The Paleo Diet: Eat like cavemen and be thin and healthy?  

The popularity of this diet has, without a doubt, increased in the past few years. And a lot has been written about it. A quick search on Google with the words “Paleo Diet” leads to more than 9,180,000 results. How do we know what is truth and what is hype? Some websites tout the paleo diet as “the healthiest way to eat” or “achieve your full health potential” and “lose weight and get healthy.”… Let see what the science says about the Paleo Diet:

Definition of the “real” Paleo Diet is hard to identify. 

The diet of cavemen depended a lot on the geographic region and on the season. In fact, some tribes used to live in what is now Africa, others lived close to the Arctic and some in Europe. They were hunter-gatherers and as such had to adapt to what was available: berries during berry season, seal meat and fat in the North, etc.  As a result, the macronutrient content of their diet (carbohydrates, protein and fat) varied depending on the season, the climate and the food available.

The human genome has changed over the millenia. 

Humans have adapted to their environment and as a result the human genome (DNA) has evolved since the caveman days. In short, we are just not identical to the cavemen (and that’s probably for the better!)

Our ancestors were less healthy than we are. 

Yes, you read it right! At that time, life was rough. Food wasn’t available all the time: food shortages were common. No food sanitary measures were applied and, as a result, humans were infected by parasites at a high rate. Fortunately, life expectancy and child survival rates have significantly increased since the cavemen period. Although the latter is positive, we now live long enough to develop chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. In brief, cavemen didn’t live long enough to develop the diseases affecting humans today.


In conclusion, humans of the “Paleo” time period had to eat enough to survive and sometimes survival outweighed “balanced” and “healthy” choices. They did not have sweets or processed foods and at times ate more veggies, possibly making them “healthier”; however, remember these ancestors’ realities and DNA were much different from ours. There just is no comparison.


The science speaks again! Stay tuned for another blog coming soon!

Whether it’s fueling up before hitting the gym or taking a mid-day snack break to avoid the 2 o’clock lull, high-protein snacks are the tastiest way to keep on going. Protein snacks are the perfect way to fill up just enough, and give us longer-lasting energy than the usual, carb-heavy options.

Original Source, "Healthy Tips for Halloween" by WLFI News 18

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org 

Most of the time, we see the microwave as a convenient tool for boiling water or re-heating a plate of leftovers. But when we literally only have a few minutes before running off to a meeting or back to class, the microwave can become a real lifesaver for pulling together a super-quick meal.
Original Source, "Microwave Dinners: Quick Meal Ideas for the Microwave" by the Kitchn

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

• Eat Protein for Power

• 
  
• Consider Eggs

• 
  
• Stay Satisfied with Fiber

• 
  
• Jump-Start Your Recommended Servings

• Think Outside the Cereal Box

• 
  
• Eat Enough

• 
  
• Keep an Eye on Calories

Original Source, "Doable Challenge #1: Get a Healthy Breakfast Boost" by Megan O. Steintrager, Epicurious.com
Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Pumpkins are the sign that Halloween and Thanksgiving are near! There are so many fun things to do with them, from carving, to painting to EATING! 

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a phytochemical that is converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health, including cancer prevention and healthy survivorship!

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protection against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.

Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that prevents cell damage from oxidation that occurs with aging and long-time exposure to environmental pollutants. Studies show that eating orange-colored vegetables and fruits daily may help fend off cancer and heart disease while protecting your vision, immune system and skin.
Pumpkin Pancakes

• 1 cup all purpose flour (for even healthier pancakes, use 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, or 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup molasses or maple syrup
• 3-4 tablespoons fat free buttermilk or skim milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or hazelnuts, optional

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, beat egg slightly. Add pumpkin or squash puree, molasses or syrup, milk or buttermilk and melted butter or margarine. Mix until smooth.
3. Blend in the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until batter is smooth. Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes or more.
4. Stir nuts into batter, and add additional tablespoon of buttermilk or milk if batter is too thick.
5. To make pancakes, spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter onto a lightly greased preheated griddle or heavy skillet. With the back of the spoon, flatten batter to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cook slowly until bubbles appear on top and bottom is golden brown. Lift edge to check. Turn and cook until other side is golden brown.
6. Place on a platter and set platter in a warm oven. Continue making pancakes until all batter is used. Makes about 24, 3-inch pancakes. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Healthy pancake toppings:

Here is something that my husband and I do to make our pancakes even healthier. Rather than topping with butter and syrup, we often will top with yogurt, marmalade or fruit jam, peanut butter, or a little honey. And we almost always top that with some fresh or frozen fruit!

For more recipes, check out this page!  
Pumpkin Facts 

If you are someone who REALLY likes pumpkins, you might enjoy these facts! I got them from the University of Illinois Extension Office Website. 

