much.  That has to change.

Lettuce is lettuce, right? Not so fast! Some lettuces (like iceberg) have 0 nutrients, while others are worthy to be included in your salad. pic.twitter.com/2zAdfzUpLq

— Connie Guttersen (@ConnieGuttersen) October 3, 2016

Raw Vegan Blood Orange Winter Salad Recipe (frivolousgirl.com)

Oldie but a goodie: Raw Vegan Blood Orange Winter Salad Recipe https://t.co/oSeh5UzxCZ
#bblogger #greenbeauty

— Isabel Ⓥ (@frivolousgirl_) October 26, 2016

Click for More Winter Salad Recipes

Why Your New Year’s Resolution Should Be to Eat More Fiber

The start of a new year is a great time to check in with yourself and think about how you want to improve for the year ahead. But unfortunately, many New Year’s resolutions aren’t realistic and wind up lasting just two to three weeks. Here’s a resolution that’s easy to stick to and can also make a big difference in your overall health and wellness: eat more fiber. 

Fiber can play an important role in reaching your health and wellness goals. 

It’s probably best known for its ability to help keep your digestive system moving, but there are other benefits as well – like helping to promote a feeling of fullness.  Even with fiber’s well-known health benefits, nine out of 10 Americans aren’t getting enough in their daily diet, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016.  Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN thinks she knows why.

"Fiber can be confusing," Harris-Pincus explains. "I think many people have experienced tummy trouble when they ate too much fiber and it overwhelmed their digestive system. With a simple strategy of introducing fiber slowly, they can receive all the health benefits without any discomfort."  

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that women get 25 grams and men get 38 grams of fiber every day, but most only average 15 grams. Instead of aiming for 25-38 grams on Day One, Harris-Pincus has some tips on how you can make this resolution stick:

* Only increase your fiber intake by three to five grams each day. That way, you give your body time to adjust.

* Mix in high-fiber foods with your regular diet. As you’re ramping up your fiber intake, start by adding fiber to foods you already eat. It could be as simple as adding a high-fiber cereal to a yogurt parfait or adding nuts and berries to your salad.

* Drink more water. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, so make sure you drink plenty of fluids to help carry the fiber through your body. By eating more fiber and drinking more water, you’re helping your digestive system do its job more efficiently.

* Find a great-tasting fiber you love. Instead of viewing fiber as a chore, or something you "have to" eat, find a high-fiber option that you can look forward to eating.

"I think everyone has this idea of fiber as bland and boring," Harris-Pincus says. "But what people don’t realize is that there are tons of great-tasting, high-fiber foods. The easiest place to start is with your morning cereal."  

Fiber One has introduced a fiber-rich cereal that, well, doesn’t taste like a fiber-rich cereal. EXAMPLE:  Fiber One Strawberries and Vanilla Clusters is made with real strawberries and sweet vanilla clusters, but still contains 35 percent of the Daily Value of fiber in every one-cup serving. No pills, nothing to stir, just real food that makes fiber something you can enjoy eating.  And for when you’re ready to increase your fiber intake even more, Fiber One Honey Clusters has 40 percent of the Daily Value of fiber, and Fiber One Original Bran has 55 percent.

Beyond cereal, Harris-Pincus recommends eating whole fruits and vegetables, leaving the skin on things like apples and potatoes. Beans and legumes are another excellent source of fiber, so don’t shy away from the black beans in your fajitas. For easy snacks, popcorn is another fiber-rich option with four grams of fiber in just three cups of popcorn.

"Fiber really is overlooked, which is a shame because it can be this great-tasting, powerhouse nutrient," Harris-Pincus explains. "New Year’s resolutions are usually all about cutting calories or increasing protein, when in reality fiber can do all these amazing things for your body. You just have to start eating more of it to realize the benefits." 

(NewsUSA)

Diet and Nutrition: Do You Know What Gives You Energy?

When it comes to being health and fitness conscious, making quality of life choices, and developing healthy living habits, citizens of Austin, Texas, set the example for everyone else to follow; including the Californians. { IMHO ☺}

Do you know which foods give you energy or what you can do to get more energy?

(No. Eating donuts and watching TV are not on the list.)

Sharing a recap of key facts to pique your interest and some information links on health, wellness, fitness, diet, nutrition, and exercise for further reading and research.


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According to Tori Jarzabkowski, Austin Fit Magazine, there are five foods that fuel the body or give you energy. 
(1) Matcha Tea 
(2) Bone Broth 
(3) Fermented Foods 
(4) Coconut Sugar 
(5) Seaweed Snacks
♦ REFERENCE: Jarzabkowski, Tori. "Nutrition Trends for 2015." Austin Fit Magazine: Best of 2014 Issue Jan. 2015: 22-23. Print. AFM Issue #207. Est. 1997. Official website: https://www.austinfitmagazine.com/ 


♦♦♦♦♦♦
Lynnis Woods-Mullins, CEO of Praiseworks, Inc. offers her advice on ways you can get more energy.
(1) Water-hydration 
(2) Exercise (just a brisk walk) 
(3) Super foods 
(4) Detox green smoothies 
(5) Aromatherapy  

♦ REFERENCE: 5 Ways To Get More Energy - NOW! 

* * *

I don't know about you but it would be very easy to get into the healthy habit of drinking green smoothies (or any smoothie for that matter) in the morning for breakfast and then enjoying a delightful cup of green tea in the afternoon or the evenings.

RAW VEGAN On The Fast Lane: The 60-Second Power Smoothie Handbook

Similar or Related articles:

The World’s Most Caffeinated Cities

What’s the Next Kale?  Food Trends

California Cuisine – History, Features and Facts

Healthy Donuts Do Exist

Anti-Aging Beauty Products

Five Ways to Stay Healthy This Summer on a Budget

Foodie Nuggets: Sharing a Soup Recipe That Soup Lovers Will Love

The classical music composer Ludwig van Beethoven once said, “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”

Do you believe that soup is good food?  I do!  I also believe it's a food of love for families, and having a pure heart when you make it for those you love, no doubt, adds substantially to the flavor.

In a previous post I shared information about miso, which is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine.  You can it ready-made off the grocery store shelf or make your own.

Some say the reason the Japanese live so long is because miso is an integral part of their diet. Maybe. Maybe not. I also read that soup should be an important of one's daily diet. They say you should eat a bowl of soup every day. I'm OK with that dietary advice. Even though January is National Soup Month, I could eat soup every month of the year, whether the weather is hot or cold. And I don't mean cold soups, because I'm not really a fan of cold soup. But if I was given only one hot bowl of soup every day to survive off, I could totally do that and be content. 

For me, the best part of any soup is … THE BROTH! 

You could have all kinds of ingredients in a soup … meat or no meat. But if the broth is tasteless, the soup is useless. The broth is all about comfort. Don't you think so? 

That's why I know this recipe which I am sharing is awesome! The ingredients for the broth are: “garlic, ginger, scallions, toasted sesame oil, miso and fermented chile paste”. 

How could you not love this soup? LOL. 

Spicy Summer Miso Soup | 101 Cookbooks