Tips for Consuming Enough Fruits and Veggies Every Day

Eating fruits and vegetables every day promotes a healthy lifestyle and helps reduce the risk of illness. While people know the importance of nutritious meals and snacks, prioritizing these foods can feel inconvenient or like a chore that can be put off until later. Use these tips for consuming enough fruits and veggies every day to improve your diet.

Find Your Staple Salad Recipe

One of the easiest ways to ensure you eat enough produce every day is to eat salads. Find a salad you love and make it a regular recipe in your rotation of home-prepped meals. As your go-to recipe, the familiarity of your favorite salad takes some of the guesswork out of eating healthy.

You can build a delicious salad with a base of fresh greens, protein, fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and the dressing of your choice. Dressings low in fat and sodium offer more nutritional benefits than creamy dressings.

Juice Your Produce

If you’re not a fan of the way most fruits and veggies taste, then juicing your produce can help you take in more of these nutritional foods. Use vegetables as a key ingredient to reduce the calorie count of your juice and add fruit to balance out the flavor. Some of the most popular veggies to juice include broccoli, spinach, beets, kale, and carrots.

Fresh juice offers more nutritional benefits than highly processed juice. And if you want to extend the shelf life of fresh juice, use citrus fruits; the acidity of citrus fruits will help your juice naturally stay fresh longer.

Add Convenience With Canned, Dried, and Frozen Produce

The final tip for consuming enough fruits and veggies every day is to make it convenient with canned, dried, and frozen produce. Seasonal produce can be used to make tasty meals, but canned, dried, and frozen produce also offer nutritional benefits and can help ensure a healthy diet.

Whenever buying these products, choose options that contain less added sugar and less added salt. For example, choose canned and frozen fruit packed with no added sugar or packed in its own juice. And when buying frozen veggies, choose plain vegetables and season them at home with your favorite herbs and spices.

 

admin @ Inspire Your Journey

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Vegetable Juices vs. Fruit Juices: Which Is Best for Diet?

There are many ways to diet, including eating less of one item or consuming more of another. Some diets may consist of recipes crafted from different fruit or vegetable juices, both of which offer many nutritional benefits. Fruit juices and vegetable juices are well known and used fairly often in diets, but one concoction provides better health benefits than others.

Fruit Juices

Fruit juices are a mixture of different fruits, with some recipes calling for berries and the occasional vegetable. All fruits have unique flavors that combine well to make a refreshing drink filled with vitamins. Some of the best fruits are sourced from California, the biggest export of fruits and vegetables in the US.

Benefits

Fruits have provided people with health benefits for many years, so combining them in a juice mixture will compound these benefits. Fruit juices provide soluble fiber, which helps the good bacteria in our stomachs and digestive tracks digest food and break down nutrients with less effort. Fruit juices containing ingredients such as pomegranates or oranges will help lower cholesterol and supply vitamin C and antioxidants.

Drawbacks

Fruit juices are an excellent source of multiple forms of nutrients, but they won’t supply all the necessary nutrients our bodies need. This is important to know before you start a juice cleanse or fast. These juice blends need to accompany a healthy meal to achieve the best possible effects. Fruit juices may also lead to a sugar imbalance within the body, given the natural sugars in fruit, which may cause problems such as high blood sugar.

Vegetable Juices

Vegetable juices, sometimes called green juices, blend leafy or root vegetables into a mixture that is usually a particular shade of green. Many people add other ingredients such as honey, cinnamon, turmeric, or citrus fruits to create a better taste or consistency.

Benefits

Vegetable juice provides multiple benefits that will help the body. Vegetables such as kale, broccoli, asparagus, and arugula have anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, and natural diuretics. Vegetable juices are an excellent option for diets due to their lack of sugar and promotion of detoxing the body.

Drawbacks

Vegetable juices are great for weight loss but don’t supply as much energy as fruit juices because of the lack of sugar. Frequently drinking vegetable juice is okay, but eventually, you may pack on weight because of the minor calories.

