Surprising Ways to Get Your Probiotics

(Family Features) Chances are you’ve heard the term probiotics and know that these good bacteria that live in your gut promote healthy digestion. Did you know that probiotics are also key to a healthy immune system and protein absorption?

While researchers are still unraveling exactly how these bacteria accomplish all that they do, it’s understood that probiotics help establish a healthy environment in your digestive tract, which is important considering 70 percent of your body’s immune system resides there. Another thing scientists have found is that probiotic benefits are strain-specific, which means it matters which probiotic is used in the products you buy. The more science reveals about them, the clearer it becomes that probiotics are something you want to consume on a daily basis. Now incorporating them into your diet has become easier than ever before.

For thousands of years, many cultures relied on fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi to obtain probiotics. Then, pasteurization became popular and most of the bacteria in fermented food was killed – even the beneficial kind. Since then, people have relied on supplements to get probiotics, but today an increasing number of food and beverage companies are introducing everyday offerings that include the healthy bacteria and can easily be added to daily routines.  

The secret to these new probiotic foods and beverages is a unique probiotic strain called GanedenBC30, which is one of the only strains that can withstand extreme heat and cold, plus survive extended periods on grocery store shelves, with science and research backing its benefits. This means that you can now get your probiotics from many of your favorite foods and drinks without taking pills.

The next time you’re at the grocery store, take a closer look and you’ll find more than 500 foods and beverages on the shelves with this strain in a variety of surprising categories that your entire family will love. Here are a few unique ways to get those good bacteria:

Baking Products
Finished products often have health benefits, but probiotics can now be found in the ingredients used for baking, as well. From sugar and buttery spreads to baking mixes themselves, a variety of probiotic options can easily be added to your next baking project.

Beverages
Whether you prefer tea and coffee or juices and waters, there are probiotic options on the shelves for cold and hot beverage drinkers alike. Look for well-known brands like Suja or Bigelow that are leading the way in innovative probiotic products. 

Frozen Foods
In the past, frozen products weren’t a well-known option for probiotics, but these days you can find healthy bacteria added to a variety of items, including breakfast burritos, popsicles and even ice cream.

Snacks
Now, you can also get digestive and immune benefits in a delicious treat. Probiotics are taking over the snacking category, and companies have found ways to add them to options including chocolate, granola, trail mix, nut butters, kale chips, cookies and even Mariani fruit snacks.

For a full list of healthy and convenient everyday probiotic foods and beverages, visit GanedenBC30.com/products.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Ganeden

Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits and Veggies

Gazpacho with Crab
Pineapple Jerk Chicken

(Family Features) Have you been following your parents' age-old advice to "eat your fruits and vegetables"? If adding more produce to your daily diet seems like a daunting task, rest assured that one solution is right in your pantry: canned foods.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate nutrition guidelines, half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. Because cans seal in foods' nutrition, freshness and flavor, they are one of the best ways to get more produce picked at its peak to your table. Plus, canned produce is on par nutritionally with fresh and frozen counterparts, and in some cases even better.

Additionally, the canned foods in your pantry - or "Cantry" - can be an excellent source of recipe inspiration. In a recent study, 73 percent of moms agreed that canned foods help them get healthful homemade meals on the table more often.

Unlock the goodness of canned fruits and vegetables to prepare delicious dishes like Pineapple Jerk Chicken, featuring nutritious canned pineapple and protein-packed black beans, and Gazpacho with Crab, made with canned crab and lycopene-rich diced tomatoes.

For more information about the benefits of canned foods, as well as recipe inspiration, visit CansGetYouCooking.com.

Gazpacho with Crab

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 ounces) Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced, divided
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
• 1 can (8.75 ounces) Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained
• 1 can (6 ounces) Chicken of the Sea Lump Crabmeat, drained and flaked
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. In food processor or blender, combine tomatoes, chiles, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic and half of the diced cucumber. Blend until just smooth. Stir in red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. To serve, stir in corn and crab. Garnish with remaining cucumber and cilantro.

Serves
Serves 4

Preparation Time:
15 minutes

Pineapple Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon Jamaican jerk blend seasoning
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can (20 ounces) Del Monte pineapple chunks in 100 percent juice, drained
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) Goya black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup Jamaican jerk marinade

Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to directions.
2. Sprinkle chicken with jerk seasoning. In 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken pieces in hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove chicken to plate.
3. Using drippings remaining in skillet, cook onion over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, pineapple chunks, black beans, green chiles and jerk marinade. Over high heat, bring to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve chicken mixture over rice.

Serves
Serves 6

Preparation Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

SOURCE:
Can Manufacturers Institute

Swap Out Sugar for Better Health

(Family Features) You probably realize that eating too many sugary foods and gaining weight go hand in hand. What you may not know is that aside from loading up on calories that help pack on the pounds, consuming too much sugar can also harm your health in other ways.

Consuming more than nine teaspoons of sugar a day for men and six teaspoons for women can lead to health problems, such as tooth decay, obesity and depression. Reducing your sugar intake can help more than your waistline; it can improve your overall health.

