Tag Archives: Perricone Diet

Dark Chocolate

A Chocolate Hybrid

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Dr. Perricone is a big believer in the health benefits of dark chocolate as part of the anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Thanks to cocoa’s high flavanoid and antioxidant count, he recommends a 1 oz serving size of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa). But even as a “healthy” treat, chocolate is still high in fat and overall calorie count.

Could there be a healthier way to enjoy chocolate? This week, at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting, a team of Scientists from the University of Warwick in the U.K announced that they’ve developed a technology that enables chocolate to be “infused” with fruit juice (it also works with diet drinks, vitamin waters and even liquor) to reduce fat levels by 50%. This method, known as  “Pickering Emulsion”, reduces fat levels by adding liquid filler “micro-bubbles” to the chocolate, giving it a decadent and rich texture.

This new fruit juice-chocolate hybrid is said to take on a hint of it’s original juice flavor, but that seems like a small price to pay, provided the sugar content isn’t astronomical. It seems that it could be a nutritional win if they used a good-quality chocolate such as Neuhaus (which Dr. Perricone loves) that’s 70% or more cooca, and a low sugar liquid, such as unsweetened coconut water, aloe water, almond milk etc.

However, it seems prudent to be skeptical of information that comes from an American Chemical Society meeting. What do you think? Are you excited for a lower fat treat or is chocolate the next Franken-food?  

blackberries, a staple of Dr. Perricone's anti inflammatory diet

Summer Beauty Foods: Blackberry

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This week’s summer beauty food, the blackberry, grows wild on thorny bushes, but is also cultivated–Oregon being the top producer in the world. This fruit is in the rose family, and boasts a wide array of health benefits.

  • It’s on the top ten foods for antioxidants making it quite powerful, and in part contributes to its dark, purple color.
  • Specifically, anthocyanins are the antioxidants that give them their dark pigment. It’s also the reason why it helps with urinary tract health, aging and memory function, and reduces the risk of certain cancers.
  • Phytochemicals are another antioxidant with a strong presence. These help protect cells and can actually fight disease. That’s another win for team blackberry.
  • Ellagic acid, found in all berries and abundantly in blackberries, protect the skin from UV-ray damage. Studies have also shown that this antioxidant may also repair skin that’s already been damaged by the sun.
  • Blackberries are also a great source of Vitamin C, which helps heal wounds. Studies also show that it may even lessen the appearance of wrinkles. There’s another compound called cyanidin-3-glucoside that prevents skin cancer by amazingly inhibiting tumors from growing and spreading.
  • A few other important nutrients that are packed in these summertime berries are: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Manganese and fiber

How do you enjoy these summer berries?

Katharina Knoll, a Manhattan-based food and art enthusiast has prepared a series of anti-inflammatory recipes celebrating simple, rustic foods. Enraptured by the intersection of health and nutrition, Kat is the founder and director of Behind Foods. Follow Kat on her blog, Katharina’s Food Adventures, and keep in touch through her Facebook fan page and Twitter

Sonnengruss_4

4 Tips to Fight Cellulite

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While cellulite is not entirely ‘curable’, there are several dietary changes that can minimize and improve the appearance of cellulite.

    1. Make anti-inflammatory foods the basis of your daily diet. This will ensure low body fat, maintenance of muscle mass and radiant skin, and will help you avoid swings in blood sugar, which can cause the storage of fat and a breakdown of muscle tissue.
    2. Drink plenty of pure, non-carbonated spring water throughout the day (6 to 8 glasses) with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Lemon is rich in bioflavonoids and vitamin C (anti-inflammatory antioxidants), and acts as a natural diuretic to help the body shed excess water.
    3. Eat plenty of detoxifying fruit and vegetables. Lemons, asparagus, cranberries, fennel, celery, dandelion and ginger root are natural detoxifying agents, and many experts believe detoxifying the body helps eliminate the lumpy and bumpy appearance of cellulite. These fruits and vegetables also act as natural diuretics to help eliminate excess water build up.
    4. Eat a diet rich in lignans, which will help lower estrogen levels. Estrogen can contribute to cellulite as it activates the production of fat cells and encourages fluid retention. Foods rich in lignans include chia seeds and sesame seeds.