The Best Option Between the Two

The best option for a diet between vegetable and fruit juices is vegetable juice. Fruit juice has nutritional value, but it has much more sugar than vegetable juices. When you go on a diet, the goal is often to lose weight and create a healthy balance of nutrients in the body.

Vegetables have plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories to keep your body healthy and strong. Vegetable juice also offers a purer cleanse since it doesn’t leave as much material in the body when it digests.

Fruit and vegetable juices are healthy options that will improve the body’s nutrition. Vegetable juices are the best among the two choices and will enhance the progress of your diet.

 

admin @ Inspire Your Journey

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The Most Common Gum Thickeners Found in Nut Milk

Gum thickeners are very popular in our food supply today, especially in nut milk. Gums are primarily made of indigestible plant fiber. Food manufacturers love gums because they have unique properties that add desirable texture, thickening, and emulsifying qualities to nut milk. 

Natural Gum Additives vs Carrageenan 

One positive about gums such as guar, gellan, and locust bean is their superiority to carrageenan. Commonly used in a variety of processed foods, carrageenan is a suspected carcinogen that should be avoided!   

Guar Gum

The guar bean is a plant that is primarily grown in India and Pakistan. India alone produces three million tons of guar beans annually. Guar gum is a fiber from the seed of the guar plant. It is commonly used in coconut milk for its excellent thickening power. Compared to cornstarch, guar has eight times the thickening potency. 

Guar gum has been studied in scientific research at approximately 5-20 grams daily for treatment of various maladies. The amount of guar gum in nut milk is minimal compared to the doses used in research studies. Unless you are a sensitive individual, there is little reason to be concerned about guar gum in nut milk.

Gellan Gum

Gellen gum is made from a natural bacterial fermentation process. The gellan-producing bacterium was first discovered in 1978 from a water lily plant growing in Pennsylvania. It is added to nut milk as an emulsifier so that when you pour your glass, you’re not getting a bunch of water on top with solids at the bottom. Gellan gum is widely considered safe. A typical carton of nut milk has small amounts of this additive. Another research study showed gellan gum consumed at a high level for 23 days caused no adverse dietary or physiological effects for the individuals. 

Locust Bean Gum

Locust bean gum is a vegetable gum extracted from the seeds of the carob tree. The carob tree or locust bean tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is a member of the pea family and native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The flavor of locust bean gum is mildly sweet and subtly similar to chocolate. It is added to nut milk as a thickening agent. 

A study published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules found that locust bean gum can be beneficial for health problems such as diabetes and colon cancer due to its dietary fiber action. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that locust bean gum has cholesterol-lowering effects.  

Are Gum Additives Safe?

Research studies indicate that gum additives in nut milk are safe to eat as they are only present in small amounts. A 64 oz carton of nut milk contains approximately 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp of gum additive. As a comparison, individuals have consumed gum additives at 1 tsp – 4 tsp daily as part of a treatment or research study. If you are a sensitive individual with gastrointestinal concerns, there are nut milks on the market today that do not contain gum additives.

Make Your Own Nut Milk

Making your own nut milk is very rewarding. You have complete control over the ingredients and know exactly how it’s made because you are the chef! If you are ambitious, I highly recommend you try making nut milk at home. Check out this simply delicious recipe for Macadamia Nut Milk. 

 

 

 

References

Alam NH, Meier R, Schneider H, Sarker SA, Bardhan PK, Mahalanabis D, Fuchs GJ, Gyr N. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum-supplemented oral rehydration solution in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2000 Nov;31(5):503-7. doi: 10.1097/00005176-200011000-00010. PMID: 11144434.

Anderson DM, Brydon WG, Eastwood MA. The dietary effects of gellan gum in humans. Food Addit Contam. 1988 Jul-Sep;5(3):237-49. doi: 10.1080/02652038809373701. PMID: 3294053.

