What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato plus healing benefits and recipes. 

I am often asked if a yam is the same as a sweet potato. Despite what we have been told, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing! The majority of the orange potatoes at your local market are sweet potatoes, not yams.

Yes, both are root vegetables, but that’s where the similarities end! Yams are actually related to lilies. They vary from small to extremely large in size, and have a dark skin with white or reddish-purple starchy flesh. They’re also hard to find and therefore not usually in all supermarkets.

Sweet potatoes also range in color and size and are not always orange! Sweet potato skins can be light (think: white or yellow) to dark (think: reddish purple to brown) .The flesh inside is can range from orange to even white or yellow. The two most common varieties that you’ll find in your local grocery store are firm (lighter flesh) or soft (orange flesh).

Does it matter, for my health, if I eat one versus the other?

The good news: both yams and sweet potatoes are nutrient-dense, low fat foods. Most of the differences are subtle; yams are slightly lower-calorie, but sweet potatoes have slightly more nutrients and a little more protein. They are both good sources of carbohydrate and fiber, but sweet potatoes have a bit more of each. Where they really differ: the amount of vitamin A in sweet potatoes far outweighs what’s in yams and are far healthier than the white potato (a whopping 400% of your recommended daily requirement of vitamin A!), Vitamin A is particularly good for our eye health.

Just in case you are not convinced to make the switch to those pretty potatoes, here are four more reasons to include a yam or a sweet potato in your diet.

• Anti-cancer: Proteins in sweet potatoes may contain cancer-fighting properties
• High fiber: Women need approximately 25gm of fiber a day, and men need approximately 35gm. A medium-sized sweet potato with its’ skin on has approximately a whopping 6gm of fiber.
• Phytonutrient dense: Sweet potatoes are loaded with potassium, which is important for maintaining blood pressure.
• Sweet potatoes are relatively inexpensive, and with such a high nutrient content, making them one of the best bargains out there.

We love healing recipes. Check out our Twice Baked Sweet Potato with Creamy Avocado Dressing or for a Yam Smoothie that tastes like chocolate ice cream check out our Yam Cacao Smoothie. Dress up your collard greens with our Sweet Potato Collard Wrap.

The post Deciphering Yams and Sweet Potatoes. Plus Benefits and Recipes! appeared first on LoveSelf.

Five great reasons your body will love healing with chocolate. 

I’ve got some great news: Chocolate is good for you! Seriously. And thank goodness, since I love chocolate. Most of us do, in fact. We’ve been enjoying it in the Americas for thousands of years, as a food and as a medicine, and even sometimes as a currency.

Let me explain: Some chocolate is better than other chocolate. Some chocolate, like raw organic cacao, is considered a superfood! Why? Raw organic cacao, unlike its processed dark chocolate counterpart, is known to contain an extraordinary amount of antioxidants. In addition, since there is no added dairy to interfere with antioxidant absorption, eating raw organic cacao actually can reap all the health benefits.

These health benefits of chocolate depend on the percentage of cacao in the product; the more cacao, the more nutrient-dense the chocolate. Ideally, choose chocolate with at least 70% cacao.

Let’s talk about this superfood, cacao. Cacao, which is from a bean of the Theobroma cacao tree, is quite heart-healthy, and so much more! As a women’s health internist, I am obsessed with our heart health, and anything we can do to improve our heart health.

Some reasons to reach for those raw cacao beans or nibs (the broken, smaller pieces of the beans)  include:

Heart health: Think lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels (both HDL and LDL). What’s the magic? Cacao beans contain high levels of flavonoids, anti-oxidants that work on the cellular level. Research shows that these compounds may in fact alter cell-signaling pathways, lowering our blood pressure and decreasing our risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol and decreasing inflammation and improving platelet (clotting) function.

Cancer health: Emerging research indicates that the antioxidants in cacao may help protect against cancer by limiting free radical damage to our cells. Cacao contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants in measured in foods.

Gastrointestinal health: Cacao is both an anti-inflammatory and loaded with fiber. Both of these are critical for our gastrointestinal health and wellbeing. Laboratory research shows some benefit for ulcerative colitis and treating h. pylori infections, too. Women need a whopping 25 gm/day of fiber and men need 35 gm/day; fortunately, a serving of cacao nibs contains 9 grams!

Mental health: Chocolate has long been used to boost one’s mood and improve cognition by triggering the release of some of the neurotransmitters in our brains. In particular, cacao boosts our serotonin levels, which helps to level out our moods and induce a sense of calmness.

Bone health: Cacao is seriously nutrient-dense, loaded with minerals like magnesium. Magnesium is needed for so many reasons including osteoporosis protection!

The post The Five Healing Benefits of Cacao appeared first on LoveSelf.

Ten Tips and Benefits of Pumpkin. Including Fun Cooking Tips! 

In addition to being super fun for Halloween, pumpkins are tasty and incredibly healthy.

Do you know that pumpkin has more potassium than a banana?

How about that pumpkin seeds can increase your good cholesterol!

Ward off a cold with pumpkin. Pumpkin contains zinc and vitamin C to bump your immune system.

Pumpkin even contains vitamin A to keep those glasses away!

Of course, oh great pumpkin.

In addition to our fabulous recipes below are a few tips for using pumpkin in everyday cooking.

1. Roast the seeds with sea salt and tumeric for a fabulous snack.
2. Mix the puree into your favorite pancake recipe. Add nutmeg and cinnamon and breakfast is heaven.
3. Making lasagna? Layer with pumpkin! Really.
4. Grind the seeds into your meatloaf recipe (instead of bread crumbs).
5. Use as a fun addition to a cookie recipe. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?! YUM!
6. Add pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts to your pesto.

Need more incentive? How about this… Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are high in fiber and protein, anti-viral, anti-microbial,rich in antioxidants, alkaline promoting, and anti-inflammatory!

The post Ten Tips and Benefits of Pumpkin appeared first on LoveSelf.

Ten Tips and Benefits of Pumpkin

In addition to being super fun for Halloween, pumpkins are tasty and incredibly healthy.

Do you know that pumpkin has more potassium than a banana? 

How about that pumpkin seeds can increase your good cholesterol?!

Ward off a cold with pumpkin. Pumpkin contains zinc and vitamin C to bump your immune system.

Pumpkin even contains vitamin A to keep those glasses away!

Of course, oh great pumpkin.

In addition to our fabulous recipes below are a few tips for using pumpkin in everyday cooking.

1. Roast the seeds with sea salt and tumeric for a fabulous snack.

2.  Mix the puree into your favorite pancake recipe. Add nutmeg and cinnamon and breakfast is heaven.

3. Making lasagna? Layer with pumpkin! Really.

4. Grind the seeds into your meatloaf recipe (instead of bread crumbs).

5. Use as a fun addition to a cookie recipe. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?! YUM!

6. Add pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts to your pesto.

Need more incentive? How about this… Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are high in fiber and protein, anti-viral, anti-microbial,rich in antioxidants, alkaline promoting, and anti-inflammatory!

The post Ten Tips and Benefits of Pumpkin appeared first on LoveSelf.