Healthy Way to Start Your Day- By Ashley W. Pettit

Starting your day off with a breakfast of steel-cut oats is a great way to warm the tummy in winter, stay satiated longer, and get a bowl full of nutrients.  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recommends at least 3 servings of whole grains should be eaten daily as they help prevent obesity and obesity-related diseases.
Steel-Cut Oats Vs. Rolled Oats:
Although these oats are relatively the same from a nutrition perspective since they stem from the same grain, steel-cut oats are the less processed version of oats.  
This makes steel-cut oats different in 4 main ways:

• Longer cooking time (about 30 minutes)
• More cholesterol lowering soluble fiber than other oatmeal forms
• Takes longer to digest so you stay fuller longer (higher satiety level)
• Chopped with steel blades resulting in a "chewier" oatmeal (slight variation in texture/taste)

Health Benefits of Steel-Cut Oats: 

1. A study conducted by Tufts University that was published in the Journal of Nutritionfound that: "...antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease."
2. The fiber content in steel-cut oats helps lower cholesterol. Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan. Since 1963, numerous studies has proven the beneficial effects of this type of fiber on cholesterol levels. 
3. Heart disease is a major killer in the U.S.  A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease.
4. The unique fiber in oats, beta-glucan, also helps stabilize blood sugar.  This is beneficial to everyone, but also the many people suffering from Type 2 Diabetes.  
5. Beta-glucan also helps the immune system fight bacterial infections by aiding neutrophils (the most abundant type of non-specific immune cell) navigate to the site of an infection more quickly, it also enhances their ability to eliminate the bacteria they find there.
6. Selenium is an antioxidant found in oatmeal that has many benefits, including: decreasing asthma symptoms, preventing heart disease, aid in DNA repair, and is also known to help reduce the risk for cancer, especially colon cancer.
7. Oats also have a great deal of manganese, which helps maintain healthy bone structure and bone metabolism.  Manganese is also involved in: forming connective tissues, absorption of calcium, proper functioning of thyroid, sex hormones, regulating blood sugar level, and metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.

Top 10 List of Foods- By Ashley W. Pettit

Top 10 List: Foods For Thought

This list is unique because all of the foods fit together as a whole.  If you include the list in your everyday diet, you are not only treating your body with respect, but protecting it from disease.  With these foods you are getting in a good amount of the macro- and micro-nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) you need along with vitamins, minerals, and other nutritious substances to sustain life and health. 

I chose these foods with my professional experience and the support from a favorite book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden, P.h.D, C.N.S.

1.     Your mom was right when she said to load up on your greens, particularly leaf-like vegetables: spinach, kale, Swiss-chard, and collard greens.  Popeye has always said, “I must eats me some spinach.”  Even though he was right, Popeye may not have known just how good the green vegetable is for you. One cup of spinach is loaded with some 200% of the often overlooked of Vitamin K- says Bowden- that is extremely important for bone health.  Spinach also has a plethora of calcium, vitamins C and A, magnesium, manganese, folic acid, quercetin, iron, and flavanoids.  Don’t like milk?  Have some spinach for calcium.  If you want protection against cancer, eat spinach for the anticancer properties from 13 kinds of flavanoids.  Vitamins C and A are antioxidants that can lower cholesterol and for the magnesium to lower blood pressure.  Not to mention it has Quercetin, which is an anti-inflammatory, and iron that is important for women who menstruate and tend to lose iron at that time of the month.  (Bowden, 65 and 66.)

2.     Green Tea is a powerful beverage with numerous benefits.  The tea contains catechin which is known to inhibit the growth of and reproduction of cancer cells. Green tea also lowers cholesterol, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, because it rids the body of fibrinogen.  You want fibrinogen out of your body because it causes clots and stroke.  Among all of these benefits, the tea also brings new meaning to brewing warm tea for relaxation.  The theanine in green tea can remove your stress and make you feel at ease because it triggers the release of a chemical called Dopamine; which regulates the pleasure zone in the brain. Green tea for weight loss has been a topic of popular study; however, supplemental green tea has not been proven to curb your appetite, but drinking it has been shown to speed up the metabolism.  As if these weren’t enough benefits, green tea also has antioxidants that can prevent Alzheimer’s and inflammation. 