What are your tips for fighting cellulite?

Dr. Nicholas Perricone

Beauty Rx: Skin Fixes

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Here are our 3 favorite pieces of skincare wisdom from Dr. Perricone on Refinery29‘s article,  “Beauty Rx: Foods to Cure Your Beauty Woes.”

“If women understood that eating a simple can of sardines or salmon would give their hair and skin an unrivaled radiance, softness, and suppleness — like nothing else in this world — these foods would fly off the supermarket shelves. You would see a stampede toward the fish aisle.”

“Healthy fats are key to successful weight loss. Good fats are those found in salmon, sardines, anchovies, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado. These ‘good’ fats will help us absorb nutrients from our vegetables and fruits, and are key to weight loss because we also need dietary fat to burn fat.”

“Dry skin is actually a manifestation of chronic subclinical (invisible to the eye) inflammation. Make sure that you have adequate intake of healthy fats, such as those found in fish, fish oil, and extra virgin olive oil. While topicals can do wonders [for dry skin] it is critically important to not forget the dietary component, which can both cause and worsen all of these conditions.”

What is your favorite piece of skincare wisdom?

Strawberry Rosemary Vitamin Water

Strawberry Infused Vitamin Water

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This hydrating and antioxidant infused-water boasts flavor and skin enhancing nutrients, not to mention a beautiful presentation! Enjoy this refreshing and seasonal anti-inflammatory drink!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 2 cups watermelon, cubed
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • dash of course salt
  • filtered water

Directions

1. Muddle the strawberries and rosemary in a bowl.

2. Add the muddled ingredients and the watermelon to a large pitcher. Pour water over the ingredients and stir.

3. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, and enjoy!

Katharina Knoll, a Manhattan-based food and art enthusiast has prepared a series of anti-inflammatory recipes celebrating simple, rustic foods. Enraptured by the intersection of health and nutrition, Kat is the founder and director of Behind Foods. Follow Kat on her blog, Katharina’s Food Adventures, and keep in touch through her Facebook fan page and Twitter.

nicoise finished plate

Salmon Nicoise

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This recipe is reminiscent of a Salade Niçoise (which also happens to be a great summer salad), and it incorporates one of our featured summer beauty foods: artichokes. The majority of ingredients in this recipe can be found in the anti-inflammatory kitchen cabinet, so you will radiate with each bite!

Ingredients:

perricone diet ingredients

For Dressing

  • 1 tbl red-wine vinegar
  • 1 tbl Sherry vinegar
  • 1 tbl fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbl capers
  • 1 tbl Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, give or take

 

The Salad

  • 1/2 lb. green beans or hericot vert, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6-oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 6- to 7-oz jarred tuna, drained (recommend using the Ortiz brand)
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbl fresh thyme leaves, minced
  • 1/3 cup olives, halved
  • A chunk of sheep’s milk feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook beans until crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain beans and plunge them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
  2. Now on to the dressing. A blender or an immersion blender work just fine for this. Add the vinegars, lemon juice, capers, mustard, and garlic paste and mix. Then gradually add the oil and blend in the process.
  3. Now put the artichoke hearts, olives, thyme, green beans, onion, cherry tomatoes, tuna and feta in a large bowl. Drizzle all of the dressing over and mix.
  4. Serve a bit chilled or at room temperature.

Tips: when drizzling the dressing, pour along the edges so when you mix it, it will be more evenly spread rather than a pool in the middle. I also like to use my hands to mix salads, ensuring that everything is properly dressed to make a delicious looking dish.

What are your favorite salad recipes?

