Ricotta Breakfast Cups Recipe, Spotlight on Local honey, Whole-Milk vs. Part-Skim Ricotta, Managing Pain with Diet and Benefits of A Gradual Exercise Increase
Welcome to our 200th Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter, and thank you for being part of our family. This issue’s recipe is a sweet break from breakfast yogurt-and-berry parfaits, as delish as they are. The creaminess of the ricotta, the sweetness of the pears, and the crunch of the nuts add up to a cup of bliss—so tempting you can serve it as dessert! To stay on track with your New Year’s wellness goals, you’ll want to read advice from the University of South Australia about diet quality and pain management and from Hackensack University Medical Center on increasing exercise without injury risk.
Ricotta Breakfast Cups
Ricotta Breakfast CupsGiving ricotta a quick whirl in a food processor takes its creaminess to the next level.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-milk or part-skim ricotta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons sugar or sweetener equivalent
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ripe pears
- Lemon wedge
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- Honey to taste
Directions
Step 1
Place the ricotta, olive oil, sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of your food processor and process until completely smooth and creamy—between 2 and 5 minutes, depending on your machine.
Step 2
Halve the pears, scoop out the seeds, and slice them into half-moons; squeeze some lemon juice over the pears to preserve their color.
Step 3
Place a large spoonful of the ricotta cream at the bottom of each of the two glasses or individual bowls. Add a layer of pears and a sprinkling of nuts. Continue layering—you should have enough for three layers each of ricotta, pears, and nuts. Drizzle the tops with honey and olive oil.
Yields 2 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Whole-Milk or Part-Skim Ricotta?
Taken as a whole, the body of research done on the merits and risks of whole-fat dairy foods—primarily milk, yogurt, and cheese—is still inconclusive. It’s confusing because these foods contain saturated fat, which—unlike the healthy unsaturated fat in extra virgin olive oil—should be limited to 10% of daily calories, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (If you’re watching your cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends getting just 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat.)
Some studies have found that dairy fat may not hurt heart health in the same ways the saturated fat in butter and red meat does. But deciding whether to choose whole-milk or part-skim ricotta depends on your unique circumstances, including your cholesterol level, how your body responds to saturated fat, and the guidelines you get from your healthcare provider, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic. What else you eat also matters—if your diet includes the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and fish, some full-fat dairy may be just fine, at least on occasion.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Local Honey
With more than 300 types of honey available in the US, the art and science of beekeeping have never been more popular, and that means you may see local honey at your farmers’ markets and even in grocery stores. Local honey is strained to remove any impurities from the hive, but it’s not pasteurized and processed the way commercial honey is. Some people think that because it retains more nutrients, like antioxidants, it has health benefits—from easing a cough or sore throat to helping with allergies to healing burns. While the verdict isn’t yet in on all of honey’s powers, you might consider buying local honey just for its taste.
For Your Best Health
Managing Pain with Diet
Researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) explored the links between body fat, diet, and pain and found that eating more healthy foods—as outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines—was directly associated with lower levels of body pain, particularly among women. (According to the experts at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, these guidelines are similar to those in the US but recommend higher fruit and vegetable intake: 2 to 9 servings of vegetables and 1 to 5 of fruits, compared to the US guideline of 5 to 9 daily servings of vegetables and fruits in total.)
Globally, about 30% of the population suffers from chronic pain, with women and people who are overweight or obese experiencing pain at higher rates. UniSA PhD researcher Sue Ward said the study shows how modifiable factors, such as diet, can help. “It’s common knowledge that eating well is good for your health and well-being. But knowing that simple changes to your diet could offset chronic pain could be life-changing,” she said. “In our study, higher consumption of core foods—which are your vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats, dairy and alternatives—was related to less pain, and this was regardless of body weight. This is important because being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for chronic pain. Knowing that food choices and the overall quality of a person’s diet will not only make a person healthier but also help reduce their pain levels is extremely valuable.”
The UniSA findings also suggest that diet quality affects pain differently in men and women.
“Women with better diets had lower pain levels and better physical function. But this effect was much weaker for men,” Ward said.
“It’s possible that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the healthier core food groups are what reduces pain, but we can’t yet determine whether poorer diet quality leads to more pain or whether pain leads to eating a poorer quality diet,” added Ward. “A healthy, nutritious diet brings multiple benefits for health, well-being, and pain management. And while personalized pain management strategies should be adopted, a healthy diet is an accessible, affordable, and effective way to manage and even reduce pain.”
Fitness Flash
A Gradual Increase
Nearly 4 in 5 people make New Year’s resolutions for better health, according to experts at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. For 32% of Americans, the focus is on improving diet; for 36%, it’s on boosting mental health; and for 48%, it’s on exercise for enhanced fitness.
Research shows that only 9% of Americans who make resolutions complete them—23% quit by the end of the first week and 43% quit by the end of January, and the numbers continue to drop from there. One common reason people stop exercising is sustaining an injury. In early January, many people who have not regularly exercised pack gyms or begin new running or weight training routines. Without proper preparation and form, injuries can stop exercise-focused resolutions before they have the needed time to become habits.
“When you go from 0 to 100 with your exercise routine, oftentimes, your body can’t handle it, your form is off, and you become prone to injuries,” said Matthew Counihan, MD, orthopedic sports medicine physician at Hackensack. “Muscle strains, shin splints, and joint and tendon injuries are common when going too hard with a new exercise routine. Injuries mean a person has to stop exercising to heal, and oftentimes, the routine isn’t resumed.”
To avoid injury, sports medicine experts say start slow and build gradually. “You don’t have to run a 5-minute mile on day one. Start with a walk around the block. Then, gradually increase your distance and speed. It’s the same with any exercise routine. Start with lighter weights and build up, for example,” Dr. Counihan said.
Here are more tips from the physicians at Hackensack Meridian Health:
- Get your doctor’s go-ahead first. It’s important to discuss a significant change in your exercise routine with your physician and address your readiness for physical activity and how to best prepare your body for it.
- Find activities you love, whether running, cycling, swimming, yoga, weight training, or something else. An exercise routine is only as good as your commitment to it.
- Stretch before and after working out, and set aside time to increase flexibility. This will prevent common sports injuries and keep you going well into the year.
- Focus on your form. Learn to do your chosen exercise properly—doing it wrong will cause injuries. Once you’ve mastered form, start adding distance, speed, or weight gradually.
- Mix up your exercise regimen. This promotes a healthy musculoskeletal system, which decreases the risk of an overuse injury. And don’t forget to rest on one day every week or so.
- Massage sore muscles. When you start a new exercise routine, you’re bound to experience muscle soreness, tightness, or strain. Massaging sore joints and muscles can reduce tension, impact flexibility, increase blood flow, and decrease muscle stiffness.