How much do YOU know about nutrition?

Everyone should be conscious about what they put into their bodies but sometimes we just don’t know what is good and what is bad for us.  Outpost Natural Foods is a good resource to get to the bottom of the question, what should we be eating?  Judy, the nutritionist at Outpost, gave us an eye opening tour, filled us with information, and we all left feeling healthier! Check their web site at www.outpostnaturalfoods.coop But, why is organic better for you? Go to www.organic.org  Or check out what produce you really should ALWAYS buy organic. www.deliciousorganics.com If you just can’t afford ALL organic produce-here’s what CNN had to say about it. CNN

This is a brief recap of what we LEARNED!!!

Root Vegetables, anything grown underground, are immune builders. Tips about beets - don’t throw away their greens, nutrients are stashed away there!  Here is a web site to find a great roasted vegetable recipes: www.wildoats.com.

Here is a good rule of thumb: The BRIGHTER the color the HEALTHIER it is. The color is where the anti-oxidants are.
Red cabbage vs. Green cabbage
Romaine vs. Iceberg lettuce
Red pepper vs. Green Pepper

Definition: Glycemic Index: measure of how quickly food goes in and out of your stomach and into your blood stream.  If you want more info check this site out! Whole Foods Market So-lets talk about the Glycemic index of potatoes. For us, we want food to hang around longer, to absorb more of the nutrients, and so we don’t get hungry right away! White potatoes, along with white bread, do the in and out thing in 20-30mins. However, small red or Yukon gold with hang around longer. Sweet potatoes have a mega amount of beta-carotene which is a precursor of vitamin A and it has an anti-oxidant property that may help in preventing cancer and other diseases.

Anti-inflammatory
All herbs fit into this department. Oregano is the number one anti inflammatory. Omega-3's and fish oil is a powerful anti inflammatory and research has proven its benefit. Take some flaxseed oil if you just can’t handle the fish oil because it’s just as good for you. Most powerful of all anti-inflammatory is turmeric.

Anti-oxidants
What is an anti-oxidant? An enzyme or other organic molecule that can counteract the damaging effects of oxygen in tissues. Although the term technically applies to molecules reacting with oxygen, it is often applied to molecules that protect from any free radical (molecule with unpaired electron). We chatted about a few foods, for example, broccoli, white button mushrooms and blueberries (blueberries have more anti-oxidants than any other fruit or vegetable!) 

Good Gut
Want to keep your gut happy? Ginger is some good stuff. Make some tea; stir it in a stir fry. Whatever you like but ginger will soothe your belly. 

Fiber- insoluble vs. soluble
What’s the difference? We need to stick with the soluble fiber.

Soluble: breaks down in water and absorbs cholesterol as well as toxins. Find soluble fiber in bananas, apples, pears and kiwis.

Insoluble: acts like a toothbrush to clean out the gut. Whole grains and in vegetables. We still need fiber, just like everyone else.

Keifer
It’s like a heavy-duty yogurt. It is a probiotic smoothie drink that is definitely good for the gut. (Check out “The Promise of Probiotics” at www.eatingwell.com. Speaking of yogurt, it has more calcium than milk. Plain organic yogurt has more calcium than yogurt with fruit added. 

Fish
When you walk into the seafood department you want it to smell like the ocean. You want it to smell fresh. The older and bigger the fish the more toxins it will have- which strikes up an issue for women of child-bearing age. Right now, the recommendation for children and women, who would like to have children, should be one serving of fish only twice a month!  Wild caught salmon and tilapia are less toxic and a little safer to eat. Opt for the lite chunk tuna vs. albacore tuna if you still love your tuna but don’t love the mercury. What do Cod, Sea bass and Swordfish all have in common? They are all on the endangered species list! For more on seafood and recipes check out www.eatingwell.com (good web site for other good info as well!)

Oils
No oils at Outpost are treated chemically. Canola oil is made by pouring hexane on it and turning it to mush, then a high heat is applied to the oil. The Outpost will not carry it. Judy recommended using an extra virgin olive oil, because this is the oil that is “first pressed.” Meaning, it has the most color and anti-oxidants. When you want to use oil at a higher heat use grape seed oil or corn oil.

Hopefully, some of these tips will help aid you in making good decisions while you are out shopping. The tour motivated me into pursuing a healthier way of eating. Hope you learned something too! If you want your own tour with Judy, call 414.431.3377 ext.118