Summer was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Now time for fall food.

Here are some key must haves for your pantry.

• Beans, beans, beans……
• Canned vegetables
• Cocoa, chocolate chips
• Stock and broth (preferably bone)
• Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste
• Flour, baking soda, baking powder
• Honey, maple syrup
• Lentils, quinoa, rice
• Pasta
• Sugar, sugar alternatives

Fridge Favorites

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Sour cream, cream cheese, bar cheese, parmesan cheese
• Heavy cream, whole milk
• Frozen berries
• Frozen veggies

Spice of Life

Rosemary, Thyme, Cumin, Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Onion Powder, Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Garlic Powder, Rubs (homemade or store bought)

Pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious and may be associated with health benefits, including improved fertility, better heart health, and enhanced blood sugar control.

Eating only a small amount of pumpkin seeds can provide you with a substantial quantity of healthy fats, magnesium, and zinc.

Pumpkin seeds are also known as “pepitas,” a Mexican Spanish term.

Unlike the hard white seeds from a carving pumpkin, most pumpkin seeds bought at the supermarket don’t have a shell.

These shell-free seeds are green, flat, and oval. A 50 g serving contains the following nutrients:

• Carbs: 9.3 g
• Protein: 15 g
• Fat: 20 g
• Fiber: 2.5 g

Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, and iron.

They are rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids. They also contain small amounts of vitamin E and carotenoids.

Antioxidants can reduce inflammation and protect your cells from harmful free radicals. For this reason, consuming foods rich in antioxidants can help against many diseases.

It’s thought that the high levels of antioxidants in pumpkin seeds are partly responsible for their positive effects on health.

Pumpkin seeds are one of the best natural sources of magnesium, a mineral that is often lacking in the diets of many Western populations.

Magnesium is needed for more than 600 chemical reactions in your body. Adequate levels of magnesium are also important for:

• controlling blood pressure
• reducing heart disease risk
• forming and maintaining healthy bones
• regulating blood sugar levels

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of antioxidants, like magnesium, zinc, and unsaturated fats, all of which may help keep your heart healthy.

Studies have shown that pumpkin seed oil may reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, two important risk factors for heart disease.

Other research suggests that pumpkins’ ability to increase nitric oxide generation in your body may be responsible for its positive effects on heart health.

Nitric oxide helps expand blood vessels, improving blood flow and reducing the risk of plaque growth in your arteries.

Several studies have found these benefits consuming pumpkin seeds:

• Lower blood sugar levels
• Great source of dietary fiber
• Improved sleep

The bottom line – pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious and packed with powerful antioxidants – so eat some today, eat some every day!

Macadamia nuts are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

They have several potential benefits, including improved digestion, better heart health and disease prevention.

Macadamia nuts are calorie-rich nuts that are high in healthy fats and vitamins, and one ounce offers:

• Calories: 204
• Fat: 21.5 grams (g)
• Protein: 2.24 g
• Carbs: 3.91 g
• Sugar: 1.3 g
• Fiber: 2.44 g
• Manganese: 1.17 milligrams (mg)
• Thiamine: 0.34 mg
• Copper: 0.214 mg
• Magnesium: 36.9 mg
• Iron: 1.05 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.078 mg

Macadamia nuts are also rich in monounsaturated fats, and low in carbs and sugar, with a moderate fiber content.

Like most nuts, macadamia nuts are a great source of antioxidants.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage and increase the risk of conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.

Macadamia nuts boast high flavonoid levels. This antioxidant fights inflammation and helps lower cholesterol.

Furthermore, macadamia nuts contain tocopherols, a form of vitamin E with antioxidant properties that may lower the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Macadamia nuts may boost heart health, reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome, and may improve gut health.

These nuts contain fiber, which can benefit your digestion and overall gut health. The unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols in nuts may also have benefits for gut health.

As is the case with most nuts, the soluble fiber in macadamia nuts may act as a prebiotic, meaning that it helps feed your beneficial gut bacteria.

In turn, these friendly bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, which offer benefits for gut microbiota.

Other potential benefits

Emerging research suggests that macadamia nuts may offer a few additional health benefits, including:

• Anticancer properties
• Boosting brain health
• Improving longevity

*Via research from Trusted Source

We all have cancer in our body. All of us, microscopic tumors. These tumors develop when healthy cells make natural errors during cell division or when a cell’s DNA is mutated by environmental exposures. Microscopic cancers are completely harmless and if they cannot enlarge and invade organs, they cannot spread and kill.

