Linda's Voice: July 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

What to Eat Now: Cherries

what to eat now: cherries

•		Our Favorite Cherry Recipes

•		Cherry Lime Jam

•		Cherry Tassies

•		Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread

•		30+ Cherry Pie Recipes

•		Healthy Cherry Dishes

•		Sweet Cherry Recipes

•		Easy Berry Dessert Recipes

•		Shop Pie Pans

<< Cherry Berry Pie

What to Eat Now: Cucumbers

what to eat now: cucumbers

•		Cool Cucumber Recipes

•		Cucumber Sandwiches

•		Cucumber Salad

•		Cucumber Mint Cooler

•		Cucumber Salad Recipes

•		Cucumber Cilantro Gin and Tonic

•		Easy Cucumber Dishes

•		Loaded Cucumber Rounds

•		Shop Cutting Boards

<< Cucumber-Mint Hydration Smoothies

what to eat now: watermelon

•		Our Favorite Watermelon Recipes

•		Sweet and Savory Grilled Watermelon Salad

•		Watermelon Gazpacho

•		Watermelon Martini

•		Watermelon Lime Ice Pops

•		Watermelon Basil Lemonade

•		Healthy Watermelon Recipes

•		4 Refreshing Ways to Use Watermelon

•

<< Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

6 Surprising Cancer Causers By Erin Hicks, Everyday Health Staff Writer

t's well-known that certain lifestyle behaviors like smoking and excessive sun or tanning-bed exposure can cause cancer. But those are not the only everyday, sometimes surprising, choices that can put you at higher risk for cancer.
Cancer is caused by changes in cell DNA. Some changes may be passed down from our parents in the form of genetic defects, while others could be caused by environmental factors. The substances, situations and exposures that can lead to cancer are called carcinogens, according to the American Cancer Society. While some carcinogens don't affect DNA directly, they can lead to cancer in other ways — by causing cells to divide at a faster than normal rate, for example.
Here are six everyday situations that that you may not have known were carcinogenic.

Click here to see what 7 things that causes cancer:

Attention Women: You’re Not Too Old to Go Vegetarian By Everyday Health Guest Columnist Published Sep 9, 2014 SharonPalmerBy Sharo

By Sharon Palmer, RDN, Special to Everyday Health
Contrary to what you may have heard, a plant-based diet – one that is limited in or devoid of any animal products – is not off-limits for aging women. In fact, this style of eating can offer optimal health rewards for older women, such as promoting healthy weight, warding off heart disease, and protecting against the risks of other chronic diseases.
Vegetarian and vegan diets are not only rich in all of the good stuff, like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phyochemicals; they’re low in all of the “bad” stuff, like cholesterol, saturated fat, and toxins. Indeed, vegetarian diets have been linked with numerous health benefits, including a lower risk of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and type 2 diabetes; as well as lower levels of LDL cholesterol and blood pressure; and decreased BMI.
In the landmark Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2), data on different dietary patterns – including vegan, vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, and non-vegetarian – were analyzed among about 96,000 Seventh-day Adventist participants in the United States and Canada. The study found that the risk of heart disease — the No. 1 killer in women — seems to be lower among vegan and vegetarians, according to the AHS-2.
Another benefit for plant-based eaters? They tend to weigh less, which can certainly be a motivating factor for women as energy needs decline during aging. A new study analyzing data from the AHS-2 found that average BMI was lowest in vegans (23.6) and incrementally higher in lacto-ovo vegetarians (25.7), pesco-vegetarians (26.3), semivegetarians (27.3), and nonvegetarians (28.8).

How to Meet Your Protein Needs if You’re Eating Vegetarian

As important as protein is for maintaining lean body mass, immune function, and bone density, there are a lot of fallacies about how difficult it is to meet protein needs on a plant-based, especially as we age.

