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Healthiest Foods to Kick-Start the New Year

12/30/2012

4 Comments

 
Statistics taken from the Journal of Clinical Psychology, University of Scranton (2012), reveal nearly 50% of the U.S. population will make a New Year’s resolution this year.  Out of approximately 155 million resolutions, only 8% of those made will ultimately be successful.  The list below shows the top 10 resolutions made for 2012, which identifies losing weight and staying fit and healthy as the number 1 and number 5 most popular resolutions respectively.
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Figure 1.  Top 10 Resolutions of 2012, 
retrieved from
http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics
It’s really no surprise that weight loss and getting fit and healthy are at the top of resolution lists.  According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM),“Two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese”.  In the January 2012 issue of Oprah magazine, Dr. Oz explained the number one reason Americans are heavy, “The brain, very smartly, wants nutrition.  But the average American is eating empty calories.  So you finish that 2,000 calories and your brain says, Keep
going until you get nutrients
.” 

Since many people don’t realize which foods have the most nutrients, they keep eating  empty calories and the cycle of undesirable results continues.  Furthermore, well-intentioned resolutions fail.  People need help achieving weight loss goals and proper tools to help them maintain a healthy weight more than ever.  With this in mind, this post will introduce a few handy tools to help set you up for success.   Meet Your New Best Friends:  ANDI, MUFA, & PUFA.
ANDI

ANDI stands for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index and was developed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  The Index (ANDI) assigns a score – up to a possible 1000 - to a variety of foods based on how many nutrients they deliver to your body in each calorie consumed.   Dr. Fuhrman’s best recipe for the prevention and reversal of disease, and for permanent weight loss is simple.  Eat foods with most nutrients in the fewest calories possible.  

If you’re a Whole Foods Market shopper you’re in luck.  The store has recently begun to label some foods with their ANDI scores. If not, we have included a printable list of the highest rated ANDI foods to make healthful grocery shopping easier.  

MUFA and PUFA

MUFA and PUFA are acronyms that describe two healthy types of fats essential for proper nutrition.  Both fats are unsaturated and are mostly plant-based in origin as opposed to saturated fats which are typically found in animal-based foods.  The worst fat of all is trans-fats which is typically a by-product of processing used by manufacturers to enhance the shelf-life of some foods.  

MUFA (pronounced moo-fah) is short for monounsaturated fatty acid.  These omega-9 fatty acids are plant-based fats found in foods like avocado, olives, nuts such as almonds, cashews, pecans and macadamias, vegetable based oils, and dark chocolate.    Various studies on MUFA rich diets show that these super healthy fats enhance heart health, protect against chronic disease, increase weight loss and body fat loss especially in hard to lose places like your belly.   These fats have also been shown to slow the bio markers of aging, prevent cancer and heart disease and reduce inflammation!   As an added bonus, MUFAs are satisfying and filling. 

PUFA (pronounced poo-fah) is short for polyunsaturated fatty acid.   PUFA fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which also have health benefits.  Omega-3 fatty acids are heart healthy fats that may lower LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and blood triglycerides. Some common sources of PUFA are:  walnuts, flax seed, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, seaweed, some fish and seafood such as salmon, trout, sardines and crab. The American Heart Association recommends that most healthy people eat two servings per week of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.   If you don’t care for fish then adding the nuts and seeds listed will accomplish the same results.
PRINTABLE GROCERY LIST

It’s one thing to read this post and learn some new things about how to keep a weight or health resolution.  It’s another thing to have some tools to help you out with your goals.  While we can’t help you eat good food or exercise more, we can offer an ANDI, MUFA, and PUFA guide so you don’t have to memorize which nutrient rich foods and healthy fats to add to your diet.  Even if weight isn’t an issue for you, you WILL want to include more of these foods if you desire to increase and maintain optimum health.

Print the list here – and good luck with your 2013 health resolutions! 
 
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Inspiration Now!

