La ciencia del amor

Happy Valentine’s Day Latinas! As you dive into a healthy amount of chocolates, receive gorgeous flowers and gaze deeply into los ojos del su amor, let’s take a minute to find out what the feeling of love really is.

What is love?
This crazy little thing called “love” is defined in many ways, different for every person and every culture. When you think about love, do you picture a person, think of  a feeling or have an image of an object in your head? Some people may associate love with romantic feelings, but there is also compassionate love, feelings of infatuation, motherly love, and so many others.

There is a science behind love

Although we associate love with our hearts, the feeling is actually developed in the brain. When various chemicals are released in our brain, they react with neurotransmitters that trigger feelings and emotions. When these chemicals aren’t being produced or functioning properly, we experience complications because of it. It seems like a crazy concept, but our bodies are far more complex than we can imagine. Dopamine and Seratonin are chemicals that we remember hearing in our high school health classes, but do we really know how these chemicals affect our moods and feelings?

Dopamine

Dopamine is a neuotransmitter that not only helps regulate movement and emotional balances, but when released in certain areas of the brain, it gives you the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction.

Serotonin

Serotonin is what makes you feel calm and confident. Dopamine and Serotonin work together in dangerous ways. When you first start “falling in love with someone” your Dopamine levels spike significantly and your Serotonin levels drop drastically. Low Serotonin can cause feelings of obsession and anxiety, which is why every time your mind wanders while in love, you end up thinking about your novio. Fortunately, the high Dopamine levels allow these feelings to be a positive type of anxiety like butterflies in your stomach.

Norepinephrine

Norepinephrine is the reason you stay up all night hablando con su amor and why love makes you weak at the knees. It is a stress hormone that controls your attention and your responding actions, according to Helen Fisher, a professor at Rutgers University.

Pheremones

Pheremones are odorless chemicals found in sweat and may hone the ability to entice members of the opposite sex. Ongoing studies have proven that the chemicals play an integral role in attracting mates for animals and insects, but the effects in humans are still unclear.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is a chemical that strongly affects women and their “social bonding.” In a study by neuroscientist Larry Young, high levels of Oxytocin enhance social bonding in women and in men, a similar hormone called vasopressin promotes bonding and fatherly behaviors. Another study by Paul Zak, a researcher at Claremount Graduate University suggests that Oxytocin encourages people to form relationships, trust other people and empathize.

Whether you are single or in a relationship today, celebrate Valentine’s Day with a new found understanding of your brain and the crazy science of love. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

-The Healthy Latina

The SuperBowl party that didn’t ruin your diet

We’ve all been there. Trapped. In the kitchen. Surrounded by delicious calorie packed traps that go straight to your thighs. And sadly, it’s that time of year again.

The football loving members of our families have been looking to this day for months and all you can think of is the new dress you bought for Valentine’s Day and how hard it’s going to be to squeeze into. Be strong, chica. You can face this thing (and all the calorie packed snacks that come with it) and succeed!

Here’s a few helpful hints to help you get through the display of team themed platters and football shaped delights.

There’s an app for that

Just because you’ve been put in charge of an appetizer for 20 of your novio’s closest friends and their significant others doesn’t mean you have to fret or settle for something with 500 calories per serving. Check out these SuperBowl recipes for Latin flavors with skinny results.

Easy Creamy Salsa

This is a go to favorite in mi familia. We are all cream cheese obsessed and find a way to sneak those extra calories into everything. Here’s a lighter version with the same amount of taste.

1 Can of your favorite salsa (or homemade if you have some)

2 blocks of Nufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese)

Start by cubing the cheese into 6 pieces per block. Place these cubes into a microwavable safe bowl and heat for 1 minute or until creamy. Stir the cheese so there are no cubes left and combine with the salsa. Serve with whole grain tortilla chips and divulge in a low calorie dip that you won’t make you feel guilty.

Ceviche

I love ceviche almost as much as I love shopping. It is the perfect blend of refreshing flavors like cilantro with bold favorites like avocado and shrimp. For the SuperBowl, this recipe is perfect replacement for the normal 7 layer bean dip. Check out this recipe from Cooking Light for ceviche de camaron.

The Latina veggie platter

A woman I work with gave me this recipe and I was instantly addicted. It is a simplistic replacement to the normal onion or ranch dip and pairs perfectly with any of your favorite vegetables.

2 cups of sour cream

1/2 chicken bouillon cube

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

1/2 bag of mini carrots

1 container of cherry tomatoes

Feel free to swap out any of the veggies for whatever you have on hand. After washing the vegetables, begin slicing and seeding the bell peppers and place in a sectioned party platter. Add the rest of the veggies as well. In a football festive bowl, combine the 2 cups of sour cream and the 1/2 chicken bouillon cube and stir until completely combined. That’s it!

It doesn’t matter which team will win or lose the game. You’ve got the recipes for a slim soiree which is better than any football match up. Enjoy!

