Whether you prefer to knead and bake it in the oven or use your bread machine, this recipe will be a family favorite. Oats and honey add flavor to traditional bread, giving it an extra kick your family will love. The quick oats are healthy and add texture, and the slight honey-sweet taste is sure to please!
2 packets of active dry yeast (or 1 1/2 tablespoons)
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats and additional for garnish
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour, or try a 50/50 white and wheat blend for added flavor
1 large egg
Directions
In a microwave, heat the almond milk for 1 minute and 40 seconds to be very hot. Let sit to reduce temperature to 100 to 110 F.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the hot milk. Stir in beaten egg, honey, oil and salt. Add the yeast until fully mixed.
Slowly add in the flour and oats to the large bowl of liquid mixture and mix on low. You should use a bread attachment if using a stand mixer.
Coat another large bowl with oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap (spray with cooking spray first to keep it from sticking to the dough), then cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Oil two 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans.
Punch down the dough; shape into two loaves. Place one loaf in each pan. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Sprinkle with additional oats for garnish.
Bake until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.
Ingredient health benefits
Olive oil: This cooking oil is as ancient as it is nutritious! Olive oil is loaded with unsaturated fats that help raise your “good” (HDL) cholesterol while lowering your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. And they’re not the only heart-healthy compounds in town: Polyphenols help lower inflammation that can lead to certain health conditions in the long term, like cancer and heart disease. Olive oil also has fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins D and K for strong bones and muscles and healthy blood cells.
Almond milk: A vegan-friendly dairy alternative, almond milk is a good source of vitamin E. This essential vitamin is famous for promoting your skin health, but it protects your eyes and immune system from disease as well. Almond milk is also a lower-calorie option compared to cow’s milk, if that’s something you want to keep an eye on.
Oats: When it comes to whole grains, oats just may be the GOAT (grain of all time). They’re packed with digestion-friendly fiber and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) to help lower your cholesterol levels, making them a smart choice for your heart. Oats also have magnesium, phosphorus, iron and copper, and they’re high in manganese. These minerals are important for supporting the health of your bones and blood cells. You can also count on vitamin B1 (thiamine) and zinc to keep your immune cells in peak condition.
Honey: It’s not just a sweet deal for your taste buds! Honey is full of antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids, which help protect your cells from harm. They do this by fighting inflammation and free radicals, tiny particles that damage your cells and contribute to disease if left unchecked.
Eggs: They’re easy to add to just about any recipe, but are eggs really all they’re cracked up to be? The answer is yes! Scrambled or sunny side up, eggs are a meat-free complete protein, meaning that they have you covered for all the amino acids you need and can’t make by yourself. They also have lutein, vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin B12 — all of which are excellent for your eyes and vision! And last but not least, there’s vitamin B9 (folate) for head-to-toe health.
Nutrition information (per serving)
Serving = 2 slices Each loaf makes about 16 slices
Calories: 100 Protein: 2.2 g Carbohydrates: 16 g Fat: 2.2 g (0.7 g saturated fat) Calcium: 6 mg
This transitional and restorative yoga pose provides a full-body stretch
Physical therapist Dawn Lorring, PT, MPT, walks through the steps of how to do downward dog correctly and shares its many benefits.
From beginner’s yoga to more advanced practices, downward dog is one of the most popular poses…with a few common misconceptions.
Rounding your back, placing your feet too far apart or putting too much weight into your wrists can all create a deeper stretch than intended — which increases your risk of injury.
Physical therapist Dawn Lorring, PT, MPT, walks through the steps of how to do downward dog correctly and shares its many benefits.
What is downward dog?
Downward dog (also known as downward facing dog, facing dog pose or Adho Mukha Svanasana in Sanskrit) is a foundational yoga pose. It’s often used as a transition between movements, like sun salutations. It’s also a form of active resting, active stretching and strengthening. This allows you to check in with yourself and re-evaluate your intentions during your practice.
You do downward facing dog by putting your body into an inverted V-shape (or pyramid), as if there were a straight line that runs through the top of your head up your spine and out of your butt toward the ceiling.