• Total U.S. pumpkin production in 2008 in major pumpkin producing states was valued at $141 million.
• Total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin-producing states in 2008: 1.1 billion pounds
• 496 million pounds of pumpkins were produced in Illinois in 2008.
• The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
• The top ten pumpkin producing counties in Illinois are Tazewell, Kankakee, Mason, Logan, Will, Marshall, Kane, Pike, Carroll and Woodford.
• Pumpkins are grown primarily for processing with a small percentage grown for ornamental sales through you-pick farms, farmers' market and retail sales.
• Around 90 to 95% of the processed pumpkins in the United States are grown in Illinois.
• Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack.
• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
• Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.
• Pumpkin flowers are edible.
• Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies and breads.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
• Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.
• Pumpkins originated in Central America.
• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
• Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to over 1,000 pounds.
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" - the Greek word for "large melon."
• The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin.
• Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
• Pumpkins are fruit.
• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
• In colonial times, Native Americans roasted long strips of pumpkin in an open fire.
• Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.
• Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.
• Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm squash."
• Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Serves: 8 (1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple)
2 cups thinly sliced ripe pear (about 1 large pear)
1 cup sliced strawberries 
1/2 cup orange sections (about 1 orange)
1/2 cup sliced banana (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
2.  Combine juice, syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3.  Spoon over fruit, and toss gently. Serve immediately or store in the fridge up to 3 days.

Original Recipe from Cooking Light

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

This recipe is brought to you by a culinary sub-group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  If it weren't for the name, "Raspberry Sneak", we would have missed that this recipe actually has baby spinach in it and not just your typical fruit.  We're putting this on our "to try" list while the warm weather is still around.





Adding veggies to smoothies is a great way to avoid sugar overload and to get a nutrient boost.  Spinach, for example, (per 1 cup) offers up 181% of your daily value of Vitamin K, which is mostly found in leafy green vegetables-- doesn't look like we'll get much of that from the rest of our ingredients!  Vitamin K helps blood to clot, aka, helps your scrapes and bruises heal.  

Recipe from: Food & Culinary Professionals of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

• Microwave some leftover beans, fish, pork, steak, or chicken in place of the egg.
• Add veggies, especially green! Try one chopped green onion added to the egg before microwaving or a handful of kale leaves, cooked or raw, layered beneath the cooked egg.
• Use a real egg instead of liquid egg substitute.
• Crumble some reduced-fat feta cheese or cotija (a crumbly mexican cheese) instead of cheddar.
• Go international: use kimchi in place of the salsa with leftover teriyaki steak or chicken.
• Replace the tortilla with toast.

• Omit the shallot or use chopped onion instead (shallots are a bit milder than onions is all).
• Try plain yogurt or avocado in place of the mayo.
• Use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley in place of fresh.
• Don’t have hot sauce?  Forget it!  It doesn’t break the dish.
• Short on time? Forego toasting the bread.
• Don’t like tomatoes? Try eggplant, cucumbers, or zucchini with feta or goat cheese.
• Replace tuna with canned salmon, chicken or beans (mash the beans so they don’t roll off the toast).

• Don’t get scared by the length of the ingredient list-- the first five are spices!
• Buy cooked chicken breasts and add them into the pan just before serving -- this speeds up cook time!
• Use lime juice in a bottle instead of fresh.
• Use whatever-- we mean whatever-- veggies you have or love!  
• Go International (inspired by this)l: Swap these spices for the chile, salt, cumin, garlic, and onion powder.
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• crushed red pepper to taste
• sesame oil instead of olive oil

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

• Go for old fashioned rolled oats that have not been pre-cut or cooked
• Keep the variety-- change your toppings to get the same whole grain benefits with different flavors!
• Use the microwave for quick, on-the-go preparation
• Soak oats, water or milk, and any toppings you'd like in a tupperware or jar in the fridge overnight for a cool, summer twist on a breakfast favorite
• Use milk for creamier oatmeal and water for less creamy

Related: "Begin with Breakfast"

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Have you checked out our latest video???  We are showing you how to make a reduced fat blueberry muffin recipe from Harvard School of Public Health.  Do not give up when you see almond flour.  Just grind/blend up some almonds and you have your own!




Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Bottom line: DIY smoothies reign supreme—you know what you’re getting or, for that matter, not getting. But they are no substitute for whole fruits and vegetables in your diet because it’s easier to take in more calories when you drink instead of eat them. Thus, the Produce for Better Health Foundation recommends no more than 8 to 12 ounces of blended or juiced produce daily.

http://bit.ly/11pXnGT

Juicing and smoothies are all the rage right now. While both can boost your fruit and vegetable intake (something most Americans need to do) and are great for getting a variety of produce into your diet, one is the better choice.

That’s the smoothie. Why? Juicing leaves behind a pulp—which contains fiber and nutrients that you end up tossing away—and thus you lose most of the benefits of whole fruits and vegetables. Blending produce into a smoothie, however, preserves fiber—and a smoothie can deliver an extra boost of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals because it often includes fruit skins and pith. If your smoothie includes yogurt or milk, you get some calcium too. Blending, however, introduces oxygen and sometimes heat, which will knock out a little vitamin C and some B vitamins. (No big deal really, as most of us get plenty of C and produce isn’t a top source of the most sensitive B vitamins.)

Smoothie-lovers beware, though: smoothies can easily turn into high-calorie, sugar-delivery devices if they include sweetened yogurt, sweetened juice, sorbet, frozen yogurt or ice cream (that’s called a milkshake, folks)—and, sadly, many made-to-order and bottled smoothies include these ingredients. 

Check out our how-to for a Mixed Fruit Smoothie!

Original article “Health benefits of juicing vs. smoothies" by Brierley Wright, MS, RD

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org