Quercetin Quinoa Probiotic Salad

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This quercetin-rich salad is a bit like a tabbouleh in feel, with half of the ingredients switched out to maximize phenolic and gut-healthy benefits.

You will need

  • ½ cup quinoa
  • ½ cup kale, finely chopped
  • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ cup green olives, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 pomegranate, peel and pith removed
  • 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
  • 1 oz feta cheese or plant-based equivalent, crumbled
  • 1 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Note: you shouldn’t need salt or similar here, because of the diverse gut-healthy fermented products bringing their own salt with them

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Rinse the quinoa, add the tbsp of chia seeds, cook as normal for quinoa (i.e. add hot water, bring to boil, simmer for 15 minutes or so until pearly and tender), carefully (don’t lose the chia seeds; use a sieve) drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Shake off excess water and/or pat dry on kitchen paper if necessary.

2) Mix everything gently but thoroughly.

3) Serve:

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

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  • Brain Wash – by Dr. David Perlmutter, Dr. Austin Perlmutter, and Kristen Loberg

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    You may be familiar with the lead author of this book, Dr. David Perlmutter, as a big name in the world of preventative healthcare. A lot of his work has focused specifically on carbohydrate metabolism, and he is as associated with grains and he is with brains. This book focuses on the latter.

    Dr. Perlmutter et al. take a methodical look at all that is ailing our brains in this modern world, and systematically lay out a plan for improving each aspect.

    The advice is far from just dietary, though the chapter on diet takes a clear stance:

    ❝The food you eat and the beverages you drink change your emotions, your thoughts, and the way you perceive the world❞

    The style is explanatory, and the book can be read comfortably as a “sit down and read it cover to cover” book; it’s an enjoyable, informative, and useful read.

    Bottom line: if you’d like to give your brain a gentle overhaul, this is the one-stop-shop book to give you the tools to do just that.

    Click here to check out Brain Wash, and spruce up yours!

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  • Hate Sit-Ups? Try This 10-Minute Standing Abs Routine!

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Abdominal muscles are important to many people for aesthetics; they also fulfil the important role of keeping your innards in, as well as being a critical part of core stability (and you cannot have a truly healthy back without healthy abs on the other side). However, not everyone loves sit-ups and their many variations, so here’s an all-standing workout instead:

    On your feet!

    The exercise are as follows:

    1. High knees: engage core to work abs; do slow for low impact. Great for speeding up the metabolism. Jog during rest to keep moving.
    2. Extend & twist: raise arms high, drive them down while raising one leg into a twist. No rest, switch sides immediately.
    3. Extend & vertical crunch: extend leg back, drive knee forward into a crunch. Swap sides with no breaks.
    4. Oblique jacks: jump or slow version; targeting the obliques.
    5. Front toe-touch: engage core for effectiveness.
    6. Crossover toe-touch: no break; move into this directly from the front toe-touch.
    7. Wood chop: lift arms up, twist, chop down. Great for obliques. No rest between sides.
    8. Heisman: step side to side, bringing your other knee up towards the opposite side. Focus on core engagement rather than speed.
    9. Side leg raise & side bent: raise leg to side with slight bend; works obliques. No rest between sides.

    That’s it!

    For a visual demonstration, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

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    You might also like to read:

    Is A Visible Six-Pack Obtainable Regardless Of Genetic Predisposition?

    Take care!

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  • We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    If you’re thinking about buying plant-based foods, a trip to the supermarket can leave you bewildered.

    There are plant-based burgers, sausages and mince. The fridges are loaded with non-dairy milk, cheese and yoghurt. Then there are the tins of beans and packets of tofu.

    But how much is actually healthy?

    Our nutritional audit of more than 700 plant-based foods for sale in Australian supermarkets has just been published. We found some products are so high in salt or saturated fat, we’d struggle to call them “healthy”.

    We took (several) trips to the supermarket

    In 2022, we visited two of each of four major supermarket retailers across Melbourne to collect information on the available range of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products.

    We took pictures of the products and their nutrition labels.

    We then analysed the nutrition information on the packaging of more than 700 of these products. This included 236 meat substitutes, 169 legumes and pulses, 50 baked beans, 157 dairy milk substitutes, 52 cheese substitutes and 40 non-dairy yoghurts.

    Plant-based meats were surprisingly salty

    We found a wide range of plant-based meats for sale. So, it’s not surprising we found large variations in their nutrition content.

    Sodium, found in added salt and which contributes to high blood pressure, was our greatest concern.

    The sodium content varied from 1 milligram per 100 grams in products such as tofu, to 2,000mg per 100g in items such as plant-based mince products.

    This means we could eat our entire daily recommended sodium intake in just one bowl of plant-based mince.

    An audit of 66 plant-based meat products in Australian supermarkets conducted in 2014 found sodium ranged from 316mg in legume-based products to 640mg in tofu products, per 100g. In a 2019 audit of 137 products, the range was up to 1,200mg per 100g.

    In other words, the results of our audit seems to show a consistent trend of plant-based meats getting saltier.

