Chef Lala offers healthy recipes, culinary tips, videos and more to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Fresh, colorful berries at your local supermarket or farmer’s market are a sure sign that summer is here. Some sweet, others tart, berries are a delicious and nutritious treat and can be eaten whole, served fresh, frozen or in baked goods. Berries are available all year from a variety of sources, though most are considered summer fruits.
Read MoreMSG as a food ingredient has been the subject of many health studies and much controversy over the years and has caused many restaurants and food suppliers to label their food as MSG free, though that may be misleading. What is MSG exactly and why is it such a problem?
Read MoreWake up and eat your breakfast… then eat some more! Yes, you should eat, especially if you want to lose weight and stay healthy!
Read MoreWith the vast majority of the American population, especially kids, lacking enough calcium for strong bones and teeth, it’s time to get creative and find flavorful new ways for your family to get the recommended daily amount.
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Cilantro (Sih-LAHN-troh), also known as coriander, Mexican Parsley or Chinese parsley, is a wonderful, delicate year-round herb, thought to be an aphrodisiac and have healing properties, and adds great flavor to a variety of foods.Summer is almost here and summer vegetables are beginning to arrive in your local supermarkets, specialty markets and farmer’s markets. Experts recommend consuming 5 servings* a day of fruits and vegetables to help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Summer veggies are not only nutritious and delicious, they’ll help you look and feel your best by providing vitamin C, potassium, lutein, folate, iron, fiber, and essential hydration. Try one or more of these summer veggies today:
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Did you know that May is National Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Month? Why not start now and learn about why calcium is so important for us throughout our lives and where to find it. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies, with 99‰ stored in our bones and teeth, functioning to keep them strong. The rest is found throughout the body in blood, muscle, and the fluid between cells.Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, increases in the summer months when the weather is warmer, because people have more picnics, barbecues and camping trips where there isn’t adequate refrigeration. Additionally, warmer weather and humidity enable bacteria to grow faster. Following a few simple rules should help you protect your family…
Read MoreThe cinnamon you put in your French toast or sprinkle in your beverage at your favorite coffee shop is not only a popular spice, it was once considered as valuable as a precious metal and has medicinal properties dating back to early civilizations.
Read MoreAre you at risk for the leading cause of death? I know I am! In fact, we’re all at risk, but we can do something about it – right now.
If not you, someone you love will be affected by one or more of the leading causes of death in our nation soon. The #1 killer is heart disease, which is preventable, even if you already have risk factors, followed by cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes which are also preventable by taking some action. Protect yourself and the people you love right now by taking some action.
What are the Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease you can’t control?
Read MoreFood is fuel for our bodies to survive, so just like your car needs fuel to go, you need to eat. It’s what you eat, however, that makes a difference. Eating well means eating fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc, which are often more expensive than packaged foods with tons of preservatives, salt, sugar, and things we can’t easily pronounce. They aren’t good for us but seem too good to pass up when we’re in a hurry to get food on the table for our families.
Historically, when food prices rise, people eat less and weigh less, but when food prices go down, many people will gain weight, which may explain the rise in obesity because food prices were so much lower from 1978 through the 1990’s. Unfortunately, the prices of junk foods are falling while the prices of complex carbohydrate foods which provide energy and help us maintain our weight are climbing.
Read MoreBy making a few changes to be more active, eliminate stress, and eat healthier, we can work at reducing the 3 biggest risk factors for heart disease which are obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol and give ourselves the chance to live longer, healthier, more active lives.
Read MoreDiabetes is a growing problem worldwide, so researchers continue to look for lifestyle behaviors that can be changed in order to prevent or reverse this trend. More and more, experts are devoting attention to the Mediterranean diet. Since the 1960’s it has been noted that people living in the Mediterranean have had food habits which can clearly be linked to good health because they consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, and olive oil with minimal amounts of animal products.
Read MoreSummer officially begins June 21st, which means more time outdoors, more travel, and more safety issues to be aware of. As with anything kids do, there are dangers, but think about some of the risks involved in activities that are new to your kids or that they haven’t done for a while. This is a good time to prepare them and you for summer’s fun and dangers and make sure your kids have all the right equipment, stay in touch and know what to do in case of an emergency.
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Whenever people ask me what I do to combat stress, the first thing that comes to mind is acupuncture. Stress can be caused by just about anything from being worried about something, not having enough time to get everything done, rushing around and over-taxing your system or anything that troubles you enough to affect your moods, sleep, concentration and overall well-being.Whether she’s teaching nutritious cooking at a Farmer’s Market or on a television show, Chef LaLa is on fire with her desire to share everything she has learned to make people’s lives healthier and happier–one meal at a time.