How to properly do downward facing dog
Facing dog pose won’t usually be your first movement when doing yoga. Before trying it, it’s best to loosen up your muscles and joints and find ways to work it into your overall yoga practice.
Once you’re warmed up and ready to go, follow these steps:
Start on all fours with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees in line directly behind your hips.
Spreading your fingers wide, press down into your hands and tuck your toes (almost like you’re using them to grip the floor beneath you).
As you exhale, bring your hips up and back, as if there’s a string pulling your butt toward the ceiling, so your body creates an inverted V-shape (or pyramid).
Focus on straightening your back, not rounding it, so your head and neck are relaxed between your upper arms. It helps to focus on pressing through your arms to “push” the ground away from you and keep your arms active.
Keep your legs straight and, if it’s comfortable for you to do so, try to drop your heels down to the floor.
Adjust your posture by shifting your weight between your hands and feet until you sink comfortably into the position.
Hold this pose for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, making sure to breathe throughout.
For a more relaxed stretch, bend your knees a little and readjust your posture as needed.
When you’re done, exhale and move into your next pose or slowly lower yourself to the floor to enter child’s pose.
“Downward facing dog isn’t about keeping your heels on the ground or holding it for long periods of time,” clarifies Lorring. “It’s really about making sure you’re going to a place that’s comfortable for you, so you can adjust your body as often as you need in this pose.”
Facing dog pose variations
If you have a hard time getting down on your hands and knees, try this wall variation:
Face the wall and place both your hands out in front of you so your palms are flat and your fingers are stretched out.
Keeping your head and back straight and your hands on the wall in front of you, slowly walk your legs backward.
As you move, walk your hands down the wall so you hinge at your hips and look directly at the floor.
Keeping your head and neck relaxed, hold this pose for 10 to 15 seconds before slowly returning to stand.
If you feel stress or discomfort in your wrists, you can modify by rolling up a towel or the edge of your yoga mat and placing the roll under the heels of your hands. This will decrease some of that pressure.
For a more challenging stretch that deeply engages your hips and hamstrings:
While in the downward facing dog position, lift one leg up and stretch it toward the ceiling.
For a deeper stretch, bend your outstretched leg back and over your body, so your knee is facing away from you.
Repeat this process with the other leg, holding the pose for as long as you feel comfortable on either side.
Downward dog benefits
Downward facing dog provides a full body stretch, while also strengthening and working your:
Adho Mukha Svanasana helps improve your flexibility and control, and provides you a moment of active rest. It also increases blood flow to your head and upper body when you’re in the inverted V position. But because of this, you should talk to your yoga instructor, athletic trainer or healthcare provider before starting this position if you have:
“Facing dog pose tries to improve flexibility but also builds the strength to control that flexibility,” says Lorring. “If you’re feeling excessive stress to a certain part of your body, then you’re probably holding the pose for too long or you’re trying to go into a range that you’re not ready for. We can help you get there.”
Here’s a fact that may surprise you: By the year 2020, depression is projected to be a leading social and economic burden worldwide — second only to coronary artery disease! Psychotherapy and antidepressants are effective but aren’t for everyone.
But there’s another treatment for depression that’s free and available to everyone: exercise. It will also lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol profile, help control blood sugar, and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and common cancers. And, of course, help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
Peru has been cultivating potatoes for more than 6,000 years in the high Andean slopes near Lake Titicaca.
A stroll through the public markets reveals a startling number of sizes, shapes and colors — including the famous Peruvian blue potatoes with their purplish-blue skin and flesh.
It’s fun to use these blue potatoes, but if your market doesn’t carry them or if you prefer other potatoes, you can always use small red or white potatoes.
Ingredients
Kosher salt 1 1/4 pounds small Peruvian blue potatoes 1/4 cup minced red onions 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped 1 jalepeño, seeded and minced 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon sugar substitute 2 hard-boiled egg whites, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese 2 tablespoons sliced black olives, optional
Directions
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size. Drain and cool. Quarter or slice into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.
Combine the potatoes and the onion, bell peppers, tomato, jalepeño, vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt (if using), sugar substitute, egg whites, oregano and cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with olives, if using.
