Fresh Versus Frozen

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Some frozen foods are ACTUALLY more nutritious and delicious than their fresh counterparts. Surprisingly, frozen beat out fresh in terms of nutritional content for Vitamin C, beta-carotene (think carrots), and folate in 8 types of produce, according to a few recent studies. When comparing fresh to frozen veggies, all (with the exception of cauliflower) had the same nutritional content for 3 days. After that, the produce that was fresh had FAR LESS vitamin C than that of frozen (especially BLUEBERRIES!).

The second that fresh produce is harvested, it begins losing its’ nutritonal value. Since frozen veggies and fruit are picked and froze at peak quality, expect the nutrients and flavors to last longer.

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Incomplete Vs. Complete Proteins

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Eating enough protein per day is important for keeping our bodies functioning efficiently. Without it, everything from our immune systems, lean muscle to our hair can take a hit. But when it comes down to it, the type of protein you eat matters!

Protein can be divided into two categories: complete and incomplete.

First, the basics: Protein is made up of 20 amino acids. 11 are nonessential, which the human body can make on its own, and 9 that are essential others we NEED to get from food.

Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form protein. They’re usually referred to as the “building blocks” of protein.

Here’s the list of nine amino acids we can only get from the protein we eat: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Some of the protein sources we eat contain all nine essential amino acids while others are lacking.

Complete proteins are those that have all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot naturally make, whereas incomplete protein sources may have a few of the nine, but not all of them.

For the most part, animal protein is complete and plant protein is incomplete, though there are some exceptions. The general rule is that animal foods—beef, chicken, fish, turkey, QUINOA, eggs, and dairy—are complete, while plant foods—nuts, seeds, rice, beans, and grains—are incomplete. Here are plant sources of “complete” protein: soy, quinoa, seitan, and buckwheat.

Meat, dairy, fish, and eggs are the most obvious sources of complete proteins.

If you are vegan and do not eat those foods, you can use “COMPLEMENTARY FOODS” along with edamame and quinoa to get complete sources of protein. Complementing is when you take two incomplete plant proteins and put them together to receive all nine essential amino acids. For example: it is popular to combine rice and beans, hummus and pita, a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain rice cakes, sprouted low sugar cereal or oats with almond milk, and lentil soup with flax crackers.

To know exactly which amino acids you’re getting from different foods, you can use the USDA Food Composition Databases. But experts don’t think that’s necessary—simply mixing a variety of sources throughout the day (grains, legumes, nuts) should do the trick.

New research says that you need to eat at least of the “incomplete” proteins over 24 hours to get a “complete protein”.

Here are some of the best sources of complete protein:

Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Steak
Pork
Whole eggs
Milk (Whole)
Cheese, white
Yogurt: Greek, German or Icelandic
White Fish
Tofu or Tempeh
Quinoa
Seitan
Buckwheat
Brown rice and black beans
Hummus and 1 slice pita bread
Peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread
Lentil soup with whole grain bread
Stir-fry with peanut sauce and pine nuts
Pesto and pine nuts
Whole Grain low sugar cereal with almond milk
Nut mix (with unsweetened dried cranberries or mulberries)

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

UTI and Prostate Smoothie

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Cranberry Ginger Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ cup frozen cranberries, unsweetened

1/2 cup pomegranate (or other berry-flavored) lowfat kefir or yogurt

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger

½ teaspoon orange zest

½ frozen banana

Handful of ice

Step by Step

Put everything into a blender, process and enjoy.

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Carrot Cake Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 frozen banana
2 cups spinach
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (Sunwarrior)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
3 ice cubes.

DIRECTIONS

Throw everything into the blender, and mix until smooth.

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Probiotic Lean

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

ProbioMax® Lean DF

Supports Healthy Weight Management*
Promotes Gut Barrier Function*
Promotes Intake of Less Calories*
Supports Reduction of Body Fat Mass*

ProbioMax® Lean DF features vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free, patented HOWARU® Shape Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactisB420. This probiotic strain has been proven safe, effective, and well-tolerated. It has been shown to assist with healthy body composition by improving gut barrier function, supporting the reduction of body fat mass, and promoting less calorie consumption.*

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Spring Detox Salad

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Spring Detox Salad

Makes: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups kale
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups brussels sprouts, roughly chopped
2 cups red cabbage, roughly chopped
1 cup carrots, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh parsley
½ cup almonds (OPTIONAL!–not kidney stone friendly)
1 to 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

For the dressing:

3 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup lemon juice (or juice of 2-3 lemons)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. honey (or maple syrup or STEVIA for less sguar)
¼ tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Using a food processor, process all the veggies up to the parsley until finely chopped and mix together in a large bowl. This may take a few batches.
Add optional almonds to the food processor and pulse, until roughly chopped, and mix in with the salad along with the sunflower seeds.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over top of the salad OR place in a jar and use as needed. Enjoy!

