10 Healthy Foods I Dislike & Regret Buying

① Chia seeds & chia pudding - 

The gooey texture and appearance is off putting. I do not mind using it within muffin batters.
               

☑ Pricey

② Hemp Seeds-

The soft texture of the seeds is great but the strong musty (earthy) taste is not welcomed. When added to smoothies or oatmeal it imparts a noticeable taste. I however, enjoy and find hemp milk quite tasty.

☑ Pricey

③ Stevia-

The brand of stevia I bought is not 100% stevia and this may be why the product has a bitter taste that is quite noticeable.

               

☑ Pricey

④ Coconut Flour

Boy, oh boy, Coconut flour is one of the most challenging gluten-free flours I have tested out. It soaks up a lot of water, it requires a binder (e.g. egg),  products made with it can have a grainy texture, etc. etc. I honestly, made  3 recipes with this and I gave up. 

⑤ Unsweetened Almond milk (homemade or store-bought)-

I will  stick to chewing my almonds, considering it is packed with more nutrition that unfortified almond milk per ounce.

⑥ Seaweed

This tastes like a mix of the ocean and fresh salt-water fish; not my favourite flavour combo.

⑦ Carielle or Bitter melon-         

The vegetable, despite it's health and nutritional properties is really bitter. It smells really good when fried but the bitterness is just to strong for my taste buds. 

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⑧ Quinoa-

It tastes bland when cooked without herbs or spices but the miniature seeds are creepy.
          

☑ Pricey

⑨ Coconut oil and Olive oil- 

These impart a strong flavour on foods. I will stick to sesame oil and use coconut oil and olive oil in my hair.
      

⑩ Whole-wheat /Whole-Grain

The whole-grain versions of grain products  e.g. whole-wheat coucous, whole-wheat pasta and whole-wheat wraps have strong and bold flavours.  I would rather limit my consumption of the refined versions, that purchase the whole-grain version. The whole-grain versions are also quite pricey 

☑ Pricey

These are the health foods, I do not enjoy and in some cases regret purchasing.

Thank you for reading! 

What are the health foods you dislike?

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Sugar, Sugar, Sugar! Sugar! Too Much is Bad for the Brain

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Basic physiology tells us the brain and muscles utilise and require certain amounts of glucose to function optimally. However, a recent study by Yale University Prevention Research Centre confirms this as MRI scans showed, increased chemical activity in certain parts of the brain after the consumption of sugar-laden foods. This increased chemical activity is likened to the brain activity of persons using narcotic drugs.  Despite this, the Sugar Association in the USA maintains the claim sugar is not an addictive substance.

Nevertheless,the issue with sugar consumption is not that it can be found in both natural and processed food products but has to do with the concentrated food sources; also known as the sugar dietary bombs or sugar bombs.

These sugar bombs are defined as foods with little or no nutritional value outside of fats and carbohydrates due to large amounts of refined or processed sugar contained within the product.
For example, the primary nutrient gained from the mauby drink is carbohydrates, more specifically sugar (43 grams of sugars or 10 teaspoons).
While mauby is said to have health benefits, the amount of sugar in the beverage negates this effect.

✑ Suggested Reading: Why do we crave the sweet stuff? Science points to your brain

Constantly, being exposed to concentrated sources of added sugar increases our tolerance for sweetness and overtime, the body begins to crave more and more sugar. (Read More) This can lead to poor dental health and a gradual increase in fat storage in certain areas of the body, especially when physical activity levels decrease and the daily diet lacks nutrient-rich foods such as whole-grains, legumes, vegetables etc.  (Read More 1, 2, 3)

To get control of your sugar habit:

First, start tracking your sugar intake.

This can be done over the course of a day or a typical week. Write down all that is consumed. no matter how small. Take note of the time of day, the mood you were in and environment. All these details can help you identify eating patterns (e.g. afternoon candy, breakfast coffee beverage and doughnut) or triggers (e.g. loneliness, boredom, socialising etc. ).

Second, become aware of the foods that contain added sugar
 Reading the ingredient list of all packaged and commercially made items would help you identify whether the product has sugar added. If there is no ingredient list, then thread with caution.
Home-made or ready-prepared items such as stews, coleslaw, potato salad, pelau, cooked vegetables, tomato-sauce and soups, pose less of a challenge as long as the diet is not being compromised by the addition of sugar-laden beverages, and sugar-laden treats -fruity yoghurts, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, candy, Indian sweets, sweet breads, sweetened nuts etc. Nevertheless, if you are making it yourself, it is best to cut back on the amount of sugar added. If these items are purchased, then be mindful of portion consumed, the beverages consumed with the meal, beverages consumed throughout the day, and be mindful of the snacks chosen.
In all, many foods have sugar added to them during processing for set reasons. The foods that pose a challenge to most, are the unlikely sources of added sugar or hidden sources.

✑ Suggested Reading: 56 Different Names for Sugar

Thirdly, know the daily limit for added sugar
The World Health Organisation suggests adults aim for 25 grams (6.5 teaspoons) of added sugar a day. While, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 9 teaspoons (36 g) of added sugar a day (4 teaspoons of added sugar children, 6 teaspoons of added sugar women; 9 teaspoons of added sugar men).

Too much sugar in the diet makes you a fat-builder, not a fat-burner.
 Limit all added sugar in your diet to 4 to 9 teaspoons per day.

Fourthly, enjoy foods that do not require the addition of sugar

Sticking to three or five balanced meals a day can help control appetite and cravings for sugar. Often, times sugary foods are consumed as a snack or light meal when main meals are skipped or consumption is delayed. The trick is to eat on time (no more than 4 hours a part) and ensure each meal comprise at least 20 grams of protein. (Read More: 1, 2, 3, 4)
There are so many amazing foods to enjoy.  
Do not feel deprived, simply enjoy food from different food groups throughout the day.

