Spicing up the good life...

Thanks, Cheryl, for your comment yesterday about red wine in a "healthy" diet. She's right, of course - there are a number of "sinful" foods which, when partaken in moderation, have healthy benefits...

Red Wine...

Among wine’s recently discovered benefits are: improved heart health, less plaque accumulation in arteries, better bone health, cataract prevention, decreased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, possibly cancer prevention and more. Remember, though, more isn’t necessarily better... one 5-ounce glass of wine per day for women, and two for men is quite sufficient.

Chocolate...

For my money, the discovery that chocolate has health benefits is one of science's greatest miracles! While this lady is eating chocolate like most of us dream of eating chocolate, she's not doing it right. The key word is MODERATION! Also, dark chocolate is mo' betta than milk chocolate - the higher the percentage of cocoa, the better - 60 or 70% is my idea of perfection. Make sure it's good quality chocolate... Godiva, anyone?

Coffee...

Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. While we SHOULD be getting the good stuff primarily from produce, the good news is that coffee isn’t bad for you. As little as one to two cups per day may protect against certain types of cancer and diabetes, and could reduce the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Go easy on the sugar and cream, though...

Popcorn...

I've always felt that popcorn is proof that God has a sense of humor!
Fewer than 10 percent of Americans get the recommended three servings of whole-grain foods per day. People who eat popcorn (a whole-grain food) have a 250 percent higher intake of whole grains and 22 percent higher intake of fiber than people who don’t pop. One serving of plain popcorn (six cups!!) has only 100 calories and provides two servings of whole grains. Go easy on the butter, though - there are plenty of other ways to season popcorn... spray the popped corn with a little buttery cooking spray, then sprinkle on cinnamon, or red pepper, or curry powder, or taco seasoning, or another herb or spice you like. Saute some crushed garlic in a little olive oil and mix it in, then top with a little parmesan cheese. Try sprinkling on a little hot sauce or soy sauce... Remember... moderation, moderation, moderation!

Peanut Butter...

It tastes so good it must be bad for you, right? Eat the whole jar and it will be, but stick to one serving (about 2 tablespoons) and you’ll load up on heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol and help keep heart disease at bay. Choose “natural” peanut butters, since they contain no added artificially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) like many of the standard versions. Check the ingredient list: The only two things on the list should be ground peanuts and maybe a little salt. Spread some on whole wheat toast and you’ll also be sneaking in some vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, protein, zinc, fiber and magnesium. What could be better?