12/29/2012

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Prepare for an uplifting New Year now by listening to one of these great archived interviews from Lisa Garr & the AWARE show. Her interviews inspire me and I hope they will inspire you too! These are available to listen to for FREE only until the 31st.  
  
http://theawareshow.com/s8/transformational-speakers/

IN ~ JOY!
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A Very Merry Thank You!

12/25/2012

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Festive & Healthy Holiday Snacks

12/23/2012

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Make the holidays extra fun for little ones when they wake up to these items on the breakfast table!
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Here are some simple and tasty ideas you can put together in no time.  Alternate sliced bananas and strawberries into a candy cane shape and your work is done!

Or... Try your hand at mini Santa Hats.
  Cut the green tops off the strawberries, turn them upside down and let them sit flat on a plate.  Cut the tip off the berry and add a little whipped cream to the middle and top.  Or slice the bananas lengthwise and lay them on the plate, cut side down.  (See options in the photos below).

Finally, make a glass of "Grinch" milk or tint it red.... naturally!  For green, use a palmful of spinach leaves and add to a blender with milk.  You can sweeten to taste but the small amount of spinach doesn't alter the flavor.  For a red tint, just add strawberries to the milk (rice, almond, or regular) and blend. 
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5 Comments

Upcycled Christmas Crackers - A Fun DIY

12/23/2012

4 Comments

 
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Here's a fun little repurposed project you can do yourself.  Using a simple cardboard tube from a paper towel roll, toilet paper roll or even gift wrap tube, simply wrap tube in paper and secure ends with ribbons or pipecleaners.  Secure one end first and fill the open end with trinkets before closing completely. 
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Some items that fit in the tubes:

*
squinkies
* stickers
* bouncy balls
* rubber stamps
* matchbox cars
* coins or paper money
* beaded necklaces and bracelets
* hair clips
* mini "whirligig" helicopters
* small animal toys

* You can include sweets too, but this is a list of non-candy items that help keep the holidays healthy!
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Above: Traditional version with name tags.

Right:  Animal version.  Simply pinch one end closed and staple shut, then fold the top of the tube in towards center - one "half" of the top will fold down and  the other half will overlap the first fold.  Push down and "ears" are created.  Paint, and decorate!
 
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4 Comments

Holiday Lanterns

12/23/2012

2 Comments

 
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An Upcycled/repurposed craft project from NaturalGirlDiary, currently on PBS. 

These little lanterns make cute nightlights and give little hands something to do over the holiday vacation!

Check them out!

http://www.pbs.org/parents/fun-and-games/activities-and-crafts/holiday-lanterns/
2 Comments

Gluten eBook FREE on Amazon December 6-8!

12/5/2012

0 Comments

 
What is Gluten
Have you ever wondered why books you read about gluten-related health issues focus on what you have to eliminate from your diet?  Yes, cutting out gluten is required for several of these conditions, but nobody ever focuses on important foods to add to your diet to help  relieve symptoms or rebuild the digestive system.  That's why Natural Girl Diary had to write this book. 

Food 101-Gluten answers the most common questions about gluten in order to build a solid understanding of the topic.  However, this book shifts from the "you can't" mentality and empowers the reader with information to actually help improve symptoms, strengthen digestion, and assist your body to restore damage that may exist because of gluten.


AND, for a limited time, we are giving this book away on Amazon to anyone who wants it! 
Click to learn more about the book and find out how to get your FREE copy.
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    About Natural Girl Diary

    Natural Girl Diary is a website on a mission!

    Experience the joy of natural living through our whole-food, plant based recipes, natural health information, positive messages, and "green" crafts through this website, our newsletter,  facebook page and  pinterest boards.

    In~ Joy!

    About Stephanie Mullani

    Stephanie Mullani is the Owner & Creator of NaturalGirlDiary.com, and the Owner of Tru Publishing (wwwtrupublishing.com), an independent press that produces books on holistic  solutions and proactive approaches to help us better care for ourselves and our earth.


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