Your body has an incredible defense system that starves microscopic cancers of blood supply and nutrients so they cannot grow. Every one of us can optimize our defense system through the foods we eat. The defense system that allows our bodies to intercept cancer this way is called angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is the process our bodies use to grow and maintain blood vessels. In ordinary circumstances, blood vessels are supporters of life, delivering oxygen and vital nutrients to all our organs. But if abnormal blood vessels grow, they can nourish microscopic cancers.

The importance of angiogenesis to support life is so fundamental that it begins in the reproductive system, even before conception. Angiogenesis defense is a method to protect all animals with a circulatory system, like humans. The angiogenesis system constantly senses where and when more vessels are needed to keep organs healthy and functioning. Like when you get a cut and then a scab forms, the intensity can be upped to grow more blood vessels when needed. When it needs to be dimmed, your body has endogenous (naturally occurring in the body) inhibitors of angiogenesis that squelch the process.

Your body’s control of angiogenesis needs to be perfect to optimize your health. Over the course of a lifetime, however, many factors can derail this defense system, leading to either excessive angiogenesis, which can feed diseased tissues, or, on the other hand, insufficient angiogenesis, which can lead to tissue loss and death.

Remember, angiogenesis is about growing and maintaining blood vessels. Over time, a disease can overwhelm the defense system and overcome antiangiogenic countermeasures by releasing huge amounts of the same growth factor signals involved like when it acts on your cut. A tumor can then change from harmless and microscopic to growing its own blood vessels. These blood vessels that are feeding the cancer tumor also serve as exit channels for malignant cells to escape into the bloodstream. This is known as metastasis.

Some of the tastiest foods in the world can keep angiogenesis in balance

• Soy: edamame, soymilk, soy nuts, soy sauce, tofu, miso, natto, and tempeh. Soy contains antiangiogenic bioactives known as isoflavones.
• Tomato: The tomato contains useful bioactives, the most important being lycopene. The tomato skin has three to five times more lycopene than the rest of the fruit. Cooking your tomato in some olive oil, with the skin on, is the best way to get all the nutrients readily absorbed by the body.
• Antiangiogenic vegetables: Broccoli, broccoli rabe, bok choy, cauliflower, Romanesco, and Tuscan kale.
• Antiangiogenic fruits: Peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, cherries, mangos, and lychee. Apples (Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Reinette (Little Queen)). Cloudy apple cider and seasonal berries.
• Also: Seafood, chicken thighs, red wine, tree nuts, dark chocolate, grains & seeds.
• Cheese: Munster, Gouda, Camembert, Edam, Stilton, Emmenthal, and Jarlsberg.

*Information obtained from the book Eat to Beat Disease by William W. Li, MD

Not “officially” summer, but yeah, it’s S-U-M-M-E-R!!!

Here are some key summertime must haves for your pantry.

• Canned tuna or chicken
• Beans
• Broth (preferably bone)
• Canned tomatoes
• Soy sauce & condiments
• Walnuts
• Lentils, quinoa, rice, corn, pasta
• Honey and pure maple syrup

Fridge Favorites

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Sour cream, cream cheese, bar cheese, parmesan cheese
• Heavy cream
• Berries
• Veggies, veggies, veggies

Spice of Life

Basil – Cumin – Garlic Powder – Onion Powder – Oregano – Paprika – Parsley – Rosemary – Thyme

The key to any successful plan is preparation! Everyone is busy and we want to make the most of each day. Take a moment to sit down and think about your week. School will be out soon or already is, mealtimes will now look different! Make a list of meals and make a list for the grocery store. A list will help keep you on budget, make the trip a little quicker, and ensure you have everything you need for each meal. I try to meal prep weekend mornings. Coffee on the deck, pen and paper on hand. Meals look different for each of us.

There are so many healthy eating apps that help you track your nutrition, decode food labels, and analyze ingredients. Examples include, but are not limited to, My Fitness Pal, Cronometer, Yuka, and Mealime. I use Zoe. This is simple for me right now because it scans the bar code and lets me know if I should enjoy frequently, moderately, or minimally. That’s all I have time for right now.

For me, protein in the morning is a must. My quickest summer go-to is yogurt, berries, and walnuts. Let’s break it down:

Yogurt – Not all are created the same. I use my Zoe app to find one I can enjoy frequently. Yogurt is a fermented food which is important for gut health.

Berries – While fruit is an important part of healthy living, it still contains sugar. Good sugar, but still sugar. At my age, too much of any sugar is detrimental to my waistline, LOL! So, I stick to raspberries, blackberries, and sometimes blueberries. These berries are blood sugar friendly because of their high fiber and antioxidant content (anthocyanins), which slows digestion.

