It’s National Nutritional Month…What Y’all Eating?

Is it fruits and vegetables? How about a good lentil soup? Or, are you enjoying a juicy piece of baked meat of your choice with a fresh garden salad as a side?  Well, whatever it is, you should ‘Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right!’  Yep, that’s the theme for National Nutritional Month 2014!  Enjoy the taste of eating fresh fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, lean meats, beans, nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy products. 

And, don’t just eat plain and boring; have fun with your foods. Make refreshing fruit juices or fruit cubes using ice trays.  Make your own concoction of a vegetable juice by juicing all your favorite vegetables at once.  My favorite is beets, strawberry and raspberry juice. I swear it’s good. When you prepare your meals, add new spices such as oregano, parsley, rosemary, dill or thyme. Oh, there is nothing like a good ‘ole’ garden salad topped with nuts, seeds or dried fruits.   

During this month, there are many ways you can ‘Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right!’  In particularly, you can join the National Meatless Monday Challenge each week. You already know what this means—No Darn Meat on Mondays—believe me you will live! Just ask my best friend who bullied her fiancé, who is a die-hard meat-eater, to doing the two weeks vegan challenge! I highly encourage you to participate in this weekly challenge and invite others to join you for extra support.  

As for me¸ I will definitely enjoy indulging in my favorite healthy snacks, and continue encouraging  individuals, especially in urban communities to eat better.  I am so dedicated to getting my urban neighbors to commit to ‘enjoying the taste of eating right’ for a lifetime!

For more information on National Nutrition Month, healthy eating tips and recipes, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org

Don’t forget to send some luv to your favorite Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Wednesday, March 14th!  Its Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day!   

Happy RDN Day to me and all my fellow peeps!!!!

The Nutrition Salon is NOW Open!

Did you know that your hair tells your eating secrets?  It is definitely a way that practitioners can determine your nutritional status.   What can you eat to grow healthy hair, regardless if you are vegans/vegetarians or not?

Protein is the primary nutrient that provides the structure for our hair.  In addition to proteins, there are supplemental nutrients such as zinc, sulfur, essential fatty acids that give us that rich and ‘bangin’ hair that we all hope for.       

For Vegans/Vegetarians:   

Best protein sources:  beans, green peas, chickpeas, tempeh, tofu, edamame, nuts, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah),  butternuts, leafy green vegetables, hemp, chia seeds, sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds, seitan (wheat gluten that looks like duck meat, but taste delicious when added to meals), non-dairy milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder (1 tbsp =1g of protein)

Zinc: bran cereal, roasted cashews and almonds, chickpeas, boiled lentils and lima beans, and tofu

Sulfur: as for sulfur, it is a component of two vitamins thiamin and biotin that helps with cell metabolism, and is essential to the structure of hair, skin, and nail.  Therefore, taking an organic multivitamin-mineral supplement can help meet your recommended nutrient needs to promote growth.   Food sources:  legumes, nuts, onions, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, garlic, leeks and shallots

Essential fatty acid: olives and olive oil, sunflower and safflower oil, seeds, flaxseeds, grapeseeds, walnuts, whole grains, avocados, canola oil, hempseeds, and chia seeds, sea vegetables and microalgae, dark green leafy vegetables

For Meat Eaters:

Best Protein sources:  lean meats, eggs, fish, seafood, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and nut butters, and low-fat milk and dairy products  

Zinc: red meats, oyster, soybeans, nuts and wheat germ

Sulfur:  lean meats, eggs, cheese, milk, nuts and legumes

Essential fatty acid:  fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, eggs, olives and olive oil, sunflower and safflower oil, whole grain, flax seeds, walnuts and almonds, green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts,

Whether your hair is long, short, relax, perm, natural, or colored -- there is one thing for certain, we all want healthy, lustrous hair.

Until next time, love and take care of ‘yo’ hair.

Food Jonezi, RDN

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 In since we are talking about hair… I uploaded the “Beautiful hair” scene from my favorite movie “School Daze,” by Spike Lee. There is no such thing of good or bad hair just HEALTHY HAIR!