3.     Whey Protein comes in the form of a powder in most instances and is extremely high quality.  Protein is essential to life as it is a big part of our metabolic pathways that enable our body to function.   The benefits of this protein are numerous, some including: boosting the immune system, building lean muscle mass and sparking weight loss, and may initiate relaxation that lowers blood pressure.  Whey protein has glutathione, considered the “Master Antioxidant” as it detoxifies the body, especially the liver, fighting against any free radicals that may damage cells and cause disease.  Whey protein also has high levels of protein fractions: beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and immunoglobulins that directly relate to immune function as disease fighters.   Studies have evaluated the effects of alpha-lactalbumin on stress and have found that just 20 g of whey protein lowers blood pressure in people with moderate hypertension.  Weight lifters have used whey protein for decades to bulk up and build muscle mass.  Although you may not start to look like a body builder, whey protein does build lean muscle mass, which in turn sparks the metabolism and increases fat burning.  Whey protein also works with weight loss because it boosts satiety levels, keeping you fuller, longer. 

4.     Nuts: raw, unsalted nuts are the best out there as they are in their original state and as natural as possible.  Almonds are a heart-healthy nut because they are packed with the beneficial monounsaturated fat that reduces cholesterol, especially the bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL.)   Although they have been touted as high in fat and high in calories, when you eat just one ounce at a time you get numerous health benefits along with 6g of protein, 3 g of fiber, 80 mg of calcium, some vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus.  With its extremely low carbohydrate content, almonds are a good food source for diabetics.  With this food, you eat a little and get a lot. 

5.     Oatmeal is literally a lifesaver.  According to Bowden, it contains beta-glucan which is a type of polysaccharide that reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke and is known to help lower cholesterol levels. Beta-glucan also supports the body’s immune system, boosting its response to bacterial infection by literally feasting off of the bacteria in the body.  Oatmeal has the antioxidant avenanthramide in it that works as an anti-inflammatory and can support the health of your heart.  Aside from these health benefits, oatmeal has a few more beneficial characteristics, including: a low glycemic load that means it does not affect blood sugar significantly, is higher in protein than most cereals, and is naturally a better source of fiber.  The only drawback to oatmeal that should be mentioned, and was mentioned by Bowden, is that it is not gluten-free and may disturb those with a gluten allergy and with uric-acid related diseases.  Nutritionally, 2/3 C of oatmeal has phosphorus, manganese, potassium, selenium, and a few milligrams of iron along with a decent 8 ½ g of protein and 5 g of fiber.  So, drop that packet of Metamucil and incorporate oatmeal into your morning routine.  There are lots of other recipes that use oatmeal as well.  

6.     Raspberries; all berries are beneficial to health, but raspberries are especially loaded with fiber.  In just one cup of raspberries there is just 64 calories, but a whopping 8 g of fiber, along with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and K.  Lots of nutrition in these little berries!  Ellagic acid is a cancer-fighting substance and raspberries are one of the leading sources of this acid.  Suffer from arthritis?  Raspberries have anthocyanins that can inhibit the compound that produces inflammation and pain and they also act as antioxidants that fight free radicals from damaging our cells.  Who knew such a great tasting fruit could be so helpful to our bodies? 

7.     Fish is essential to have at least once a week.  Wild Alaskan salmon in particular, is high in the essential fatty acid; omega-3.  It is called “essential” because we need to get it through out diet as our bodies do not make it.  The 16 Omega-3’s found in wild salmon are good for your heart as well as your head and they help with circulation, inflammation, memory, thought, and even with blood sugar.  The reason the wild salmon is better than the farm-raised salmon is because of the way they are raised.  Wild salmon eat a natural diet while farm-raised salmon are fed grains.  The farm-raised salmon do not contain as much omega-3 goodness as the wild salmon because of this difference in diet, so they are not as helpful for your heart and mind.  Three ounces of wild salmon gives you 18 g of protein, 360 mg of potassium, and nearly half of the Daily Value of selenium that can help you with fighting cancer.  If you are looking for B12, wild salmon has 50% of your Daily Value along with 30% of the Daily Value of niacin.  But watch out, at your local grocery store they have found protein foods contaminated with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) that can be toxic and include farm-raised salmon. 

8.     Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You cook with it and it gives you a unique flavor, but olive oil does more than that.  A source of omega-3 like salmon, olive oil is a heart-healthy liquid that contains strong antioxidants called phenols, cholesterol lowering monounsaturated fat that can also help decrease the risk of colon and bowel cancer, and even lowers blood pressure.  Over-pressing removes the good stuff, so using extra virgin olive oil rather than regular olive oil is important because it is only pressed once, which leaves it full of the beneficial stuff! 