Barak S, Mudgil D. Locust bean gum: Processing, properties and food applications—A review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 66, 2014, pages 74-80, ISSN 0141-8130.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.02.017

J H Zavoral, P Hannan, D J Fields, M N Hanson, I D Frantz, K Kuba, P Elmer, D R Jacobs, Jr, The hypolipidemic effect of locust bean gum food products in familial hypercholesterolemic adults and children, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 38, Issue 2, August 1983, Pages 285–294, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/38.2.285

Younes, M., Aggett, P., Aguilar, F., Crebelli, R., Filipic, M., Frutos, M., Galtier, P., Gott, D., Gundert‐Remy, U., Kuhnle, G., Lambré, C., Leblanc, J., Lillegaard, I., Moldeus, P., Mortensen, A., Oskarsson, A., Stankovic, I., Waalkens‐Berendsen, I., Woutersen, R., Wright, M., Brimer, L., Mosesso, P., Christodoulidou, A., Cascio, C., Tard, A., Lodi, F. and Dusemund, B., 2018. Re‐evaluation of gellan gum (E 418) as food additive. [online] Available at: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5296

 

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

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What To Look For on Dairy-Free Product Labels

Between oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, and rice milk, it seems like navigating the dairy aisle has become increasingly complicated. While these products are valuable alternatives for those who need or want to avoid dairy in their diets, deciphering their food labels can be confusing. In this blog, we’ll discuss what to look for on dairy-free product labels to ensure consumers can safely and conveniently buy products.

Check Allergen Labels

If you aren’t sure what to look for on dairy-free product labels, start with the allergen label. The FDA requires that food products that contain common allergens, such as tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, fish, cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, and soybeans, provide clear and legible allergen labels to alert customers. There are several different purposes of allergen labels, but they are primarily important to prevent customers from experiencing allergic reactions to foods.

If you are lactose intolerant or prefer to avoid dairy in your diet, allergen labels should be your first indication of whether food will be safe for your consumption.

Dietary Claim Labels

Unfortunately, not all dietary labels are the same. While the FDA regulates allergen labels, dietary claim labels are not mandated or regulated at all. And since these labels are unregulated, it is crucial to pay close attention to the exact wording. Here are a few dietary dairy claim labels you may come across.

Dairy-Free

This label should indicate that a product contains zero milk-based ingredients.

Non-Dairy

Consumers should read “non-dairy” product labels with more caution. Although the FDA does not regulate this label, it did previously define non-dairy products as those in which milk makes up less than .5 percent of the total product weight. Although this definition is now obsolete, products may still contain small percentages of dairy. Creamers and whipped cream are common products that may still contain small traces of dairy despite these labels.

Lactose-Free

Lactose-free labels indicate that a product does not include milk or sugar. However, these products are often not wholly free of milk-based ingredients like cheese, sour cream, and even buttermilk.

Ingredients Labels

Since the wording of dietary claim labels can change without regulation, it’s imperative to check the ingredient label of products as a final step before consuming foods. All food products must include a complete list of ingredients, which means that they will need to list any dairy products present.

As more and more consumers remove dairy from their daily diets, it is essential to pay attention to how brands market dairy in their products. Once you understand how to navigate the different types of dairy labels, you’ll be more likely to buy projects that suit your health and desire.

 

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

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How To Keep Your Skin Healthy This Summer

Longer days, warmer weather, vacation time—there’s a whole lot to look forward to in the summer. As the excitement of the new season draws near, we must remember how harsh the brilliant sunshine and heat can be on our skin. Check out our guide on how to keep your skin healthy this summer. Spoiler alert: It includes sunscreen!

Be Mindful Of the Midday Sun

We understand that a lot of people look forward to getting a shade darker in the summer, but you should always mind the time of day that you sunbathe. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the sun’s most intense UV rays are out. During this time, it’s especially crucial to lather on the sunscreen and stick to the shade.