Katharina Knoll, a Manhattan-based food and art enthusiast has prepared a series of anti-inflammatory recipes celebrating simple, rustic foods. Enraptured by the intersection of health and nutrition, Kat is the founder and director of Behind Foods. Follow Kat on her blog, Katharina’s Food Adventures, and keep in touch through her Facebook fan page and Twitter

anti aging frittata

Spring Greens Frittata

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A special thanks to Heather & Desiree of The Fresh Sheet for this Perricone-friendly recipe.

This frittata uses several staples from the anti-aging kitchen – it’s the ultimate quick dinner or brunch. Protein-rich and chock full of nutrient dense greens, this dish is energizing, cleansing and bound to put a spring in your step.

Serves 4

  • 1 + 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and trimmed
  • 1 large bunch of organic kale, washed and trimmed
  • 8 organic omega 3 eggs
  • Juice of one lemon

Side Salad

  • 1 large bunch of watercress, washed
  • 1 cup of thinly sliced radishes

Optional: ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

  1. To wash leeks, remove green tops and trim end. Slice leek lengthwise and rinse through the layers thoroughly to remove any grit. Then slice into 1/4 inch thick half moons. Remove stems from kale, slice thinly and set aside. Cut kale leaves into one inch squares.
  1. Preheat broiler to high. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp olive oil with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
  2. Heat a medium, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, leeks and kale stems. Sauté gently until leek is glossy and soft, about 3 minutes. Add kale leaves and sauté until they just begin to wilt, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, beat eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. If using, stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. When kale is wilted, add vegetable mixture to eggs, stir to combine and then return to skillet.
  4. Cook eggs until set through the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Take off the heat and place under the broiler to finish; eggs should be completely set.

To serve, slice ¼ of the frittata and plate. Toss watercress and radishes in lemon and olive oil dressing and then serve frittata with a small handful of salad.

Enjoy in good health!

Heather McColl is a registered dietitian, chef and food stylist in Vancouver, Canada with a reputation for offering practical nutrition advice that focuses on the enjoyment of food. In her day to day work, Heather helps consumers cook and eat healthy meals through educational programming, media, and marketing. When she’s not in the kitchen creating delicious recipes, you’ll find Heather hiking the local mountains. You can follow Heather on Twitter.

Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian and nutrition operations manager for a small chain of organic and natural food stores in Vancouver, Canada. Passionate about plant-based diets for more vibrant health, Desiree believes that food should not only nourish your body but also feed the soul. When she isn’t chasing around after her toddler, Desiree is a sought-after speaker and blogger. You can also follow Desiree on Twitter

Kale

5 Facts on Kale

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Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian and nutrition operations manager for a small chain of organic and natural food stores in Vancouver, Canada. Passionate about plant-based diets for more vibrant health, Desiree believes that food should not only nourish your body but also feed the soul. When she isn’t chasing around after her toddler, Desiree is a sought-after speaker and blogger. 

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, your skin is the window to your overall health. Feeding skin with proper nutrients and supporting proper detoxification processes in the liver can help to reduce the likelihood that internal imbalances will expose themselves on your skin, in the form of blemishes and visible signs of aging.

Long dismissed as garnish, kale has revealed itself to be a potent source of many anti aging, skin-loving nutrients:

  • 1 cup of kale has 3 ½ times your daily beta-carotene needs and plenty of vitamin C to help boost that gorgeous glow.
  • Kale also contains a host of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonols, such as quercetin, to help defend your body from the stresses of modern life.
  • Kale provides a dietary source of alpha-lipoic acid, which helps regenerate other anti-oxidants like vitamin C and Glutathione.
  • Kale’s fibre supports a healthy digestive tract to help keep digestion-related inflammation at bay.
  • Sulfur-based glucosinolates in kale help to support the natural detoxification pathways in the liver

Queen of the vegetable world, kale has rightfully earned its place amongst Dr. Perricone’s anti-inflammatory super foods. What are your tips for preparing Kale?

You can also follow Desiree on Twitter. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s entry featuring Desiree’s recipe for a Spring Frittata.