My letter to Cancer.
Dear #cancer, We met in 2007. You changed my world and you touched my family and closest friends. You slowed my life and I had to put running, my workouts, walks, entertaining & cooking good food for my family & friends on hold. But, you didn’t take my creativity. I walked laps in the hospital with my family & friends pulling an IV pole to maintain some physical activity to keep me strong. When my platelets were good, I did body squats in a chair & push-ups on the counter in my hospital room. You didn’t stop me there, my family ordered take out, so I could celebrate a wedding anniversary and a milestone birthday in the hospital. When my blood counts were good, I went on a weekend pass and planned a freezer food party, so that I was prepared and strong enough to go back at it again for another round of intense treatment. So, cancer, I’m just letting you know, you can be beat and we will bring you down! Together, we will stay strong & live long. 💜🙏🏽💜🙏🏽 #worldcancerday2021 #beatcancer #bloodcancer #leukemia #leukemiawarrior #leukemiasurvivor #jcjnutrition
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How to decrease inflammation and strengthen your immune system.
There are many good tips to reduce inflammation & that support our immune system. I wanted to share the 4 that I try to incorporate for my own health and well-being. #jcjnutrition #health&wellbeing #immunesupport #decreaseinflammation #eatvarietyoffoods #nutritionhealth #sleepandrestwell #hydrating #refueladequately Did You Know?
February is heart health month. ❤️ Foods that your heart will love & keep you on beat! 1️⃣ Fruits & Vegetables. To help with inflammation, body function and weight management. Add more fruits and vegetables to your meals as they provide antioxidants, vitamins & minerals and fibre to help keep you feeling full. 2️⃣ Whole Grains. Choose whole grains more often as they provide fibre and help reduce cholesterol. 3️⃣ Choose lean cuts of meat (chicken, pork & beef). Look for “loin” or “round” which our leaner meats, poultry without skin & fish. Try alternatives like beans and lentils, to incorporate plant based protein into your meals. Variety is key, so next time try a vegetarian lasagna. 4️⃣ Include dairy products and alternatives too! Choose unflavoured or plain yogurts. But if you need to add a sweet taste, add dried fruit & nuts to make it interesting. With the key nutrients that cheese, other milk products & alternatives have (vitamin D, calcium, & magnesium, just to name a few) these may help reduce cardiovascular risk. 5️⃣ Reduce your sodium intake. Consuming too much sodium from processed foods or adding salt to your meals can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Try to add flavour by exploring with fresh & dried herbs or using low/no sodium seasonings, such as Mrs. Dash. 6️⃣ Move! Get up & go for a walk, play a sport, have fun at the playground with your kids. Keep active & have fun! For more information about heart health refer to https://www.heartandstroke.ca #hearthealthawareness #hearthealth #lowsodium #eatvegetables #eatfruits #fibreiskey #foodandnutrition #leanmeats #plantbasedfood #goodfats #omega3 #nuts #tuesdaynutritiontip
Did You Know? The benefit of healthy snacking is to help meet our nutritional needs by providing us energy to concentrate at work, school, playing sports or any type of physical activity you love to do. Healthy snacking helps us satisfy our hunger cues between our next meal. They may help with muscle recovery when training/playing a sport activity & may help stabilize our blood sugars which may prevent over snacking in the evening. Some small snacks include, a piece of fruit, a yogurt cup, or some trail mix. Larger snacks are 1/2 PBJ (or any nut butter) sandwich, hummus & pita wedges, cheese string & an apple. These are just a few snack options to help plan your day for success. Remember to choose nutrient dense food items that are high in fibre, have healthy fats and are lean protein sources. And know the difference between a snack vs a treat. Want to learn more about food & nutrition? Check out my other food and nutrition blogs at JCJNutrition.com Making pizza’s at home is easy especially when you use Naan Bread. I’ve been providing this recipe to my nutrition clients for years and it’s a good way to get your kids involved in preparing meals and building confidence in the kitchen. Depending on how old your little chef is, you may have to pre-cut the veggies and help measure any ingredients, just to be safe!
