3 EASY COOKING HACKS FOR BETTER NUTRITION
No. 3: Add frozen spinach to almost anything . Fresh spinach quickly loses its folate, powerful vitamins, and nutritional benefits over time, but spinach, frozen at its peak freshness, saves the day. That’s why frozen spinach is actually more nutritious than most fresh spinach at the supermarket! Whether it’s for pasta, pizza, scrambled eggs, cheese dip, a smoothie, or curry, frozen spinach is more versatile than you might think. Plus, studies show spinach may have amino acids that help reduce stress and depression! (Bonus) No. 4: Add chia seeds to cold drinks, yogurt, baked desserts, and more! It’s easy to feel guilty for indulging your cravings for sweet tea, pudding, cookies, and cake. But if you add chia seeds, you might feel a little better about it! These small seeds are densely packed with antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which may promote heart health, support strong bones, and improve blood sugar management.
Making a meal plan is a pain, but you still want to get all your necessary vitamins, minerals, and protein through everyday foods. Even if you’re not a cooking expert, you can employ a few very simple cooking hacks in the dishes you commonly prepare! You’ll be surprised how these little boosts can reap big, nutritious rewards. No. 1: Add quinoa to recipes. Want to add extra texture or color to your steamed white or brown rice? Mix it up with 1 cup of quinoa (any color) and another 2 cups of water or broth. Or, simply throw quinoa into any grain-friendly soup you’re preparing, like a simple chicken soup! Quinoa is rich in antioxidants and filled with fiber to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, reducing your risk of diabetes and heart disease. No. 2: Replace cream with almond, walnut, or oat milk. Cream is a popular mainstay in any American kitchen, but it doesn’t have to be dairy cream. Plant-based milk and creamer (such as almond, walnut, or oat milk) are often extra rich in vitamins and minerals and low in fat. They contain no cholesterol and are easy on your digestive system. Because they all have slightly different flavor profiles, you can pick your favorite! Walnut milk works surprisingly well in a creamy pasta sauce.
We hope these tips help make your favorite dishes a little more fun and guilt- free! Enjoy!
CLIENT STORY: AMY LONG
out that they have chocolate, cookies, and even flowers! Who’d a-thunk it’s a place where on-the-job injuries can happen?! Our dear friend and client, Amy Long, worked there as a line inspector. She was born in Columbus, raised in Obetz, and met her husband Steve at work. While packing apples, one fell. As she turned to get it, she slipped on one of those pieces of wax paper used to separate the fruit, and fell, injuring her back. In fact, she herniated a disc in her low back! Having never had back problems, she hoped it would quickly heal. But it worsened, requiring lots of hearings and even more treatment. She had physical therapy, injections, a TNS unit, and medications, but her pain and limitations have persisted. Steve now prepares the meals and does the yardwork while their daughters do most of the housework. (I’ve seen her daughters grow from kiddos to young women over the years as they’ve helped their mom when she had hearings at the Industrial
Commission). She needs a cane to walk and a motorized cart to shop.
When it recently became clear that even the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation doctors agree Amy could lift no more than two pounds and can barely stand or walk, let alone sustain one position for a significant length of time, we filed for permanent total disability. The BWC then offered to settle Amy’s claim. After lengthy discussions, and lots of thought and prayers, she did so. Neither being granted permanent total disability nor settling a claim magically heals someone … but it can help ease some of the financial burden associated with a work injury. We expect to keep in touch with Amy and Steve as their family moves forward (they now have three grandbabies, too!). Our relationships with our clients, our friends, don’t end when their claim does. And this is happy news at any time of year!
For years, beginning around October, catalogs have arrived in the mail advertising holiday gift baskets. Sugarbush, Hickory Farms (love their summer sausage!), Sugar Plum, Cheryl’s Cookies … Yum! I get lots of these at home, but I get even more at my office. Corporate gifts are still a thing, although I think that noticeably declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s nice to give an annual “thinking of you and appreciating your hard work” to doctors’ and lawyers’ offices we work with, among others. We associate these things with happy seasons of the year.
Harry & David has been around for years. I thought they just did fruit baskets, but it turns
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