Show Highlights:

• Ginger’s life in Seattle and why she is passionate about clinical and integrative nutrition and solving complex health mysteries
• The nitty-gritty truth about chronic inflammation, its causes, and why it can make you feel tired and fatigued over time
• How to recognize chronic inflammation in your body
• Common causes of chronic inflammation: cigarette smoke exposure, lack of physical activity, lack of sleep, excess stress, etc.
• How the immune system can turn against you because of chronic inflammation
• Categories of foods that cause chronic inflammation: excessive consumption of alcohol, added sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, and highly-processed foods
• Anti-inflammatory food superstars: fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, plant-based proteins, whole grains, herbs, spices, tea, and cocoa (Aim to eat more of these!)
• Why meal prep can be a lifesaver for those with chronic inflammation
• Ginger’s meal prep secrets: make a list, plan the week, and make use of grocery delivery/pickup as a timesaving tool
• How Ginger sets the record straight regarding gluten and dairy in an anti-inflammatory diet (Hint: Research shows that they have nutritional benefits and are anti-inflammatory.)
• Ginger’s research-based opinions on controversial foods, like nightshade vegetables, coconut oil, and turmeric in the anti-inflammatory diet
• Why cinnamon, ginger, and garlic are superfoods in the inflammatory diet
• How Ginger’s book is structured with information about inflammation and nutrition, meal prep tips and sample plans, and helpful recipes 
• How you can increase the nutritional benefit by making your own sauces, marinades, dressings, and vinaigrettes
• Ginger’s favorite recipe in the book, Lasagna Roll-ups, which is vegetarian and plant-based
• Why the anti-inflammatory diet could help you live longer and enjoy a healthy life
• How Ginger is focusing on better sleep and stress management moving into her 40s
• Why focusing on familiar foods with a healthier twist is a good start to a better diet
• Where tofu, tempeh, and edamame fit into the anti-inflammatory diet
• Ginger’s recipe for with Sheet Pan Tofu and Vegetables with Simple Ginger Teriyaki Sauce
• A few more of Ginger’s favorite recipes from her book, like Flourless Banana Pancakes and Vegetable Fried Cauliflower Rice 
• Ginger’s final tips on looking at science-based research and evidence about nutrition and the anti-inflammatory diet

Resources:

Ginger's website: Champagne Nutrition

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep

Ginger on Instagram

Ginger on Facebook

Ginger on Twitter

Show Highlights:

• A little info about kale, a cruciferous vegetable related to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, arugula, bok choy, radishes, turnips, watercress, and wasabi
• The types of kale:
• • Curly kale can be added to salads, soups, and smoothies.
  • Dinosaur or Tuscan kale, Italian kale also called Lacinato kale, is distinguished by long, slender, blue-green leaves that are not curly but puckered like savoy cabbage.
  • Red Russian or Ragged Jack kale is an heirloom kale that looks like overgrown oak leaves and ranges in color from blue-green to purple-red; it has a sweeter flavor. 
  • Baby kale is the term for the young, immature leaves of the kale plant that are great for any use. 
• Superfood nutrition and antioxidants in kale: Kale is packed with vitamin K, C, beta carotene, calcium, folate, and fiber.
• Kale is packed with antioxidants like beta carotene, vitamin C, flavonoids, and polyphenols, which help to slow the aging process and help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and neurodegenerative disorders.
• How kale is one of the best sources of compounds that help protect our eyes against damage and degenerative diseases
• Facts: only one in ten people in the US eats the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day!
• Why we shouldn’t pay too much attention to the recent Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen List of produce items with dangerous levels of pesticide residue (You would have to eat over 18,000 servings of kale daily to put your body at risk!)
• Ideas to add more kale to your everyday diet for dinner, breakfast, sides, and salads
• My favorite smoothie recipe includes orange juice, baby kale, Greek yogurt, fresh mint leaves, English cucumber, mango chunks, banana, and honey.
• The scoop on kale chips and my best tips for getting them not to be soggy
• My recipe for Kale and Pine Nut Pesto: baby kale leaves, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, mint leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper
• Check out the Recipe Roundup on the blog with recipes for Wild Rice and Kale Salad; Kale and Sausage Gnocchi Bake; Creamy Chicken, Kale, and Rice Mushroom Soup;  and Caesar Salad with Kale and Chicken

Resources:

Helpful links mentioned in this episode:

Cruciferous vegetables and cancer:      https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet#what-are-cruciferous-vegetables

 Don't be afraid of the Dirty Dozen: https://fruitsandveggies.org/expert-advice/should-i-be-afraid-of-the-dirty-dozen/

Safe Produce Calculator: https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/calculate/

Liz’s Links: 

My website: www.lizshealthytable.com  

My email: liz@lizshealthytable.com 

Do you find yourself running in a million different directions all day long? Burnout is a reality for many people, especially busy women. It is terrible for our health and takes a huge toll on the quality of our lives. If you want to live a long and vibrant life, join me to learn more about the fight against burnout!