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Deviled Egg Cups

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Deviled Egg Cups:

Ingredients.

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt OR 2 tbsp. avocado
1 teaspoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon radish (about 1 medium), finely chopped
1 teaspoon scallion (green part only), thinly sliced
3 small Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves

Directions:

Combine yogurt (or avocado), mustard, paprika, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add eggs, celery, radish, and scallion and gently mix to coat.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place lettuce leaves on a plate. Spoon egg salad into the leaf centers and garnish with scallion.

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Guide to Gluten Free Flours

Post author By admin
Post date July 14, 2020

Your Guide to Gluten Free Flours:

Whether you have kidney stones and restricting oxalates, are gluten-intolerant or celiac… you may be wondering about the best gluten-free flours to try! From 2010-2015, the gluten-free trend was all the hype! Everyone thought that gluten was horrible for your body, and gluten-free meant healthy. But as time went on, more people realized that gluten-free does not necessarily mean “better for you”.

Going gluten-free is not necessarily beneficial for those without actual gluten tolerance issues, researchers found. Sometimes, restricting all gluten can actually be harmful to your heart health if you don’t have the condition. That’s because, many grains are filled with heart healthy components.

Even more so, gluten-free may not taste so good. Or maybe you are just looking for “wheat-free breads”. In this case, white bread or all-purpose flours are mixed with small amounts of wheat.

So, what can you look for that does not taste BAD and is GOOD for your health and waistline?

Here is the scoop on gluten-free flours:

YOUR GUIDE TO GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS

The gluten-free flour market has positively exploded over the past few years—but how to make sense of all the options? If you’ve gone gluten-free or are just interested in exploring new options, here’s our round-up of our favorite alternative flours, plus tips on how to use them. Happy baking!

ALMOND FLOUR

Sold as either almond meal or almond flour, the ground pulp of almonds makes for a flavorful base in muffins and some cake recipes. Since it’s made from nuts, this flour is dense. Baked goods made with it tend to take a little longer to cook all the way through—and they often require many eggs to hold the batter together—but the finished products are typically moist and delicious. “Superfine” almond meal tends to have a less gritty texture when baked, though all types are packed with protein and fiber.

BUCKWHEAT FLOUR: NOT SUITABLE FOR KIDNEY STONE PATIENTS!!!!

Despite its name, buckwheat isn’t a grain or wheat—it’s actually related to rhubarb and chard. Hence, it is super high in oxalates!! However, it is packed with fiber and protein and it is an excellent choice for pancakes and muffins. If you’re swapping buckwheat flour in for whole-wheat flour in either of those recipes, add 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds to the batter and/or an extra egg. Since this type of flour tends to be “thirsty,” you may need to add a little extra milk to your standard pancake recipe.

CHICKPEA FLOUR

A traditional ingredient in an Italian and French flatbread known as socca, flour made from ground chickpeas has the same nutrition as beans (fiber and vegetarian protein). It’s a great way to make a quick and flavorful gluten-free pizza dough with just a few basic ingredients. Since chickpea flour is inexpensive, we like to keep it stocked in our pantry so we can throw together a quick flatbread on those nights when we want a side of something bready that won’t weigh us down.

CASSAVA FLOUR

Made from the yucca plant, cassava can often be subbed 1:1 in recipes that call for regular flour—though you may need to reduce the amount that you add by just a smidge. This grain-free flour is popping up on grocery shelves in chips and crackers, so keep an eye out and try it to see if you like the flavor before you commit to a somewhat expensive bag of flour.

COCONUT FLOUR

Made from ground coconut, coconut flour is widely used in paleo recipes. It has subtle coconut flavor and absorbs a lot of liquid, so you’ll likely need to add more moisture when using it. Baked goods made with coconut flour can release moisture when stored (especially if kept in the fridge), so either line your storage container with a paper towel or a thin kitchen towel to absorb it, or try to eat your creations on the day that they’re baked. We like to use coconut flour in pancakes and some muffins and have even experimented with using it in no-bake energy bites.

GLUTEN-FREE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

While it’s not always possible to directly substitute GF all-purpose flour for regular flour in every recipe, you can do it in some. This flour is made from a blend of other flours, so it’s formulated to hold up when used in baked goods.

