Food | What 9 Women’s Health Editors Eat for Breakfast Each Morning

Get a glimpse of the go-to foods we chew to fuel our day.

When you tell people you work at Women’s Health, the response almost always falls into one of two categories: Either, “You have the coolest job ever” (we agree!). Or, “So are you healthy all the time?” The short answer? We enjoy the occasional cupcake or handful of potato chips just like the next person, but there are also plenty of nutritious foods we love. Just check out these wholesome go-to breakfasts from nine of our editors.

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/our-breakfasts

Food | Easy Apple Pie That Won't Leave You Bloated

Each month, your favorite dishes get a healthy and delectable do-over with tips from Keri Glassman, R.D.

Sweet! Just in time for Thanksgiving, Keri Glassman, R.D. shares this deliciously healthy twist on the classic apple pie that'll be the talk of any feast this holiday season.

Don't Be Flaky

To instantly slim-ify your pie, skip the crust; it's little more than butter and flour. Instead, get your crunch from delicious whole oats, which research links to weight loss. Beta-glucan, a type of oat fiber, may also help ward off heart disease and diabetes.

Pick A Better Butter

The almond variety is rich in monounsaturated fats, the type associated with less belly blub. It also packs essential minerals such as magnesium, iron, and calcium.

Get Fresh

Canned pie filling has more added sugar than you may suspect—around 20 grams total for 1/3 cup (and who eats just 1/3 cup?). It's also nutritionally barren. A fresh Granny Smith, on the other hand, contains vitamin C and pectin, a compound that may help increase fullness.

Go Coco-Loco

The saturated fats in coconut are the kind you do want—they help burn flab and boost "good" cholesterol levels. The powerfood also has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Slash and Burn (Cals!)

In a study, people who nibbled on small portions of snacks that were high in fat ate far less overall than those who binged on unhealthy treats—and they reported feeling just as satisfied afterward.

Healthy Apple Pie

4 Tbsp almond butter

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup chopped almonds and walnuts

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 Tbsp honey

1 Granny Smith apple

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 1 tablespoon almond butter in each of four 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups.

2. In a bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and honey.

3. Wash, core, and dice apple; in a separate bowl, mix apple with remaining cinnamon, other spices, and lemon juice.

4. Divide apple pieces among ramekins, then top with oat mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 260 cal, 17 g fat (4.5 g sat), 23 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 40 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 7 g protein

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/healthy-apple-pie

Food | The State That Loves Green Bean Casserole the Most Is...

See where your home falls on the green bean index.

Green bean casserole is one of those iconic Thanksgiving dishes. The old-school combo of canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crunchy noodles doesn’t have much health cred, but this classic combo still gets lots of love: An estimated 30 million green bean casserole dishes will appear on Thanksgiving tables, according to the bean counters at Del Monte Foods, who conducted a nationwide survey of 1,500 people to find out which state gives this humble dish the warmest embrace (thus developing its green bean index).

Turns out, Kentucky took top honors: 78 percent of residents said they "really like or love" green bean casserole. The rest of the top five shake out in this order: Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, and Maine. Following behind in the top 20 are New Hampshire, Florida, Colorado, California, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah, Kansas, Texas, Maryland, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, and New York, where 60 percent of residents gave green bean casserole a thumbs-up.

As casserole fiends know, the beauty of this dish is that you can personalize it with all kinds of flavorful add-ins. The most popular ingredient people toss in, according to the Del Monte folks? Bacon (37 percent picked this as their favorite secret ingredient), followed by cheese (19 percent); mushrooms (15 percent); bread crumbs, croutons, or crushed crackers (12 percent); and almonds (eight percent). Each of those will give the dish extra creaminess and crunch—and yeah, extra calories, too.

We're all for indulging smartly on Thanksgiving, but if you'd rather head into Black Friday without a food baby, check out these tips to ensure you don't go overboard on Turkey Day. Or whip up some of these better-for-you Thanksgiving dishes.

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/green-bean-casserole

Food | 11 Healthy-Eating Tips Celebrities Swear By

They work for these WH cover stars—and they'll work for you!

Over the years, a lot of awesomely healthy celebs have graced the cover of Women's Health, sharing tips on mastering everything from the perfect red lip to the perfect kettlebell deadlift. But if you're a foodie (show of hands, please?), their honest and down-to-earth healthy-eating advice is where it's at. To prove our point, we combed through issues of WH past and found 11 tips that are sure make healthy eating simpler, yummier, and way more doable.