Experts call for protein intake of 1 to 1.6 grams/kilogram of body weight daily (compared to the RDA of 0.8g/kg of body weight) as a safe and adequate amount for healthy, older adults.
Vegans do need to put a little bit of extra emphasis on protein-dense foods, making sure they consume at least four servings or more of protein-rich food per day, but it’s not hard to fit this in with a little careful planning. A protein-rich plant food serving is one-half cup of beans, tofu, or soy milk; 2 tablespoons of nut or seed butter; or 1 ounce of nuts or seeds.

Bone Protection: Calcium and Vitamin D

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, almost 60 percent of U.S. adults aged 50 and older are at risk of breaking a bone. And breaking a bone or experiencing a fracture as a consequence of osteoporosis can ultimately affect one’s quality of life if it results in a lack of mobility, depression, or chronic pain.
Dietary components such as calcium and vitamin D that are typically associated with dairy foods are important for bone health and may be challenging to get in vegan diets — though vegetarian diets that include dairy are usually adequate in these nutrients. But vegan diets are typically rich in other key nutrients involved in bone health, such as vitamin K and magnesium.
Keep your bones healthy by feeding them two to three servings of calcium-rich foods each day: fortified plant milks and juices; tofu made with calcium sulfate; and leafy greens such as collards, turnip greens, kale, and bok choy. Also aim to meet your vitamin D requirement, which is 600 IU per day for those 51 to 70 years of age, and 800 IU per day for women older than 70. Consume vitamin D-fortified foods, such as soy milk and orange juice, and consider taking a vitamin D supplement to help fill in the nutrient gaps.

Plant-Based Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood lipid levels and blood pressure, and reduce risk of heart attacks and sudden death for people with coronary heart disease. In addition, omega-3 appears to have other benefits, such as for brain health.
Vegetarians and vegans tend to have good intake of the plant-based, short-chain omega-3 fatty acid ALA, which is found in chia, hemp, and walnuts. Supplements of marine algae (where cold-water fish get their omega-3 intake to begin with), which contain the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, are an option for adequate long-chain omega-3s. As with all dietary supplements, discuss these with your health care provider before taking them.

Get Your Vitamin B12 Boost

This vitamin is probably one of the greatest nutritional concerns for vegetarians and vegans because vitamin B12 is generally found only in animal foods, such as fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is serious, as it may result in megaloblastic anemia, which can cause numbness in the arms, difficulty walking, memory loss, and disorientation. Though vitamin B12 is available in fortified foods, it’s recommended that vegans supplement their diet with a daily vitamin B12 supplement. However, even non-vegetarian older women should be concerned about vitamin B12, as older adults may have impaired absorption of this nutrient and suffer from deficiency. Thus, the Institute of Medicine recommends that all adults over the age of 50 get most of their vitamin B12 through supplements and fortified foods.

Finding Balance in a Plant-Based Diet

While there seems to be no doubt that plant-based diets can promote optimal health, it takes thoughtful planning to ensure that you are getting all the health rewards it has to offer. It is possible to crowd out essential nutrients if you’re allowing too much room for junk foods such as snacks, sweets, baked goods, and sweetened beverages. In planning appropriate plant-based meals, a few key nutrients and micro-nutrients merit consideration, especially for vegans and near-vegans. But a balanced plant-based diet rich in legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthful fats offers all of the foods you need for optimal health.
Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian, is the author of The Plant-Powered Diet and Plant-Powered For Life, as well as the The Plant-Powered Blog. She has written articles for Prevention, Better Homes and Gardens, Today’s Dietitian, and other magazines, and she is the editor of the award-winning publication Environmental Nutrition. She serves as the consulting dietitian for the Oldways Vegetarian Network, is a Regional Co-Director for the Association of Food Journalists, and is an editor for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s website. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

10 Things to Know Today (NEWS)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. NATO MEETS IN EMERGENCY SESSION

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey is asking the alliance to be prepared to help his country as it battles Islamic State militants in Syria and Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

2. GADHAFI SON SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2011 KILLINGS

The Tripoli court hands down the sentence for Seif al-Islam, who is currently being held by a militia that refuses to hand him over to the central government.