This recipe is vegetarian, but feel free to modify and use ingredients that you love using. Ingredients: 1 Naan Bread 3-4 Tbsp of Pizza Sauce 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (used Daiya mozzarella flavoured) 1/2 cup of fresh spinach leaves 1/4 cup diced bell pepper (any colour will do) 3 mushrooms cut in halves to a nice thickness 1/4 cup of diced tomato (remove any liquid portion to prevent pizza going soggy) (Optional) Top up pizza with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375’F. 2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 3. Add Naan Bread to the lined baking sheet. 4. Add pizza sauce and start layering. Start with 1/2 cup shredded cheese, spinach, bell pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes. (Optional to top up pizza with another layer of cheese. I do this to keep my pizza intact when having those first few bites) 😉 5. Place pizza in oven once 375’F has reached. Bake for 12 minutes until cheese is nicely melted and crust edges are lightly browned. Serve with a cup of fruit or veggies to dip on the side. Enjoy! Nutritional for 1 serving: 318 Calories | 38 g CHO | 8 g Pro | 13 g Fat | Fibre 2 g What a year 2020 was! Earlier in the year people were hoarding flour, meat, canned goods and toiletries. Then, an increase of food insecurity rises due to the pandemic. I am glad to hear that food researchers and scientists are taking action & continue working together with non-profit organizations, universities and government to help reduce this issue. This has been an ongoing concern, a domino effect where it can affect our mental well-being and anyone regardless of socioeconomic status, low to middle class.
If you don’t know what food insecurity is, it’s the lack of money and resources to meet an adequate diet in a household. According to Stats Canada, the issue has increased due to those who have lost their jobs or have had to reduce their working hours due to the 2020 pandemic. Those who live alone on a single income and adults with children are especially at high risk. This is an ongoing issue and definitely the food community will be learning, listening & talking about in 2021. In 2020 this was based on fear & uncertainties. So, people coped by hoarding certain food items and toiletries. How do we turn negative thoughts from 2020, to a positive mind shift for 2021? Here are some uptakes & continued food trends that I see from what we learned in 2020 as we start the new year. 1. Heritage Cooking. We will be embracing our own food cultures as we tend to spend more time with our families or the people we live within our household. We will continue to learn about our roots and carry-on traditions. 2. Virtual Cooking Classes. Culinary schools with a dine-in learning environment or chefs & nutritionists with their side hustles, this will be an alternative to continue their business & learning platforms. 3. Diversity & Creativity. With more at home dining, local restaurants are adapting to the way it is. Sometimes it is just best to let it be. Being diverse just adds variety to their business. E-commerce will evolve and continue to do so. People are supporting local businesses, being more creative and enjoying the at-home dining experience, while virtually visiting with friends & family at the table. 4. Food Waste Awareness. We always knew about food waste, but even more so during 2020 as we stayed home more often & cooked our own meals. This movement will continue through 2021. We will be more creative with leftovers and get in the habit of meal-planning to reduce food waste. With food prices increasing, people may take into consideration planting a raised garden or learning to grow their own herbs, fruits & vegetables. 5. Spices & Condiments. While we are cooking more at home, people may use more spices and condiments in their meals. With the loss of some restaurants that were forced to close their doors during the pandemic, we may be missing that secret sauce that completed your favourite meal you ordered or the combination of spices that the chef concocted to satisfy the pallet on that first bite. Again, people are going to need to be creative and try to recreate these memories when dining at home. All of these are the anticipated food trends for 2021 and are all positives in my opinion. However, there are still some uncertainties as we enter this new year, but we need to just let it be. Let's continue to stay safe in the comfort of our own home and look upwards and onwards. Until next time (or the next blog) ... and from my kitchen to yours, peace, love & eat good food! ~JCJ This creamy hot chocolate is made with almond milk and just three other ingredients. It’s best made on the stove and will take you about 5-8 minutes to make.
(Recipe serves 1) Ingredients: 1 cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk 1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder 1 Tbsp of semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/8 tsp of peppermint extract Directions: 1. In a saucepan, heat the almond milk on the stove at medium-high heat. Stir occasionally with a whisk. 2. Add cocoa powder, chocolate chips and peppermint extract. Stir occasionally until chocolate chips have melted and cocoa powder has dissolved. 3. Transfer carefully to a drinking cup. (Optional, add whipping cream on top). Enjoy the comfort & not so sweet cup of hot chocolate while reading a book. Love, ~JCJ~ ❤️ Nutrition: 1 svg: 101 Calories | 8 g CHO | 3 g PRO | 7 g Fat Sweet Chili Shrimp AppetizerThis is a must try recipe for any occasion. Like many of my recipes they are easy to make!