OAT FLOUR

Made from ground oats—which you can easily do yourself in a high-powered blender—oat flour makes for a fiber-rich whole-grain flour to use in muffins and pancakes. (Many people also prefer the finer texture when used in overnight oat recipes as compared to regular rolled oats.) As with buckwheat flour, you’ll need to add another binder to hold the finished product together—try ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or an extra egg. If you eat gluten-free, look for oats that are certified GF to avoid cross-contamination with wheat.

Try this Gluten-Free Cookie:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup coconut oil, melted

1⅓ cup coconut palm sugar

2 Tbs ground chia seeds

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups almond flour

1½ tsp baking soda

1½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp sea salt

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2½ cups gluten-free oats

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt the coconut oil in a glass dish; set aside to cool.
Prepare chia “eggs”: Mix the ground chia seeds with 6 tablespoons of water. Stir and set aside to thicken and gel.
Once the coconut oil has cooled and the chia “eggs” are thick, mix sugar into the oil, beating well, and then add in chia “eggs” and vanilla extract.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) into the wet. Mix until barely combined. Stir in the coconut and oats. If mixture is too dry, add a little water or extra coconut oil.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes or in the freezer for 8-10 minutes to chill and firm slightly.
Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper or coat them with nonstick spray. Scoop the dough into 2-inch-round balls and space them evenly on the sheets. Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes. They are done when the bottoms are golden and the edges look lightly golden.
Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then enjoy. Once fully cooled, these store well in an airtight container for several days; freeze to keep longer.

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Sugar Cravings Defined

Post author By admin
Post date June 25, 2020

Causes of Sugar Cravings:

Sugar Craving Cause: You did not sleep enough

Getting enough ZzZ’s is crucial to your health AND…appetite! But especially when you are tired or running on less than 6 hours of sleep, the only way to replenish your energy and glycogen stores is to eat more sugar. Whatever form it may be, its going to be used up rather quickly and keep having you come back for more.

How to Stop the Craving:

Make sure to eat every 3-4 hours (a balanced meal with non starchy veggie, protein and a healthy fat). Also, try going to bed earlier by turning off your phone/tv, read a book, or listen to some relaxing music. Sleep is key to life!

Sugar Craving Cause: You have a lot of yeast and bad bacteria in your gut.

Sugar tends to be the molecule that the digestive tract seeks due to overgrowth of bacteria in your gut. Bad bacteria (versus good bacteria) can cause harm to your body because it is feeding off of processed foods such as candy, cane sugar, donuts, etc.

How to Stop the Craving:

Try taking a probiotic with at least 4-5 different strains and over 100 CFUs. Another idea would to do a natural cleanse such as Diatomaceous Earth, cell food drops or a detox tea made for the colon, liver and kidneys. This way, it will promote better bacteria after you cleanse (with the idea that you change your diet of course!)

Sugar Craving Cause: You ate too much starch and not enough fat and/or protein

If you tend to eat spaghetti (meat less) and a side of bread, you are sure to want a sweet afterward. All those noodles or bread with no fiber or protein is like a big bowl of sugar. Those carbs are absorbed fast and they do not keep you feeling full or satisfied. If you had protein, you would be less likely to crave sugar after than just having pasta.

How to Stop the Craving

You can have pasta in the right portion, but add protein to it. You need protein to keep you satisfied and also a healthy fat to absorb it better. Try eating veggie bowls or spaghetti squash or zoodles with turkey meatballs in place of noodles.

Sugar Craving Cause: You ate too much starchy carbs and not enough fat and/or protein

Was your snack a baked potato with sour cream? If you tend to eat spaghetti (meat less) and a side of bread, you are sure to want a sweet afterward. The sugar helps level off serotonin levels that are wearing off. All those noodles or bread with no fiber or protein is like a big bowl of sugar. Those carbs are absorbed fast and they do not keep you feeling full or satisfied. If you had protein, you would be less likely to crave sugar after than just having pasta.

How to Stop the Craving

Sugar Craving Cause: You didn’t eat enough, or you ate had artificial sweeteners

When you don’t eat enough, your body starts looking for fuel fast and may start craving sweets. As you know, sugar gives you quick energy, even though it’s not necessarily good energy. Most people who eat sugar get a high then a crash right after.