3. WHAT OBAMA IS DOING ON LAST DAY OF AFRICA TRIP

He is closing out a historic return to the land of his father's birth with a speech to the African Union.

4. SUMMER CAMP FOR IRAQI SHIITE BOYS

From Baghdad to Basra, teenagers are training to fight against the Islamic State group after the country's top Shiite cleric called on students to use their summer vacations to prepare for battle.

5. NO RED FLAGS REPORTED AT TIME OF GUN SALE TO THEATER SHOOTER

John Russell Houser's mental problems were well known to many, though perhaps not the store that sold him the .40-caliber handgun used in the deadly attack in Louisiana.

6. TRUMP DANGLES 3RD PARTY PROSPECT

The possibility that the billionaire might run for president on his own starts to cast a shadow on the race, reviving memories of Ross Perot and Ralph Nader.

7. BOY SCOUTS LIFT BAN ON GAY ADULT LEADERS

The new policy takes effect immediately, but allows church-sponsored troops to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons.

8. PRISON EMPLOYEE ACCUSED OF HELPING 2 KILLERS ESCAPE TO APPEAR IN COURT

Joyce Mitchell, who faces charges of first-degree promoting prison contraband and fourth-degree criminal facilitating, hopes for a plea agreement.

9. WHERE `'THE BOOK OF MORMON' FINALLY PREMIERES

The satirical musical is coming to the heart of Mormonlandia, starting a two-week run at a Salt Lake City theater two blocks from the Mormon church's flagship temple.

10. U.S. URGED TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER BID CITY FOR 2024 GAMES

Two-time Olympic host Los Angeles could fit the bill perfectly, according to several IOC board members.

Life Quote from Eckhart Tolle

Inspirational Quote of the day by Albert Einstein

Motivational Quote of the day by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote of the day by Maxwell Maltz

Linda's pick for the Quote of the Day

The Ten Layers of Absolute Freedom by James Altucher

It feels really crazy good to make out with someone, doesn't it? Remember the first time you did that? Amazing!

My first thought was: why didn't anyone ever tell me it was going to feel this good?

Ok, I just had to get that off my chest. Now for some serious stuff: like quitting, going broke, stealing, lying, and maybe even killing someone.

In 2012 I wrote a popular article called "10 Reasons You Have to Quit Your Job in 2012". It got over a million views.

In 2013 I wrote a popular article called "10 Reasons You Have to Quit Your Job in 2013". It got about two million views on the various sites I posted it on.

In 2014, I wrote an insanely popular article called "10 Reasons You Have to Quit Your Job in 2014." It's now in the top 10 articles of all time on LinkedIn.

Did you quit your job? If so, you can skip the rest of this article. Go find someone to make out with. If you've never done that before I can tell you it feels really good.

The world is divided into angry people and free people. {Click to Tweet

}

Anger is a subset of fear. Maybe you are afraid to be lonely. Or afraid to be broke. Or afraid to die?

In 1994, 2001, 2005, 2008, and 2010 I was so angry and scared I didn't know what to do.

I thought I had to have a purpose, a goal. But this is BS.

There is only ONE purpose: TO BE FREE.

There are layers of freedom.

FIRST LAYER: Free from your own past and future. Which means: free of all regrets and petty hatreds from the past and anxieties and worries about the future.

This is very hard. I have to practice this every day. When you practice something, you get better.

For instance, I'm angry at someone who wrote me an angry email a year or so ago. That is petty. And he or she has his own fears. His own insecurities.

Freedom is a daily practice. If you get 1% better every day at freedom then you become not just free but an explorer. Explore as much as possible before your last breath.

#2: The next layer of freedom is to be free of other people's opinions of you. You never ride above the clouds if everyone is holding you down into the rain.

One time I ran into a co-worker who gave her opinion about something I was about to do at work: "you CAN'T do that. Nobody does that." She still works there and is still unhappy. 20 years later.

Another time several years ago someone wrote an article being somewhat cruel to me and taking things out of context.