9.     Yogurt: Ok, so if you are lactose-intolerant this is not the best choice, but if you can handle some dairy, yogurt is a wonder-food for your gut and your overall health.  The probiotics in yogurt help promote healthy gut flora that are antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal.  These include bulgaricus, sometimes called bifidobacteria, and lactobacillus acidophilus that build up the immune system.  They literally produce NK’s, or natural killer cells, that increase antibodies when we have infections.  Yogurts do vary in their nutrition profiles, especially when it comes to sugar content.  The best bet when choosing a yogurt is to go with the one with the least amount of ingredients.  Like most foods, the more 

natural the better.  

10.  Eggs: Eggs are a high-quality protein in their entirety that has many health benefits.   The first of the beneficial substances in eggs are choline and phoshphatidylcholine.  Ironically enough, choline is in the yolk of the egg, the part that is touted for being unhealthy and contributing the high cholesterol.  When in fact, choline actually prevents the accumulation of cholesterol and fat in the liver.  Choline also lowers homocysteine in the body, which is a risk factor for heart disease.  Phosphatidylcholine protects us against toxic substances in the body.  Eggs and eyes are interrelated as the lutein and zeaxanthin help with vision; preventing us from macular degeneration.  Nutrition-wise, eggs are “eggcellent” for you.  Take into account their size and that eggs only have about 78 calories in them, and you’d be surprised that an egg also has 18% of the Daily Value for riboflavin (vitamin B2,) 14% of the Daily Value for vitamin B12, and 29% of the Daily Value for selenium, which helps the body fight against cancer.  The high sulfur content of eggs also improves your hair and nails.  So, there are numerous reasons beyond their yummy taste that make eggs a good choice morning, noon, or night.  

When to Buy Organic- By Ashley W. Pettit

When & What to Buy Organic: 

One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is that they cannot afford to buy all organic produce because it is more expensive than their non-organic alternatives.   So I stay up-to-date on the USDA regulations and the current produce that is plagued the most by pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.  Ironically, when you read through it, you see that things are sprayed more often to maintain their appearance and lengthen their shelf life. 

Currently, the top 12 most inundated produce with chemicals are:

1.     Apples à apples are susceptible to being bruised and blemished during travel from the orchard to the store, so they are doused in chemicals to avoid becoming aesthetically unattractive

2.     Potatoes à potatoes are sprayed multiple times during their growth and then once again when they are being shipped to avoid sprouting while on the shelf

3.     Spinach à DDT, a nasty chemical long-since banned, is still in the ground and being soaked up by leafy greens like spinach

4.     Kale à kale has lots of insects as enemies that destroy hoards of the crop at a time, so it is sprayed to protect it against such invasions.

5.     Grapes à grapes are imported from the Southern Hemisphere and thus have a long trip to many of the grocery stores in your neighborhood, so they are saturated with fungicides

6.     Cherries à cherries are vulnerable to bruising and since they do not have a protective peel and are a delicate fruit, they are heavily sprayed to protect them

7.     Nectarines à peaches fuzz-free relative, are susceptible to scarring, so they are sprayed…much like many of its fruit friends

8.     Peaches à hairy when compared to a nectarine, they are packed with pesticides that stick even more so with this fuzziness

9.     Strawberries à delicate and blemish-ridden if not protected, they are sprayed to maintain their beautiful appearance

10.  Blueberries à maggots and bagworms love this fruit, which makes it very necessary to protect it in order to save the crop

11.  Celery à sprayed and sprayed and since we eat it in its entirety, very dirty and unsafe

12.  Bell Peppers à their shape enables it to hold on to pesticides through travel and into your home

Healthy Lunch Choices in The Loop- By Ashley W. Pettit

Work in the Chicago Loop area and always running out to grab a quick lunch?  Here are some smarter choices you can make.

Pockets: With many downtown locations, this place is convenient and known for their delicious, warm bread. But rather than go for a whole pocket or a calzone of that bread, opt for the 1/2 pocket or a salad.

Your best healthy & tasty bets:
1. 1/2 Tuna Pocket (with 2 TB Honey Dijon Dressing. FYI: they give you about 6 TB in their serving piece): 375 for 1/2 pocket + 75 for 2 TB Dressing = 450 calories total. 