If you want the best of both worlds—healthy skin and a nice tan—spend time in the sun in short increments (while wearing sunblock). You can always test out some self-tanner lotion to achieve a warm summer glow without increasing your risk for skin cancer.

Stay Hydrated, Stay Moisturized

Stay cool this summer by keeping your body hydrated, inside and out.

Internal

Unless you’re superhuman, the chances are good that you sweat more in the summer, too. Account for your body’s water loss by always keeping a bottle of water within arm’s reach. Dehydration is a serious condition that can lead to severe injury, so take steps to prevent it all summer long. It might seem silly, but you can get an idea of how hydrated you are by peeking at your urine—the lighter and clearer it is, the better!

Remember to incorporate water-rich foods into your diet in the summer to help maintain your hydration goals. With sweet fruits like watermelon and cantaloupe offering a high water composition, staying hydrated has never been easier!

External

With all this care for your body’s insides, don’t forget about your body’s largest organ! Everyone’s skin reacts to increased heat and UV rays differently. Learning how to moisturize your face based on your skin’s texture and sensitivity will keep your skin calm and buoyant all summer long.

Stock up on Sunscreen

Say it with me: It won’t turn into a tan! Repeat this mantra as often as necessary this summer to prevent scorching your skin. Avoid putting your body through the trauma of a milk bath or aloe cocoon by just slapping on some sunscreen, one of the most effective ways to keep your skin healthy this summer—and every summer after that.

Especially when getting outdoors between that 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. window, you’ll want to lather on broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with a high SPF. And don’t let an overcast day fool you. You should still wear SPF to shield your skin from the strongest UV rays.

 

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

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Food-Safety Tips To Keep in Mind While Shopping

Shopping is an essential chore for all of us. It’s a tedious task, but not one worth rushing through. While we may want to dash through a shop, throw things in the cart, and leave quickly, there are benefits to stopping and looking closely at each item we select.

Food has a profound impact on our health beyond nutrition and calories. Choosing the wrong foods is like inviting a saboteur into your life. To protect your loved one’s health, learn how to be a more informed consumer with these food-safety tips to keep in mind while shopping.

Check for Damage

The easiest way to protect your family from bad shopping choices is to thoroughly inspect every package. In the fast-paced world of producing food for a nation, accidents happen. That’s why companies provide safety measures such as tamper-proof seals.

Make sure all your selections are properly airtight and all seals are in place. Make sure there aren’t holes of any size in packages and always select produce that looks and smells fresh. Never choose dented or rusted cans since internal damage can compromise the contents. Small steps like these go a long way to prevent sickness caused by contaminated goods.

Choose Safer Packaged Food

Besides checking packages for damage, you should also have a look at the package itself. Food sits in its containers for sometimes years before it’s eaten. The longer a food is in contact with its packaging, the more risk it’s at that chemicals from the package may seep into the food.

Ideally, food is meant to be stored in food-grade packaging. You can be sure of this by looking for model information in the fine print. Plastic bottles used to store soft drinks often are accused of containing BPA, but by learning how to tell you can keep your family safe.

Check Labels for Bad Ingredients

One of the best food-safety tips to keep in mind while shopping is still to read and understand labeling. Information found on food packaging can seem like a jumble of nonsense words. Amidst all of this, there are a handful of very important details to watch for. Certain legal ingredients in the USA are known to cause health issues. Check the label for any words resembling high fructose corn syrup; this common sweetener is strongly associated with obesity.

Aspartame also should be avoided as it and corn syrup frequently worsen allergies and contribute to feeling sick, nauseousness, migraines, and other symptoms. If you feel poorly, check your diet for these and other concoctions. The fewer chemicals and more real ingredients you and your family eat, the healthier everyone will be.