At first I was really bothered. I actually cried and said, "why did he do this?" We had been friends and he twisted it. There's no answer. I had to give up trying to answer everyone else's fears.

#3: The next layer: be free of the opinions of the masses.

While everyone is wearing surgical masks and staying indoors because of Ebola and the fate of the dollar you can be outside enjoying the sun.

Everyone jumps on the latest trend. That trend gets weighed down by all the people jumping up and down on it.

Don't look towards the future for trends. Look towards the past. What worked before? Do it 10 times better.

PayPal is a great example. People have been paying each other for centuries. But with cash or credit. Paypal was 10x better. How about paying someone via email?

#4: The next layer: be free of the word "CAN'T".

I need to explain that one. Let's say I'm interested in basketball. I'm not going to be a professional basketball player.

Realistically, I can't be one.

Primarily because I'm 46 years old. Otherwise I would definitely be one, no question about it.

But I CAN write a novel about basketball. I can be an agent. I can work for a team. I can be a marriage counselor for pro basketball players. I can be a referee. I can design homes with basketball courts inside of them.

Don't think of an interest as a goal. Then you will spend your life with "CAN'T" as your lover. Think of your interest as a theme.

DO THIS TECHNIQUE:

a. I draw on a big piece of paper the names of all the themes I am interested in. games, writing, art, business, stocks, entrepreneurship, psychology, health, rap music, podcasts, TV, comic books, comedy, etc.

b. I make a bunch of dots of what I can do with all of these themes. One dot might be "write a novel". Another dot might be "start a podcast". Another might be "start a food truck".

c. Then I draw lines between the dots to connect them in various ways. Label each line. A line between games and psychology. Well, I can write about the psychology of a good game player and how that relates to business.

Suddenly I have 100 careers to choose from. And guess what? I'm allowed to choose more than one. Nobody can stop me. I CAN do that.

#5: The next layer of freedom: find someone who likes what you are doing.

A standard technique in Internet business is to give away great value for free.

Because then you get people to know who you are and like what you stand for. Steve Scott puts up a ton of free slideshares on how to build good habits.

But then he writes a new book every three weeks about building good habits. In just a few years he went from making $0 a month writing books to making $60,000 a month writing books and newsletters about habits.

He's not an exception. I know 100 other people doing this at least.

#6: Now that people like something you are doing, start thinking of something you can charge for. A premium version of what you are doing.

If you've never done this before, it feels overwhelming at first. I have a friend, Molly Hahn, who emails out doodles she makes every morning.

Every doodle has a Buddha character in it and a quote. How the hell is someone who does that going to make a living? She emails out free doodles of Buddhas.

This past year she made a six figure income selling things in her online doodle store.

I have a Buddha carpet, for instance. It's beautiful. I lie down on it throughout the day. She figured out what to give out for free and what to charge for. She's not an exception. She RULES.

#7: Another layer of freedom: ONLY do your best work 2-5 hours after you wake up.

We are only at peak productivity two to five hours after we wake up. Here's what I do: I read for the first two hours after I wake up and then I write.

After that I might still work, but mostly just followups and phone calls. Then I make out with people.

#8: You don't need a lot to live like a king.

It feels great when all of your bills are paid. It feels even better when you know you are doing something that will pay your bills for a long time.

If all you do is that then you are in great shape. If all you need is "enough" then you are the king of the world.

#9: Freedom is a path you choose every day.

When everyone else is afraid they are "stuck", it's great to know that you are on your path to freedom.

It takes years or even decades to be in your full stride so don't punish yourself if you are not "there" yet, wherever "there" is.

When I interviewed the rapper Coolio he told me it took him 17 years of writing every day before he had a single hit. But he was free to do it every day. Then he wrote one of the bestselling songs of all time. "I'm going to make money off of that one song for the rest of my life," he told me.

When I interviewed the standup comedian Jim Norton he told me it took him 6 years before he was making a living as a comedian. Now he's one of the most successful comedians in the world, 20 years later.

Do your themes every day because you love doing them. Remember that persistence + love = abundance. But persistence is measured in years, not days, not months. Go back to #1 when you forget this.

