Foods High In Iron

     While lean and organic meats ( beef, chicken, and yes - pork ) are Clean, adding the following items to your roster of proteins is a sound route for some who may be reducing their meat intake or who wish to pursue alternate forms of protein for their nutrition. 1. Edamame Containing 28 grams of protein, a single cup of cooked soybeans contains the same amount of protein as a three-ounce steak. Whole soybeans have more than three times the protein of tofu and soymilk, so you’re better off finding interesting ways to cook the beans rather than resorting to more processed versions of soy. For instance, edamame, the Japanese snack, is a form of salted, boiled soybeans, but you can also mash up the beans for a mashed edamame and pita sandwich or to use in edamame hummus . 2. Quinoa Quinoa, the ancient South American grain that’s getting more popular lately, has the most protein of any grain—10 grams per cup. Not only is it a good source of plant protein, but,...

 Check your freezer if you shop at Sam's... Jennie-O Turkey Store is recalling almost 55,000 pounds of frozen turkey burgers that may be contaminated with Salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recall applies for all packages of a raw turkey product: "All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat" with a "use by" date of December 23, 2011. But if you're not a Sam's Club member, you can breathe easier -- the patties, sold in 4-pound boxes containing 12 patties, are found exclusively at Sam's Club, Jennie-O said on its recall website. Three people in Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin fell ill after eating the Jennie-O ground turkey, leading the FSIS to determine there is a link between the product and the outbreak, the agency said on its website. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening for those with weak immune systems.

This post first appeared on my blog about 6 months ago...and if you are new to Clean Eating or just starting to research it...this will make you stop and think the next time you want to put bacon up on an altar for worship. In a new study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that eating a daily serving of processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, or processed deli meats, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes . In contrast, the researchers did not find any higher risk of heart disease or diabetes among individuals eating unprocessed red meat, such as from beef, pork, or lamb.  The processed meats contain four times the sodium and 50% more nitrates than their ( naturally occurring ) unprocessed counterparts. "This suggests that added salt and preservatives - rather than naturally occurring fats - may account for the risks." Harvard School of Public Health : ...

At my house, Saturdays are typically known as "Seafood Saturday" - we will cook a variety of seafood to share, family style. Last night was no exception. My husband cooked Dungeoness crab, shrimp, a small bowl of mussels, and some salmon. I bought the seafood earlier in the day from our fishmonger - who mentioned something in passing I had known but never contemplated fully: "You want to buy the wild caught salmon rather than the farm raised salmon."  This led me to start contemplating wild versus farm raised salmon, and I was mentally urged to go and seek out information. I found this article over at  fyiliving.com , and it bears a repost. Salmon: The Safe Healthy Salmon Shopping Guide Salmon has emerged as one of the “super-foods” encouraged by health professionals as a highly nutrient-rich food. But while there are many benefits associated with it, there are also many important facts to know about the salmon that shows up on your dinner plate. Health Benefit...

I Stumbled across this very good "portion distortion" quiz over at NHLBI's website: Portion Distortion - Then and Now .  A bagel 20 years ago was 3 inches in diameter and had 140 calories. How many calories do you think are in today's bagel? a) 350 b) 250 c) 150 A cheeseburger 20 years ago had 333 calories. How many calories do you think are in today's cheeseburger? a) 590 b) 620 c) 700 Head over to the Portion Distortion Quiz and check it out. I found it an interesting visual reminder that portions are much, much larger today than they have ever been.

A 2010 study from Consumer Reports found that nearly 40 percent of pre-washed salads sold in plastic bags or so-called plastic clamshells may be contaminated with bacteria that could be harmful to your health. They did a small study, just over 200 samples, and they found that 39 percent of those samples contained a family of bacteria known as coliform, which is a general indicator for contamination. Twenty-three percent of them contained a bacteria known as enterococcus, which is usually associated with fecal contamination. Not what you want to hear in your produce. It's not sterilized, it's just pre-washed. But there weren't other bacteria found in the study that we tend to associate with foodstuffs. It's important to note they did not find E.coli, they did not find salmonella, but they actually found the worst contamination in package containing spinach. We've heard a lot about spinach in the past. Spinach was a big offender and especially those packa...

Here is a list of 10 foods you really should be incorporating into your CE regimen. These are packed with vitamins, minerals, and the Clean essentials you need to fuel your body and energize yourself. Try eating these 10 on a rotating basis for variety - try 1 or 2 items a day in conjunction with the "superfoods" you are already eating in your quest to stay on a Clean path. 1. Sweet Potatoes A nutritional All-Star — one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Bake and then mix in some unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple for extra moisture and sweetness. 2. Mangoes Just one cup of mango supplies three-quarters of a day’s vitamin C, onequarter of a day’s vitamin A, a decent dose of blood-pressure-lowering potassium, and 3 grams of fiber. Bonus: mango is one of the fruits least likely to have harmful pesticide residue. 3. Unsweetened Yogurt Plain yogurt has a pleasant tartness that’s a perfect foil for the...

