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Grow with Nutrition

Tag Archives: fruit

The Mediterranean Diet Recharged By New Research

My latest Barley Balance post for GoBarley.com is about how barley, the whole grain ‘smart’ carb, fits well into the Mediterranean diet food pattern and heart health connection. For this Grow with Nutrition post, I’m sharing with you the skinny on the Mediterranean diet (Mediet) foods and their relationship to our health. The Mediet Food Pattern It is built on a foundation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, lentils, legumes, whole grains, olive oil with a moderate intake of lower fat yogurt and cheese, fish and poultry; a low intake of red meat, processed meats and sweets; and wine in moderation, consumed with meals. Remember you still have to think portion control for all the Mediet foods. The Mediet has been associated … Continue reading

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Diggin’ Figs for Health

I love the smoky, earthy, coffee flavours in figs. As a teenager, I packed Fig Newtons® in my lunch religiously every school day but rarely ate fresh figs due to the lack of availability. Today in Canada, both fresh and dried figs are an everyday fruit. Did you know, the fig is the most talked about fruit in the Bible and figs were mentioned in a Babylonian hymnbook about 2000 B.C.? And the fig tree is the symbol of abundance, fertility, and sweetness.   More Fun Fig Facts Figs made their first commercial product appearance in the 1892 (A century before I was packing them in my lunch…) with the introduction of Fig Newtons® Cookies. The fibre in figs is … Continue reading

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Blueberries – stay true blue

If you have heard my presentation about Superfoods for Health, you will recall that I love blueberries for many reasons. Nutrition aside, I’m intrigued with the small but mighty berries that are one of a few natural blue foods grown in the world. With the games in London over the next week, doesn’t this Union Jack Cake look delicious and fun to have at your Olympic theme party over the long weekend. The recipe can be found at STYLENEST.  Just remember to exercise (like an Olympian, if you have the fever) to balance out this delicious indulgent. As a dietitian, I'm asked the question “go big or go wild?” Hmmm, well, when it comes to blueberries, I eat a variety of fresh and … Continue reading

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Hydrating in the Summer Heat

The warm weather gives us thoughts of fun outdoor activities, late night BBQs and sipping a tall glass of fresh lemonade. Hydration is important all year round, especially in warm weather because being hydrated keeps the body from overheating. When you exercise, your muscles generate heat. To keep from burning up, your body needs to get rid of that heat. The main way the body discards heat in warm weather is through sweat. As sweat evaporates, it cools the tissues beneath. Sweating reduces the body's water level, and this loss of fluid affects normal bodily functions.  Our fluid bodies The human body contains about 60% water. And the more muscular and younger you are, the more water your body contains. … Continue reading

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Strawberries – the wonderful, heart shaped fruit

Nothing smells more like summer than fresh strawberries. This sweet, sweet berry is not only rich in vitamin C and fibre; it has the celebrity status of the produce world!  Strawberry Facts Did you know strawberries are a member of the rose family? Strawberry first had the name strewberry, its name was changed to strawberry after farmers used to bring them to market on beds of straw. Strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside skin and each strawberry has up to 200 seeds. These ruby red, heart shaped fruits have long been associated with love and romance. In Belgium, there is a museum dedicated to strawberries The Strawberry Museum is located in a park. It presents its … Continue reading

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