    Plant-based meat on supermarket shelves
    Looking for plant-based meat? Check the label for the sodium content.
    Michael Vi/Shutterstock

    What about plant-based milks?

    Some 70% of the plant-based milks we audited were fortified with calcium, a nutrient important for bone health.

    This is good news as a 2019-2020 audit of 115 plant-based milks from Melbourne and Sydney found only 43% of plant-based milks were fortified with calcium.

    Of the fortified milks in our audit, almost three-quarters (73%) contained the recommended amount of calcium – at least 100mg per 100mL.

    We also looked at the saturated fat content of plant-based milks.

    Coconut-based milks had on average up to six times higher saturated fat content than almond, oat or soy milks.

    Previous audits also found coconut-based milks were much higher in saturated fat than all other categories of milks.

    Supermarket shelves of plant-based milks
    Some plant-based milks were healthier than others.
    TY Lim/Shutterstock

    A first look at cheese and yoghurt alternatives

    Our audit is the first study to identify the range of cheese and yoghurt alternatives available in Australian supermarkets.

    Calcium was only labelled on a third of plant-based yoghurts, and only 20% of supermarket options met the recommended 100mg of calcium per 100g.

    For plant-based cheeses, most (92%) were not fortified with calcium. Their sodium content varied from 390mg to 1,400mg per 100g, and saturated fat ranged from 0g to 28g per 100g.

    So, what should we consider when shopping?

    As a general principle, try to choose whole plant foods, such as unprocessed legumes, beans or tofu. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in dietary fibre, which is good for your gut health and keeps you fuller for longer.

    If opting for a processed plant-based food, here are five tips for choosing a healthier option.

    1. Watch the sodium

    Plant-based meat alternatives can be high in sodium, so look for products that have around 150-250mg sodium per 100g.

    2. Pick canned beans and legumes

    Canned chickpeas, lentils and beans can be healthy and low-cost additions to many meals. Where you can, choose canned varieties with no added salt, especially when buying baked beans.

    3. Add herbs and spices to your tofu

    Tofu can be a great alternative to meat. Check the label and pick the option with the highest calcium content. We found flavoured tofu was higher in salt and sugar content than minimally processed tofu. So it’s best to pick an unflavoured option and add your own flavours with spices and herbs.

    4. Check the calcium

    When choosing a non-dairy alternative to milk, such as those made from soy, oat, or rice, check it is fortified with calcium. A good alternative to traditional dairy will have at least 100mg of calcium per 100g.

    5. Watch for saturated fat

    If looking for a lower saturated fat option, almond, soy, rice and oat varieties of milk and yoghurt alternatives have much lower saturated fat content than coconut options. Pick those with less than 3g per 100g.The Conversation

    Laura Marchese, PhD Student at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University and Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • The Squat Bible – by Dr. Aaron Horschig

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    You probably know the following three things about squats:

    1. Squatting is great for the health in many ways
    2. There are many different ways to squat
    3. Not all of them are correct, and some may even do harm

    Dr. Aaron Horschig makes the case for squats being a movement first, and an exercise second. To this end, he takes us on a joint-by-joint tour of the anatomy of squatting, so that we get it right from top to toe.

    Or rather: from toe to top, since he starts with the best foundation.

    What this means is that if you’ve struggled to squat because you find some discomfort in your ankles, or a weakness in the knees, or you can’t get your back quite right, Dr. Horschig will have a fix for you. He also takes a realistic look about how people’s anatomy varies from person to person, and what differences this makes to how we each should best squat.

    The explanations are clear and so are the pictures—we recommend getting the color print edition (linked), as the image quality is better than the black and white and/or Kindle edition.

    Bottom-line: squats are one of the single best exercises we can do for our health—but we can miss out on benefits (or even do ourselves harm) if we don’t do them well. This book is a comprehensive reference resource for making sure we get the most out of our squatting ability.

    Click here to check out The Squat Bible, and master this all-important movement!

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  • Apples vs Bananas – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing apples to bananas, we picked the bananas.

    Why?

    Both apples and bananas contain lots of vitamins, but bananas contain far more of Vitamins A, B, and C.

    Apples beat bananas only for vitamins E and K.

    This may seem like “well that’s 2 vs 3; that’s pretty close” until one remembers that vitamin B is actually eight vitamins in a trenchcoat. Bananas have more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B9.

    If you’re wondering about the other numbers: neither fruit contains vitamins B7 (biotin) or B12 (cobalamins of various kinds). Vitamins B4, B8, B10, and B11 do not exist as such (due to changes in how vitamins are classified).

    Both apples and bananas contain lots of minerals, but bananas contain far more of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.

    Apples beat bananas only for calcium (and then, only very marginally)

    Both apples and bananas have plenty of fiber.

    Apples have marginally less sugar, but given the fiber content, this is pretty much moot when it comes to health considerations, and apples are higher in fructose in any case.

    In short, both are wonderful fruits (and we encourage you to enjoy both!), and/but bananas beat apples healthwise in almost all measures.