While doing some research last night, I came upon this list of 24 Super Foods over at Prevention Magazine's website. Each entry has a small blurb about the food's health benefits. Super Foods are generally recognized as foods that have intense nutritional values, and have been shown through scientific studies to significantly contribute to a healthier body. Anything look vaguely familiar with this list? 24 Super Foods 1. Eggs 2. Greek yogurt 3. Fat free organic milk 4. Salmon 5. Lean Beef 6. Beans 7. Nuts 8. Edamame and tofu 9. Oatmeal 10. Flaxseeds 11. Olive Oil 12. Avocado 13. Broccoli 14. Spinach 15. Tomatoes 16. Sweet potatoes 17. Garlic 18. Red peppers 19. Figs 20. Blueberries 21. Asian pears 22. Lychee 23. Apples 24. Guava Hmmmm.  Suspiciously familiar. I know, I've got it.  I'll take "Foods a Clean Eater Consumes Every Day" for $400, Alex.

Clean Eating invariably leads to some weight loss. If you've been eating processed foods for a while, you've got some excess weight. Now, whether that excess is 5 pounds or 50 pounds - there are ways to accentuate that loss to help your body's machinery function at top performance. That's right, your metabolism. It would like some attention, please. Clean Eating is about eating more —more nutrient-dense food, to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. That's important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It sends a signal to your body that says, "I'm starving here!" And your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate to hold on to existing energy stores. Ways to Rev Up Your Metabolism  1. Go to Bed Earlier A study in Finland looked at sets of identical twins and discovered that in each set of siblings, the twin who slept less and was under more stress had more visceral fat. 2. Eat More Protein Your body needs pro...

One thing I hear, over and over from people ( women AND Men ) as we discuss Clean Eating, and the great results both in weight and health I've experienced, is a variant on the following.: "You don't drink soda? Not at all ? Oh, I wish I could stop drinking Diet Coke." "I eat really healthy , barely anything processed - but I couldn't give up Diet Coke." " I am a Diet Coke fiend!" Over and over, I hear some form of the phrases above. There are 3 very valid reasons to use your logical brain and put aside diet sodas of all kinds. This article Artificial Sweetened Beverages: Cause for Concern recently appeared in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association - the US' leading medical journal and association. Boiled down, it says: 1. Our body gets confused by artificial sweeteners – the dissociation between sweet taste and calorie intake may put the regulatory system that controls hunger and body weight out of sync, thus sabotaging ...

What is for breakfast this morning? Stuck in a yogurt rut ( like me? ) or just grabbing some fruit? It's cold outside and your body would like a kick start from the slumber the night before. Oatmeal is Clean and ready in minutes. 1) Oatmeal is natural and nearly unprocessed. Oatmeal is healthy and natural for one basic reason – it’s made entirely of oats, which are very healthy grains. And even better, the oats are nearly unprocessed. That’s what really sets oatmeal apart from cereals that come out of a box.(Those cereals are usually just white flour plus some added nutrients to make it appear healthy, when in actuality most nutrients were already stripped out of the ingredients during the processing.) Steel cut oatmeal is preferable to regular - but regular can make for a faster prep and any oatmeal is good oatmeal - so don't sweat it if you buy regular over steel cut. 2) Oatmeal keeps you full. Oatmeal keeps you full longer than most other foods. Since the oats are w...

1. Artificial Sweeteners Aspartame, (E951) more popularly known as Nutrasweet and Equal, is found in foods labeled "diet" or "sugar free". Aspartame is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined. Aspartame is not your friend. Aspartame is a neurotoxin and carcinogen. Known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory, the components of this toxic sweetener may lead to a wide variety of ailments including brain tumor, diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, migraines and seizures. Acesulfame-K, a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baking goods, gum and gelatin, has not been thoroughly tested and has been linked to kidney tumors. Read more about the dangers of Aspartame ...

I find this poster a tad frightening...

