February Newsletter

5 Easy Ways to Enhance Digestive Health

(Family Features) As your social schedule picks up steam and you attend more social gatherings and celebrations, you may find yourself with an unexpected issue: digestive troubles. Problems like this can have a negative impact on your overall wellness, so it’s important to make healthy digestion a priority.

According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of how to live long and be healthy, the health of the digestive system is the core of optimum health. Ayurvedic medicine asserts the digestive system is based on the strength and balance of its Agni (fire), which enables the body to absorb, digest and assimilate food. The teachings suggest an imbalanced Agni creates undigested residues, which form toxins that create imbalances and can lead to disease.

Some of the dietary guidelines for healthy digestion and strong Agni include:

Allowing 4-6 hours between meals
Avoiding eating between meals
Avoiding foods with cold, wet and heavy qualities
Drinking ginger tea or hot water to stimulate the Agni
Starting a meal with pungent (hot), sour and salty flavors
Consuming a small amount of bitter taste before a meal to increase the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach

Take steps to protect and nurture your digestive health with these tips:

Add Fiber to Your Diet
Plant-based foods that are high in fiber fill you up faster, so you’re less likely to overeat, and they also help with digestive regularity. Increase your intake of high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Take a gradual approach to avoid upsetting your digestive tract and bump up your water intake as you go since fiber will absorb it and decrease the likelihood you experience gas or cramping.

Stay Hydrated
Keeping your body well hydrated is like making sure your car’s engine is well lubricated. It keeps all your moving parts in sync and operating for top performance. Some fluids can also help with detoxification, which can be especially beneficial when your social calendar is full and your opportunities to overindulge are greater.

An option like Buddha Teas’ Detox Dharma contains detoxifying herbs that stimulate your digestive system. Strengthening and soothing herbs are also incorporated into this balanced formula resulting in an effective yet gentle detox tea. For another solution, Turmeric Ginger Tea contains enough black pepper to make curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) bio-available in hot water, helping build healthy Agni.

Eat Slower
In today’s busy world, it’s easy to scarf down a meal in record time. However, slowing down gives your body more time to process food. You’ll give your brain more time to communicate with your stomach and be more aware of when you’ve satisfied your hunger.

Start Exercising
If you need one more reason to get moving, your digestive health could be it. Regular physical activity promotes better digestion. However, if you jump into a workout too quickly after eating, you could actually do the opposite. Eat light before exercising then have a protein-rich balanced meal for recovery afterward.

Manage Stress
Too much stress can manifest multiple physical problems, including interrupting your digestion. Try mindful meditation or another method of relaxing and relieving stress. Getting plenty of rest can also help keep stress in check. If you’re looking for a good night of sleep, consider Buddha Teas’ CBD Sleepy Buddha Blend. Herbs for calming and relieving stress are paired with organic, water-soluble, THC-free CBD to leave you feeling restored and rejuvenated.

Find more solutions for enhancing your digestive health at buddhateas.com.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Buddha Teas

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5 Cooking Swaps to Help Manage Cholesterol

(Family Features) When cooking, keep in mind small changes that can make a big impact on heart health.

High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease and stroke, with about 38% of American adults diagnosed with high cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. It can be managed by getting levels regularly tested and making lifestyle changes like eating a heart-healthy diet.

Reduce saturated fat – Select lean cuts of meat or opt for plant protein, limit processed meats, broil or bake rather than pan-fry meats and remove skin from poultry before cooking.
Eat more fish – Fish can be fatty or lean, but it’s still low in saturated fat. Choose oily fish like salmon or trout, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Use liquid oils in place of solid fats – For roasting, sauteing and more, use non-tropical liquid vegetable oils like canola, safflower, soybean or olive instead of butter, lard or shortening.
Lower dairy fats – Low-fat, fat-free or non-dairy milk can be used in many recipes instead of whole milk or half-and-half.
Increase fiber and whole grains – Add high-fiber vegetables to meals, serve fruit instead of juice and try brown rice instead of white.

These simple tips and better-for-you recipes like Chicken Tortilla Soup and Air Fryer Crispy (Un) Fried Chicken can help you eat healthy without sacrificing taste.

Find tips for managing cholesterol and other risk factors at heart.org/cholesterol.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe is reprinted with permission from "Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook, 2nd Edition." Copyright 2018 by the American Heart Association. Published by Harmony Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Servings: 4

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, visible fat discarded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
2 cups fat-free, no-salt-added chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-salt-added, diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ancho powder
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 corn tortillas (6 inches each), cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 corn tortilla (6 inches), torn into pieces
2-4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped avocado
1/4 medium red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips

In slow cooker, stir chicken, corn, broth, tomatoes, onion, sugar, ancho powder, garlic and salt. Cook, covered, on low, 6-8 hours, or on high, 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
On baking sheet, arrange tortilla strips in single layer. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer baking sheet to cooling rack. Let strips stand 15 minutes, or until cool. Transfer to airtight container and set aside.
When soup is ready, transfer 1 cup to food processor or blender. Stir in tortilla pieces. Let mixture stand 1 minute. Process until smooth. Stir mixture into soup. Stir in cilantro.
Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with avocado, bell pepper and reserved tortilla strips.

Air Fryer Crispy (Un) Fried Chicken

Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2-1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/3 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 ounces each), visible fat discarded, flattened to 1/4-inch thickness, patted dry with paper towels
nonstick cooking spray

reheat air fryer to 390 F.
In shallow dish or pie pan, whisk flour, parsley, oregano, pepper and cayenne.
In separate shallow dish or pie pan, whisk buttermilk and hot sauce.
In third shallow dish or pie pan, stir panko and Parmesan.
Place dishes and large plate in row. Dip chicken in flour mixture then buttermilk mixture then panko mixture, turning to coat at each step and gently shaking off excess. Using fingertips, gently press panko mixture so it adheres. Place chicken on plate. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Lightly spray chicken with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange chicken in single layer in air fryer basket, working in batches if needed. Cook 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and coating is golden brown, turning once halfway through and lightly spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

SOURCE:
American Heart Association