Additional Sources:

Webmd: http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-styling/top-10-foods-for-healthy-hair 

Twenty-ONE Days of Veganism! Jay and Beyonce are doing it. And, Tia Mowry has decided to make it a LIFESTYLE!

               

Tia Mowry promotes veganism--"Don't knock it before you try it"
Source: www.peta.org 

“I’m like hold up, who you smacking on?/ I’m only trying to eat what you snacking on.”   If you are truly a Jay-Z fan, you would know this famous line from his song, “Dead Prez’ Hell Yeah” remix.  And, I think it fits perfectly with his new 21-days vegan challenge. 

In case you haven’t heard, Queen Bey and Jigga are going vegan for 21 days.  What’s the noise about being “veggie vegans?”   First, being vegan requires a full commitment to a 100% plant-based diet.  It means everything you eat, must be grown from the ground up—from seeds, beans, soy, oats, to fruits and vegetables.  You get the picture.  

Extreme veganism requires that an individual must not wear products or clothes derived from any animal source.  Therefore, your favorite leather shoes, fur coat, or non-organic make-up must go!

However, if you decided to take on the 21-days vegan challenge like the Carters, I want to offer a few nutrition tips and resources as you plan nutritious meatless meals throughout the day!

Make Sure You’re Eating Well Balance Meatless Meals!                                                                   

Let’s be clear, going vegetarian or vegan does not always make you healthier than your meat-eating friends.  You have to make sure that your body is getting the recommended servings of protein, fat carbohydrates, water vitamins and minerals for daily maintenance.   I bolded the word “protein” because eating enough high-protein foods seem to be the biggest issue with veganism, since no animal-source foods are consumed. I  recommend that you try eating:   

• Beans/lentils and rice
• Bean burritos
• Bean chili or soup
• Vegetable hummus wraps
• Peanut butter, soy milk, banana smoothies

Check out ChooseMyPlate.gov for vegetarian/vegan recipes that are high in proteins and those essential nutrients.

Don’t Forget About Bone Health!

Don’t believe the news hype that soy causes breast cancer! There has not been any link to soy and cancer.  In fact, fortified-calcium soy products are convenient ways that vegans and vegetarians can get their recommended servings of proteins and calcium. Actually, research has shown that consuming soy products can lower your risk of cancer, and also add variety to your meals.  So drink your soy milk my fellow veggie vegans!   

However, soy is not the only food that provides calcium for your bones.  Kale, broccoli, bok-choy, to name a few, are vegetables that can give your body calcium.  However, some vegetables such as spinach and rhubarb are good sources of calcium, but they are high in oxalates, which decrease calcium absorption, so include a wide variety of other green vegetable more often.

Remember, calcium, Vitamin D and protein works together to build strong bones.  To ensure that you get the recommended 1,000 mg of calcium daily intake, I suggest that you spread your green veggies intake throughout the day and choose calcium-fortified foods such as non-dairy milk, ready-to-eat cereals, orange juice and tofu.  

In addition to following a nutrient-rich diet, weight-bearing exercise such as yoga, running, walking and strength training is an essential component for increasing bone strength.

Good luck with your meatless challenge everyone!  You will definitely be snacking on a whole lot of fruits and vegetables…and that’s a good thing!

~ Food Jonezi, RDN~ 

Dairy Entry #1: Meet My Neighbors

This summer is a little different for me.  Since May 31^st, I’ve been trying to figure out life after leaving my job of seven years.  I can honestly tell you it has not been easy; however¸ I’ve learned to embrace those challenges and opportunities that follow the next day. 

For the past several weeks, I have continued to study for the RD exam, which is quickly approaching; work on getting my own consulting services called “C Jonez Nutrition Consulting Services,” licensed and approved by the District of Columbia government, do some summer cleaning, exercise, and hangout with my next-door neighbors!  Yep! I have three new girlfriends—Lisa, age 48, and her two daughters Korei, age 19, and Romona, age 15.

Now let me tell you my neighbors can cook their butts off!   All three of these women can whip-up tasty, southern-style, home cooked meals in a matter of seconds.  Each meal is well seasoned, full of flavor, mouth-watering and finger-licking good!  

