Good Things are In-Season Now.

If you haven’t been through the produce section of your local supermarket lately, now is your time to get there!  Move away from the frozen fruits and vegetables and check out what’s fresh.  I try to buy organic whenever possible, but realistically, this is still expensive to do.  Even more important than organic on my list: buying local.  

Locally grown produce is available at your neighborhood supermarket or farmers’ market.  The benefits of buying local are many fold.

• Buying locally grown produce helps your local economy.
• When grown locally, transportation time is null.  Your fruits and veggies get from the farm to your plate in a much shorter time than if they’re grown somewhere in South America.  Travel time is huge for retaining nutrients.  The lesser the time in transit, the more nutrient dense your produce will be.  (Less time in transit also equals less gas used – you’re benefitting the environment!)

The most important thing when buying produce is to buy a variety of colors as every color is associated with a different type of antioxidant behavior.  Again, I buy organic when possible, but ultimately, it’s the look and firmness of the fruit or vegetable that sells me.  Just always make sure to wash your fresh produce thoroughly.

Springtime Fresh Fruits and Veggies You’ve Got to Try:

Have you noticed the strawberries this spring?  They’ve been gorgeous this year.  It’s only Tuesday and our family is on our second case this week!  We cut them up and serve with dinner – a giant bowl is gone in minutes at our house.  They taste great and are loaded with antioxidants.  They’re a power food!

Clementine oranges are affordable by the case right now.  They’re easy to peel and you can eat two or three at a pop.  A plus – kids love them!

Asparagus is everywhere this month.  We brush it with olive oil and a little Mrs. Dash or other salt-free seasoning and grill it on foil outside.  Grill it just enough so that it’s a little soft outside and crunchy on the inside.  This is another kid favorite and is high in vitamin C, and has a ton of antioxidant behavior. 

Artichokes are another seasonal veggie that are often overlooked.  They’ve looked great lately, too.  We simply steam them, pull off the leaves and eat the bottoms.  Then be sure to pull the ends of the leaves and eat the heart.  At dinner, we make two artichokes and everyone shares (except the heart – there is always a fight for that at our house)!

Every once in a while a reader will ask us our opinions about whole body, colon cleanses, or detox cleanses. This is a great question and one that I’d like to share the answer with everyone.

Do I recommend cleanses? NO! Absolutely not.

First, know that cleansing is an ongoing process. It’s not something that should happen once or twice a year. The body does a very good job of cleansing itself when given the right tools. If you are following an anti-inflammatory diet like Forever Young, your body is cleansing itself regularly. A good diet will help your body cleanse daily. An anti-inflammatory diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables will sweep any toxins from your body and also sweep your colon. Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation-causing free radicals, thereby reducing toxins in the body that cause disease.

Should you consider a cleanse prior to starting your new anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle? No! Consider your diet your cleanse. Following a good anti-inflammatory diet is not only perfectly safe (unlike some cleansing systems), but will cost you no extra money. A once yearly cleanse is not going to reduce your chance of disease, but following a good diet (your body’s natural daily cleanse) certainly will.

Many people are also under the assumption that so-called detox cleanses will undo all the damage caused by a poor diet and lifestyle. Not so. Only a healthy diet and lifestyle followed every day will keep your body running clean and efficiently.

By: Joan O’Keefe, RD

Some people ask why CardioTabs sells a whey protein product. Isn’t that just for athletes, people ask. The answer is simple. Whey protein isolate is one of the absolute best things you can use to fuel your body. Not only is whey protein isolate the cleanest, purest, most complete (and nonfat!) protein source available, but it tastes really great too. Whey protein isolate will keep you feeling full for a long time. It can also help you build lean body mass.
We have formulated CardioWhey to contain only the highest quality whey protein isolate with none of the concentrates and fillers many whey products contain. We’ve also added magnesium and chromium and to CardioWhey.
I know that CardioWhey  is one of the healthiest things I can recommend to my clients. We’re all busy and whey protein is truly easy to make, especially for breakfast. It takes less than 30 seconds to make and it’s portable. There IS time for breakfast. Here are a few taste-tested recipes we’ve developed that provide the color and protein you need to start the day right.

Memory-Boost Smoothies
(Blueberries are a terrific memory-boosting food and this is a great way to get them into your diet.)

Blueberry/Apple Sauce
1 cup nonfat skim milk
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 scoop CardioWhey Vanilla
Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Berry Blend
1 cup nonfat skim milk
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 scoop CardioWhey Vanilla or Chocolate
Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

More Color & Protein

Mandarin Orange
1 cup nonfat skim milk
½ cup canned mandarin oranges (drained)
1 scoop CardioWhey Vanilla
(Try adding ½ cup frozen blueberries – tastes great together and packs even more of a nutritional punch.)
Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
1 cup nonfat skim milk – we used unsweetened almond milk, yum!
¼ cup canned pumpkin (plain, not pumpkin pie mix)
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon combined)
½ banana
2 scoops CardioWhey Vanilla
Try adding a few ice cubes to this to make really cold.
Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Note – while all recipes listed here call for skim milk, you can substitute with nonfat, unsweetened non-dairy milk. We tried skim milk and unsweetened almond milk in the recipes and loved both results.

By Joan O’Keefe

Thanksgiving at the O’Keefe house is festive and fun, yet healthy. Sure, we splurge a little, but our menu is still colorful and fresh. Below is the O’Keefe Thanksgiving meal plan:

Turkey
You can’t go wrong with this healthy source of lean protein.

Mixed Green Salad
I like to mix baby greens, spinach, hearts of palm, cucumbers, tomatoes, anything to add color into a salad. Drizzle the salad with light vinaigrette (olive oil and balsalmic vinegar), sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese and garnish with pimento.

Fruit Salad
Another easy way to add color, not calories to your meal. Slice fresh, colorful fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapples, cantaloupe, even apples and bananas (the more color the better) and serve chilled.

Green Beans Almondine
Again, simplicity is key. I simply use chicken broth in the steamer instead of water and steam green beans as usual, when done toss with Benacol and sliced almonds.

Sweet Potatoes
My kids have never been fans of sweet potato casseroles, but baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon is a healthy option.

Pumpkin Soup
A simple recipe, as delicious as it is nutritious. See the recipe in the section below.

Cranberries
While festive, most cranberry sauces have far too much sugar. I recommend making your own, but only using 1/3 the sugar from the recipe on fresh cranberry packages – try adding some sliced apple to tame the tart.

Whole Grain Rolls
We serve these warm, on the side, and not before the meal!

Pumpkin Pie
We do serve the traditional pumpkin pie, but I do use only nonfat condensed milk and a lowfat pie crust. Just remember – portion control!

Red Wine
For the adults, of course. One drink per day will reduce abdominal fat and help your HDL, but anything more than two drinks daily accumulates in and around your belly.

Thanksgiving and the holiday season is a time to celebrate and food is a big part of the celebrations. If you choose to indulge, follow my three bite rule (see it below) and our holiday party survival tips.

By Joan O’Keefe

Download the recipe for Joan O’Keefe’s protein pancakes. A delicious and nutritional recipe that is kid-tested and approved!

Download the O’Keefe’s omelet recipe. Only 128 calories, the omelet is protein filled, heart healthy and great for the waist line.