Experience Nutrition

Tag: healthy cooking

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Stop Your Sugar Cravings with Organic Sweet Potatoes

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book “Enjoy Food & Life: Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living. “

    When my Dad was preparing his garden in Cocoa Beach, Florida last we he “stumbled upon” sweet potatoes (on the left in this graphic) that were still growing from last year’s crop.

    Reminded me of how great sweet potatoes are for sugar cravings. Over the years, I’ve encouraged my sugar addicted clients to enjoy a sweet vegetable, like sweet potatoes every day.

    Sweet Potato Facts

    • Rich in beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A
    • Good for vision
    • Boost immune system
    • Low in calories and high in fiber, great for weight loss
    9 Ways 90 Days Baked Organic Sweet Potatoes
    9 Ways 90 Days Baked Organic Sweet Potatoes

    Action: Bake an Organic Sweet Potato and come on over to Facebook and share your experience.

    Scrub a few organic sweet potatoes then puncture with a knife a few times for venting. Wrap the sweet potato in foil and cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Take note of the sweetness of a plain sweet potato.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Why Protein is Essential

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and Wellness Expert, Author and Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Days step-by-step action plan for healthy eating and living.”

    No Meat for 25 Years. I stopped eating red meat 30 years ago because my body could not digest it. I was a runner and felt like the meat made me sluggish. Then 18 years ago when my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, I learned about antibiotics in poultry and stopped eating chicken and turkey, which I loved at the time. My family was worried for years that I was not eating enough protein, but while I was studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I learned so much about good plant protein, and now I’m honestly not worried about eating enough protein. Today, I love educating people about good sources of plant protein, including beans, whole grains and even some vegetables.

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    9 Ways 90 Days: Protein is Essential

     

    Why Protein is Essential

    • It is a macro-nutrition, which we must eat every day, with very meal
    • Builds and repairs tissues
    • Makes enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals

     How Much Protein Do We Need?

    • About 25% of our daily diet should come from protein
    • Eat protein at every meal
    • Average serving size of protein should fit in the palm of your hand

    Why Protein is Important for Athletes

    • Stimulates metabolism
    • Improves muscle mass and recovery
    • Reduces body fat

     Tips for Post Workout Meals for Athletes

    • Eat soon after intense exercise
    • Eat approximately 50% protein with good carbs, and minimal fat

     Action. Visit us on Facebook and share: Based on your knowledge of protein, right now, which and how much protein-rich foods do you eat in a typical week?


  • 9 Ways 90 Days Food Quote

    “The evidence is overwhelming at this point. You eat more plants, you don’t eat other stuff, you live longer.” – Mark Bittman

    9 Ways 90 Days Food Quote
    9 Ways 90 Days Food Quote

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Quick Simple Organic Collard Stir-fry with Hemp Seeds Recipe

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and Wellness Expert, Author and Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from new book, “Enjoy Food & Life: 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating and living.”  PRE-SALE Available NOW

    If you only know collard greens cooked in lots of pork all day, this is a new way of cooking delicious collards in a few minutes. Learn how to cook stir-fry collards and you can cook any type of greens.

    Greens are missing from the SAD. Greens are one of the most absent foods from the Standard American Diet (SAD). We typically eat plain iceberg lettuce which has no nutritional value. Many people only know greens as the décor around a salad bar. I started eating greens 6 years ago while a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Little did I know that the green stuff I remember seeing around salad bars would become one of my favorite foods. Or, that I’d be eating weeds (dandelion greens).

    Greens are important to add to your diet as they are mineral-rich with calcium, iron, vitamin-rich with A, C, and K, and have a lot of fiber.

    Other Reasons Why You Should Eat Greens:

    • Cleanse and detoxify
    • Strengthen bones
    • Cancer-protective
    • Boost immune system
    • Energetically uplifting, since they grow upward
    • Easy to cook
    • Taste great

    Organic Collard Stir-Fry with Hemp Seeds Recipe

    9 Ways 90 Days Collard Stir-fry with Hemp Seeds
    9 Ways 90 Days Collard Stir-fry with Hemp Seeds
    • Chop about 5-6 large collard greens or kale and mince a few fresh garlic cloves and green onions
    • Pre-heat saute pan on low or wok on medium-high. Thanks to Chantal Cookware for the beautiful Copper Fusion Saute Pan; The veggies cook perfectly, with bright vibrancy
    • Turn saute pan heat to medium-high
    • Add organic extra virgin olive oil and then garlic and onions, and stir-fry a little
    • Add collards and about ¼ cup water
    • Stir and steam
    • Enjoy with pizza, wild Alaskan salmon, goat cheese or nuts and seeds, like hemp seeds

     Action. Make your simple, quick stir-fry with collard greens, garlic and onions. Take note of all the wonderful flavors and post your photos on our Facebook page.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days Food Quote

    9 Ways 90 Days Food Quote

    “Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.” – George Bernard Shaw

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    9 Ways 90 Days Food Quote

    Share your thoughts on this quote: Visit us on Facebook.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Organic Chia Pudding Recipe

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Chia seeds are the rage today! But some of us remember when they were the green hair that grew on our Chia Pets when we were kids. Who knew that decades later we’d be eating them!