The problem is each meal is prepared the ‘ole’ fashioned way…with BUTTER! As Lisa says, “NOT margarine but BUTTER chile.” (lol).   When they are not using butter, they are frying in grease.     Mayonnaise, (BUTTER), cheese, (BUTTER), table salt, (BUTTER), and sugar are other kitchen favorites, and often used as the primary ingredient for their homemade sauces and juices.  Everything is than washed down with a glass of high sugary juices, ice tea, and sometimes water. White bread and rolls are preferred over whole-wheat.   High sodium canned foods fill the kitchen cabinets.  High-fat salad dressings and barbecue sauces take up nearly all of the side-shelves of the refrigerator.  While watching  their favorite movies and television shows, which two of them happens to be the Food network’s Hell’s Kitchen and Chopped, they indulge on their favorite snacks (sour cream and onions potato chips, slim-Jim, gummy bears, and ice cream).  Now do not get me wrong, my neighbors do snack on fresh fruits and incorporate cooked vegetables with each meal, however they are victims of poor eating habits, obesity, and have a high risk of developing cancer, diabetes or heart disease.   

As a soon to be RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist), my biggest concerns with my neighbors are their food choices, food preparation methods, and lack of exercise.  Since I am home, I spend a tremendous amount of time with them, and to be honest I am guilty of indulging in their food too, but I think it’s my God fulfilling duties to get them moving towards better health soon.  I will be honest with you; this will be a great challenge for me as I also work towards reaching my own personal goals this summer.   These women are already set in their ways, and they surely loooove their food and how it taste.  And, I mean, they looooove how their food taste.  Therefore, I realize being a food police and patrolling their food intake and food choices would not be a good way of helping them change their eating habits.  This may come off as offensive and too aggressive.  I would rather take a simple approach that I learned during my internship--encouraging physical activity, introducing healthier foods and cooking habits one at a time, and let your clients actually prepare his/her own healthy snack or meal on their own.   That is what I planned to do! 

Each week I plan to share with you my journey of helping my neighbors adopt healthier eating habits, make better food choices and increase their physical activity level. Surely, I will provide tips that you could incorporate into your own life as you work towards your health goals.   So, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog to follow my neighbors’ food drama madness this summer for a good laugh, but mostly for your support of our journey!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    SNEAK PREVIEW ON NEXT WEEK JONEZI’S Neighbors Food Drama: Summer Series

 Dairy Entry #2: Give Olive Oil A Try!

Lisa: “Honey, you crazy if you think I’m using this good olive oil for cooking!  I can use it for my hair to make it shiny and grow and to anoint my forehead …I ain’t using this olive oil for cooking.”

Jonezi’s Favorite Summer Snack of the Week:

Banana Ice cream

“What you need?”

Four large ripe bananas, soy milk or low fat milk, Greek plain yogurt or just low-fat plain yogurt, honey, and cinnamon

Optional Toppings:

Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) and sliced pecan

“How to make it”

Step #1: Peel bananas and slice each in halves.  Place and cover the bananas in a tubberware container.  Store the bananas in the freezer for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Step # 2: Take the frozen bananas and insert them into the blender or food processor.  You can break the frozen bananas with your hand.   

Step # 3: Add ½ cup of soy milk and ½ cup of Greek plain yogurt into the blender.

Step#4:  Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Step #5: Place and secure lid on the blender or food processor.  Press the “puree” option on the blender.  Puree until mixture becomes thick and creamy.  Depending on your blending, you may have to pulse it several times allowing the bananas to be chopped up before letting the blender or processor make that creamy ice cream.  You may also have to push down the bananas that gather on the sides.

Step #6: Pour the ice cream into bowl.  Top the cream with honey, raspberries and sliced pecan.

Enjoy your ice cream!

“Nobody Has Time for Food Worries on Valentine’s Day”

Oh sweet heavens! It’s that time again, when my girlfriends ask me what foods to avoid on Valentine’s Day so they can enjoy snuggling with their sweetheart or “honey-dip” (a pet name that my best friend calls her boyfriend) – (LOL) without worrying about being bloated or gassy.   I have no problems sharing some tips.

