White Bean Chicken Chili

5 Reasons to Eat More Sweet Potatoes

Great for eyes, hair, nails, cancer prevention, digestive system, lowering blood pressure, etc etc etc. READ BELOW!! Of course you can’t load them down with butter, sugar, & marshmallows 😉 Try a little olive oil & spices/herbs that enhance their natural flavor & sweetness. I drizzled EVOO, oregano, & garlic on mine. You could also do cinnamon with honey drizzled over top! Steam (or boil) & mash them… Or cut into wedges and bake! I put mine in the oven for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees, but it depends on the thickness.

Superior Fiber Content

Sweet potatoes contain almost twice as much fiber as other types of potatoes. Contributing close to 7 grams of fiber per serving, they make an excellent starchy addition to any meal. The high fiber content gives them a “slow burning” quality. This basically means their caloric energy is used more slowly and efficiently than a low-fiber carbohydrate.

Heart-healthy

They contain a large amount of vitamin B6. This vitamin is crucial in breaking down a substance called homocysteine, which contributes to hardening of the arteries and blood vessels. Vitamin B6 helps keep the walls of these important blood passageways flexible and healthy which allows blood to flow freely.

In addition, sweet potatoes contain high amounts of potassium. Potassium plays an important role in lowering blood pressure by ridding the body of excess sodium and regulating fluid balance. It is also an important electrolyte that helps regulate the natural rhythm of the heart, and maintains normal function of the brain and central nervous system.

Rich in Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene or vitamin A is an important antioxidant. One medium sweet potato provides your body with the complete recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and then some. Vitamin A is useful in the prevention of several different types of cancer as it is one of the most potent antioxidants out there.

Beta-carotene also helps to internally protect your skin from sun damage by both deflecting and repairing cell damage caused by excessive UV exposure. It also is an excellent nutrient for eye health and has been linked to prevention of vision loss and macular degeneration.

A Great Source of Manganese

Manganese is a little-discussed trace mineral that has some great health benefits. It is a pivotal component in the metabolism of carbohydrates which helps support healthy blood sugar levels. This can help stabilize the appetite for hours as opposed to the temporary satisfaction that comes with most other carbohydrates.

It also is a cofactor in enzymes that play an important role in the generation of energy as well as the efficient utilization of antioxidants. It is used for the treatment of anemia and is useful as a treatment for several premenstrual symptoms in women as well.

Rich in Vitamins C and E

As if being one of the top vegetable sources of beta-carotene weren’t enough, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamins C and E. These are potent antioxidant vitamins that play an important role in disease prevention and longevity.

Both vitamins also play a huge role in the health and beauty of your skin and hair, making them popular supplements. The combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C in one food makes the sweet potato one heck of a “beauty food”. These nutrients all contribute to a healthy, glowing complexion and vibrant hair.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035739_sweet_potatoes_beta-carotene_nutrients.html#ixzz284nM2lr2

Ridiculous “Reality” TV …Entertaining or Sad?

WARNING: Soapbox ahead 😉  I don’t even want to get started on the “Honey Boo Boo” disaster, but I will say that watching a child eat cheeseballs for breakfast is not a comedy.  I could probably write a book on this family… I just hope they’re acting & most of it’s not true.

Today I caught the end of that Wife Swap show on Lifetime… this episode was an extremely health-conscious family swapping with a family who ate only junk food. I know they beef up the details and the script for entertainment purposes, but it was obvious the family knew nothing on the subject of nutrition (stating they’d fry up a salad if they could). At the end of the show they’re supposed to talk about how the swap helped them and the positive qualities they took from the other family.  The junk food mom stated that she was going to try to cook at least 2 healthy meals a week.  (If you eat 21 meals a week, that’s about 10% healthy food… not gonna cut it.) They then showed a scene where she had ONE grape and ONE baby carrot stick lying on the table in front of a mountain of chicken nuggets. She said “if you eat that grape and that carrot you can have all these nuggets.”   The little boy said no of course, because he had obviously never been told what to eat before, and she said “oh well, at least you tried.” Smh. The poor little boy was overweight, along with his entire family.

Power Pancakes

Morning fuel… 1 packet of blueberry Quaker oatmeal, 1/2 scoop of whey protein, 1 egg, flax seed, a splash of water, & chopped walnuts… served with a fresh peach. A combination of 22g protein, along with good carbs & fat. Feel pretty ready to get my workout on! 🙂

Clean Cookie Take 2!

Slight alteration from the cookies in the previous post.

So, I realized this morning that my sweet boyfriend decided to take ALL my cookies to the fire station with him. UGH. I was anxiously awaiting a new day so I could eat a couple more ha… soooo I decided to just make a small batch, since I had a little bit of all the ingredients left.  But, I didn’t quite have enough almond butter, so instead I used half almond butter, and half smart balance crunchy peanut butter. The little bits of peanut really set it off. THESE. ARE. BOMB! 🙂

Eat Clean – Eat Cookies!

can i haz jus’ 1?

Unbelievably easy cookies… only 6 ingredients. Low-fat, low sugar, dairy-free, & no flour. Hmm sounds too good to be true… they probably taste horrible. Who in their right mind would want to eat these…

Clean Eating 101

Basic rule… the less processed something is, the better. “Eating clean” means eating foods in their most natural state. I swiped these 5 steps from an article at Livestrong.com.

My Food History

Boring, but necessary 😉

I grew up in the middle of a cow pasture, right in the middle of Alabama. And yes, they were meat cows, not milk cows. I would eat whatever was in front of me, no questions, no concerns. This was me for the first 20+ years of my life… until about half-way through college.