#10: Final freedom layer: Realize that everyone you meet today has been sent down from an alien mother ship to teach you a lesson. Learn those lessons.

This sounds like I'm making it up but it's true. Nobody will admit this of course. But trust me, it's true.

If all you do is this layer of freedom, then nothing can ever stop you from living the best possible life.

I know billionaires who don't do that final step and they are miserable every day. They even get to make out with a lot of people and are still miserable. Angry. So they try to make more money and they get angrier. Then they die.

If you do any of the above, have a little celebration. Put a candle on a cupcake. Love yourself.

Take a break from asking "why me?". Instead say "wow".

Go from "Why?" to "Wow!"

Monday, July 27, 2015

Grilled Panzanella Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Shop Recipes ▾

1/4 cup xtra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 14 ounce loaf Italian bread
1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
4 medium tomatoes (1-1/2 lbs total), diced into 1-inch pieces
1 large seedless cucumber, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup packed basil leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut bread loaf in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into four 1-inch-thick slices, for a total of 8 slices. Brush slices lightly with olive oil. Grill 2 minutes per side; set aside. Lightly brush onion quarters with olive oil

. Grill 5 minutes; rotate and grill another 5 minutes.

Cut bread slices into 1-inch cubes. Cut onion quarters into thin slices. Toss bread, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and basil in dressing. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

nutrition information

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 238, Fat, total (g) 10, chol. (mg) 0, sat. fat (g) 2, carb. (g) 31, fiber (g) 3, pro. (g) 6, sodium (mg) 529, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Steak Salad with Mixed Baby Greens Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch cayenne
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 5 ounce packages baby arugula
1/2 pound bing cherries, pitted
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup bottled low-fat blue cheese dressing (such as Bolthouse)

Directions

Heat grill or broiler. Spread flank steak on a cutting board. In a small bowl, combine Italian seasoning, garlic powder

and salt, pepper and cayenne. Coat steak with olive oil and then rub spice mixture into steak. Grill or broil for 6 minutes per side, turning once, for a total of 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean board and let rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine baby arugula, bing cherries, and crumbled blue cheese. Toss gently with blue cheese dressing. Slice steak against the grain (starting on a small side), into thin slices. Toss with salad mixture. Serve immediately.

nutrition information

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 288, Fat, total (g) 15, chol. (mg) 46, sat. fat (g) 6, carb. (g) 9, fiber (g) 1, pro. (g) 29, sodium (mg) 503, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Warm Spinach Salad with Tuna Recipe

Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Enjoy this easy-to-prepare warm version of spinach salad in a matter of minutes. The tuna not only adds extra flavor but protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Warm Spinach Salad with Tuna

Prep and Cook Time: 0
Ingredients:

6 cups baby spinach
2.5 oz canned light tuna
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small sauce pan and heat until warm.
Drizzle over spinach leaves and top with tuna.

Serves 1 Nutritional profile available soon.
Printer Friendly Version of Warm Spinach Salad with Tuna
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Warm Spinach Salad with Tuna
Healthy Food Tip

Do darker colored fruits and vegetables have more nutrients than lighter colored ones?