Nutritional information (per serving)
Makes 8 servings
Calories: 200 calories (31% from fat) Total fat: 7 g Saturated fat: 1.5 g Protein: 7 g Carbohydrate: 31 g Dietary fiber: 2 g Cholesterol: 5 mg Sodium: 95 mg Potassium: 109 mg
What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body? 9 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health
Alcohol affects your whole body, from your liver and immune system to your brain and mental health
You probably already know that excessive drinking can affect you in more ways than one.
There are the empty calories that can lead to weight gain. There’s the potential for injury and regrettable choices. And don’t forget about the hangovers of course.
Heavy drinking can also lead to a host of health concerns, like brain damage, heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver and even certain kinds of cancer.
And that’s on top of the toll that alcohol use can take on relationships, not to mention the potential for financial strain and legal troubles.
But even moderate alcohol use changes the way your body functions.
We talked with hepatologist Shreya Sengupta, MD, about how alcohol use affects your body and your emotional health.
“Some people think of the effects of alcohol as only something to be worried about if you’re living with alcohol use disorder, which was formerly called alcoholism,” Dr. Sengupta says.
“But when you consider how alcohol is metabolized and used by your body, we can start to see that even moderate and social drinking affects our health to some degree.”
Dr. Sengupta shares some of the not-so-obvious effects that alcohol has on your body.
Liver
Your liver detoxifies and removes alcohol from your blood through a process known as oxidation. When your liver finishes that process, alcohol gets turned into water and carbon dioxide.
But when you ingest too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, a buildup of toxic substances begins to take a toll on your liver.
If alcohol continues to accumulate in your system, it can destroy cells and, eventually, damage your organs.
“When your liver is overwhelmed by oxidizing alcohol, it generates molecules that inhibit fat oxidation,” Dr. Sengupta explains. “The fats build up. Over time, it can lead to a condition known as steatotic liver disease.”
Steatotic liver disease used to go by the name fatty liver disease.
Steatotic liver disease develops in about 90% of people who drink more than 1.5 to 2 ounces of alcohol per day. That’s about one shot glass worth.
With continued alcohol use, steatotic liver disease can lead to liver fibrosis. Eventually, you can develop permanent and irreversible scarring in your liver, which is called cirrhosis.
“The good news is that earlier stages of steatotic liver disease are usually completely reversible in about four to six weeks if you abstain from drinking alcohol,” Dr. Sengupta assures.
Cirrhosis, on the other hand, is irreversible and can lead to liver failure and liver cancer, even if you abstain from alcohol.
Metabolism
You probably are keenly aware of the so-called “beer belly.” That’s shorthand for a round midsection that some people associate with drinking too much beer.
In reality, there’s no evidence that drinking beer (or your alcoholic beverages of choice) actually contributes to belly fat.
But there’s plenty of research to back up the notion that alcohol does lead to weight gain in general. Even for people who aren’t particularly heavy drinkers.
“Drinking gives your body work to do that keeps it from going about its other processes,” Dr. Sengupta notes. “Alcohol distracts your system from its regularly scheduled duties, including things like metabolizing carbohydrates and fats.”
Once you take a drink, your body makes metabolizing alcohol a priority — above processing anything else.
That’s because your body already has processes in place that allow it to store excess proteins, carbohydrates and fats. But there isn’t a storage tank for alcohol. So, your system prioritizes getting rid of alcohol before it can turn its attention to its other work.
That allows excess calories from the foods you eat to sit around, leading to weight gain.
Gut health
Your gut microbiome is a hotbed of bacteria that help keep your digestive system happy and healthy. The trillions of microbes in your colon and large and small intestines are critical to proper digestion. They also help fend off inflammation and support healthy metabolism.
When you drink too much alcohol, it can throw off the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut.
“Alcohol can kill the good bacteria that live in your gut, allowing bad bacteria to grow unchecked,” Dr. Sengupta explains. “That can lead to problems with digestion, inflammation and even organ damage.”
Having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer at a party here and there isn’t going to destroy your gut. But even low amounts of daily drinking and prolonged and heavy use of alcohol can lead to significant problems for your digestive system.
