Pampering4life Healthy Eating Series: Tempeh Croutons

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

Yields:

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 package tempeh
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon shoyu

Directions:

1. Slice tempeh into bite-size cubes.
2. In a bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar and shoyu.
3. Add tempeh and mix well.
4. Place tempeh in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
5. Let cool and serve in your favorite salad.

You can find this and a host of other healthy recipes at my website http://www.nutritionyoudesign.com

Pampering4life Health Tip: Digestive Enzymes

Eating a great meal from day to day is always considered a great pleasure. Eating is important for proper nutrition and absorption for your body to function properly. What is not often discussed is the importance to proper digestion and the effects it can have on the body both negative and positive.

The human digestive tract breaks food into smaller molecules for absorption in two separate ways. Mechanical digestive processes break larger chunks of food into smaller chunks, while chemical processes break larger molecules into smaller ones. Digestive enzymes speed up the reactions that break larger molecules into smaller ones, helping to improve the efficiency of digestion.

There are many types of digestive enzymes, explained by leading doctors in the field. In the book "Biochemistry" by Dr. Reginald Garrett he talks about the different types of digestive enzymes and their chemical terminology. The different forms of enzymes work together with the bile salts produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, after which they move into the small intestine. Working together, digestive enzymes can break down all the large digestible molecules in food.

Because of enzyme specificity, some individuals who lack certain digestive enzymes can't digest some components of diet i.e. gluten tolerance etc. It's relatively common for individuals to lack the lactase enzyme, which results in lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerant individuals can't consume dairy, because they can't digest the sugar in milk. If they do consume lactose, it will pass into the large intestine, where bacteria will digest it, which results in gas and cramping.

The human body will lose very important enzymes as you age over time which is why it's important to consume foods that can replenish enzymes. Eating a diet full of natural, raw, foods that can replenish many enzymes lost will give your system the opportunity for better digestion and absorption. The body can always heal itself as long as you fuel it with proper nutrition.

The next time you enjoy a good meal make sure its one that can give your body what it needs to stay healthy. Learn more about proper eating for health at http://www.nutritionyoudesign.com

Easy Steps To Reduce Body Inflammation

You know that eating healthy can help you lose weight, but what you might not be aware of is that certain foods help reduce inflammation and infection in your body as well. Eating foods high in antioxidants, avoiding processed foods, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly all help with the healing process by reducing inflammation in your body.
Eat foods high in antioxidants. Antioxidants improve circulation and digestion and also naturally reduce inflammation in the body. Many conditions and disease (arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, cataracts, high blood pressure, cancer, hypertension, birth defects, etc) can be avoided or improved by eating foods high in antioxidants 5-9 times a day. Here are SOME examples of foods that are high in antioxidants:
- strawberries
- blueberries
- raspberries
- blackberries
- grapes
- prunes
- fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, etc)
- broccoli
- papayas
- cantaloupe
- nuts (flaxseed, walnuts, etc)
- beans
- peppers
- beats
- asparagus
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- pumpkin
- apricots
- tomatoes
- extra virgin olive oil
- dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

Basically eat foods (raw fruits and vegetables) that are bright in color. The more colorful the better they are for you.

Avoid processed foods (anything in a box or package and doesn't look like it just came from the farm!) - processed foods are not rich in antioxidants. Processed foods contain saturated fat, trans fat, refined carbohydrates and preservatives which actually increase inflammation throughout your body. Many processed foods contain white flour in them - be sure to avoid white flour altogether.

Drink plenty of water and avoid sugary drinks. Water keeps your body hydrated and helps with digestion. Green tea is a great source of antioxidants and a good option to sugary drinks (avoid putting sugar in the tea!)

Exercise regularly. Exercising for 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week will help you naturally lose weight and reduce the amount of body weight exerting pressure on your joints and ligaments. Less pressure means less inflammation in your body.