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Every once in a while, I realize I am creating my future.
And no matter how much of it I think I have figured out, I have very little figured out. And I think that’s okay. Our lives are kind of like a crazy gospel song, and maybe we do not give it enough space to breathe the way it is meant to. But it is never too late to make room.
It’s never been a stretch for us to recognize the health benefits of wine. With the ability to counter atherosclerosis and improve cognitive function, who can turn a glass down?
But maybe it’s time for vino to share the spotlight: the benefits of beer are quickly gaining public attention. A recent article from the American Dietetic Association found that moderate consumption of beer increases your good cholesterol (HDL), decreases the bad (LDL), and reduces the risk of blood clots (Giancoli, 2011).
And if a tasty $5 craft brew (think pumpkin, herbs, spices, cocoa, grapes) can give the same return as a $12 glass of wine…I don’t hate it.
Beer is made of plant sources like barley and hops, so it contains more nutrition than even red wine, specifically Vitamin B12, calcium, and iron. It’s about 30% carbohydrate, 4.5% alcohol and 4% protein. It’s kind of like a sandwich.
Although there are more polyphenols with anti-oxidant power in red wine, it doesn’t mean these molecular guys are doing their job in the body. One study showed that the body was able to use more of the antioxidants from beer than it did not just from wine, but from a tomato. Whoa. (Tomatoes house a phytochemical called lycopene which is similar to resveratrol which is found in wine.)
Not saying to choose beer before veggies, but wanted to make the point that you are absorbing more than just alcohol as you sip.
Whether ale, stout, pilsener, lager, or bock, let yourself mindfully sip (or slam) this ancient beverage: 12 ounces of beer per day for women and 24 ounces for men. And right in time for St. Pat’s. Cheers!
(Check out St. Louis’s Schlafly for some local craftiness.)
Could you imagine a tax on foods classified as “unhealthy”? We can’t deny that there is a global epidemic of diet-related diseases: heart disease and cancer are the top 2 killers, and both are influenced pretty darn heavily by diet. So we’re trying to come up with viable options for change.
Policymakers looking at the possibility of offering incentives to consumers for healthy purchasing decisions. What would you want in exchange for swapping out your marbled steak for some hearty legumes?
Plane tickets to St. Croix? Just kidding. But everything seems to have a price.
When we get down to it, I don’t think much is going to separate a consumer from their food indulgence. Seriously, God save the one who tries to get in the way of away a woman’s chocolate fix.
As consumers, maybe we are just a bunch of children who will throw a fit when we don’t get what we want. Children learn best through positive reinforcement in the long run when compared to criticism. I think the same is true when it comes to our typical grocery shopper. Do you want a reward to your positive behavior?
Sweet Potato Hummus. Full of beta-carotene, a cancer fighting compound naturally found in plants, sweet potatoes are considered a super food. What more could you ask for? Pull out your blender, some pita chips, and dip in!
Find the full recipe at http://nutritionunplugged.com/2011/02/super-power-foods/.