-The Healthy Latina

Healthy Eating

You Are What You Eat: Gordita Edition

We’ve all heard the phrase “you are what you eat” as you reach for that extra enchilada smothered in chile and queso. But just because you eat a gordita, doesn’t mean you have to turn into a gordita.

As Latinas, our families are such a huge part of our lives! And we know all too well they are willing to share their opinion, especially about our weight. So when your tío says, “you’re no tortilla chip” for the thousandth time, you start to rethink the extra enchilada… and that side of beans… and the flan your abuelita made.

The crazy thing about losing weight is that you can eat real food and things that you want and still lose weight. It’s all about balance. A few key tips to remember are as follows.

Make a Plan

Going to the grocery store and grabbing everything you see is never a good idea. Make a list of what you need (clip the coupons for those items if you have time) and evaluate what it is you are eating. If you eat mostly high fat, red meat, think about swapping that out for a low fat pork or chicken. When you know what you are eating and take the time to evaluate the food you put into your body, the healthy choices come easier.

Cooking Light

Mi Bisabuela always used a ton of lard in her cooking. It tastes great, but it’s not great for you. A healthier version would be to swap out lard for vegetable oil. Fresh fruitas y verduras are great for your body inside and out! Avocados are a Latina Superfood. They offer 20 essential nutrients like fiber, Vitamins E and B and have a healthy amount of fat your body needs. (They also make your skin look great!) Look for ways to lighten the heaviness of every meal.

Smart Snacking

A bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos may be your favorite snack, but it’s not something you should eat everyday between meals. Think fruits and veggies with a little humus for protein and fullness or baked chips with sea salt. Whole grain tortilla chips with salsa are great and great for you! Just because you’re looking to lose weight doesn’t mean you have to skip out on taste.

-The Healthy Latina

Latinas We Love: Sofia Vergara

For anyone who has seen Modern Family, Gloria or more fondly known as Sofia Vergara, is so easy to love. She has beauty, influence and the strength of a woman who has been through it all. She is truly a health inspiration to women of any culture or region. We love watching her hilarious character on Modern Family, but there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Sofia Vergara.

Sofia was featured in Health Magazine in December and talked about self image, sterotypes and offered some health tips.

Sofía Vergara sí participará en 'Los Tres Chiflados'

Now, Sofia and Oscar De La Hoya have teamed up to launch a health website aimed at Latinos, she said in an interview with Primera Hora. The website is called SuperVida and will feature health information and resources for health issues that affect the Latino community. It is scheduled to launch in 2012. And to be honest, I can’t wait!

-The Healthy Latina

Protein/ Proteína

As ladies, we get left out of the protein craze because we’re surrounded by products marketed toward the bodybuilding machismos of the world.  We can easily forget the importance of such an important aspect to our nutrition.

What is protein?

Protein is essential to maintaining and building muscle and keeping your body healthy. Protein is in every cell, tissue and organ in our bodies and are constantly breaking down and needing to be replaced, which is where eating protein comes in. When you eat protein rich foods, your body pulls amino acids from the protein and nourishes your cells. Your body doesn’t produce 8 amino acids that you still need to get from the food you eat. “Pure proteins” are what foods with the 8 essential amino acids are called. My favorite pure protein is edamame, or more commonly known as soybeans. They are surprisingly delicious!

How much protein do we need?

The Harvard School of Public Health has great resources on how much protein you need for your weight and the benefits of getting the right amount.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day—that’s about 64 grams for a 160 pound adult. In the U.S., adults get an average of 15 percent of their calories from protein; for a person who requires a 2,000-calorie-per-day-diet, that’s about 75 grams of protein. In healthy people, increasing protein intake to 20 to 25 percent of calories can reduce the risk of heart disease, if the extra protein replaces refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, or sugary drinks. Higher protein diets can also be beneficial for weight loss, combined with a reduced calorie diet.

Where can we find protein?

Protein is found in the following foods:

  • meats, poultry, and fish
  • legumes (dry beans and peas)
  • tofu
  • eggs
  • nuts and seeds
  • milk and milk products
  • grains, some vegetables, and some fruits (provide only small amounts of protein relative to other sources)

Next time you reach for a snack, think about grabbing a handful of unsalted almonds, steamed edamame or a glass of low-fat chocolate milk. And then show those machismos who’s boss without needing the help of  protein shakes.

-The Healthy Latina

Hola Latinas!!!

Hello! 

I am a student at the Walter Cronkite School studying Journalism for Public Relations and minoring in Health and Wellness.

Soy una latina y quiero ensenar latinas acerca de la salud.

Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish, so this blog will be in Spanglish. If you have any questions about health, please ask them here and I will answer them for you! Everyone should have the right tools to live a healthy lifestyle, especially Latinas! I feel like we are left out of health news, advertisements and education. Let’s change this! 

Enough about me, tell me about you! 

adios para ahora, 

The Healthy Latina