Patricia Bannan is the author of the new cookbook, From Burnout to Balance: 60+ Healing Recipes and Simple Strategies to Boost Mood, Immunity, Focus, and Sleep. Patricia joins me to share her personal experience with burnout and how she turned it into balance. She’ll tell us how the foods on our plates can have a profound impact on improving our health and happiness. Her cookbook has solutions for breakfast, main meals, salads, snacks, and desserts, including her Fudgy Avocado Walnut Brownies. Yum! I tried her Zucchini and Black Bean Chilaquiles Skillet yesterday, and I’m sharing that recipe on today’s show and on my blog. Patricia is a nationally recognized dietitian and healthy cooking expert who has done thousands of media interviews, and she is a busy mom who lives in California. 

Show Highlights:

• Get to know Patricia, an East Coast girl who loves living in the Los Angeles sunshine and has combined her loves of journalism and nutrition into her work
• How burnout is characterized by feeling energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from work and cynicism about work, and a drop in professional performance
• Why burnout is best visualized with a holistic approach to work, personal life, and personality type
• How stress and burnout are different
• Highlights of Patricia’s burnout experience a few years ago–and how she recovered by simplifying, prioritizing, and re-evaluating her life
• Why Patricia wrote a book about burnout (The facts: ⅓ of women report feeling full-blown burnout, which has only worsened due to the pandemic)
• Why Patricia structured her book as part health book and part cookbook
• Why the consequences of burnout include serious health risks and a heavy toll on longevity, relationships, and overall quality of life
• Tips for busting burnout: prioritize plants and find balance in the kitchen
• The connection between what we eat and our mood (“feel-good” foods can help!)
• How eating 30 different plants each week can help create a healthier microbiome in your gut (from the American Gut Project)
• How whole, unprocessed foods help with mood and gut health (“Whole foods make a whole person.”)
• How foods and healthy lifestyle factors can support a strong immune system
• Immune system boosters include vitamin D-rich foods like mushrooms, dairy, and seafood, along with zinc-rich foods like red meat and shellfish  
• Patricia’s recipe for Golden Carrot Spice Muffins made with flour, oat bran, baking powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, honey, coconut oil, Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla, grated carrots, and walnuts
• How burnout impacts our brain health and ability to focus
• Foods to improve focus include blueberries, olives/olive oil, and walnuts
• Foods for better sleep include kiwi, peanut butter, and tart cherries
• Patricia’s favorite recipe in her cookbook: Sheet Pan Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus, and Citrus Miso Sauce (This dish is a good source of 27 essential nutrients!)
• Patricia’s Zucchini and Black Bean Chilaquiles Skillet, a one-pot dish made with sauteed veggies, corn tortilla chips, green enchilada sauce, cheese, and toppings
• A sleepytime beverage: Patricia’s Tart Cherry Chamomile Tea with Oat Milk

Resources:

Patricia Bannan's website: https://www.patriciabannan.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NutritionGoGo 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciabannan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patriciabannanRD

Where to find Patricia's book: https://www.patriciabannan.com/from-burnout-to-balance-book 

Connect with Liz: www.lizshealthytable.com  

Show Highlights:

• The lowdown on the lovely chickpea: a type of bean (pulse) which is sustainable, easy to grow, and extremely nourishing
• Why chickpeas contribute to longevity, as evidenced by their place as the cornerstone of the diets of those in the world’s “Blue Zones”
• Why chickpeas can be a “gateway bean” that provides health benefits with just ½ cup each day
• Trust the science! The WHO records that 20 grams of beans daily reduce the risk of death by 8%
• How chickpeas play a major role in the cuisines of Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, and Africa, and are one of the oldest cultivated foods in existence today
• The nutrition numbers: ½ cup of chickpeas has 120 calories, 6-7 grams protein, and 4 grams fiber, along with manganese, folate, selenium, and potassium–all of which promote heart health and immunity
• How beans as a whole promote digestive health by improving our gut microbiome
• How chickpeas can lower cholesterol, help control blood sugar, help maintain a healthy weight, and help prevent certain cancers
• My recipe for Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Coconut Soup: it’s made with diced sweet potato and bell pepper, red Thai curry paste, grated ginger and garlic, vegetable broth, coconut milk, chickpeas, brown rice, baby spinach, and lime juice/zest; the best part is the toppings of fresh cilantro, fresh mint, avocado, and chopped nuts
• From the Chickpea Recipe Roundup:
• • From Laura @ Being Nutritious: Peanut Butter & Jelly Dessert Bars are made with chickpeas, dates, peanut butter, whole wheat flour, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—then swirled with peanut butter and jelly on top.

• • From Chelsea @ Chelsea Dishes: Fresh & Herby Couscous Salad is made with roasted chickpeas, pearl couscous, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mint, parsley, feta, lime juice, and olive oil.

• • From Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy: Roasted Chickpea Cauliflower Sandwiches are made with roasted chickpeas, chopped cauliflower, Greek yogurt, goat cheese, red pepper, shredded carrot, corn kernels, dill, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper–and then stuffed into pita bread. 

