Sweet Potato Fries and Avocado Dip Recipe

Avocado is packed with heart health supporting Omega 3 Fatty Acids - 'Good Fats' that you cannot obtain from meat and animal sources. And even better news?.. mixing the smooth, creamy superfood with a smoky spice like paprika makes for a Mouth-Watering Appetizer Combo!

Spiced Sweet-Potato Fries with Creamy Avocado Dip

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into wedges

*1/4 tsp hot Hungarian paprika

*1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

1/4 cup (2.5 oz) silken tofu

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/8 tsp salt


* Optional only of desiring Spicy Recipe

Preheat oven to 450°F. On a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over potatoes and mix with hands to coat evenly.

In a small bowl, combine paprika with *1 tsp Cajun seasoning, then sprinkle over potatoes, mixing again to coat. Bake for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and beginning to slightly char around the outside edges.

For the Dip: In the bowl of a food processor, combine avocado, tofu, lime juice, *1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, and sea salt. Process until smooth. Serve as a dip alongside potatoes.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 220 cal, 11 g fat (1.5 g sat), 28 g carbs, 340 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 4 g protein

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

Surrealbody@gmail.com

The Gluten-Free "Frenzy"! Who Practices 'Just Because' Vs. a Legitimate Health Concern?

Chances are that you, a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend, has adopted a gluten-free diet; let's say 1 out of 3 people in the USA.  That number is actually a REALITY.  Studies have shown about 30 percent of adults want to cut down or be free of gluten in their diets; more Americans started to say they would like to cut back or avoid gluten.  Gluten free diets also benefit people who have food intolerance or allergic reactions to gluten or one/many of the many forms of grains.

Being Gluten-Free 'Just Because' Vs. Legitimate Health Concern

Some Retailer Facts:

Food manufacturers started taking the gluten out of everything, increasing the price, and promoting [products] as gluten-free.  For some people, there is nothing ‘bad’ about gluten.  What I mean is that they can eat it without feeling sick or knowing that it even had gluten in it; most people don't even know what gluten is.  Gluten doesn't make you gain weight, gluten doesn't clog your arteries, and gluten doesn't increase your blood pressure or cholesterol. While some note stomach pains, cramping, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, others would never feel these side effects.

According to the Celiac Foundation, 1 in 133 people have C.D.

 (celiac disease). Anyone in this category should avoid gluten altogether. There are other people who do have gluten sensitivity and respond negatively to gluten even though they don't have celiac disease, according to the latest Celiac Foundation research. But before adopting a gluten-free diet, those who think they may have a gluten reaction should discuss this concern with their physician to solidify the potential of the need to be gluten-free for health concerns.

Important Foods to Know for Simple and Easy Gluten Avoidance

    Gluten-Free Oats with Bee Pollen

Foods that are naturally gluten-free are foods that people should definitely eat more of in their daily diet.  

Fruits and vegetables; this accountability in reality, by default, might help people eat fewer processed foods.  However, keep in mind that food manufacturers may remove gluten, but we will still end up with processed foods! (The foods just no longer have gluten)

If people who have adopted "gluten-free" diets are eating a generally healthy and balanced diet, the overall risk of developing any significant nutritional deficiency is low.  Also, increasing stress levels, deplete vitamin B levels which help digest carbs.  

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

Contributing author for www.FitAphrodite.com

surrealbody@gmail.com

Healthier Food Choices: A Side by Side Comparison

To Compliment the Gluten-Free Recipe Post from Yesterday, Here are a Few Helpful Suggestions of Other Ways to Alter Your Food Consumption with Healthier Choices.

Have a Great Saturday!

- Zeke Samples -

So What's the Rage about Gluten? Let's Talk About It..

Gluten's Past? ...Does it 'Have' a Past?

A decade ago, few individuals knew what the word gluten even meant; ..Was it a new car name? A disease? 

I have just about heard every question... HA!

In addition, few individuals gave any thought to avoiding it or HOW -TO avoid it. But now, gluten-free diet menus are all the rage, and high-profile stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, and the stunning Victoria Beckham, have been linked to the gluten-free lifestyle, which is said to contribute to increased energy, thinner thighs, and reduced belly bloat.

Dr. Mark Russell, who, like myself believes food is related to a majority of illnesses and low energy levels, has performed research narrowing down individual side effects that are, and could be, more prone to be a result of a diet full of gluten.

What Exactly IS Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in the grains: wheat, barley, and rye. Most of us unknowingly love it, because gluten gives our favorite foods that special touch: It makes pizza dough stretchy, gives bread its spongy texture, and is used to thicken sauces and soups.

Gluten-Free Eating Has a Basis in Science, and It Does Help a Genuine Health Problem

- A Chronic Digestive Disorder called Celiac Disease, recent studies have shown, can affect 1 in 133 people -

With increased testing and awareness, more people realized why they felt sick after eating a piece of bread, and food companies discovered a new market.

If you consistently suffer from stomach cramps, diarrhea, and bloating, Gluten-Sensitivity could be a possibility.

The Health Hype of Gluten-Free Diets
An increase of diagnosed celiac and gluten sensitivity cases, and the corresponding increase and production of foods marketed to sufferers, "gluten-free diets" have emerged from obscurity, and now are quite popular.  

Another specific diet, the Paleo Diet, supports a Gluten-Free form of living.

Source: Uploaded by user via Zeke on Pinterest

With this popularity push, people have latched on to avoiding gluten as a cure-all for many conditions aside from celiac, including migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. 

While many have found relief, keep in mind a gluten-free diet may not work in all cases, but overall, it certainly cannot hurt to try.

- ZEKE SAMPLES -