There are a few studies that associate red wine with improved heart health in lab tests. But no research proves that red wine causes any improvements in heart health in people.
“The reality is that alcohol causes more health troubles than it could ever help,” Dr. Sengupta reinforces. “And that goes for your heart, as well as the rest of your body.”
Pancreas
Your pancreas helps your body digest food and manage your blood sugar. Drinking alcohol changes how your pancreas works.
“Your pancreas secretes fluids. Alcohol use can thicken those fluids, which can clog the ducts that those fluids flow out of,” Dr. Sengupta explains.
Like a clog in a drain, those thickened fluids can jam up your ducts. That can lead to pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas.
Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days. But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe.
Your body breaks alcohol down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages your DNA. Damaged DNA can cause a cell to grow out of control, which results in cancerous tumors.
Alcohol use has been shown to raise your risk for several kinds of cancer. That includes cancers of the:
Mouth.
Esophagus.
Throat.
Liver.
Breast.
Colon and rectum.
Immune system
If you drink every day, or almost every day, you might notice that you catch colds, flu or other illnesses more frequently than people who don’t drink. That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system and make your body more susceptible to infection.
“We see lower levels of a specific kind of white blood cells called lymphocytes in people who drink heavily for long periods of time,” Dr. Sengupta reports. “That can leave them more vulnerable to infectious diseases.”
Brain
The morning after a night of over-imbibing can cause some temporary effects on your brain. Things like trouble concentration, slow reflexes and sensitivity to bright lights and loud sounds are standard signs of a hangover, and evidence of alcohol’s effects on your brain.
Long-term alcohol use can change your brain’s wiring in much more significant ways. Ways that your standard hangover cures won’t even begin to touch.
“Excessive alcohol consumption can cause nerve damage and irreversible forms of dementia,” Dr. Sengupta warns.
Mental health
Alcohol is a depressant. And prolonged alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Chronic misuse can also lead to paranoia and hallucinations.
Even drinking a little too much (binge drinking) on occasion can set off a chain reaction that affects your well-being. Lowered inhibitions can lead to poor choices with lasting repercussions — like the end of a relationship, an accident or legal woes. Each of those consequences can cause turmoil that can negatively affect your long-term emotional health.
“Alcohol tends to cause more problems than it solves for a lot of people,” Dr. Sengupta emphasizes. “If drinking is affecting your health, your relationships, your work, your finances, it’s time to make some serious changes.”
If you need more guidance to quit drinking, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a hotline, 24/7, 365 days a year. Call 1.800.662.HELP (4357).
Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder.
Try our lighter carrot cake, which the entire family will love. It has just the right texture, like a slightly sweetened, light corn bread. It’s great on its own or with a dollop of frozen whipped topping or nonfat ice cream.
Ingredients
No-stick baking spray with flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar substitute
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup nonfat dry milk
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup canola oil
1 large egg
¾ cup egg substitute
1 ½ cups finely grated carrots
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins
One 6-ounce can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 10-inch pan with baking spray.
Sift the white and whole wheat flours into a large bowl. Add the sugar substitute, brown sugar, dry milk, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Stir to mix well. Using the medium setting of an electric mixer, beat in the oil, egg and egg substitute until the batter is smooth. Fold in the carrots, walnuts, raisins and pineapple.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan. Remove the outer ring of the pan and sift confectioners’ sugar over the top, if desired. Serve at room temperature.
Dietitian’s Note: Never has carrot cake tasted so good, and been so guiltless! When compared to traditional carrot cake with icing, you save 180 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 4 grams of saturated fat.
As more people are drinking less, there’s been an uptick in more drink companies creating nonalcoholic options. But it can still be tough to figure out which of these options are healthy. Keep an eye on ingredients like sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine. If you're… pic.twitter.com/ijka3qWtlU
As more people are drinking less, there’s been an uptick in more drink companies creating nonalcoholic options. But it can still be tough to figure out which of these options are healthy. Keep an eye on ingredients like sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine. If you’re choosing nonalcoholic alternatives, consider options that are low in added sugars and free from unnecessary additives. Consulting a healthcare provider can help ensure your choices support your overall well-being.