No, the darkness of a fruit or vegetable's color (called hue) is not necessarily related to its nutrient diversity or nutrient density. The reason is very simple.
A relatively small number of nutrients provide fruits and vegetables with their color. (The majority of these nutrients are pigments-flavonoids, carotenoids, melanins, porphyrins, and a few other categories of nutrients). But, more of a specific nutrient that provides color will make the food darker in that color.
However, most of the nutrients needed by the human body are not pigments and do not produce unique shades of color in fruits and vegetables. A food could be very light in color and contain large amounts of these non-pigment nutrients. A good example would be white onion-one of the lightest colored vegetables we can imagine! White onion is a significant source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and folate, as well as chromium, manganese, molybdenum, phorphorus, and copper. It also contains a variety of highly unique and health-supportive sulfur molecules. Even with all of these important nutrients, however, it remains white.
Even when comparing different varieties of the same food-for example, green grapes versus red grapes, or a green Granny Smith apple compared to a Red Delicious apple-the differences in color do not usually represent "better" and "worse" in terms of nourishment. The skin of a green Granny Smith apple is going to have more chlorophyll than the skin of a Red Delicious apple, but the Red Delicious is going to have more anthocyanins. This difference is not a case of better versus worse-it's a case of being nutritionally unique, with each offering its own nutritional benefits. On our website we emphasize the principle of the unique nutritional value of each individual food. The diversities of color and intensities of color are important exactly because of this diversity.
We would like to mention one exception to the principles described above: processed food. Processed food typically loses its natural color because the natural food pigments that contain color are processed out. To compensate, the food manufacturers usually add artificial colors. When it comes to processed food, you might be in more trouble with a richly colored food than a pale, uncolored version due to this nutrient-depleting and artificial coloring process.
For more information on this topic see:

15-Minute Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Mustard and Tarragon Recips

Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Try this quick-and-easy recipe that combines the great tastes of chicken, Dijon mustard and tarragon to your Healthiest Way of Eating. Fresh herbs are a great way to enhance the taste of your meals and enjoy extra health-promoting nutrients as well.
15-Minute Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Mustard and Tarragon

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

1 medium onion cut in half and sliced medium thick
5 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS + 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp honey
1 TBS chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 tsp dried tarragon)
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried parsley)
salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

Slice onion and press garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet. Healthy Saute onion in broth over medium heat for 2 minutes.
While onions are sauteeing, cut chicken into pieces. Add chicken pieces and continue to saute for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently to seal chicken on all sides. Add garlic and continue to saute for another minute.
Add mustard, 1/2 cup broth, and honey. Mix thoroughly and simmer uncovered for about 7-8 minutes on medium-high heat stirring occasionally to cook chicken evenly. This will also reduce sauce.
While chicken is cooking, chop herbs and add at end with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 Serving Suggestion: Serve with

Mediterranean Swiss Chard

Printer Friendly Version of 15-Minute Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Mustard and Tarragon
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 15-Minute Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Mustard and Tarragon
Healthy Food Tip

Do blueberries still provide strong antioxidant support after they have been frozen?

Yes, even after blueberries have been frozen, they can provide you with excellent antioxidant support. It's important, of course, for your blueberries to be high quality before they are frozen, and for this reason, I recommend organically grown blueberries that are firm and lively colored when purchased. Avoid blueberries that are dull in color or appear soft and watery. If purchased in a container, I recommend that you gently shake it to make sure that the blueberries are firm enough to move freely and independently.
I encourage you to pay special attention to the color of your blueberries because a large part of that color comes from the anthocyanins (antioxidant phytonutrients) in the berries. There's good research showing very little loss of anthocyanins after freezing of healthy, ripe berries so you'll hardly be losing any of these unique antioxidants if you properly freeze high-quality fresh berries.
For other antioxidant nutrients, the loss due to freezing varies from about 10-40%. You'll lose less than 20% of your berries' vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene from freezing, and that's plenty of reason to take advantage of freezing as a convenient way to enjoy blueberries even when they are out-of-season. The amount of vitamin C lost during freezing can vary widely and can be substantial, but I still recommend that you treat freezing as a very acceptable step when it comes to blueberries. While fresh blueberries still rank highest on my recommendation list, all of the trade-offs involved with frozen blueberries seem worthwhile to me. I would consider that you'd still be following the Healthiest Way of Eating if you go the frozen route when fresh berries are not available.

15-Minute Black Bean Salad Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe

Today's Recipe If you don't know what to have for dinner tonight ...

Try this salad recipe that only gets better with time. It is a great one to keep on hand in your refrigerator for a ready-made healthy meal or snack. Beans are great for adding dietary fiber to your Healthiest Way of Eating. One serving of this Black Bean Salad provides 33% of the daily value for this important nutrient. Enjoy!
15-Minute Black Bean Salad

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

½ cup minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 cup black beans or 1 15 oz can (without BPA), drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ cup diced red bell pepper
2 TBS pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Mince onions and press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting benefits.
Mix all ingredients together and serve. This salad will keep for a couple of days and gets more flavorful if you let it marinate in the refrigerator for awhile.

