Heart Healthy Antioxidants

Every month I do a quick and easy cooking demo for my Cardiac Rehab patients. Last time I made hummus (I was trying to expand their horizons!) and was since lovingly dubbed 'the hummus lady'. My homemade red pepper hummus didn't exactly win over the entire crowd - although I'm proud to say I've converted a few non-believers! 

This month I focused on heart healthy antioxidants. Antioxidant-rich desserts that is! Needless to say, dessert went over much better with my patients. 

Antioxidants are natural substances that exist in foods. They are believed to help prevent disease by fighting off free radicals, which are produced when you’re exposed to pollution, cigarette smoke, and also daily bodily processes like metabolizing food and exercise. The body can make antioxidants and they can also be obtained through food. Without adequate antioxidants in the diet, free radicals cause cellular damage, possibly playing a role in heart disease.

To name a few (definitely not all!) antioxidants: carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and flavonols.  Some of the foods that are great sources of antioxidants are colorful fruits and vegetables, dark chocolate, tea, coffee, nuts, red wine, fish, and cinnamon.


Important to note: There is limited research to support the use of antioxidant supplements to prevent disease. However, observational studies have shown that a higher intake of antioxidant rich fruits & vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases. Studies have also shown potential for harm with certain antioxidant supplements.


Bottom line: a balanced diet of the above foods will provide you with antioxidant power as well as other a combination of other healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber (yet another reason to choose foods over pills)! An easy way to get a variety of antioxidants... make your plate more colorful! Or try one of these antioxidant packed desserts!

Dark Chocolate Dipped Apples

recipe from my.hearthealthyliving.com

Makes 6 servings

Prep: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

6 medium apples

1/3 cup sliced almonds, chopped pistachios and/or chopped walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup snipped dried cranberries
4 ounces bittersweet/dark chocolate, chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon  cinnamon


Directions:
Wash and dry apples. Remove stems. Insert one wooden stick into the stem end of each apple. Set aside. Place nuts and cranberries in a deep bowl; set aside.


In a heavy small saucepan, melt bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and cinnamon over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.


Dip the bottom half of each apple into the chocolate, using a spoon to spread the mixture evenly over the apple, if necessary. Allow excess chocolate to drip off. Immediately dip apples into almonds and dried cranberries. Place apples, nut side down, on waxed paper for 30 minutes or until set.

Nutrition facts per serving: Calories 239; Total Fat (g)11; Saturated Fat (g)5; Monounsaturated Fat (g)4; Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1; Sodium (mg)3; Carbohydrate (g)40; Total Sugar (g)30; Fiber (g)6; Protein (g)3; Vitamin C (DV%)11; Calcium (DV%)3; Iron (DV%)9

Microwave Baked Apples with Blueberries

Ingredients:
1 medium apple

1 tablespoon frozen unsweetened blueberries (not thawed)

½ tablespoon chopped walnuts

1/16 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons agave nectar (or honey)

Directions:

Wash an apple and remove most of the core, leaving about ¼-inch at the bottom. Remove a thin strip of peel from around the core. Place the apple into a deep microwave-safe baking dish or bowl. Sprinkle the inside with a little cinnamon, walnuts and fill with frozen blueberries. Drizzle the agave nectar/honey over the filling and top of the apple. 

Cover the dish with lid or plastic wrap. Microwave until apple is tender, 3-5 minutes, testing with a fork after 3 minutes. Allow to cool and then enjoy!

Nutrition (1 apple): 135 calories, 2.5g total fat, 0.25g saturated fat, 0.5g monounsaturated fat, 1.8gm polyunsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2.7mg sodium, 200mg potassium, 30g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 23g sugar,  2g protein.

All time holiday favorite... homemade (gluten free) pumpkin loaf!

First of all, I could not be more excited to have the next four days off of work - so much to do! Wedding planning has unfortunately taken the back burner and last-minute holiday preparations are keeping me busy! I love starting the day with a workout, then it doesn't get pushed aside for everything else on the never ending to-do list. Next up.... pumpkin bread! This year I had a curve ball thrown at me as I've been experimenting with a gluten-free diet to relieve my fatigue and stomach upset. While I haven't gone 100% yet, I can definitely notice a difference in GI symptoms when I avoid gluten. 

On a side note about gluten-free (GF) diets... It is NOT a weight-loss or fad diet. A GF diet is the only way to treat a condition called celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which gluten damages the lining of the small intestine. There are others who are gluten intolerant, those who have difficulty or cannot digest gluten. A GF diet can actually lead to weight gain and vitamin deficiencies. While many natural foods are gluten-free, the market for processed, high calorie snacks has grown wildly over the last few years. To make a long story short, GF does not equal healthy. Anyone would gain weight eating processed cookies, cakes and pies... GF or not! And as far as vitamin deficiencies, most whole-wheat products are good sources of B vitamins and iron. So wrapping up my rant, there is no need to follow a GF diet unless it is a medical necessity and it requires a balanced diet to ensure adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals.