First, it’s important to recognize that there are two types of sugar – natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugar is found in fruits, milk and some whole grains. Added sugar is sugar that is added to processed foods and drinks, such as cookies, cereals and soda.

Added sugar affects your body in many ways. It can be as addictive as drugs, tobacco or alcohol because it affects the same regions of the brain, triggering the pleasure sensors to release dopamine. Dopamine makes you want to eat more, even when you are not hungry.

When you consume too much added sugar, your liver has to work extra hard to process it. Excess sugar in the liver often turns into fat, which can lead to liver damage or other health concerns, such as high cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease.

It can also overload and damage your pancreas, which controls the blood sugar called insulin that powers your muscles and organs. Lack of insulin can cause muscle and nerve damage.

Limit added sugars in your diet with these healthy alternatives:

• Skip sugary cereals at breakfast. Instead, opt for a protein-rich meal. Options, such as eggs, turkey sausage and whole-wheat toast with peanut butter are healthier ways to fuel your day.

• Bring healthy snacks to work to ward off the temptation of sugary treats. Some smart choices include: frozen grapes, trail mix, yogurt, almonds, apple slices and peanut butter with celery sticks.

• Instead of pie, donuts or cake, curb your sweet tooth craving by reaching for fresh fruit, low-fat frozen yogurt or a fruit and yogurt parfait.

• If you can’t substitute a fruit, make your treats small, such as a single fun-size piece of candy.

• Sodas, energy drinks and sports drinks sneak in a lot of sugar calories. In fact, a single can of soda has nine teaspoons of sugar – the maximum an adult male should consume in an entire day. Skip the sugary beverages and try hot or iced tea, fizzy water or lemon water instead.

Choosing simple substitutions make it easy to replace sugary foods with smarter options for better health. Visit guardyourhealth.com for more food and nutrition tips and resources.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman cutting fruit)

SOURCE:
Army National Guard

Make Living a Healthy Lifestyle a Priority

(Family Features) Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be a daunting task. There are many products available to help make the process easier. There is no time like the present to make your body a priority and it’s no secret that good health can have an undeniably positive impact on quality of life.

Whether you are looking for the perfect workout outfit, accessories or equipment, or revamping your kitchen appliances to accommodate a new diet, JCPenney has everything you need to refresh your diet and exercise regimen no matter your budget.

Find more products like these to aid you in your quest to live a healthier lifestyle at JCPenney and jcpenney.com.

New Year Boosters for Body and Mind

(Family Features) A new year is the perfect time to commit to making personal improvements to your body and mind. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to bolster and guide you for nearly every self-improvement effort you can imagine.

If you’re seeking inspiration, these ideas will put you on track to better yourself inside and out during the coming year.

Eat well with ease. Eating better tops many New Year’s resolution lists, but the demands of a busy schedule can quickly derail your plans. Take the guesswork out of portion control and calorie counting with complete, freshly prepared meals you can pick up or have delivered to your home. Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating offers a range of calorie plans, as well as vegetarian meal options. Based in Illinois, the freshly prepared meal company conveniently serves up weekly plans consisting of three meals per day or 21 meals per week. Learn more by calling 1-800-442-3438 or visiting seattlesutton.com.

Banish stress. Find ways to ease your mind and reduce tension and anxiety like a pro. Although an ultra-connected life can be the source of your stress, it can also give you some handy tools to help keep pressure and worries from mounting. Whether you tend to journal away your aggression, need some quiet time with soothing music or want a mindless distraction while you take a break, you can find dozens of apps to help keep stress in check.

Learn a language. Keep your mind active by challenging yourself to learn a new language. With courses designed by a professional team of linguists, authors and teachers, Babbel tailors lessons to help you become conversational in as little as 10 hours. The interactive lessons are available in 14 different languages and use real vocabulary for real situations. With cloud-based content, you can seamlessly learn at your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet, whether you're at home, taking a break or on the go. Learn more at Babbel.com.

Energize your exercise. When weight loss or a more sculpted shape is the goal you’re pursuing, it can be tough to stay motivated. Keep the long-term prize in sight by celebrating short-term victories. Wearable devices help track your movement and activity, as well as numerous health indicators, so you can watch your progress on a daily and weekly basis as you work toward the finish line.

Fuel yourself. Smoothies are a popular source of vital nutrients and energy – and, luckily, you can make them part of your daily diet with just one machine. The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Compact System, which is available at retailers nationwide, provides nutrient and vitamin extraction with high-performance blending to take drink customization to a whole new level. But it doesn’t stop at drinks – the system also helps prepare appetizers, meals and desserts. Accessories include multiple cups, blending and prepping tools and a 30-recipe guide. Additionally, the system offers the first-ever coffee and spice grinder blender attachment (sold separately). For more information, visit ninjakitchen.com.

Putting the right tools and resources in place helps ensure your New Year’s resolutions are within reach, so you can focus on working toward a better version of yourself all year long.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Babbel