Thursday, January 8, 2009

No one wants to talk education.... How about food?

The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating

beets cabbage
Maybe you should be eating more beets, left, or chopped cabbage. (Credit: Evan Sung for The New York Times, left

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

  1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
    How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
  2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
    How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
  3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
    How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
  4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
    How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
  5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
    How to eat: Just drink it.
  6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
    How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
  7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
    How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
  8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
    How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
  9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
    How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
  10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
    How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
  11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
    How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.
I know everyone is disappointed that the beloved 'lizard' appetizer didn't make the list! But I'm sure you eat SOMETHING on here. So... what do you eat of these and do you have any recipe suggestions?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

you can buy cinnamon pills...really...I love raw cabbage, and as for the rest well...God Bless You...Beets I tried once while pregnant...they never quite made it down the hatch...and I like almost everything.

Sue said...

No to the sardines. Yes to everything else. Love beets.
Mother used to make "prune whip" by soaking the prunes, then mixing them into whipped cream. Man, it was delicious. I've done a low fat version with lite coolwhip before that wasn't bad. And Pomegranates I just like to eat fresh. Those little seeds are nice and juicy and they turn your fingers all red which is almost as much fun as turning them orange from Cheeto dust:)

Jim said...

I could eat most of those things but I'm not eating beets. No ma'am. lol Careful with the pomegranates, I saw an article in the paper the other day saying they were great to increase your sex drive. LOL The last time I ate a pomegranate, I was in a fresh open air market in Russia and thought I had found an exotic fruit from a far away place. Dr. Drewery said good Lord Mr. D. those grow on hedgerows all over Alabama.

Anonymous said...

I only liked the cabbage, cinnamon blueberries and pumpkin. I am a tad picky.

Sue said...

I haven't noticed the pomegranate fringe benefit Jim mentioned, but the red fingers are pretty entertaining.
And Martha, Waynette and Jim have all failed to discover the joy of beets. Oh well...more for me.

Ann said...

Sue- I will leave ALL the beets to you! I was once on a diet where you were suppose to eat them every 3 days. I tried everything know to man to get them down (even blended and tried to drink) yuck.. gag... uck!!

But for the rest -
*Cabbage - Love it
*Swiss Chard - don't think I've ever tried it but will
*Cinnamon - like it and will use more
*Pomegranate juice- great in a martini (wonder if that counts?)
*Dried plums- hmmm they are ok... wonder how they are with the prosciutto?
*Pumpkin seeds - I've always thrown those slimmey things away.. but will try to toast them.
*Sardines- yuck.. but it's been years and I might try again as a spread.
*Tumeric - I love the flavor and will try seasoning with it more
*Canned pumpkin- I like pumpkin pie.. does that count? But really there are lots of recipes that uses canned pumpkin in place of oil and eggs. Look at

www.hungry-girl.com

(even you guys) they have a lot of ideas and recipes that will help on the weight issue. And I've signed up for the daily email and it always contains lots of ideas on how to cut back with out being deprived! Let me know what you think about it!!!

ittybittyandpretty said...

how bout if the lizard has his last meal of blueberries then we can still have the lizard as an appetizer %*_*% rosey

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