An example of  day's worth of balanced eating 

Thank you for reading! 
Hope you enjoyed the post.

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For view video:
New study finds sugar is also bad for your brain

Say YES to Eat Your Vegetables Day.

Today, June 17 th is #EatYourVegetablesDay.
Despite the general public being constantly told of the many benefits of consuming vegetables every day. 90.8% of the Trinidad and Tobago population consume less than 3 servings of vegetables a day. Bear in mind, 1 serving of vegetables is not that much (see photo below, each vegetable illustrates 1 serving).

Image Source 

To know how many servings of vegetables you need based on your age group (see poster above). Then aim to increase the amounts eaten of the vegetables you enjoy. However, if the vegetables eaten are restricted to only 2 or 3 different vegetables, it is recommended you experiment by adding new vegetables in your diet weekly and work up to consuming it daily.

Nevertheless, there are many ways to sneak this nutritive food group into ones diet, such as:
1) Consuming it raw as a smoothie or well seasoned, low-sodium chow.
2) Seeking out recipes that use the vegetables in savoury items e.g. muffins, quick breads or breads.
3) Seeking out recipes that utilise herbs and spices as flavourings in cooked vegetable dishes.
4) Consuming the vegetables raw or dehydrated, with a dip e.g. dried beet root with salsa, jicama sticks with ranch dressing, radish with hummus etc.
5) Add grated or shredded vegetables to sandwich fillings or spreads e.g. grated carrot to cheese paste, grated zucchini to tuna paste etc.
Experiment until you find at least 6 vegetables you can consume on a daily basis in ample amounts.

The following collage shares 7 ways vegetables can be used as snacks, best part they are low-calorie.

Say yes! to Veggie Snacks

However, to vegetable newbies, try selecting vegetables with a high-water content (Click here for a qualitative list). Vegetables with a high-water content often have a mild taste that is tolerable and can be consumed raw or cooked. They also tend to be fibre-rich despite being low in calories and packed with variable amounts of minerals and vitamins.

Aim to consume two servings  a day, working your way up to at least 4 vegetable servings per day.  Once this is achieved,  slowly add vegetables with stronger flavours e.g dark green leafy vegetables- spinach, watercress, patchoi (bac choi) and purple vegetables- purple cabbage, eggplant etc.

Here are some great starter vegetables:

1) Christophene or Chayote

132grams (g) uncooked christophene conatins about 93% of its weight in water. It is a.member of the squash family, and is classed as a vegetable-fruit (because of the seed). It is oblong and  pear shaped, with a rough skin that is mild to dark green. The flesh is pale green to colourless and has a mild taste that is comparable to zucchini  or cucumber. There is a single seed and the flesh can be consumed in many ways -raw or cooked. 

Christophene can be stir-fried and served with brown rice or whole grain pasta or served as a simple salad .

For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw and cooked

2) Tomatoes 

The water content in tomatoes range from 80- 93% or even higher per 100g of edible flesh. The water content does diminish depending on how it is prepared and how much salt is added. Taste-wise, the darker the shade of red, the more intense the flavour appears to be. Yellow and orange tomatoes, tend to have a mild taste. Regardless, tomatoes are best served raw, but studies have shown that the anti-carcinogenic properties are activated when the vegetable-fruit is cooked. For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw, cooked and dried

3) Cucumbers

Cucumbers eaten without the skin is more tolerable to persons on therapeutic diets e.g. renal diet. Outside of that cucumbers have a strong odour but the taste is very mild. They are best consumed raw for the nutritive properties (low-calorie, rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium,   and fibre) but can be consumed cooked or pickled. Sliced cucumbers sprinkled with a pinch or salt and black pepper can be a great side dish to most rice based dishes. Cucumbers have been known to aid in lowering blood pressure due to its potassium content along with containing a number of disease-fighting antioxidant compounds, like tannins and flavonoids, says   Michelle Dudash,  Registered Dietitian and Chef Consultant. In the homoeopathy lifestyle, cucumbers are a coolant or an alkaline food,  "their moist flesh makes them cool to the touch and they contain ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, two natural compounds that can help prevent water retention" says Dr Andrew Weil M.D, Health Advisor. For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw.  

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4) Lettuce- Iceberg

Iceberg lettuce is most commonly consumed because the price attached and crisp texture. It is no surprise that iceberg lettuce is cheap compared to romaine and arugula.  The pale green hue, comes off non threatening to many non-veggie lovers along with the low calorie and minimal vitamins and fibre contents.  Regardless, iceberg lettuce has a mild and slight 'leafy' taste compared to other salad greens. One bonus of iceberg, lacking from other lettuce varieties is the high water content. This component allows iceberg to mix well with other food items without contributing an overpowering flavour, for this reason adding iceberg lettuce to salads can help eliminate the bitterness of the leaf lettuce, e.g romaine, watercress etc.  Bear in mind, iceberg lettuce can have a pale to dark green hue.  For more nutrition information visit nutritiondata.com: raw.  

Other vegetables with high water contents that could be included into the diet easily are:
Cabbage- green (93% water) & purple (92% water)
Cauliflower (92% water)
Broccoli (91% water)
Carrots (87% water)
Sweet peppers (92% water)

Thank you for reading! 
Hope you enjoyed the post.

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NOTE: To the botanist cucumbers, tomatoes & christophene are classified as fruits because they contain seeds but in the culinary sense they are vegetables because of their low-sugar content compared to traditional fruits.