How to Stop the Craving

You may think you should just get Splenda in your coffee instead of sugar… but you are wrong! Artificial sweeteners might momentarily satisfy a sweet kick, but they trick your body into thinking it’s getting fuel when it’s not and can even make insulin levels rise. Your body soon goes looking for more calories in the form of, you guessed it, sugar, and you’re right back where you started.

Calories are the only thing that provides real energy, so eat a balanced meal with a healthy fat (such as macadamia butter on an apple).

Sugar Craving Cause: HABIT

Maybe every mid day crash you have had the last 4 years, you grab a Snickers bar, a granola bar, or some sweet tarts to give you energy? That same time 3:00 PM snack everyday just turned into a bad habit.

When something becomes habit, especially when it comes to food, you have to ask yourself: Are you even aware you’re doing it? Do you really need to be doing it? When you’re really hungry and you haven’t eaten enough throughout the day, breaking a 3:00 p.m. vending machine run is going to be tough. But if you start to eat more consistently throughout the day and get in enough and the right types of calories, then your defenses are up and it’s easier to change the habit.

How to Stop the Craving

One thing I always suggest that people do to change the habit is to go for a sweet herbal tea when they have a craving. This works particularly well for my afternoon chocoholics. I don’t mean sweet like adding sugar, but rather a naturally sweet tea such as apple spice or vanilla almond that has no calories and nothing artificial in it. I’m telling you, this works.

Sugar Craving Cause: You chowed down on salty foods

When you dine out or eat packaged, processed foods, your food has more sodium in it than you probably even realize. This usually remains true even when you’re eating something clean like grilled chicken and sautéed or steamed spinach from your fave “healthy” restaurant. However, they added a lot of marinade (AKA SALT!) to that food. Or maybe you just can’t put down the salt shaker…even on healthy treats like tomato slices.

How to Stop the Craving

The first step here is to be aware that this may happen to you. Then, the more you skip the chips or fries, the less you’ll want the donuts or cookies. When you eat more naturally salty foods like cheese or olives, your sweet cravings will lessen, and you’ll tend to go for naturally sweet snacks like herbal tea or fruit when that craving hits.

Sugar Craving Cause: You only drank a fruit smoothie this morning

Eating too much fruit without a fat or protein. Unfortunately, sugar is sugar, and fruit has a lot of it. One serving (small apple, cup of berries) is 15 grams and a whole cup of mango has 24 grams. However, there are a lot of phytonutrients in it and fiber in fruit. Nonetheless, you HAVE to limit your intake. You cannot eat as much as you want of fruit. Even fruit smoothies, without protein, will just make you crash. If you were eating cucumbers or celery endlessly, you would not crash and get more water than anything else. High sugar fruit includes grapes, watermelon, bananas, dried fruit, cherries, pomegranate, tangerines, mangos, figs, pineapple, and cantaloupe.

How to Stop the Craving:

Make a smoothie with protein powder and choose 1/2 cup blueberries (lowest in sugar). Or try mixing 1/2 clementines with cottage cheese or Icelandic plain yogurt and add chopped almonds. This way, you get a fat, and protein which will help slow the digestion of the fruit.

Urologists located in Mesa, AZ

Chicken Veggie Burgers

Post author By admin
Post date June 25, 2020

Chicken Vegetable Burger w/ Low Carb Bun

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken, preferably half dark and half white meat
3/4 cup coarsely grated zucchini, excess liquid squeezed out
2 tablespoons grated (yellow) onion, drained of liquid
2 tablespoons no sugar added ketchup (I use Primal Kitchen or Walden Farms from Sprouts)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (avoid if you have kidney stones!)
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion, white and light green parts only
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon avocado oil (or organic canola oil), plus extra for coating hands
4 low carb hamburger buns (Thinslimfoods.com which are low carb buns)

Toppings of your choice: sliced tomato, sliced avocado, sliced red onion, pickles, mustard, lettuce, etc

Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, onion, ketchup, garlic, basil, parsley, scallion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix well.
Lightly coat your hands with oil and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties (they will be quite moist). Place on a platter or rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
In a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Arrange the patties in the pan and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through.
Place the burgers on the buns and serve with your favorite toppings.

First, the basics: Protein is made up of 20 amino acids. 11 are nonessential, which the human body can make on its own, and 9 that are essential others we NEED to get from food.

Some of the protein sources we eat contain all nine essential amino acids while others are lacking.

Here are some of the best sources of complete protein:

Cranberry Ginger Smoothie

Carrot Cake Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

ProbioMax® Lean DF

Spring Detox Salad

Deviled Egg Cups:

Ingredients.

Your Guide to Gluten Free Flours:

Ingredients

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