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By now, we hope you are finding it easier to eat more FnVs and that maybe you’ve explored a new recipe or two. Today, we’re tackling breakfast and dessert. This is kind of ironic since a typical American breakfast has as much sugar as a dessert. The recipes below are lightly sweetened with natural sugars, which are a marginally better option than white table sugar, meaning they retain some of their original micronutrients—they were not stripped away in the processing/bleaching handling. CCP helps you stay on track! Use our log to to track your progress toward our mini resolution. This month, we’re looking to up our fruit and veggie (FnVs) consumption! For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected] From the era of the Snackwell cookie (ultimate UPF!), most of us are familiar with the trick of adding applesauce or pumpkin to our baking to increase the texture/moisture in low fat desserts. We have all made our fair share of fruit crisps and pies or banana and zucchini breads, but here we wholesale swap out the grains for FnVs. Plantains, pumpkin, sweet potato and beets take center stage in these recipes which are prepared in a blender and either lightly sweetened or have no added sugar at all. BREAKFAST WAFFLES Sweet Potato Waffles - No Added Sweetener Plantain Waffles - No Added Sweetener PANCAKES Plantain Pancakes Pumpkin Pancakes MUFFINS Cherry Plantain Muffins Beet Chocolate Muffins DESSERT ICE CREAM Everyone screams for ice cream, even when it’s not actually a “cream” but a fruit dessert made from the Yonanas Classic Frozen Dessert Maker. POPS Kids won’t know their Green Monster Ice Pops have spinach in them, they will just know they are delicious! Kids can easily pitch in and help make their own chocolate banana pops. The recipe calls for sprinkles, but you can be creative with chopped nuts or shredded coconut too. Let the kids choose their topping! Green Monster Ice Pops Chocolate Banana Pops BROWNIES If you aren’t super comfy in the kitchen, or unsure about trying new recipes, then a brownie is the way to go. Brownies are the most forgiving baked good, it doesn’t matter if the top sinks, cracks, or domes, it doesn’t need to rise and there is always an audience for an over cooked edge. The first recipe uses beets as the base. Chocolate is a great way to hide your beets! Beet Brownies Sweet Potato Brownies COOKIES Even the fussiest Cookie Monster will devour these veggie-based cookies! Zucchini Almond Butter Cookies Carrot Cake Power Cookies CAKE These cakes cook up more like a torte, because of the absence of flour. PLEASE let us know if you try the banana-avocado frosting! Purple Velvet Torte Chocolate Cake with Banana-Avocado Frosting That wraps up our resolution to eat more FnVs! Did you have a favorite recipe from this past month? If so, let us know! We’ll see you next week for a new resolution!
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Good morning! We hope you tried a salad-a-day last week and saw how easy it is to hit the goal of 7 servings of fruits and veggies (FnVs) each day.
In these next few weeks, we’re moving beyond the obvious salad onto different ways to substitute and replace grains with FnVs in some of your favorite dishes. CCP helps you stay on track! Use our log to to track your progress toward our mini resolution. This month, we’re looking to up our fruit and veggie (FnVs) consumption! For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected] You probably remember the old government-issued food pyramid from the low-fat craze of the 90’s… The same food guide pyramid which told us to eat SEVEN servings of grains per day? (Keep in mind this was the SAME food pyramid which also incorrectly told us eggs were a dairy product! That isn’t even anatomically correct!) Well, that’s just bonkers! Importantly, eating all those grains crowds your plate of more nutrient-dense foods like FnVs (and protein, but that’s another story). So, for the next two weeks we will be showing you how to replace those grains with FnVs, which are more nutritious and carb/diet friendly. This week, we’re starting with pasta, noodle and rice substitutes and recipes. Need a little guidance in the kitchen? Ask us! We have a retired chef on board. Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti Squash is probably the OG pasta substitute. It is, literally, a squash that, when cooked, produces strings of squash resembling noodles or pasta. It can be prepared in the oven or nuked and then treated like pasta or noodles with toppings. PREPARING SPAGHETTI SQUASH How to Prepare Spaghetti Squash:
RECIPES The recipes for spaghetti squash are endless! Getting started is easy by subbing out your pasta for spaghetti squash, and here are some more unusual recipe options for this versatile veggie. Noodled FnVs In 1991, as part of the raw food movement, it started with “zoodles” (noodles made out of zucchini) and quickly progressed to boodles (noodles made out of beets), coodles (noodles made out of carrots) and now most all FnVs can be noodled—even red cabbage! PREPARING FNV-BASED NOODLES In the early days, folks had to invest in a large countertop spiralizer. Now, most grocery stores sell them pre-noodled for you, fresh or frozen. RECIPES Here are some recipes ready to go with your purchased veggie noodles. Keep in mind-they can replace pasta/noodles in a hot dish- but are also great as an alternative to lettuce in a salad, like this one! Firm fruit can also be spiralized! Guests at the next BBQ will be dazzled by your spiralized fruit salad and kids will gobble up your fruit crumble recipe. Other Noodle Options Palmini—hearts of palm pasta—is a fairly new player to the market. There is an entire line of palmini pasta alternatives, including lasagna noodles. These cook up a little firmer, more al dente than typical veggie noodles. Shirataki noodles have been around a while and are made from the fiber of the Konjac plant. They are decidedly NOT for everyone except for those adventurous eaters out there. (Coach Michele likes them!) Rice Alternatives As with the noodles, riced vegetables are more nutritious and carb/dieter friendly. And just like the noodles, they also can be made at home or purchased fresh or frozen by the Green Giant and Trader Joe’s. and Palmini has a hearts of palm rice version of their products too. Once you have your riced veggies, you can search for riced vegetable recipes like risottos, sushi, fried rice, or even “rice” pudding—the possibilities are endless! See you next week for breakfast and dessert! Welcome to week 2 of your mini resolution to eat more FnVs (fruits & veggies)! Today, we’ll focus on strategies for incorporating salads into our daily diets—arguably one of the easiest ways to incorporate those extra FnVs beyond eating your 7 servings of raw fruit and veggies straight up. CCP helps you stay on track! Use our log to to track your progress toward our mini resolution. This month, we’re looking to up our fruit and veggie (FnVs) consumption! For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected] A Salad A Day…
The salad-a-day strategy requires some advanced planning, shopping and prepping but it’s worth it! Remember from last week: those who consume at least two servings of leafy green veggies each day have been found to be 11 years cognitively younger than those who rarely or never consumed them. Constructing a salad is as simple as greens, protein, some crunch, herbs and dressing. But if you want more detailed instruction, here is a good article to help you “freestyle” your salad or recreate a composed salad. Start by deciding if you want small side salads with meals or salad as a meal itself and then decide on your greens. There is always the tried-and-true iceberg or romaine, but maybe you want to experiment with one of these greens. Here are a few salad recipes to use—think of these as your FnV roadmaps! But feel free to take a detour and forge your own path to a delicious recipe:
NOW FOR THE DRESSING… Bottled dressings are rarely health-promoting and are often full of mystery ingredients like UPFs! But if you are in a pinch, Primal Kitchen has a clean line of salad dressings. If you have some extra time, we suggest you make your own! Here are a few recipes to consider. THE POWER OF XVOO The best health-promoting dressing base is extra virgin olive oil (XVOO). Its benefits are so powerful, it is the primary fat in the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). XVOO is known to enhance absorption of certain nutrients like lycopene, which is found in tomatoes. Additionally, observational studies in humans suggest XVOO can quench neuroinflammation, improve the integrity of the blood bran barrier and potentially clear the amyloid and tau associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In a recent observational study, those who consumed more extra-virgin olive oil had a 28% reduced risk of developing dementia; this held true even when the researchers controlled for other healthy behaviors in their analysis. REMEMBER THE EXTRA IN EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL WHEN MAKING YOUR PURCHASE—IT MATTERS! Now that you are stocking up in the produce aisle, you may be wondering about whether organic produce is worth the extra coin. You can read our Special Edition, “Buying Organic Produce – Is it Worth It?” We’ll be back next week with more tips on upping your FnVs consumption! CCP helps you stay on track! Use our log to to track your progress toward our mini resolution. This month, we’re looking to up our fruit and veggie (FnVs) consumption! For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected] INTRODUCING YOUR NEXT MINI RESOLUTION: EAT MORE “FnVs”!
