In my journey to a well-balanced life, I have discovered so many different foods that provide the fuel that gives me power and energy. I read somewhere that some “power couples” actually eat very basic and healthy consuming 80% vegetables and 20% lean meats. They moderate their consumption of everything else like dairy and alcohol to maintain a balance that has made them active, contributing and focused. The recipes that I have selected have worked for me but to take a recipe of something I love, just misses on being free of so many unhealthful things. Take sugar for example. We know it is unhealthful on so many levels and given today’s choices, pretty much in everything. While I am not diabetic, I know that as we age, we need to replace sugar with whatever sweetener we choose that gives us the taste we crave and supports our insulin balance so that we manage it from becoming a health issue. Right? Well, the challenge in replacing ingredients to create recipes for It’s a No Grainer Life has led me to some interesting research and efforts to try different things in our recipes that end up having greater health benefits on the one hand, and surprisingly to me, pretty darn tasty on the other. I like making my mistakes. Not only in how the recipe looked, but also how they have tasted. Still, part of the journey. That’s half the fun anyway. At least, I don’t have to live with them for too long. Please let me know how you have found our recipes working in your kitchen. Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you like what we are doing, register your contact information and let us send you our new newsletter we will be launching pretty soon. We promise we will not give your information to anyone else and we will send you the newsletter every other month.
Yours in health!

Barbara

The hot dog days of summer are upon us and yet I am staying true to both my diet and exercise! I realize the challenges of staying fit in the summer, but I still make time to hit the gym. I also love running outside. I find that waking up early is the best way to get my miles in during this time of year. Whether you are in the gym or exercising outside, here’s a helpful tip: while seemingly obvious, you really must stay hydrated! Hydration is very important and you can add a variety of fruit to your give your water a yummy flavor – lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, peaches and berries!

Now let’s talk about snacks. I love to snack during the summer and staying grain-free is a challenge. I love all kinds of nuts…and after shopping at various stores I decided to take matters into my own hands. I loaded up on raw almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans and macadamia nuts…and roasted them for about 8-10 minutes with coconut oil and sea salt. And just like that I now have delicious and healthy snacks that I can carry around with me! Well…back to the kitchen! I am feeling creative today (and hungry) and will be working on more yummy recipes to share with you soon!

Yours in health!

Barbara

On my own journey to healthy living, I found myself pouring through a host of studies and viewpoints on nutrition and health. The good news is that many of these studies now serve as the basis to what has become my It’s a No Grainer Life website!

Sharing is caring… and my goal here is to share these wonderful possibilities for improved living and a healthy body. I can tell you this…it was much easier than I thought when it came to replacing foods that no longer supported my personal goals.

I found a story based on a study by Jennifer Di Noia, PhD – who specializes in public health - called Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables: A Nutrient Density Approach (read more below). In this study Dr. Di Noia ranked fruits and vegetables based on nutrient measures to determine which ones were considered a ‘powerhouse.’ Essentially, she defined a powerhouse as those ‘most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease.’ Each fruit and vegetable was measured for their content of 17 nutrients that are very important to our health. Her findings were very interesting and included some of the following: Watercress, Chinese Cabbage, Chard, Beet Greens, Spinach, Red Pepper, Carrots, Lemons, Strawberries, Oranges, Grapefruit, Black Berries, Leeks, Sweet Potatoes, Iceberg Lettuce and Romaine Lettuce.

Loving a variety of lettuce, leafy greens appeared in the top 15 spots on this list.

Without getting into the exact formula for density scoring (which you can find in the above link), turns out Romaine Lettuce ranked 8th on the list with a density score of 63.48. Who knew Romaine Lettuce was so nutritious! Maybe that is why we enjoy Caesar Salad so much (just go light on the dressing)! 

Well there you have it! Please click on the link to see the whole list of powerhouse fruits and vegetables…and lettuce know your thoughts on our FB page! Read complete article from the CDC below...