    PS: top tip if you find it challenging to get bananas at the right level of ripeness for eating… Try sun-dried! Not those hard chip kinds (those are mechanically and/or chemically dried, and usually have added sugar and preservatives), but sun-dried.

    Here’s an example product on Amazon

    Warning: since there aren’t many sun-dried bananas available on Amazon, double-check you haven’t been redirected to mechanically/chemically dried ones, as Amazon will try that sometimes!

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  • Exercise, therapy and diet can all improve life during cancer treatment and boost survival. Here’s how

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    With so many high-profile people diagnosed with cancer we are confronted with the stark reality the disease can strike any of us at any time. There are also reports certain cancers are increasing among younger people in their 30s and 40s.

    On the positive side, medical treatments for cancer are advancing very rapidly. Survival rates are improving greatly and some cancers are now being managed more as long-term chronic diseases rather than illnesses that will rapidly claim a patient’s life.

    The mainstays of cancer treatment remain surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy. But there are other treatments and strategies – “adjunct” or supportive cancer care – that can have a powerful impact on a patient’s quality of life, survival and experience during cancer treatment.

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Keep moving if you can

    Physical exercise is now recognised as a medicine. It can be tailored to the patient and their health issues to stimulate the body and build an internal environment where cancer is less likely to flourish. It does this in a number of ways.

    Exercise provides a strong stimulus to our immune system, increasing the number of cancer-fighting immune cells in our blood circulation and infusing these into the tumour tissue to identify and kill cancer cells.

    Our skeletal muscles (those attached to bone for movement) release signalling molecules called myokines. The larger the muscle mass, the more myokines are released – even when a person is at rest. However, during and immediately after bouts of exercise, a further surge of myokines is secreted into the bloodstream. Myokines attach to immune cells, stimulating them to be better “hunter-killers”. Myokines also signal directly to cancer cells slowing their growth and causing cell death.

    Exercise can also greatly reduce the side effects of cancer treatment such as fatigue, muscle and bone loss, and fat gain. And it reduces the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise can maintain or improve quality of life and mental health for patients with cancer.

    Emerging research evidence indicates exercise might increase the effectiveness of mainstream treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Exercise is certainly essential for preparing the patient for any surgery to increase cardio-respiratory fitness, reduce systemic inflammation, and increase muscle mass, strength and physical function, and then rehabilitating them after surgery.

    These mechanisms explain why cancer patients who are physically active have much better survival outcomes with the relative risk of death from cancer reduced by as much as 40–50%.

    Mental health helps

    The second “tool” which has a major role in cancer management is psycho-oncology. It involves the psychological, social, behavioural and emotional aspects of cancer for not only the patient but also their carers and family. The aim is to maintain or improve quality of life and mental health aspects such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, sexual health, coping strategies, personal identity and relationships.

    Supporting quality of life and happiness is important on their own, but these barometers can also impact a patient’s physical health, response to exercise medicine, resilience to disease and to treatments.

    If a patient is highly distressed or anxious, their body can enter a flight or fight response. This creates an internal environment that is actually supportive of cancer progression through hormonal and inflammatory mechanisms. So it’s essential their mental health is supported.

    several people are lying on recliners with IV drips in arms to receive medicine.
    Chemotherapy can be stressful on the body and emotional reserves. Shutterstock

    Putting the good things in: diet

    A third therapy in the supportive cancer care toolbox is diet. A healthy diet can support the body to fight cancer and help it tolerate and recover from medical or surgical treatments.

    Inflammation provides a more fertile environment for cancer cells. If a patient is overweight with excessive fat tissue then a diet to reduce fat which is also anti-inflammatory can be very helpful. This generally means avoiding processed foods and eating predominantly fresh food, locally sourced and mostly plant based.

    two people sit in gym and eat high protein lunch
    Some cancer treatments cause muscle loss. Avoiding processed foods may help. Shutterstock

    Muscle loss is a side effect of all cancer treatments. Resistance training exercise can help but people may need protein supplements or diet changes to make sure they get enough protein to build muscle. Older age and cancer treatments may reduce both the intake of protein and compromise absorption so supplementation may be indicated.

    Depending on the cancer and treatment, some patients may require highly specialised diet therapy. Some cancers such as pancreatic, stomach, esophageal, and lung cancer can cause rapid and uncontrolled drops in body weight. This is called cachexia and needs careful management.

    Other cancers and treatments such as hormone therapy can cause rapid weight gain. This also needs careful monitoring and guidance so that, when a patient is clear of cancer, they are not left with higher risks of other health problems such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that boost your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes).

    Working as a team

    These are three of the most powerful tools in the supportive care toolbox for people with cancer. None of them are “cures” for cancer, alone or together. But they can work in tandem with medical treatments to greatly improve outcomes for patients.

    If you or someone you care about has cancer, national and state cancer councils and cancer-specific organisations can provide support.

    For exercise medicine support it is best to consult with an accredited exercise physiologist, for diet therapy an accredited practising dietitian and mental health support with a registered psychologist. Some of these services are supported through Medicare on referral from a general practitioner.

    For free and confidential cancer support call the Cancer Council on 13 11 20.

    Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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