Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Healthy Turkey Salad - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
Today's Recipe If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
This turkey salad is quick, easy, and versatile. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand to create your own personal variation.
Healthy Turkey Salad
Healthy Turkey Salad
Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1/2 medium tomato, sliced
  • 3 oz turkey breast, sliced
  • 1/4 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 3-1/2 TBS sunflower seeds
  • 2/3 cup cooked kidney beans or canned (no BPA)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and top with our Blue Cheese Dressing.Serves 1
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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Healthy Turkey Salad
Healthy Food Tip
Is there any benefit to consuming green tea straight from the bag and adding it to my food? Am I having too much tea if I use two to three bags per day?

I haven't seen any research involving consumption of tea leaves directly. I'd expect the tea leaves to be nutrient-rich, however, and definitely higher in most nutrients than the tea water we drink after brewing them. Yet, I would expect the daily consumption of the amount of dried tea leaves in two to three tea bags to pose digestion problems for some persons because of the possible astringency of the tannins and potential irritability related to the caffeine content of the leaves.
There are about two grams of dried green tea leaves in a standard bag of tea. That amount is about four times higher than a standard capsule of green tea powder (about one-half gram). The two substances cannot be strictly compared, because green tea powders are a far more processed product than dried green tea leaves. However, on a gram-for-gram basis, if you are consuming the tea leaves from 2-3 bags of green tea per day, you are consuming approximately 4-6 grams of leaves, and a gram equivalent of 16-24 capsules of green tea powder. Whether this practice is appropriate in your circumstances is a question that your healthcare provider will need to address.
I realize that capsules containing a powdered form of lyophylized (freeze-dried) tea leaves are widely available in natural food stores and have an impressive track record in animal research with respect to health benefits. Blood sugar and insulin regulation, immune system function, and regulation of body weight are all positively impacted by addition of green tea powders to animal diets. From my perspective, however, this information from the dietary supplement world involving highly processed tea leaf powders and animal studies does not provide reliable information as to the benefits of whole, dried tea leaves in an individual�s Healthiest Way of Eating.
As a proponent of the sheer pleasure and delicious tastes of food, I would also want to consider the pure enjoyment of brewed tea. The flavors, aromas, and process of sitting down to a warm cup of tea is not only a much-coveted tradition in many world cuisines, but a welcomed moment of relaxation and enjoyment related to one of the World�s Healthiest Foods.
It�s certainly possible to get creative with your brewed tea, like I did the other day when I was making brown rice. Instead of cooking my rice in plain water, I brewed several cups� worth of green tea and then used that tea as the cooking liquid for my rice. This green tea water added a nice flavor to the rice and I suspect it added some nutritional benefits as well.
There are about two grams of dried green tea leaves in a standard bag of tea. That amount is about four times higher than a standard capsule of green tea powder (about one-half gram). The two substances cannot be strictly compared, because green tea powders are a far more processed product than dried green tea leaves. However, on a gram-for-gram basis, if you are consuming the tea leaves from 2-3 bags of green tea per day, you are consuming approximately 4-6 grams of leaves, and a gram equivalent of 16-24 capsules of green tea powder. Whether this practice is appropriate in your circumstances is a question that your healthcare provider will need to address.
I realize that capsules containing a powdered form of lyophylized (freeze-dried) tea leaves are widely available in natural food stores and have an impressive tract record in animal research with respect to health benefits. Blood sugar and insulin regulation, immune system function, and regulation of body weight are all positively impacted by addition of green tea powders to animal diets. From my perspective, however, this information from the dietary supplement world involving highly processed tea leaf powders and animal studies does not provide reliable information as to the benefits of whole, dried tea leaves in an individual�s Healthiest Way of Eating.
As a proponent of the sheer pleasure and delicious tastes of food, I would also want to consider the pure enjoyment of brewed tea. The flavors, aromas, and process of sitting down to a warm cup of tea is not only a much-coveted tradition in many world cuisines, but a welcomed moment of relaxation and enjoyment related to one of the World�s Healthiest Foods.
It�s certainly possible to get creative with your brewed tea, like I did the other day when I was making brown rice. Instead of cooking my rice in plain water, I brewed several cups� worth of green tea and then used that tea as the cooking liquid for my rice. This green tea water added a nice flavor to the rice and I suspect it added some nutritional benefits as well.
References:
Sayama, KI, Oguni, A. et al. Inhibitory Effects of Autoimmune Disease by Green Tea in MRL-Faslprcg/Faslprcg Mice. In Vivo. 2003;17(6):545-52.
Wu, LY, Juan, CC, et al. Effect of Green Tea Supplementation on Insulin Sensitivity in Sprague-Dawley Rats. J Agric Food Chem. 2004; 52(3):(643-8.
Wu, LY, Juan, CC, et al. Green Tea Supplementation Ameliorates Insulin Resistance and Increases Glucose Transporter IV Content in a Fructose-Fed Rat Model. Eur J Nutr. 2004; 43(2):116-24.
Zheng, GK, Sayama, T, et al. Anti-Obesity Effects of Three Major Components of Green Tea, Catechins, Caffeine and Theanine, in Mice. In Vivo. 2004;18(1):55-62.

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