Serves 4 Printer Friendly Version of 15-Minute Black Bean Salad
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 15-Minute Black Bean Salad
Healthy Food Tip

The Latest News About Black Beans

Black beans could not be more succinctly and descriptively named. They are commonly referred to as turtle beans, probably in reference to their shiny, dark, shell-like appearance. With a rich flavor that has been compared to mushrooms, black beans have a velvety texture while holding their shape well during cooking.
Black beans are actually a variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and belong to the popular legume family of plants. Black beans share many characteristics with their fellow bean family members, including red (kidney) beans, white (navy) beans, yellow beans, pinto (mottled) beans, pink beans, and anasazi beans.

What's New and Beneficial About Black Beans

Recent research has shown that black beans provide special support for digestive tract health, and particularly our colon. The indigestible fraction (IF) in black beans has recently been shown to be larger than the IF in either lentils or chickpeas. It has been shown to be the perfect mix of substances for allowing bacteria in the colon to produce butyric acid. Cells lining the inside of the colon can use this butyric acid to fuel their many activities and keep the lower digestive tract functioning properly. By delivering a greater amount of IF to the colon, black beans are able to help support this lower part of our digestive tract. Lowered colon cancer risk that is associated with black bean intake in some research studies may be related to the outstanding IF content of this legume.
The soaking of black beans in water has always found fairly widespread support in food science research as a way of improving overall black bean benefits. Yet, the discarding of the bean soaking water has been a topic of considerable controversy. A recent study that may help put this controversy to rest looked at many different advantages and disadvantages of tossing out the water used to soak beans. It found that the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages. On the advantage side of things, getting rid of the soaking water also means getting rid of some of the phytates and tannins that can lower nutrient availability. It also means reducing flatulence-related substances like raffinose (up to 33% removed along with the soaking water) and stachyose (up to 20% removed). A final advantage was the retention of resistant starch. While some of the total carbohydrate content in the black beans was lost along with the discarding of the soaking water, the amount of resistant starch remained unchanged. (Resistant starch is a type of carb that will typically make its way all the way down to the large intestine without being digested. Once it arrives in the large intestine, it can help support the growth of desirable bacteria in that area of the digestive tract.) On the disadvantage side of things was that 15% of total phenols were lost, we actually don't think that that is an amount that is of concern. There was a slight loss of some additional phytonutrients as well as minerals. When adding up all of their findings, the researchers concluded that the many advantages of discarding bean soaking water clearly outweighed the disadvantages and then made this recommendation a firm part of their research conclusions.
We tend to think about brightly colored fruits and vegetables as our best source of phytonutrients, but recent research has recognized black beans as a strong contender in phytonutrient benefits. The seed coat of the black bean (the oute rmost part that we recognize as the bean's surface) is an outstanding source of three anthocyanin flavonoids: delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin. These three anthocyanins are primarily responsible for the rich black color that we see on the bean surface. Kaempferol and quercetin are additional flavonoids provided by this legume. Also contained in black beans are hydroxycinnamic acids including ferulic, sinapic, and chlorogenic acid, as well as numerous triterpenoids.
In Brazil, a country that, along with India, grows more black beans than any country in the world, beans have been given an exclusive place on the Brazilian Food Pyramid. In other words, beans are recommended as their own unique food group! The country's 2006 Food Guide for the Brazilian Population recommends that beans be consumed at least once every day. That recommendation is actually quite close to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which establish 3 cups of cooked legumes per week, or 1/2 cup serving six days per week, as the minimum desired amount. Recent research linking bean intake to lower risk of type 2 diabetes, many types of cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer was one of the key factors used by the Brazilian government and the U.S. government in establishing their bean intake recommendations.