Check it out and let me know what you think. Hugs, JCJ Ingredients: 1 x bag of 31/40 shrimp, deveined (~ a 300g bag) 1 tsp of minced garlic 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika 1/4 tsp of red chili flakes 2 Tbsp of olive oil 2 Tbsp of lemon juice Dash of salt Sliced cucumbers and enough to put one shrimp on top of the cucumber Sauce to Garnish: 1/4 cup of Apricot Preserves 1/4 cup of Sweet chili sauce 2 Tbsp of fresh lemon Directions: 1. Thaw shrimp as directed on package. Once thawed, remove shell & tail. 2. Combine garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and all spices in a mixing bowl. Mix seasonings and add the shrimp to the bowl. Cover & marinade for about 3-4 hours in the fridge. 3. As the shrimp marinades, you can prep the garnishing sauce. Mix the apricot preserves, sweet chili sauce and lemon juice. Cover & set aside in the fridge until ready to serve. 4. When the shrimp has marinated, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a cooking pan. Preheat pan to medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes per side until firm and pink or until 165’F has been reached. Place them in a bowl and lightly sprinkle a few more red chili flakes on top & mix. 5. Arrange the individually sliced cucumbers on a platter. Put one cooked shrimp on top of the cucumber. Once finished, drizzle a little of the garnishing sauce on top of shrimp. Serve immediately & Enjoy! Nutritional: 209 Calories | 18g PRO | 13g CHO | 7g Fat Quick Tip: This sauce tastes great with chicken wings & chicken tenders. Filipino Garlic Fried Rice with egg is one of my favourite Filipino go-to food items. Like all my other recipes, it’s super easy and quick to prepare.
Ingredients: 2 eggs 2 tsp of olive oil 2 tsp of minced garlic 3 cups of cooked rice salt and pepper to taste 1 stalk of green onion, chopped and used for garnish Directions: 1. Heat stove to medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to your wok or skillet. 2. Add garlic and sauté until a golden brown and set aside. 3. Add the other teaspoon of olive oil to the wok or skillet. Keep heat at medium-high. First add the egg and scramble to cook in the skillet or wok. Then, add the rice, mix it and break up the rice with your cooking utensil. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook and stir for 10 minutes until rice has heated evenly. 4. Add the cooked garlic to the rice and mix evenly. 5. Transfer the mixed rice to a serving plate and garnish with green onion. Enjoy! Nutrition for 1 Serving: 335 Calories | 45g CHO | 8g PRO | 13g Fat Halo Halo, one of my favourite Filipino desserts growing up as a kid in the hot summers of Saskatchewan. I remember my dad crushing the ice with this white plastic tool that you had to manually crank with a handle and push the ice through with this plastic top. I loved growing up in the 80’s when kitchen gadgets were simple & interesting compared to the technology we have today that has so much power & too many buttons! To crush the ice, you can use a blender that has the feature, or like I did, which was to use my food processor with the cheese grater plate and it worked just fine. (Although, it’s super loud!)
Being Filipino-Canadian, I “westernized” the recipe for you to enjoy with ingredients you can find at your local grocery store (Asian/Filipino section). But if you want to be adventurous & authentic, check out your local Filipino market in town. You will find the traditional food items to make Halo Halo. Just ask the grocery clerk and they will guide you to the jarred sweet beans, coconut shreds, and jackfruit etc. In the recipe, I just added ingredients that I already had in my fridge. So totally mix up the fruit with cantaloupe or honeydew using a melon baller. This time around, I used sliced strawberries. Here is the recipe for 1 serving, I do hope you enjoy it on a hot summer day! Ingredients: 2 x Fresh Strawberries, sliced 1 cup of Crushed/Shaved Ice 3/4 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk 2 Tbsp of Ube Jam| Jonaz Sweet Purple Yam* 2 Tbsp of Shredded Coconut| Bulacan Macapuno Strings in Syrup* 1 scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream * (Find these at your local Filipino grocery store or section of grocery store) Directions: 1. In a short glass, start layering the ingredients. First, add half of the crushed ice, then add the Ube Jam, then the Coconut Shreds, then rest of the crushed ice. 2. Add the Unsweetened Almond Milk. 3. Top it up with the strawberries and a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.. When ready to eat, mix it up and serve with a spoon. (Halo Halo means mix). Enjoy Nutrition: 384 calories | 3g PRO| 67g CHO| 13g Fat |
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AuthorJeannette Castillo Archives
February 2021
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