    Chia seeds come from a flowering plant in the mint family that’s native to Mexico and Guatemala, and history suggests it was a very important food crop for the Aztecs.

     Benefits of Chia Seeds

    •   Good fats. Chia seeds, like hemp seeds and flax seeds are a great ALA omega-3 healthy-fat rich seed, which is important for brain health and reduction of inflammation in the body.
    • High in protein. Great source of protein for vegetarians and vegans
    •  Stabilize blood sugar. Important for diabetics
    • Improve heart health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, chia seeds have been shown to improve blood pressure in diabetics, and may also increase healthy cholesterol, while lowering total, bad LDL and triglyceride cholesterol
    • Good source of calcium. 18% or the recommended daily intake for calcium.

    9 Ways 90 Days Organic Chia Pudding Recipe

    9 Ways 90 Days Chia Seed Pudding
    9 Ways 90 Days Chia Seed Pudding

     Ingredients

    •  1/3 cup chia seeds
    • 1 cup soy milk
    • 2 chopped bananas
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 Medjool date, if you desire more sweetness
    • Berries, nuts and seeds for toppings

     Simple Steps

    • Mix chia seeds, vanilla and date into the soy milk
    • Fold in the bananas
    • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight)
    • Enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dessert with your favorite berries, nuts and seeds

    Post your Chia Pudding creations on our Facebook page!

     

     

     

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Code Words for Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Sugar is addictive. Eating a small amount creates a desire for more. And, when people suddenly stop eating sugar, they get withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, cravings and fatigue.

    9 Ways 90 Days: Pile of Sugar
    9 Ways 90 Days: Pile of Sugar

    Sugar is Everywhere in Snack Foods

    Here is a list of some of the possible code words for “sugar” which may appear on a label. The words “syrup”, “sweetener”, and anything ending in “ose” can usually be assumed to be “sugar”. If the label says “no added sugars”, it should not contain any of the following, although the food could contain naturally-occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk).

    • Corn sweetener
    • Dehydrated Cane Juice
    • Dextrin
    • Dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, lactose, maltose, saccharose, sucrose, xylose
    • Fruit juice concentrate
    • Invert sugar
    • Maltodextrin
    • Barley malt syrup, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, malt syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup
    • Sorghum or sorghum syrup
    • Turbinado sugar

     Good for you Sweeteners

    • Agave nectar
    • Black strap molasses
    • Honey
    • Maple syrup
    • Raw sugar
    • Stevia: an herb native to Paraguay, grows in Brazil, and cultivated in China; A few drops provide the sweetness of sugar

    Do Not Eat Artificial Sweeteners

    • Aspartame: Nutrasweet, Equal
    • Saccharin: Sweet’N Low
    • Sucralose: Splenda®

    Come over to Facebook and share your favorite natural sweeteners.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Organic Raw Kale Salad Recipe

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Recipe excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life, 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating and living.”

    Did you know you can eat raw kale? Simple, delicious healthy recipe to add this power food to your meals.  Kale is full of bone-building vitamin K, calcium plus, iron and vitamins A and C.

    9 Ways 90 Days Organic Raw Kale Salad
    9 Ways 90 Days Organic Raw Kale Salad

    Raw Kale Salad Simple Steps 

    • Finely chop a few handfuls of dinosaur kale
    • Add 2 TBS organic extra virgin olive oil
    • Squeeze ½ fresh lemon
    • Sprinkle sea salt (to your taste)
    • Massage the kale for about 3-4 minutes
    • Let the kale sit for 10-15 minutes
    • Add some fresh veggies, such as tomatoes, cucumbers or carrots

     

    Your Action

    Make a raw kale salad.  You will love it!

    Did you enjoy it?

    Come on over to Facebook and share a photo of your raw kale salad.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Very odd: Craving Real Whole Grains today.

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    While chatting with a friend on Facebook this morning,  I just realized that I must be craving real whole grains. This morning I have cooked and eaten steel cut oats with raw almonds and apples for breakfast. Kneaded organic sprouted spelt flour to bake flatbread, and am soaking brown rice to cook with dinner.

    9 Ways 90 Days: Please Eat Real Whole Grains
    9 Ways 90 Days: Please Eat Real Whole Grains

    Crazy. I have never craved whole grains like this. So, my body may be missing something. Real whole grains (not processed) are nutrient-rich.  Full of protein, fiber, B-complex, iron and magnesium. Whole grains balance sugar highs and lows. Due to the fiber in whole grains, they digest slowly, and produce more stable blood sugar levels than refined, processed grains.