It just depends on whether you have some food intolerances such as being lactose intolerant (your body cannot easily digest the natural sugar found in milk) or gluten sensitive (your body has an adverse reaction when you eat foods that contains gluten; but you DO NOT necessarily have celiac disease).  Or, whether you just started adding fruits, vegetables or beans to your diet that can cause bloating or flatulence (a better term for passing gas) (Oops).  

Being lactose intolerant and gluten sensitive can lead to nutrient deficiency resulting to serious medical problems.  If you noticed that your stomach is in turmoil after eating foods with whole milk or milk products such as ice cream, yogurt, cheese, sherbet, whipped cream, pudding, cream sauces and cream fillings, butter milk, sour cream, powdered milk and even evaporated milk; try lactose-free or lower-fat milk such as 2% or fat-free, soy milk, Greek yogurt, sorbet, cottage cheese, hard cheese like cheddar and provolone that can be easily digested.  Or you can consider taking Lactaid tablet to predigest dairy foods.    Same as being gluten sensitive, avoid foods made with whole wheat flour, barley, bulgur, couscous, semolina, spelt, triticale and rye grains.  Try corn, corn flour, quinoa, flaxseed, potato flour or soy flour.  Check out this entire list of gluten-free diet slideshow: www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-gluten-free-diet.   Always, consult with your registered dietitian (RD) or your doctor if you generally have gas and other GI discomfort.    

Did you know you can be fructose intolerant too?  For those of you who are hypersensitive to the natural sugar found in fruits (“fruct” ose—you get it) may find yourself passing gas or bloated after eating certain fruits.   Suggested fruits are easy on your digestive system:  strawberries, raspberries, pineapples, grapes and cherries.   Fructose is also in honey, sweetened beverages and syrup.   Speaking of sugar, many sugar-free beverages, candies and gum contain the sweetener sorbitol which is known to cause bloating and diarrhea.   Sorbitol is not well absorbed in the digestive system.  So, those diet sodas we gulp down to dodge those extra calories can lead to stomach disturbances.   My advice to you, go easy on the diet refills at dinner.  

Please, don’t go out ordering steamed broccoli with your steak or a bowl of lentil soup as an appetizer if you don’t eat vegetables and beans regularly.  Vegetables and beans are good for you but can be tough on your digestive system if you do not eat them often.  Try green beans, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, beets, squash, sweet or baked potato, and well-cooked carrots.  As for beans, try soaking your beans overnight and cooking them softer to dissolve the complex sugar which causes you to break wind. (Oh no!) 

Lastly, your body can retain salt and cause bloating.  Let me say it again. Your body can retain salt and cause bloating!  Since a lot of condiments such as sauces and dressings contain a tremendous amount of salt, you may not want to drench your salad with dressing or fries with ketchup.  Instead, you want to order sauces and dressings on the side to control your salt intake.  Salt-free seasonings, olive oil or vinegar based- dressings are always good options!  Also, go easy on processed meals and take-out foods.  They can be high in salt.

It may seem that healthy foods can cause you to literally clear out a room in a matter of seconds. (LOL) However, to get your body used to processing them, gradually add vegetables, fruits, beans into your diet each day and keep a journal of foods that made you feel bloated or gassy.   Try limiting those foods to at least 1 cup a day.  You don’t have to avoid them unless your doctor or RD instructs you otherwise.   

Other tips:

- Exercise. Exercising helps improve your digestive system functions by moving your bowels regularly and cutting down on gas. 

- Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.

- Drink water to flush out the excess salt.

- Try drinking ginger, peppermint or fennel tea.  They can help calm your digestive system.

- Stop stressing.  Stressing out or having anxiety can cause that “bubbly” feeling in your gut.  

Now, calm your nerves and have a oHappy Valentine’s Day!  

Jonezi’s favorite Valentine’s Day food and nutrition websites:

- American Heart Association (www.heart.org) has plenty of mouth-watering recipes available on its website.  If you decide to set the mood in your own home with a candle light dinner and yummy desserts, then find heart healthy dishes at the AHA.    

- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (www.eatright.org)

-ShopWell (www.shopwell.com)

- MyPlate.gov (www.myplate.gov)