Anyway... the pumpkin loaf! Here is a GF recipe I found and modified it to make it healthier (my absolute favorite thing to do!)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Serves about 16 (Makes two 9-by-5-inch loaves)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 4 large omega-3 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened, strained applesauce**
• 1/2 cup orange juice (I even found OJ fortified with omega-3s!)
• 2 1/2  cups granulated sugar // 2 1/2 cups Splenda
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Gluten-free non-stick cooking spray

 *Don't have any pumpkin pie spice at home? Make your own! You'll need to multiply this recipe by 4 to get the 5 teaspoons you need for the pumpkin bread. Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

**Use a flour sifter to strain the liquid from the applesauce - if you don't, your bread will just be very moist and may take a little longer to cook. Applesauce is a wonderful substitute for oil or butter in a baking recipe; it yields a moist product and you can cut down on the sugar since it does add sweetness! 

Directions:

1.      Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. In separate bowl, mix together eggs, applesauce and orange juice. Add sugar and pumpkin. Blend until thoroughly combined.

3.      Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Mix until ingredients are thoroughly combined and a smooth batter forms (mixing by hand will also give you a good upper body workout!). Fold in chocolate chips.

4.      Divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

5.      Remove pans from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pans and place directly on wire rack. Allow bread to cool before slicing. Store bread wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 3 to 5 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

  

Nutritional Information (1/16th of recipe): 180 calories, 4.5gm fat, 2gm saturated fat, 53mg cholesterol, 395mg sodium, 40gm carbohydrate, 4gm fiber, 14gm sugar, 4.5gm protein.       **Pumpkin is also a great source of vitamin A!

Also, here is the recipe I used before I went gluten-free:

Healthy Pumpkin Loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour all purpose, sifted
• 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1 1/2 cups Splenda
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 4 omega-3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin canned
• 1 cup unsweetened, strained applesauce
• 2/3 cup water

Directions:

Sift dry ingredients into large mixer bowl. Quickly add remaining liquid ingredients. Mix on medium speed only until dry ingredients are moistened. Bake in two greased 9x5x3 pans in preheated 350 oven for one hour. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite edible gifts for Christmas, or a great snack when you're on the go...enjoy!

 

Heart Healthy Holidays

With the holidays rapidly approaching, our schedules are packed with holiday parties and events which revolve around food and high calorie drinks. Many people find this a tough time of year for maintaining their healthy lifestyle goals, so here are some tips for surviving this holiday season:

·    Never skip meals and always eat breakfast.  Eat small, healthy snacks during the day to prevent yourself from being ravenous at your holiday parties and overindulging.

·    If you do overindulge at one meal, don’t stress about it – just get back on track with your next meal and go for a walk to help digest your food and burn some calories.

·    Don’t drink your calories! Monitor alcohol and soda consumption. Both are high in calories (especially the eggnog). Try alternating water or diet soda and alcoholic beverages.

·    Modify your recipes:

o    Substitute with low-fat/nonfat versions of yogurt, sour cream and mayonnaise

o    Herbs and spices instead of salt and fats

o    My favorite trick ever - strained unsweetened applesauce for butter or oil in baking (1:1 ratio). Or try mashed up bananas or pureed  carrots. With applesauce, you can even use less sugar!

o    Make mashed potatoes from scratch –

§    Leave some of the skins on to increase fiber and vitamin content,

§    Add two cloves of garlic while the potatoes simmer (heart healthy addition!)

§    Use a combination of low-sodium chicken stock and skim milk for mashing the potatoes

§    Use a heart-healthy brand of margarine

§    Roasted garlic and fresh chives add great flavor

o   In baking, use half whole-wheat flour and half white flour to increase fiber and vitamin content

o   Use low-fat greek yogurt or evaporated skim milk instead of cream

o   There are thousands of healthy holiday recipes on the internet. Search for a healthier version of your favorite recipe. 

·    Eat smaller portions or use a smaller plate. Share a piece of pie and don’t go back for seconds.

·    Pace, don’t race. Eat your food slowly. If you eat too fast your stomach won’t have time to register that it is full. Savor each bite and wait 15-20 minutes before going back for seconds!

·    Trim back the trimmings. Dressings and side dishes are typically high in calories. Eat turkey without the skin, make gravy with little or no fat and use lighter dressings.

·    Save your “splurges” for a dish, dessert or drink you truly enjoy – and have a ½ portion instead of an oversized plate-full.

·    Skip the appetizers – nibble on raw vegetables, low fat dips and salsa. Better yet, offer to bring your own healthy dip. Here are two of my favorite recipes!

Roasted Garlic Guacamole

Ingredients:

6 large cloves garlic, unpeeled

6 ripe medium avocados

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more if desired

1/2 teaspoon salt

To make homemade torilla chips:

Whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas

Olive oil cooking spray

Canola oil

Guacamole Nutrition Information (1/20 of recipe): 70 calories, 6gm fat, 62mg sodium, 3gm fiber, 1gm protein

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make the guacamole: Place unpeeled garlic in small dry skillet over medium heat; cook, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in sport, 10-15minutes. Cool, then slip off the skins; finely chop. Scoop avocado flesh into large bowl. Add the garlic, cilantro and lime juice to taste. Coarsely mash everything together. Season lightly with salt. Transfer to a serving bowel and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the tortilla chips: Prepare baking sheet by brushing a light layer of canola oil over bottom of pan. Cut whole wheat tortillas/corn tortillas into 4 pieces to resemble chips. Spray both sides of each “chip” before placing on the pan. Bake until lightly brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained

2 tablespoons tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

3-4 cloves garlic, halved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch paprika

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixtur and sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Tastes great with homemade tortilla chips (above) or fresh veggies!

Nutritional Information (2 Tbsp): 77 Calories, 4.3gm fat