    Be sure to consume whole grains. Do not eat grains processed or refined into bread, crackers or cereal.

     

    According to the Whole Grains Council (www.WholeGrainsCouncil.org) the benefits of whole grains most documented by studies include:

    • Reduce stroke risk by 30-36%
    • Reduce risk of type 2 diabetes risk by 21-30%
    • Reduce heart disease risk by 25-28%
    • Better weight maintenance
    • Reduce risk of asthma
    • Healthier blood pressure levels
    • Healthier carotid arteries
    • Reduce risk  of inflammatory disease
    • Lower risk of colorectal cancer
    • Less gum disease and tooth loss

    Come on over to Facebook and share a photo of your favorite whole grains.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Lentil Soup with Greens

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating and living”

    This process of cooking soup gives us the foundation for making any type of bean soup. To make quick, delicious soups you will use a mix-and-match of beans, veggies and greens.

    •       Beans: protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals

    •       Any roots: Carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnip, and/or turnips

    •       Whole grains: Brown rice, Quinoa

    •       Greens: Kale, collards

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    Ingredients

    • 1 cup lentils
    • 3-4 carrots and/or sweet potatoes
    • 2-3 cloves garlic
    • 1 onion or 5-6 green onions
    • 3-4 celery stalks
    • 2 TBS organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 5” strip of kombu seaweed (Seaweed is high in minerals and improves digestibility of beans)
    • 1 cup brown rice
    • 4-5 cups water
    • 1/2 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 bunch kale

     Simple Steps

    • Saute carrots, garlic, onions and celery with extra virgin olive oil
    • Add about 6 cups water to pot
    • Wash lentils and add to pot
    • Add brown rice
    • Add kombu to pot (to tenderize the beans)
    • Add cumin and black pepper
    • Bring to a boil
    • Skim off foam
    • Cook at moderate-low heat for about 30 minutes
    • Sprinkle chopped kale to top of soup and cook 5 more minutes

     Your Action

    Cook and enjoy a basic home-made lentil soup. Visit us on Facebook and share a photo and what you used in your soup:

    Beans__________________

    Roots__________________

    Whole grains_____________

    Greens__________________

  • Our Country is Sick & Confused About Food

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

    America is Sick & Confused about What to Eat
    America is Sick & Confused about What to Eat

    America is Sick & Confused about Food. Our country is sick with epidemic levels of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes and many live in pain. An estimated 45 million people are on diets each year. The food in our country has changed dramatically with processed food and fast food over the last 50 years. Many in our country today do not eat at home and do not know how to cook. People are also confused about what to eat. There are so many different food pyramids and 100s of different dietary theories in the media.

    Status of Health in America Today. There are huge problems in our country today. Our country is sick with epidemic levels of obesity, heart disease and diabetes with many people living in pain. An estimated 45% of people are on diets, which do not work.  Even professional athletes experience many of the same health concerns as the general public.

    Growth of Processed Foods. The food in the U.S. has changed dramatically with the consumption of processed foods and fast foods negatively affecting the health of our nation. McDonald’s opened in the U.S. in 1955 and today one-fourth of the population of our country eats fast food every day. Furthermore, Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries.

    Changed Eating Habits. In addition to the food eaten in the U.S., people’s eating habits have changed dramatically. Today, people are eating while watching television, driving or working and many do not know the basics of eating at home.

     Confusion About Shopping and Preparing Food. People are so accustomed to eating out, eating on the run, grabbing quick processed foods or microwaving a meal, that we have lost our skill of shopping for and preparing real food.

  • 9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life

    9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life

    The 9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life
    1. Hydration
    2. Organic Roots & Greens
    3. Snacks, Superfoods & Smoothies
    4. Right Fats
    5. Plant Protein
    6. Whole Grains
    7. Be Active
    8. Self Care & Relationships
    9. Live your Passion

  • Enjoy Food & Life: 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step Action Plan for Healthy Eating & Living

    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step Action Plan for Healthy Eating & Living, by nutrition and food expert, Melanie Albert, featuring former NFL players.

    NEW BOOK: January 2014

    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living
    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living

    9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan is based on the successful program which positively affects the health and nutrition of former NFL players and their families. The book offers nutrition education with a simple step-by-step action plan to integrate good nutrition with a healthy lifestyle into life. The program is designed to help you achieve good nutrition and health to reach your personal goals, including reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, weight loss, reducing joint pain, increasing energy and reducing stress. 

    Our country is sick and people are confused. They are confused about what to eat, how to shop and how to prepare healthy food. The 9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan, created from sound science and a variety of nutrition theories with hands-on interactive learning and cooking experiences, is a solution to these problems. It also includes simple ways to prepare easy meals with recipes, nutritionrecommendations, and the 9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan to incorporate learning into life.