Organic foods are healthier, produced healthier, and promote a more liveable planet. Seems like a pretty no nonsense choice to me. 1. No chemicals: Conventionally grown crops are sprayed with significant amounts of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and chemical fertilizers. These chemicals are designed to kill other forms of life and you may very well be eating them. When your body can’t properly process a toxin, it’s often stored in body fat to keep it out of circulation. Organic food is certified to have been grown without the use of chemical, pesticides, and other things you shouldn't put in your body, 2. More Nutrients There is plenty of scientific evidence showing organic food to have far greater nutrient levels than conventionally farmed food. We all know that crops get their nutrients from the soil. By ignoring the laws of nature and over farming their land, conventional farmers deplete there soil. Common sense should tell you that crops grown in deple...

When I started eating Cleanly, one of the first things I became aware of is the amount of hidden ( and not so hidden sugar ) in processed foods. Last night, I found this terrific website: Sugarstacks.com that visually shows you the amount of sugar in your foods. A sugar cube is equal to 4 grams of sugar - so each little pyramid records the amount of sugar in your food. I'm posting a few of their pictures here as a visual teaser, but I encourage you to browse their site. It's an incredible visual reminder of what processed foods contain, and for me, it was very helpful in keeping me in check. A serving ( 1 tablespoon ) ketchup: 2 waffles with 1/4 c syrup:

Like to boil your broccoli until it’s dark green? You might be cooking some of the cancer-fighting power right out of it, a new study in the journal Nutrition and Cancer finds. In the study, researchers found that the enzyme myrosinase—abundant in raw broccoli and broccoli sprouts—contributes to broccoli’s cancer-fighting properties. But many people destroy the enzyme by overcooking broccoli—which happens pretty much any time you microwave it, boil it, or use enough heat to cook something else (like an omelet or pizza)—says co-author Elizabeth Jeffrey, Ph.D. of University of Illinois. So how can you get the most of your favorite green stuff?  Steaming your broccoli is the best way to cook it, says Jeffrey. Make sure it keeps that bright green color and only steam it for 2 to 4 minutes—if you leave them in for 6 or 7 minutes, you’ll kill the cancer-fighting enzymes. If your kitchen’s not stocked with a steamer, try this on your stovetop. Fill a large pot ¼ to ⅓ full of...

I  found this nifty chart online and thought I'd repost it for my readers. I like the way this chart thinks...though the bit about water is...um...odd. If you crave this... What you really need is... And here are healthy foods that have it: Chocolate Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits Sweets Chromium Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken Carbon Fresh fruits Phosphorus Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains Sulfur Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage Tryptophan Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach Bread, toast Nitrogen High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans Oily snacks, fatty foods Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame Coffee or tea Phos...

I've written previously about feeling so much better both mentally and physically since starting Clean Eating. I saw this list and thought you'd like it, too. 10 Warning Signs Of Good Health Advertisement <div><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/newhope360.lifestyle/health_and_beauty_healing%26prevention;pos=180_1;page=/healing-prevention/10-warning-signs-good-health;sz=180x150;tile=1;ord=123456789?" target="_blank"> <img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/newhope360.lifestyle/health_and_beauty_healing%26prevention;pos=180_1;page=/healing-prevention/10-warning-signs-good-health;sz=180x150;ord=123456789?" border="0" alt="" /></a></div> Persistent sense of humor. Chronic positive expectations; tendency to frame events in a constructive light. Episodic outbreaks of joyful, happy experiences. Sense of spirit...

Next up in our discussion of real versus fake foods is non-dairy creamer.  So many people use this stuff daily - previously, myself included - that you'd think we'd be more aware of what this non-food really contains. The bottle tells the whole story, too. The one I've chosen doesn't even HAVE the word dairy on  it. They just call it a generic term "coffee creamer" Instant red flag. Look at the back label for the verdict: Ingredient list: Corn syrup solids, Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut, palm kernel or hydrogenated soybean), sodium caseinate (a milk derivative but not a source of lactose), Dipotassium phosphate, mono- and digycerides, artificial flavor and annatto color.” So what is it? Corn syrup solids? That's sugar. Partially hydrogenated veg oil? That's your key right there... anything partially hydrogenated is a trans fat.   Sodium caseinate ( a milk derivative - how can it be non-dairy if it has a milk derivative in it?? ) is ...

DIRTY DOZEN: Conventional crops with the HIGHEST pesticide loads 1. Peaches 2. Apples 3. Sweet bell peppers 4. Celery 5. Nectarines 6. Strawberries 7. Cherries 8. Lettuce 9. Grapes (imported) 10. Pears 11. Spinach 12. Potatoes CONSISTENTLY CLEAN: Conventional crops with the LOWEST pesticide loads 1. Onions 2. Avocados 3. Sweet corn (frozen) 4. Pineapples 5. Mangoes 6. Sweet peas (frozen) 7. Asparagus 8. Kiwi 9. Bananas 10. Cabbage 11. Broccoli 12. Eggplant