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High Protein Parmesan Basil Dip

September 29, 2015

veggie dip

Some times we just want a veggie dip or cracker spread that isn’t loaded in fat!  So I came up with a new concoction today that had a yummy Italian flare!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (2.75 g protein)
  • 1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese (6.5 g protein)
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 sprig of fresh basil (about 4-6 leaves)
  • 2 pinches of Parmesan cheese flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  This should provide about 3/4 cup of dip and ~9.25 g protein!

Enjoy!

 

Please feel free to share using the social media icons below!

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Guacamole Health Benefits and Recipe!

August 19, 2015

guacamole 2

 

One of my favorite foods to whip together is guacamole!  It adds amazing flavor to foods and is the best fresh!  So how do you make it from scratch?  Lets take a look!

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 avocados
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped ( I like a little more!)
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 jalapeno (unless you like some kick, then use a whole jalapeno, seeded)
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

 

guacamole 1

 

DIRECTIONS:

Slice avocados in half and remove the seed.  Scrape out all of the avocados into your bowl.  Then squeeze your lime until there is no juice left!  After mashing your avocados in your lime juice, you’ll want to add your chopped ingredients next.  Once your chopped garlic, jalapeno and cilantro are added to your bowl, mix very well.  And voila!  You have a delicious, fresh, preservative free guacamole!

With the acidic lime juice in the recipe, you could refrigerate this guacamole for about 1-2 days without the avocados turning brown.

So what are the health benefits of these foods??

Lets start with avocados…

AVOCADO:  Avocados are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K1, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline, lutein/zeaxanthin, phytosterols.  They are high-monounsaturated fatty acids, which is the heart healthy fat. The avocado oil consists of 71% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 13% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and 16% saturated fatty acids (SFA), which helps to promote healthy blood lipid profiles and enhance the bioavailability of fat soluble vitamins and phytochemicals.  Avocados are very well known to be beneficial to heart health (in moderation).  You do have to remember, because it is a great heart healthy fat source, it will still be high calorie.  A serving of an avocado is around 1/5 of the fruit.  But the average amount of consumption is around 1/2 of the fruit, which is the serving size that was used to gather the above data.

CILANTRO:  Cilantro is loaded in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  It contains no cholesterol (since it does not have a liver) and may help lower LDL cholesterol due to its fiber content.  The oil from the leaves help slow the oxidation process of foods.  So it helps it stay edible longer!  Cilantro (also called corianderum sativum or Chinese parsley) was shown to possibly reduce heavy metal toxicity.  Particularly detoxification of lead in this particular study.  What a win for cilantro!

LIME:  Limes are an excellent source of vitamin C.  We use vitamin C for immune health, tissue repair and to produce collagen.  Collagen is kind of like the glue that holds your body together.

JALAPENO:  Jalapenos contain an ingredient called capsaicin that is usually found in a lot of hot peppers.  Capsaicin is actually known to assist in fat oxidation (or fat burning)!  It can also act as an anti-inflammatory.  If you’re an avid pepper eater, you probably already know capsaicin can assist in clearing up those sinuses and nasal passages.  They also contain lots of vitamins and minerals which are great for immune health and fighting against other diseases.

GARLIC:  Oh the benefits of garlic!  I have actually done a whole blog itself on garlic so I will link that HERE.

 

There is nothing better for us than eating good, clean, natural food.  I’m hoping that these blog posts are getting the message across that processed foods prevent you from getting all the benefits listed above.

I hope this post was educational!  Please leave any questions in the comments below!  And if you know of anyone that would enjoy this recipe, please share by using the social media icons below!

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Garlic: What are the Health Benefits?

August 18, 2015

garlic 2

Garlic is a species within the onion genus (Allium) and is closely related to shallots, leeks and chives.  During the autumn season, garlic cloves are planted and will be harvested in early spring.  Here is a photo of our harvested garlic this spring.

garlic

Garlic has been known to be used in cooking and medicinally.  For cooking, it adds a spicy and very bold flavor to foods.

Medicinally, we have always heard that it could be used for heart health.  But why is that?  And is that all it could be used for?  Let’s take a look.

The active ingredient in garlic that everyone is so interested in is called allicin.

Medicinal uses for garlic (allicin):

1.  There are studies that show using allicin for treatment of hyperlipidemia in mice reduces the fatty streaks (atherosclerosis) and can also reduce platelet aggregation.

2.  Allicin is also well know for lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol which puts you at lower risk for heart attack or stroke.

3.  While taking allicin, immune function of lymphocytes in cancer patients improved, production of carcinogens were inhibited and tumor sizes were reduced.

4.  Free radicals that may damage endothelial cells may be stopped by aged garlic extract!  This means garlic may help with diseases that hurt your endothelial cells like atherosclerosis, diabetes and inflammatory diseases.

 

GARLIC NUTRITION:

Serving: 1 clove (3 g)

Calories: 4

Protein: 0.14 g

Carbohydrate: 0.99 g

Fat: 0.02 g

 

Conclusion:

Garlic is only beneficial to your health.  It has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and reduces inflammation of the endothelial cells.  What that means is that it reduces swelling of the cells that line your blood vessels which allows better blood flow.  So your blood vessels are not so constricted and the opportunity for plaque build up is reduced.

Every chance I get, I add it to recipes.  Not only for all the health benefits, but for the savory and spicy flavor!

 

 

2 Comments Filed Under: Helpful

Welcome!

AvatarI’m Tamar, a registered dietitian living in Alabama, fascinated by food, fitness, and travel. My goal for this blog is to help people learn more about how to live a long, healthy, and peaceful life to the fullest. Read More…

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