This month, your mini resolution is to strive for 7 servings of fruit and vegetables (FnVs) a day. For the next several weeks, we will provide you with different strategies to achieve your daily goal and will include recipes. We will also continue to track success with hydration, exercise, and sleep. Record it all in your log! Wondering what counts as a serving of fruit & veggies? Here is a handy graphic you may refer to when logging your intake! HEALTHY BRAINS LOVE FRUIT AND VEGGIES! One aspect of a healthy brain diet is prioritizing fruit and vegetables. To be clear, fruit & veggies (FnVs) shouldn’t comprise the entirety of one’s plate, but a substantial portion is recommended. This is because FnVs are chock full of micronutrients, antioxidants and fiber which either outright prevent neurodegeneration or slow disease progression once it has initiated. Here is how:
AND… DID YOU KNOW? Increasing your daily consumption of FnVs essentially crowds out poor food choices. One study found that replacing 10% of ultra-processed foods (UPFs – as discussed last week!) in the diet with minimally processed foods participants lowered risk of dementia by 19%. WHY 7 SERVINGS? You might be saying, “Hey, why so many? The government says I only need 5 servings a day!” Keep in mind, government recommendations for nutrition are minimal standards to support life and prevent overt disease (think scurvy or rickets). We are looking to optimize our nutrition to build brains which are resilient to degeneration. A meta-analysis found that in a stepwise fashion, every 100 grams of FnVs each day (1/2 cup) was related to a 13% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. So, we are reaching beyond the government recommendations. If you are already consuming 7 servings a day, we don’t want you to be bored! We offer you the opportunity to participate in a challenge to eat 30 different types of plant-based foods a week. IS IT TOO LATE TO MAKE A CHANGE? Some of you may be thinking it’s too late in life to make dietary changes, but recent studies on cognitive function have shown people over age 60 benefit more from increased FnV consumption than children and adolescents. What aspect of cognitive function is most impacted by FnVs intake? Executive function (specifically verbal memory) is linked to a diet high in FnVs. Blueberries and green leafy vegetables in particular are frequently cited in research for their cognitive benefits. One study found those who consumed at least two servings a day of green leafy vegetables were cognitively younger by 11 years than those who rarely or never consumed them. MINI RESOLUTIONS WORK TOGETHER! Our resolutions interact synergistically! You can revisit the content from our past mini resolutions here. Exercise & FnVs A longitudinal study found those who both exercise and consume a diet high in FnVs demonstrate exponentially less cognitive decline than those who only reported each independent variable. Sleep & FnVs Another study found that self-reported daily consumption of FnVs can buffer the cognitive impairment associated with poor sleep quality and atypical sleep duration (both too much and too little). We’ll see you next week for a NEW mini resolution! Hello and happy Monday! Before kicking off our next mini resolution to eat more fruits and vegetables, let’s dive into today’s Special Edition of Motivated Mondays: Ultra-processed foods and their relationship with cognitive decline!
In today’s fast-paced world, grocery shopping has transformed into a complex experience filled with a large array of choices. Among these options, processed and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become staples for many, offering convenience and instant gratification. But as our carts fill with brightly packaged snacks and ready-to-eat meals, it’s crucial to pause and consider what we’re really putting into our bodies. And recent media coverage has shone the spotlight on just how harmful these UPFs can be. In order to better understand health outcomes and inform food policy, researchers have created four food categories based on their degree of processing: 1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods 2. Oils, fats, salt, and sugar 3. Processed foods 4. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) CCP helps you stay on track! Download the log for this week. For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected] What is the definition of “ultra-processed foods”? In general, UPFs are industrial formulations primarily composed of chemically modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal to no inclusion of whole foods. As American molecular biologist and nutritionist Dr. Marion Nestle points out, UPFs are foods you could not make at home due to a lack of the necessary equipment and ingredients. UPFs are typically inexpensive, high in salt, sugar and fat, but low in fiber, protein and the nutrients found in the original foods. Do you recall the old ad, “No one can eat just one?” UPFs have been chemically engineered to be hyper-palatable—in other words, they are lab-created foods designed to encourage individuals to eat beyond the point of satiety. EXAMPLES OF UPFs Snacks: Chips, biscuits, cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolate, and ice cream. Processed meats: Sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, and chicken nuggets. Drinks: Sugar-sweetened beverages, energy drinks, and fruit drinks. Ready meals: Frozen pizzas, pre-prepared pasta dishes, and packaged pies. Breakfast cereals: Especially those with added sugars, artificial colors, and flavors. Bread: Mass-produced packaged bread often contains additives. Condiments: Bottled sauces and dressings. Health Risks As Americans, 58% of our daily caloric intake comes from UPFs, displacing minimally processed, nutritious food in the diet, especially fruit and vegetables. Alarmingly, more than 1,500 observational studies on UPFs indicate a strong, linear association between UPF consumption and mortality, cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders including diabetes, and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. All of these are known risk factors for cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. So, can’t the lab just add the nutrients back into UPFs to restore health benefits? No, and here’s why. Processing food alters its chemical and physical properties, leading to a dietary reconstitution that affects not only the nutrients in the food item itself but also how or if those nutrients can be absorbed. Furthermore, industrial processing can produce harmful substances such as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), trans fats, furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The additives—emulsifiers, coloring agents, artificial sweeteners, and nitrates/nitrites—must also be considered, as they can disrupt the gut microbiome. These additives have been studied for safety as individual ingredients, yet they are often consumed together as a “cocktail,” which may amplify negative effects on human health. Additionally, contaminants in packaging such as bisphenols, microplastics, mineral oils and phthalates pose further health risks. The body perceives these chemicals as foreign, triggering a cascading inflammatory response often referred to as “fast food fever.” Collectively, these factors result in elevated circulating biomarkers indicating oxidative stress and cellular damage. A Closer Look at the Research The research on UPFs is fairly new, dating back only to 2010, but the findings so far are troubling and show there is likely a direct, yet to be established, mechanism of action where UPFs negatively impact neurological health. Presently we understand the relationship to be inflammatory in nature, directly related to comorbidities such as cardiometabolic diseases and mental health disorders and likely linked to changes in the microbiome (a future mini-resolution) affecting the gut-brain axis. A rare clinical trial (PMID 31105044) supports further observational findings on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). In a 4-week controlled study, participants alternated between UPF-based diets and minimally processed diets, matched for calories and nutrients. On the UPF diet, they consumed roughly 500 more calories daily and gained 2 pounds on average. By contrast, on the minimally processed diet, participants lost 2 pounds and showed improved hunger hormone profiles and metabolic markers. Moreover, studies regarding UPFs, cognitive decline and neurodegeneration have found a direct, dose-response association between consumption of UPFs and the development of dementia, meaning more UPFs consumed could mean a greater risk of cognitive decline and/or dementia. Conversely, replacing just 10% of UPFs in the diet with a proportional equivalent of minimally processed foods has been estimated to reduce the risk of dementia by 19%, a finding that gives credence to the value of minimally processed diets, such as the Mediterranean and Nordic Diets. Just last month, a groundbreaking study identified a strong association between long-term consumption of UPFs and the development of non-motor prodromal Parkinson’s disease (PD) features, including partial loss of the ability to smell, daytime sleepiness, body pain, impaired color vision and depressive symptoms. What does all of this mean for you? It’s all a matter of making better choices, namely, eating real food! WHAT IS REAL FOOD? Simply ask yourself, “Did my grandmother eat this food,” or “Can I make this at home?” or “Are the listed ingredients sold on grocery shelves?” If the answer is “no,” don’t put it in your grocery cart. Consuming UPFs has become second nature to many and being mindful of what you’re eating is half the battle. This week, use our log to create awareness of your UPF consumption, tracking each processed food item you eat throughout each day. You may be surprised by your findings! Next month, our mini resolution will be to eat more fruit and vegetables (FnVs), and we hope that in creating awareness of your UPF consumption, you will start to become more inclined to reach for FnVs instead of UPFs. If you need additional guidance on how to make better choices, you can try the Yuka app. Just scan your item’s barcode and the app will provide a grade for that item out of 100, as well as better food alternatives. Sometimes the alternatives include items with artificial sweeteners—we recommend avoiding those! We’ll see you next week for a NEW mini resolution! |
AuthorMichele is the Senior VP of Membership Development at Concierge Choice Physicians. She is also a professional in the areas of nutrition, fitness and wellness. Archives
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