All posts filed under: Recipes

3 Mushroom Recipes to Boost Your Gut Health

Written by Mark Barroso

You’ve probably heard about kombucha, turmeric, and beets—three of the trendiest anti-inflammatory foods. But there’s another food to keep on your radar: mushrooms! Well, specifically shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). Native to Japan, China, and Korea, these flavorful mushrooms are excellent sources of the minerals potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. A 2015 Journal of the American College of Nutrition study found that eating dried shiitake mushrooms every day resulted in improved gut immunity and decreased inflammation as evidenced by less C-reactive protein (a biomarker for inflammation). Technically a fungus, the shiitake warrants a space in your refrigerator. So, we pulled together some mushroom recipes to help get your gut health on track. “Shiitake mushrooms have a positive effect on gut health because it blunts the signals of inflammation in the gut, which is critical for immune function and digestion,” says Dr. Robert Silverman, certified sports nutritionist and author of Inside-Out Health: A Revolutionary Approach to Your Body. “Add those Japanese medicinal mushrooms to your daily meals since they contain polysaccharides called glucans, which upregulate the immune system.” …

blueberry muffin sugar-free breakfast recipes

6 Delicious Sugar-Free Breakfast Recipes

Written by Jenn Sinrich

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you might crave something sugary for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While everything—even sugar—is fine in moderation, research shows that Americans are eating too much sugar, both in their food and beverages. Oftentimes, most of us don’t realize just how much sugar we’re consuming, since many packaged and restaurant-prepared foods contain added sweeteners we can hardly taste. “It’s quite concerning because, not only do these additional calories contribute to weight gain, but sugar is also known to cause inflammation in the body, that has been linked to most chronic diseases, including cancer, stroke and heart disease,” warns Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D.N., nutrition expert, and author of Eating in Color. “Therefore, lowering your sugar intake and eating foods that fight inflammations (fruits, veggies, omega-3 fats, etc.) can go a long way toward improving your overall health.” Put down the pastries and start your day (and diet) on the right foot. Here are six sugar-free breakfast recipes that contain zero added grams of the stuff. Sugar-Free Breakfast Recipes Walnut and Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins …

Refuel Glycogen With This Post-Run Smoothie

Written by Laurel Leicht

You’re likely already chugging some water post-run to help your body rehydrate. But, if you run more than a couple of easy miles, totally refueling requires a bit more than that, says Sara Haas, a registered dietitian nutritionist and chef in Chicago. “Eating is important, especially after a long run, to help replenish your muscles’ glycogen stores.” Glycogen, she says, is the go-to source of energy stored in your muscles, which your body taps to fuel your run. “The glycogen ‘storage space’ in your body is limited,” says Haas. “So consuming carbohydrates post-run will help boost your glycogen stores—which will help fuel future runs and help with overall recovery.” Keep reading for more on how to refuel after a run and why the post-run smoothie below is the ideal recovery blend. How much should I eat after a run? If your run was short, there’s no need to go overboard, says Haas. Aim for eating about 150 to 200 calories. When recovering from a longer run, add a bit more (especially if your next meal …

3 Mason Jar Recipes for Simple Meal Prep

Written by Nadia Murdock

You know the old saying. If you give a man some food, you’ve fed him. If you give a man a mason jar, you’ve fed him anywhere and everywhere he goes. Well, it’s something like that. Mason jar meals are some of the most convenient options for on-the-go eating. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or post-workout, these meals are the answer to your meal storage problems—everything goes in one jar. Plus, they’re a nice replacement for any overused Tupperware you may be holding on to. Try your hand at this easy meal-prep strategy with three mason jar recipes. Breakfast: Blueberry Cream Overnight Oats Mason jar recipes really took off when overnight oats became more popular. This style of oatmeal basically entails throwing all of your ingredients—oats, your liquid of choice, and toppings—into a jar to essentially steep together overnight. In the morning, your breakfast is prepped and ready to go. Choose superfood toppings such as berries, chia seeds, and flax seeds for increased fiber, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Registered dietitian and founder of Nutri Savvy …

7 High-Protein Recipes for Post-Workout Recovery

Written by Kevin Gray

After completing a tough workout, go ahead and bask in those spiked endorphins and the rewarding exhaustion that follows. But, don’t bask for too long because, in addition to hydrating your body, you need to refuel it and replenish what you lost during exercise. That’s where high-protein recipes come in. “Getting adequate protein as soon as you can [post-workout] is ideal to help start the muscle repair process,” says Amy Goodson, a Dallas-based registered dietitian and nutrition consultant. “It’s also important to include carbohydrates to replenish energy stores.” She advises aiming for 20-30 grams of high-quality protein post-workout, with larger individuals consuming the upper end of that range. And, for carbs: “Simple carbohydrates actually digest the fastest, promoting a faster recovery, while complex carbs will help the meal stick with you a little longer.” For some post-workout inspiration, we asked a few dietitians for their favorite recovery meals. Each of the high-protein recipes includes plenty of muscle-building protein, carbs to replenish lost glycogen, and also nutrient-dense fruits or vegetables, which are always a smart addition to …

4 Ketogenic Recipes to Keep Your Diet on Track

Written by Mark Barroso

A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. As a result, over time, the body adapts to using a greater amount of fat than carbs for energy because the liver converts fat into fatty acids and produces ketones, which replace glucose at the primary energy source. Endurance athletes find using fat as their primary fuel beneficial because fat provides more calories for energy than carbs. Moreover, there usually is a high-energy requirement for long events (90 or more minutes). Read on to learn more benefits of the ketogenic diet and then add the following ketogenic recipes to your weekly meal prep plans. Weight Loss and Health Benefits Physique-minded fitness enthusiasts may use a ketogenic diet to (ironically) shed some extra fat and get more chiseled. Following a ketogenic diet may reduce body weight for many reasons—specifically, a reduction in appetite due to higher satiety effect of proteins, effects on appetite-control hormones, and increased lipolysis (the breakdown of fats for energy), according to a 2013 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. In addition to performance or weight …