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/celebrity-diet-tips

Food | The Top Nutrition Mistake New Moms Make

According to the author of What to Expect When You're Expecting

Most women's priorities after having a baby are pretty predictable: Nurture and care for their little bundle of joy, get as much sleep as they can, and get back to their pre-pregnancy weight ASAP. Putting that last item on your to-do list, however, is one of the biggest mistakes that new moms make, says Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Recently, Murkoff released a new edition of What to Expect the First Year (which hasn't been updated in 11 years!). And this time around, nutrition—both for baby and mom—was a big focus.

"Eating well has so many benefits for busy new moms," says Murkoff, who notes that getting the right nutrients gives mothers the stamina they need to function. "Energy depends on a steady flow of fuel." But skipping meals or skimping on nutrients in an attempt to lose pregnancy weight is a fast route to exhaustion. 

What's more, trying to lose weight too quickly could backfire: "Good nutrition speeds recovery, and when part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, it can help you lose the baby weight at a steady rate," says Murkoff.

MORE: 12 Gifts for Fans of Great Food

Those aren't the only reasons to focus on getting adequate amounts of all your essential nutrients when you're a new mom, though.

"Probably some of the most important research [conducted since the last edition of the book came out] has been around the impact of mom's eating well on a baby's development and future health, particularly during the first 1,000 days," says Murkoff. "Once solids are introduced—at six months—a baby begins to model eating habits that tend to stick, for better or worse."

Murkoff recommends making it as simple as possible to eat well. "Having ready-to-grab healthy snacks on hand is key," she says. "And take shortcuts to healthy meals—make extra chicken breast to freeze, buy bags of ready-to-eat veggies and salad, cans of wild salmon." Need some inspiration? Check out what nutritionists eat when they only have five minutes to prepare a meal.

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/new-mom-diet-tips

Food | 6 Foods That Cause Inflammation

Some of these will really shock you.

This article was adapted from the Diabetes Cure and provided by our partners at Rodale News.

Many things you currently consider to be "foods" are not. Instead, these items are processed, adulterated, refined, diluted, sweetened, salted, or changed in some way. A major challenge faced by people with type 2 diabetes is making the transition back to eating real food. Any "food" with a brand name is not real food anymore because the ingredients have been processed for a long shelf life, which means that most of its beneficial anti-inflammatory components have been lost and salt, sugar, and bad fats and preservatives have been added.

See the lists below for an overview of foods that keep inflammation smoldering:

Dairy

Milk is designed by nature to make calves gain weight quickly. And since we are not calves—or even babies any longer—our bodies do not require milk. Contrary to popular belief and advertisement, bone strength does not come from consuming milk and other dairy products but from plant foods. In fact, dairy is a highly inflammatory food for most people. And more processing ("skimming") does not make it any healthier, only more inflammatory.

Sugar

The sugar industry tries to sell us on the fact that sugar is natural because it comes from sugarcane. But it's not natural because all the cells within the sugarcane have been eliminated during the refining process. Molasses, at least, retains some of its original minerals—such as iron—in processing. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners have their drawbacks, too—they are suspected to cause many diseases, not to mention weight gain.

MORE: Sugar Is More Addictive Than Cocaine

Refined Grains

These should be avoided altogether, along with milled, fortified, and sweetened grains. Limit your intake of pasta to once a week, and avoid refined grains in white bread, cereal, and pizza.

Grain-Fed Meat

Grain-fed animals that are kept in concentrated animal-feeding operations (CAFOs) are sick and unhealthy because they are not doing what comes naturally to them: grazing and living outdoors. They are barely kept alive by antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs. When we eat their meat, we become sick, too. And on top of it, processed meats are laced with preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings.

MORE: 10 Freaky Facts About Your Chicken

Tropical Fruits

Because they typically have a higher fructose content than other fruits, eating fruits like bananas, oranges, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples should be limited to once a week for people with diabetes. Also, if your ancestors did not come from hot climates, tropical fruits might be hard for you to digest. Many people eat bananas because their doctors have told them that bananas are a terrific source of potassium. This is true—but it's also true of many other fruits and vegetables.

Bad Fats

Vegetable oils (like corn, soy, and canola), all hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) oils, and all oils that have been heated for frying or deep-frying should be avoided.

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/inflammatory-foods

Food | 8 Pre-Feast Bites You'll be Thankful For

Because your guests won't always be able to wait for the turkey.

Your guests are ravenous, but the bird won't be done for another hour—and your pots and pans are otherwise occupied. Take the edge off everyone's hunger with eight pre-feast bites that are big on flavor but low on effort.

source : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/thanksgiving-appetizers