Wellness Weekly

By Sandy Considine

Every bite of real food sends powerful messages to your body.

Real food contains thousands of biologically active compounds that your body uses to regulate inflammation, metabolism, brain function, and even gene expression.

Carrots contain cancer-fighting carotenoids and antioxidants. High-quality beef offers trace minerals, omega-3s, amino acids, and nutrients like choline and alpha-lipoic acid. Eggs deliver phospholipids, lutein, and choline to support brain and eye health.

Ultra-processed foods do the opposite: they’re stripped of natural compounds and loaded with additives, seed oils, emulsifiers, and artificial flavors that hijack hunger signals, spike inflammation, and impair your mitochondria and microbiome.

The “calories in, calories out” model assumes all calories are equal, but your body doesn’t count calories like a calculator. It responds to chemical messages: hormones, neurotransmitters, nutrient sensors, and gut-brain signals.

Sugar calories drive fat storage and hunger; protein and healthy-fat calories promote fat burning and satiety. Whole foods pack a high nutrient-to-calorie ratio (think broccoli, wild salmon, chia seeds) while processed foods are calorie-dense but nutrient-poor, keeping you under-nourished and craving more.

When you fill your plate with colorful vegetables, high-quality proteins, healthy fats, and low-glycemic fruits, your body balances its own energy needs, no calculator required.

Your food doesn’t need to be “low-calorie”, it needs to be “high-quality.”

“I always must try to give good, useful, something to think about information to improve your food choices and your health”. But I also know we all love our sweets and I will always give you “sweet tooth” recipes but healthier “sweet tooth” recipes….ENJOY

We all love a good snack now and then. However, it’s important to note what you’re snacking on and understand that too much snacking on the wrong kinds of food can lead to overeating and weight gain/energy loss. It’s all about balance!

The key to snacking is to focus on whole foods. Try to eat fruit and veggies, complex carbs, healthy fats, and high-protein foods instead of sugary and processed snacks. Don’t be afraid to eat a lot, too! People often think you must eat low-calorie snacks, but that can leave you feeling hungrier. Nutrient-dense snacks are the way to go.

It’s also a myth that snacking before bed will lead to weight gain. While eating five heavily processed cookies may not be the healthiest choice, eating something sweet like yogurt with fresh berries or almond butter and celery can alleviate those hunger pains and help you sleep better.
Sweet snacks should always be paired with complex carbs, healthy fats, or protein – that’s the ticket to good, sweet snacks!

Honey Sesame Granola Bark
Ingredients
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup white sesame seeds
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. flaky sea salt
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup hot water
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the first 6 ingredients.
In a separate bowl whisk the honey together with your hot water and vanilla, until fully combined.
Pour your honey mixture over the oat mixture.
Thoroughly stir with a spatula until well combined.
Thinly spread this mixture onto your prepared sheet pan.
Cover with a second layer of parchment paper and using a second sheet pan, press until the mixture is evenly flattened, around 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the second parchment paper and bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or just until golden.
Allow to cool in the pan before breaking into bark.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer for 2 months.

Magic Cookie Bar
Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tbsp. butter, ghee, or unrefined organic coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp. raw honey or pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Topping:
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup dark chocolate chunks/chips
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. and line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the crust until it resembles wet sand.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish and press into a firm, even layer creating a crust. Bake in your preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until just slightly golden.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk the coconut milk, honey, and almond butter until smooth.
Spread this mixture over the crust in the dish, then sprinkle evenly with chocolate chunks/chips, coconut, and pecans.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Allow your bars to completely cool, then refrigerate overnight before slicing into bars.
These bars stay good for a week when refrigerated & tightly sealed.

Mason Jar Snack—4 ways

Caprese & Olive Snack time Jar
Ingredients:
1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cups of mozzarella pearls
1 tbsp high quality balsamic vinegar
a few fresh basil leaves, torn
8 green olives, pitted

Crunch & Hummus Snack time Jar
Ingredients:
2 tbsp homemade Hummus
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1 celery stalk, cut into sticks
1/4 red bell pepper, cut into sticks
1/4 yellow bell pepper, cut into sticks

The Granola Brekkie Snack time Jar
Ingredients:
1/3 cup organic strawberries, cut into halves
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup homemade granola
1/4 cup Greek yogurt

The Protein Snack time Jar
Ingredients:
1 tbsp peanut butter, all natural
1/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 celery stalk, cut into sticks
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks

•Caprese & Olive Snack time Jar Instructions:
Layer mozzarella balls, tomatoes, basil leaves, and olives in a jar.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!
Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

•Crunch Hummus Snack time Jar Instructions:
Layer hummus at the bottom of your jar.
Add carrot sticks, bell pepper and celery.
A Great go-to snack, keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days.

•The Granola Brekkie Instructions:
Layer Greek yogurt, strawberries, mint and granola.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
This jar also works great for breakfast!

•The Protein Snack Time Jar Instructions:
Layer peanut butter on the bottom of a jar.
Add celery and carrots stick, then top with cheese cubes.
Enjoy! Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Please feel free to email on what you what to know about for a future article at
sandra.considine@yahoo.com