Greek Yogurt Bowls | TCM Nutrition
Greek Yogurt Bowls & Combating Oxidative Stress
Yogurt bowls are fantastic option for breakfast or lunch! While we personally prefer a hot breakfast - if we are ever short on time a superfood yogurt bowl always hits the spot.
We are not one for calorie counting and since the goal of this breakfast/lunch is keep us full for hours we are very liberal with our toppings.
How Do You Make the Healthiest Yogurt Bowl?
1) Greek or Icelandic Yogurt (For the greatest health benefits you'll want plain yogurt that is free from added sugar or flavors)
2) Fruit
3) Nuts, Seeds & Other Fats
Greek or Icelandic Yogurt
Since we are food nerds, we have gotten into making our own yogurt. However, if this doesn't jive with you there are a few brands that we know and love that you can pick up at the grocery store. Both greek and Icelandic yogurt have been strained of whey and thus are more dense than a regular yogurt.
When you buy greek or Icelandic yogurt from the grocery store - I'm sure the first thought isn't what happened to the whey. But, when you make your own yogurt you begin to realize that there is a ton of whey that could go to waste.
So you are probably now curious where does whey go or what can you do with it?
1) Whey protein powder
2) Garden fertilizer
3) Ricotta cheese
Fruit
We must have wild blueberries on every bowl we make. Why? Wild blueberries are absolutely loaded with antioxidants. In fact, wild blueberries contain 2x the antioxidants of regular blueberries. And the flavonoid responsible is anthocyanin. (If you want to learn about the antioxidant capacity of your foods - USDA Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity - click here). http://www.orac-info-portal.de/download/ORAC_R2.pdf
Another must have for us is banana - why? Since we don't sweeten our yogurt with sugar banana provides our bowls with that sugary sweetness but with added benefits. Added benefits include: potassium, fiber, and support of digestive health to name a few.
Nuts, Seeds & Other "Crunchies"
We use to make our own granola but have recently stopped as we wanted to lower our consumption of refined sugars as much as possible. Recently we've been adding a mix of healthy fats such as coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, cashews, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans and cacao nibs.
This May Seem Like Ingredient Overload - But Let Us Explain...
This will require some science but it'll explain why we add what we do. The human body is an oxidative species - meaning we consume oxygen to live. As a result of our metabolic processes we undergo what is called oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress produces free radicals, which are unstable molecules that steal electrons from neighboring molecules. These molecules can be from cells, skeletal, bone, and muscles to name a few. When the electrons are stolen they cause damage to those neighboring molecules. Free radicals are a normal part of being human. However, when accumulation of free radicals occurs there is an acceleration of disease and the aging process.
Excess Free Radicals Have Been Linked With:
Arthritis
Atherosclerosis
Asthma
Cancer
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Diabetes
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Macular Degeneration
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
Now Back to Yogurt Bowl "Crunchies" and Their Health Benefits
Walnuts: The health benefits of walnuts go far beyond the omega-3 fatty acids. Eating walnuts provides you with a healthy dose of other antioxidants such as Vitamin E, melatonin, and other polyphenols that combat free radicals. When you look at walnuts you might be able to tell right off the bat that they are beneficial for brain health use based on their shape and appearance.
Cacao nibs: You may have heard of the benefits of dark chocolate. Well, cacao nibs are even better! Cacao nibs are plant based powerhouses loaded with polyphenols which provide you with a host of health benefits from lowering LDL to decreasing risk of coronary heart disease.
Pecans: Pecans are the most "fat dense" nut. Most of the fat comes from monounsaturated fats, which are known for their ability to reduce blood pressure. Additional benefits include reduced risk of coronary heart disease and improvements to overall heart health.
Pumpkin seeds: Magnesium is a mineral that 80% + of Americans are deficient in. Lucky for you, just 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds provides 25% of your RDA. Why care about magnesium? Well, magnesium is responsible for over 600 biochemical processes that occur in the body.
Sunflower seeds: We love sunflower seeds. Maybe not for the same reason baseball players do. Sunflower seeds contain high levels of selenium, manganese, copper, and vitamin E. These function as antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals.
Cashews: A little known fact about the cashew nut is they are beneficial for eye health! Cashews contain lutein and zeaxanthin and these two compounds play an important role in protecting your eyes from damage that can lead to blindness.
Brazil nuts: It doesn't take many Brazil nuts to receive the health benefits of consumption. In fact, you only need 1 Brazil nut to receive 175% of your RDA of selenium. Selenium is important for normal thyroid functioning and plays an initial role in the production of thyroid hormones
There are hundreds of combinations that exist to make yogurt bowls. Next time you make a yogurt bowl, share your favorite bowl combination! Love this recipe? Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo @northshoreacupuncture on Instagram!
About Our Acupuncture Clinic:
North Shore Acupuncture and Natural Medicine is an acupuncture clinic in Beverly, MA. We utilize acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and natural medicine restore optimal health and wellness. Employing traditional and modern approaches to enhance your health and longevity.