2. Greek Salad, add chicken, ask for the balsamic dressing instead of the Greek (50 calories vs 130 per serving) - if you do not eat the side of bread you are looking at a total of361 calories (with the bread I cannot tell you since, conveniently, they do not have the calories listed for it and when I called, no one could tell me!)

Pockets Online Nutrition

Although I love websites that give caloric information, they are often misleading.  Pockets is just that!  The online nutrition featured does not include dressing or protein sources-you have to add those up separately.  Also, there is no serving size in the meat section of the calories-how do you know how much they mean? Keep that in mind when you look anything up for a calorie check.

Au Bon Pain:
A great deal of things from here concern me.  They taste amazing, but are slammed with calories, fat, and sodium.  Avoid the soups and hot sandwiches and go with these items:

1. Mayan Chicken Harvest Rice Bowl (WITH BROWN RICE!)
This is yummy, but is a heavy carb lunch with 72g of carbohydrates, so make it your most carb-centric meal of the day.  Thanks to its fiber content, this will be a satisfying, filling lunch at a total of 510 calories.

2. Turkey Cobb Salad (ask for it without the croutons and take the yellows out of the hard-boiled egg to save on some carbs and 5g of fat.  Come on, that isn't so hard since you get to keep the bacon and cheese!  If you are super motivated to be healthy, ask for light on the cheese and get rid of the bacon-this saves you major fat grams and calories!)  Use their balsamic dressing.  The salad is 340 calories with all of the ingredients and the dressing is 120 calories. By cutting out the croutons and egg yolk, you are at an estimated total of 360 calories.  Without the bacon and cheese? About 250 calories for the salad.

The good news is that their stuff is tasty.  The bad news is that it is hard to resist the bad for you stuff when you are there and they do not have any low-cal dressings.  Even something that seems healthy, like the pomegranate vinaigrette, has 250 calories in 2 oz!

Au Bon Pain Menu Nutrition

Taco Fresco: 

Your Best Mexican Bets:
1. Healthy Chicken Burrito/No Cheese: They tout "healthy" menu options for nearly all of their items.  Generally it means they are removing the cheese, but this chicken burrito without cheese is a lean, filling choice.  This option has 402 calories, 50g of carbs, 6.5g of fat, and 35g of protein.

2. Two Healthy Chicken Tacos/No Cheese: 148 calories each, these tacos are a less condensed version of the burrito.  They have 100 less calories and are a bit more nutritious when compared to the burrito. Total calories are 296, 48g of carbs, 4g of fat, and 22g of protein.

The drawback to Mexican food is the sodium content.  Ironically, Taco Fresco does not include sodium on their nutrition menu!

The Protein Bar: (235 S. Franklin Street)
Have time to eat out and peruse the amazing menu options of a new Chicago-area restaurant?  Need a protein-packed healthy lunch for carry-out?  This restaurant is ideal because it offers creative, tasty, and nutrient-dense meal options that are all healthy!  My faves include the Quinoa Chili or the Black Bean Fiesta Bowls.

Check out this new place at: http://www.proteinbarchicago.com/

Mezza Mediterranean Grill: (Located in the 2 N. Riverside building connected to the train station)
Mediterranean food is a heart-healthy option for anyone and this carry-out spot has a plethora of vegetarian and vegan options too!  Currently their website nutrition area is under construction, but they told me the information should be up in the next month.  Good thing I can estimate what is healthiest for you!

1. Chicken Kabob Meal with Brown Rice and one of the following sides:
Fruit Medley, Villager's Salad, or Traditional or Red Pepper Hummus (great mixed in with the rice and chicken!)  I have seen their portions, so try to eat just half of the rice and you will be at about 450 calories total.

2. Fire Roasted Vegetable Salad, add chicken, ask for balsamic dressing on the side.  With yummy goat cheese and lots of veggies, this salad is a great choice.  Estimated calories about 500.

Mezza Grill Menu 

Starbucks:
If you are in desperate need of a breakfast or a lunch seriously on-the-go, order a spinach & feta wrap or grab a Greek yogurt parfait. (Not the regular parfait as it is higher in sugar and not as good of a protein source)

Starbucks has very good nutrition reporting: http://www.starbucks.com/menu/food

FOR MORE BY ASHLEY W. PETTIT, GO TO: WWW.WELLNESSINCHICAGO.COM