 

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

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Things To Know About Arrowroot Powder

Many people have never heard of arrowroot powder. This ingredient is great because it’s very versatile. You can use it to prepare a meal, but it’s also an ingredient in many natural beauty products. The more you know about ingredients, the more helpful they are in your daily life, so we put together a guide that explains the various things to know about arrowroot powder. Read on to learn more.

It’s Gluten-Free–Friendly

Recently, more people have begun trying to understand their bodies better. Food sensitivity tests are becoming more common, and many people indeed find they have a gluten intolerance or allergy. People with food sensitivities or food allergies may struggle to find ingredients that fit within their restrictions. One of the most important things to know about arrowroot powder is that it’s gluten free, grain free, and paleo friendly. Arrowroot powder is also vegan. This means that nearly everyone can use it.

It’s a Good Cornstarch Substitute

Arrowroot powder is a good substitute for cornstarch. For this reason, you can use arrowroot powder in cooking if you have food allergies, particularly corn allergies. Since cornstarch is one of the main ingredients in many dishes, arrowroot is helpful as a substitute for people who cannot use cornstarch.

There’s a slight learning curve to using arrowroot powder. Although it’s a good substitute for cornstarch, it’s not the same. In recipes that call for cornstarch, you need to use a little less arrowroot powder. It’s best to start with less and add more if necessary.

You Can Find It in Beauty Products

Arrowroot powder is a versatile ingredient, so it’s no surprise that you can also find it in many natural beauty products. For example, arrowroot powder is often used in deodorants because it can absorb sweat and moisture. Arrowroot powder is also popular in skin care or beauty products for people with oily or acne-prone skin due to its mattifying effect.

 

Authored by Inspire Your Journey

 

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The Road to Wellness Through Gut Health

High quality ingredients are vital to maintaining optimal gut health. Research shows that the health of the gut, which is made up of trillions of bacteria, directly impacts overall well-being and mental clarity. The majority of digestive microbes are found in the large intestine. They are collectively referred to as the gut microbiome.

Over the past several years, science has discovered a direct correlation between the health of our gut and that of our brain. The stomach (gut) and brain communicate with one another through the gut-brain axis. A study in 2021 shows how dysregulated gut homeostasis closely influences brain function. As much as 95 percent of serotonin is made in our gut and about 50 percent of dopamine. These neurotransmitters impact cognition and brainwave signaling capacity. If the gut is not producing optimal serotonin and dopamine, mental capacity will be impacted.

A Personal Journey

On a personal note, I’ve made dietary lifestyle changes that made significant impacts to my overall health. About six years ago, I started to drink smoothies in the morning, eat more fruits and vegetables, consume non-dairy alternatives, eat less meat, and curtail my gluten intake. I also began taking gut boosting supplements on a daily basis. The neuroprotective effects of probiotic bacterial supplements is well-worth the investment. Eating a primarily plant-based diet plus incorporating probiotics into my wellness routine has resulted in positive changes.

Three Positive Changes

First, there was an immediate change in the quality and frequency of bowel movements. They became more frequent and detoxification is essential for health. As we age, our body’s metabolism tends to slow down. As a consequence, dietary choices become more relevant in order to keep the body clean.

Second, my sugar cravings have all but disappeared. The nutrient dense meals keep my energy levels sustained throughout the day. Eating junk food sets off a chain reaction that makes the body want more and more sugary food because it is made of empty, non-nutrient calories.

Special Note: The sugar cravings began to diminish BEFORE I made any dietary changes. The first step I took when I became serious about my health was to experience a brainwave entrainment technique. I thoroughly enjoyed this audio program and much to my surprise, I noticed a 75% decline in my sugar craving during that first week. This positive change has sustained itself even better since I’ve adjusted my diet.

Third, inflammation in my body decreased substantially when I curtailed gluten from my diet. I decreased my gluten intake after hearing inspiring stories from people who had challenges with Celiac disease. For me, it was all about curiousity. A month after I made this adjustment, I noticed an improvement.