Walnuts – Not all nuts are created the same. Like who really likes walnuts…not my go-to nut (yum…..chocolate covered almonds, LOL). OK, back to reality. There is no single “best” nut, as the ideal choice depends on your nutritional goals. The best strategy is to eat a variety but be careful as fat (good fat) and calories add up quickly. I use walnuts. These sort of “take on the flavor” of the berries and yogurt. And I picked them because they have the highest levels of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. These play an important role in brain development, inflammation regulation, and heart health. Walnuts also contribute to providing your daily value of manganese. Not to be confused with magnesium, manganese is primarily an antioxidant and enzyme activator. It is critical for the formation of bone and cartilage, collagen synthesis, blood sugar control, and neutralizing free radicals.

Wow, so much about a simple meal! Obviously, there are so many other choices. Love, love, love eggs! Next time we will explore the egg-cellent topic of eggs and their versatile role in so many dishes. Until then, keep it simple and love today! – SS

Loving the sunshine. Let’s go………

Did you know…

• The sun’s rays penetrate, disinfect, and can help to heal skin irritations
• Sunshine boosts your mood, increases blood movement which equals an increase in oxygen movement through the body
• Sunlight synchronizes your circadian rhythm through the optic nerve and stimulates the brain
• Exposure to sun’s rays allows the body to naturally produce Vitamin D
• Every cell in the body requires Vitamin D to function effectively
• Vitamin D helps the pituitary gland regulate hormones, strengthens bones, reduces inflammation, and modulates cell growth
• Adequate levels of Vitamin D are essential for the delivery of calcium and magnesium to the heart muscle and contribute to hair production
• Just 5–30 minutes of exposure per day, several times a week is needed depending on your skin tone, geographic location, and the UV index at that time of day

*WebMD

• Just as much Vitamin C as an orange
• Contains soluble and insoluble fiber, potassium, and antioxidants
• Can lower blood pressure, enhance immunity, and promote heart and eye health
• Natural food source of serotonin
• Contains actinidin, an enzyme that specifically breaks down proteins and speeds up gastric emptying
• Fuzzy skin is edible and full of nutrients, eat it like an apple
• Can improve gut health

*National Institutes of Health (.gov)

There is so much noise about overnight oats (ONO) out there! Some people say you shouldn’t even eat oatmeal. Ugh…anyway, my vegetarian child made some the other night, so I decided to make some too. OMG so freaking good! So, I started investigating, and then just quit. Whatever. Remember, moderation is the key! Don’t forget, I am NOT an expert. I just want something yummy. Here is some information that has made me decide, it’s OK to eat ONO whenever I want!

• Raw oats retain a slightly higher amount of heat-sensitive nutrients (like B vitamins and certain antioxidants) because they are not exposed to boiling temperatures. *Almond Cow
• Resistant starch: Uncooked oats contain more resistant starch, a type of prebiotic fiber that feeds healthy gut bacteria and supports digestive health. *Verywell Health
• Mineral absorption: Raw oats contain higher levels of phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that can block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Cooking (or soaking) oats helps break down phytic acid, making these minerals easier for your body to absorb. *Verywell Health
• Calorie density: Both versions have the exact same number of calories by dry weight. However, cooked oats absorb water and expand, making the portion size larger, which can help you feel fuller for longer with fewer calories per bite. *Reddit

Every recipe starts with rolled oats or old-fashioned oats, but not quick oats. Then milk, yogurt, and a sweetener like honey or pure maple syrup. The rest is up to you.

I’ve included some recipes for you to start with, but it’s simply a matter of what you like! Have fun and enjoy the healthy benefits.

Salt, too much can contribute to high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. But how much is too much?

Americans consume far too much sodium — on average, over 3,300 milligrams daily. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day and an optimal goal of no more than 1,500 mg a day for most adults. For most people, cutting back by 1,000 mg a day can improve blood pressure and heart health.

Many people say they don’t put salt on their food, but the problem is processed food. Anything that comes from a can, jar, box, or plastic bag is processed and this accounts for 80% of salt that is in our diet. But let’s face it, processed or “go-to food” is a part of our everyday life. Some easy salt solutions – ha – get it, OK, never mind.

Step 1: Take away the saltshaker! If you find this too difficult, then at least make a conscious effort to use less.

Step 2: Read the labels and swap for something with less sodium. Dr. Dennis Goodman even said rinsing a canned product can remove up to 40% sodium!

Step 3: Experiment with herbs in place of salt. Your taste buds AND your heart will thank you! Here are salt replacement suggestions for your next culinary masterpiece:

• Italian dishes: Basil, Garlic, Onion, Oregano, Parsley
• Mexican dishes: Cayenne, Cilantro, Chili Powder, Garlic
• Indian dishes: Cardamom, Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric
• To season lean meats: Garlic, Lemon, Paprika, Rosemary, Thyme