Resources:

CannedBeans.org

Recipe roundup 

Sweet Potato, Chickpea & Coconut Soup

Blue Zones: Why beans are the #1 longevity food in the world

USA Pulses

Do you or a family member or friend have pre-diabetes? Pre-diabetes is a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes. It impacts 88 million Americans (that's one in three!) and can zap years from your life and vibrant health from those years. On today’s show, my guest is Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook. Together, we'll explain how to manage pre-diabetes through diet and lifestyle and in some cases, even reverse it.

Lauren Harris-Pincus is the author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook: 200 Healthy Recipes to Help Reverse and Manage Pre-Diabetes. Lauren is a nutrition communications specialist, speaker, spokesperson, consultant, and registered dietitian in private practice. She is the founder and owner of Nutrition Starring You, LLC, where she specializes in weight management and pre-diabetes. She is the author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club as well as her latest cookbook already mentioned. After growing up with weight issues and obesity, Lauren dedicated herself to combatting the growing adult and childhood obesity epidemic. She has wisdom to share about pre-diabetes, a condition that impacts 88 million Americans.

Show Highlights:

• Get to know Lauren, a Jersey mom of two young adult kids; she is passionate about nutrition and healthy living and spends as much time as possible at the theater
• What is pre-diabetes? A blood sugar level that is higher than normal but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes
• How A1C measures blood sugar as a solid measure (5.7-6.4 is pre-diabetic)
• Why pre-diabetes is scary because one in three adults have it–and at least 90% don’t even know they have it
• Why so many people are unaware that they have pre-diabetes
• Why pre-diabetes is only the tip of the iceberg for what is going on with your insulin levels and your pancreas
• Harmful effects of pre-diabetes include elevated blood sugar that damages blood vessels, kidneys, and eyes; it can also cause neuropathy and affect your longevity and quality of life
• Causes of pre-diabetes can include weight gain, genetic components, high-stress levels, certain medications, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and more
• How Lauren’s action plan to address pre-diabetes includes positive steps with no stigma and focuses on what to add vs. what to take away
• Why it is important to add more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and seeds
• Why Lauren’s plan includes ways to add better nutrition that helps you feel good, joyful movement that is sustainable, and managing stress, sleep, and mental health
• How to consider circadian rhythms in fueling our bodies earlier in the day vs. late at night because digestion and metabolism slow down as the sun goes down
• How modest weight loss can impact pre-diabetes–but shouldn’t be the primary goal
• How Lauren’s book is structured with 200 recipes in different categories of cuisine that feature “carb-controlled” ingredients of high fiber sources and nutrition information
• Why 95% of people don’t meet daily fiber intake goals, which impacts gut health and overall health
• Lauren’s favorite recipe: Deconstructed Spicy California Roll Salad made with romaine, cucumber, avocado, crab, spicy mayo, chopped seaweed snacks, and rice
• Lauren’s Spicy Chickpea Tacos with Arugula made with chickpeas, tomato paste and sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, spices, dijon mustard, taco shells, arugula, and cilantro
• Where sugar fits into the pre-diabetes story–the key is moderation
• Why the prevalence of pre-diabetes reveals that most people are not eating the right foods for optimal health
• Lauren’s advice about where to start: “Try to eat a fruit or veggie at every meal, or even more than one is better. More produce, more produce, more produce! If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetes and only tells you to lose weight, you need to go find another doctor.”

Resources:

Link to The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook

Lauren online and on social media:

Website: Nutrition Starring You

Find Lauren on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Welcome to my new podcast! This show is all about living a longer and better life, feeling vibrant and energized, and radiating good health from the inside out. On each episode, I'll be sharing simple changes to the ways we eat and drink that can add years to our lives and better health to those years. I look forward to being your tour guide on this delicious journey!

Show Highlights:

• A little history of my podcasts:
• • In 2008, I launched Cooking with the Moms, a podcast focused on family nutrition.
  • From 2017-2021, Liz’s Healthy Table ran with 110 episodes!
  • Now, in 2022, I’m launching Eat, Drink, Live Longer, which will take us down new roads related to longevity.
• How my website hub will still be www.lizshealthytable.com
• • The blog takes a new spin in featuring nourishing recipes with a grown-up focus.
  • The website includes information about my in-person and virtual speaking engagements, my cookbooks and freebies page, and links to my social media channels (which includes my new foray into the world of TikTok!).
• How my cooking life has changed since my boys are grown and out of the house, along with my interest in good nutrition as it relates to lifelong health and longevity
• What you can expect on Eat, Drink, Live Longer:
• • With two shows monthly, one of them will feature a guest and important topics related to the quality and health of our lives.
  • The other show each month will be my “Longevity Kitchen,” in which we will explore topics like stocking your fridge/pantry, and recipes with superfoods like chickpeas, salmon, kale, etc. We will share important secrets to living longer on topics like pre-diabetes, stress reduction, inflammation, and more.
  • Part of our focus will be on the common health factors of those living in the world’s “Blue Zones,” like daily movement, stress reduction, a plant-based diet, and more. (You can find out more about the Blue Zones in Ep. 99 of Liz’s Healthy Table.)

Resources:

Connect with me: www.lizshealthytable.com  

Check out my closed Facebook group: Liz's Podcast Posse 

Email me: liz@lizshealthytable.com