I was getting ready to donate a sweater to Good Will because it was ALWAYS too tight around my chest area from the first day of purchase two years ago. Before donating, I decided to give it one more try. I was extremely surprised that it fit comfortably, especially around my chest where I now had breathing room. I was the same weight and made no other changes except decreasing gluten from my diet.

This might not sound like a big deal, but this change was astounding. I didn’t realize that I was experiencing breast swelling all those years until I adjusted my nutritional intake.

I learned a lesson from these outcomes. Sometimes positive changes are occurring without our awareness because they are subtle with incremental alterations being made over time. It’s smart to be patient and let the body heal on its own accord.

Smart Decisions to Begin Your Day

Making a morning smoothie is one of the best health decisions I’ve made in my entire life. This act alone changed the trajectory of my well-being for the better. When you make a smoothie filled with nutrient-dense food choices, your hunger will be satisfied for many hours. Your body, stomach, and brain will thank you!

Dairy-Free Smoothie

8-12 oz nut, soy, or oat milk
1/2 banana
Handful mixed berries
1 Tbsp pumpkin seed butter
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Enjoy!

Please note that you can add other natural ingredients, nuts, or seed butters. We all have our favorites.

I’ve listed mine below to get you started:

To supercharge your smoothie with supplements and protein powder, please visit Tips for Making a Spectacular Smoothie.

Closing Thoughts

Implementing dietary lifestyle changes can feel inspiring and overwhelming at the same time. I suggest implementing one product or process change at a time. This is what I did. It took a few years to figure out what products and food choices worked best for my body and taste preferences. If you have any questions, please reach out and we will be glad to assist you!

Authored by Susan Kapatoes, founder of Inspire Your Journey.  As an Amazon Associate, Susan earns from qualifying purchases.

Last Updated: October 18, 2023

References

Gwak, M. G., & Chang, S. Y. (2021). Gut-Brain Connection: Microbiome, Gut Barrier, and Environmental Sensors. Immune network, 21(3), e20. https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2021.21.e20

Terry, N., & Margolis, K. G. (2017). Serotonergic Mechanisms Regulating the GI Tract: Experimental Evidence and Therapeutic Relevance. Handbook of experimental pharmacology, 239, 319–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2016_103

University of Iowa, Health Care (2020) ‘Study pinpoints brain cells that trigger sugar cravings and consumption’, Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200710140722.htm

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Organic Food Culture: An Explanation

We have seen food products labeled with the word “organic”, but what does organic really mean? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the production of organic foods does not simply mean the avoidance of conventional chemicals. Organic farming supports overall system health by implementing a wide range of management practices to ensure biological diversity and soil fertility.

USDA ORGANIC Food Label 

When you buy a food product that displays the USDA ORGANIC label on its packaging, you are purchasing a product that has been produced using the quality standards that are required by the USDA. Organic agricultural practices help to minimize the pollution from our air, soil, water, and food sources.  Key factors that comprise organic farming principles:

  • Reduction or elimination of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics.
  • Use of crop rotations to manage weeds and maintain long-term soil health.
  • Soil conservation, water cleanliness, and practices that restore ecological balance.


What Defines an Organic Food Product?   

“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.” Consumer Brochure, USDA National Organic Program


Get Involved with your Local CSA

In order to learn more about organic food, there is no better way than to get involved with a local organic farm that offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. In a CSA, you become a shareholder of that farm. You prepay a sum of money at the beginning of each year which allows the farmers to buy the seeds and equipment they’ll need for the growing season. Once the food is ready to harvest, you get to enjoy the wonderful produce.

Growth of Organic Agriculture in the United States

According to the Census of Agriculture, the number of organic farms, the acres used for organic production, and the value of organic products sold have increased, with value of sales more than tripling between 2008 and 2019. As the data shows, organic is a growing and thriving segment of agriculture that is here to stay.

 

 

 

admin @ Inspire Your Journey

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