"Lightened Up" Kingcake - An Easy Recipe

Recipe Spotlight: Roasted Squash with Sea Salt & Local Honey--NEW on Living Well

New post on Living Well Recipe Spotlight: Roasted Squash with Sea Salt & Local Honey by touroinfirmary Julie Fortenberry, RD, LDN Honey has been used as a natural sweetener for years. Today, local honey is still used to improve food and drinks, and many people also use it as a way to maintain good health. Raw, local honey contains many enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that your body needs — and it may even help prevent seasonal allergies. Plus, using local honey supports your neighborhood bee farmers. Just a couple tablespoons of honey are all that's needed to sweeten this yummy roasted winter squash recipe. Organic Baked Butternut Squash with Herbs and Spices Ingredients 4 to 5 pounds winter squash (use at least 2 varieties, such as acorn and butternut), seeded (but not peeled) and cut into 1-inch-thick slices or wedges 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons honey (use local honey, if possible) ¼ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano ⅛ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon honey (use local honey, if possible) Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two large shallow baking pans with foil; set aside. Place squash in a very large bowl; drizzle with oil and the 2 tablespoons honey. Using your fingertips, rub the oil and honey into the squash pieces to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the ¼ teaspoon sea salt and the pepper. Arrange the squash pieces in a single layer in the prepared baking pans. Roast 30 to 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork or a small, sharp knife, turning the pieces once or twice during roasting. Transfer squash to a serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and the ⅛ teaspoon sea salt. Drizzle with the 1 teaspoon honey. Serve warm with some lean protein and a salad for a complete holiday meal.  Julie Fortenberry is a registered dietitian at Touro Infirmary. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Southern Mississippi. Julie believes that lifestyle changes and wholesome nutrition are obtainable, and brings real-life understanding to wellness and nutritional counseling. touroinfirmary | December 11, 2018 at 5:14 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: https://wp.me/p3U9Kg-Az Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Living Well. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://livingwellblog.co/2018/12/11/recipe-spotlight-roasted-squash-with-sea-salt-local-honey/

Recipe Spotlight: Roasted Winter Squash Soup

New post on Living Well Recipe Spotlight: Roasted Winter Squash Soup by touroinfirmary Ingredients 2 acorn squash 2 garlic cloves 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 small raw onions 1/2 cup white wine 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth 1/4 tsp. bay leaf, crumbled Pepper 1/3 cup cider vinegar Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and roast cut side down with garlic and thyme inside. Roast squash for about 60 minutes or until soft. Scoop out flesh and set aside, along with the garlic and thyme. Add olive oil to a pan set over medium-high heat; add onions and roasted garlic and sauté until soft. Add scooped squash to pan and stir, then add wine to deglaze. Reduce heat slightly and add broth and bay leaf, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and purée in a food processor; season with pepper and cider vinegar to taste. Serve immediately. Serves four. Each serving contains about 220 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 6 g sugar, and 2 g protein. touroinfirmary | November 20, 2018 at 4:06 pm | Categories: Healthy Recipes | URL: https://wp.me/p3U9Kg-A7 Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Living Well. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://livingwellblog.co/2018/11/20/recipe-spotlight-roasted-winter-squash-soup/

Be Antibiotics Aware-- NEW on LIVING WELL blog

Be Antibiotics Aware by touroinfirmary Lonzie Beamon, Jr, PharmD, BCPS Clinical Pharmacist, Touro Infirmary Antibiotics are very powerful medicines that can cure and prevent infections.  Unfortunately, their power has waned over the last few decades thanks to our overuse.  Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise.  Two million people are infected with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria each year and several thousand people die from them.  While newer antibiotics are now available, bacteria can develop resistance to those as well.  What’s worse is bacteria can spread this resistance to others, creating an infection with very few treatment options.  Bacteria become resistant to antimicrobials by pumping them out, breaking them down with enzymes, or changing the antimicrobial’s target so it remains unaffected by the drug.  Here are a few things you can do to be antibiotics aware and reduce the risk of creating resistant bacteria: Wash your hands as often as possible, especially if you are sick! Proper handwashing can reduce your chances of getting an infection in the first place or of spreading infection if you already are.  When washing your hands, use soap and warm water.  Vigorously scrub your hands together.  Be sure to scrub each finger and between them, the backs of your hands, the palms, and the wrists.  Do this for at least 30 seconds.  Afterward, dry your hands with a paper towel and turn your faucet off with that same towel (bacteria might be on its surface). Use hand gel if there is no sink around! Alcohol-based gels are great for disinfecting your hands.  For best results, use a gel that contains at least 60% alcohol to kill any bacteria that might be lurking on your hands.  Keep in mind that some bacteria are resistant to alcohol-based gels so hand-washing if possible is always the better option.  Sometimes hand gels may cause your skin to become dry and irritated.  If this happens to you, try a hand gel that contains moisturizers to prevent dry skin. If you are sick, see your doctor or healthcare provider as soon as you can! You primary care provider can tell you whether or not you have a contagious infection and should stay away from others to prevent the spread of infection.  If you are coughing, sneezing, have a sore throat, or feel body aches all over, you should pay a visit to your primary care provider. If you have a virus like the flu, DO NOT TAKE ANTIBIOTICS!!! This is one of the worst things you can do because the virus is unaffected by the antibiotic and the antibiotic can affect good bacteria in your body that keep the bad bacteria in check.  Antibiotics, while they are very safe and effective at what they do, should only be used when needed.  Some antibiotics can lead to harmful side effects and taking them too long may increase the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile  This is especially true for nursing home and hospitalized patients. If you DO have an infection, finish your antibiotics! You might be feeling better; but, that doesn’t mean the infection is gone.  If you don’t finish your full course of antibiotics, resistant bacteria may not be caught by your immune system and could spread resistance genes to other bacteria, resulting in a drug-resistant infection. Don’t share your antibiotics! Some antibiotics target bacteria that cause respiratory infections while others may target bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.  Using the wrong type of antibiotic for the wrong infection may not treat the infection if one is present and could further lead to antimicrobial resistance.  Antibiotics may also cause an allergic reaction in some people and someone may not know they are allergic to the type of antibiotic you had.  So if someone asks you to share your antibiotics, just say no.  That person should see a primary care provider. Know the difference between a side effect and an allergy! A side effect is an expected reaction to a drug that is not caused by your body’s immune system.  Nausea, vomiting, headache, and other effects like this are not signs of allergy; but they can be uncomfortable.  Saying that you are allergic to an antibiotic might cause your primary care provider to use a different antibiotic that may not be the best choice and could lead to antimicrobial resistance.  However, reactions like hives and swelling of the tongue, throat, or face are signs of an allergic reaction and you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience these while taking antibiotics.  You should list drugs that cause allergic reactions so your primary care provider knows not to prescribe them to you. touroinfirmary | November 15, 2018 at 10:00 am | Categories: General Health | URL: https://wp.me/p3U9Kg-A4 Comment    See all comments

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