BENEFITS OF KALE IN YOUR DIET

Yes I know I am weird to a lot of you!  Kale is one of my favorite foods and has been as long as I can remember.  I remember going to the grocery store with my daddy as a child and grabbing kale in the produce section and slipping it into his cart.  Little did I know then how good kale was for my body, I just knew I liked it and I still do.  If kale isn't a part of your diet consider adding it.  Some of the reasons you should eat kale are:

• Kale is high in nutrient density.
• Kale contains powerful phytonutrients like sulfurophane, kaempferol, and carotenoids that can help your body detox, turn on genes that promote longer life, and fight cancer. 
• Kale boasts more than 100 percent of your daily needs of each vitamin A, C, and K, which serves as an important antioxidant to promote blood clotting, improve bone health, and protect the fat cells that comprise more than 60 percent of the brain. 

If you aren't fond of kale, you can easily slip it into your diet by putting it in soups, salads, casseroles, smoothies, etc.  Do yourself a favor and make kale a regular part of your diet.

ADD COLORFUL POTATOES TO YOUR DIET

Before you gasp, yes, you read that title correctly.  I did say add potatoes to your diet.  But not just any potatoes!  And, as with everything, eat potatoes in moderation.  Since I became diabetic, I have had to totally change the way I eat potatoes.  The good news is that I am healthier for it!  Potatoes get a bad reputation, especially here in America where we seem fixated on french fries.  We also love our potatoes, peeled and mashed with loads of fattening ingredients.  But there are healthier ways to enjoy potatoes.  Would you believe that potato skins, the part we usually discard, have as many phytonutrients as broccoli especially if we eat the more colorful varieties.  Some unusual nutrients found in potatoes, known as kukoamines, can lower blood pressure and that protects the heart and the brain.  Iodine is also found in potatoes.  Did you realize one of the first things doctors check in a patient suffering from depression is the thyroid which needs iodine to function properly?  And how about this little surprise?  Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world!

The next time you go to the grocery store or market, check for the colorful varieties of potatoes.  Buy a few and experiment with healthy ways of preparing them.  And don't peel them!

If you grocer doesn't carry a big variety of potatoes in the produce section, check for healthy varieties in the frozen food section.  

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COFFEE IS A BRAIN FOOD

Or should we say coffee is a happiness beverage?  However you look at it, coffee with caffeine causes an increase in dopamine, which is how it boosts confidence, focus, and mood.  No wonder some of us are unbearable until we get our morning shot of coffee!  And did you know that 1 cup of coffee has more antioxidants than a glass of grape juice or one serving of spinach?  Coffee also has 2 phytonutrients - norharman and harman - which function like a class of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors.  A few cups a day of coffee and people have a decreased risk of brain disorders such as depression and dementia.  Coffee has been shown to boost mental ability, focus, and mood.  So go ahead and enjoy a couple of cups (unless your doctor has told you otherwise!) but be wary of adding sugar and cream!  Learn to enjoy your coffee black!