Posts Tagged ‘anti-inflammatory’
Posted by terrepruitt on March 23, 2016
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, meaning it is “of, relating to, or denoting plants of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae, formerly Cruciferae)” according to Google. It is of the same species as kale, broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, and brussels sprouts and in the same family as daikon, arugula, rutabaga, and bok choy, to name a few. It is also consider an anti-inflammatory which is good because many of the (overly) processed foods we eat are consider inflammatory. And scientist are linking chronic inflammation with a whole list of diseases and ailments. So, I am all for foods that will help with inflammation. Although, I am not really a fan of cauliflower. I don’t grab it off of a veggie tray at potlucks. I don’t put it on my plate when it is offered as a cooked side. I am not a fan. Because I am not a fan I do want to try the myriad of recipes that include it and make it the star. Like the cauliflower pizza crust or the version of macaroni and cheese made with cauliflower or the many recipes that used riced cauliflower. I will get to some of those one of these days. But first a little about cauliflower.
To me it is pretty tasteless. It has no flavor really. Not that I can remember . . . but then again I can’t remember the last time I ate just cauliflower. I have cooked it and used it in this yummy stuffed portobello recipe. It is one of those vegetables that can add substance but not really flavor. That is probably why it goes so well as the base for some many things . . . you can make it taste like anything because it tastes like nothing.
But in addition to it being an anti-inflammatory it has a very low Glycemic Index. The GI as you may know affects our blood sugar so food low on the index help with keeping the blood sugar level even. Also, it is high in vitamin C, giving you 75% of the DV% in a cup. It also contains vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamins B6, B2, B1, and B3. Also fiber, potassium, and protein.
It also comes in different colors. There is white, orange, and purple. There is green cauliflower with the normal shape and the Romanesco Broccoli or Italian cauliflower kind. I’ve had that before. I roasted it (surprise!) and it was kind of sweet. The texture was odd.
Recently my friend posted something about cauliflower on Facebook. She had recently made a recipe that she had to explain to her child. It got me curious and I ended up making it . . . hence the post on cauliflower. I am in love with this recipe and it has cauliflower in it. It is a really yummy way to eat cauliflower. But I will save the recipe for another post.
For now you can tell me: Do you like cauliflower? How do you eat it? Do you eat it raw? Do you cook it? How? Have you tried any of those recipes like the cauliflower pizza crust?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, broccoli, cauliflower, cauliflower pizza crust, cruciferous vegetable, Glycemic Index, Kale, vitamin C | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 12, 2014
I recently came across some information I thought was interesting. I had heard it before, in fact I mentioned it in my post Turmeric – Flavor With Benefits, but this time I decided to look into a bit to see what is being said. One of the compounds found in turmeric is curcumin. Turmeric is a product of a ground root of the Curcuma longa plant. It is a relative of ginger. The curcumin is what gives turmeric it’s yellow color. So basically it is the stuff in turmeric that stains everything it touches. While in the middle of typing this I needed to make dinner. I used some turmeric. This spice has been used in other cultures as a spice to flavor foods, and a medicinal spice. It has been used as a dye. It is a subject of study and research as it is thought to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There is information that has been published regarding using curcumin as a possible prevention and treatment for Alzheimer’s. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine’s website has information regarding a paper disclosing such information. The UCLA Alzheimer Translation Center website also has information regarding how it might help prevent Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is thought to begin with inflammation. So, as I have stated often in my post, I believe that chronic inflammation in the body is a disease catalyst. It is as if the body is so busy fighting the inflammation, other things go wrong. Chronic inflammation is being viewed as a serious health problem. So again, as I have stated before, things, foods, that can reduce inflammation can be good to add to our diets.
The NCBI article states that the idea that curcumin might help with Alzheimer’s comes from the fact that it is less common in India where they eat a lot of food with curry with turmeric. This idea was supported by a study in which macrophages (A type of white blood cell that ingests foreign material) was treated with curcumin. The white blood cells treated with the curcumin were able to clear the type of plague that is thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s. The article also indicates that since curcumin can pass through the blood brain barrier it can help at the neurological level. Also, neurotoxicity caused by cadmium and lead was prevented. Additionally, curcumin might help lower cholesterol.
The bioavailability of the curcumin is not very high. So eating enough and getting enough could be an issue . . . especially at this point there might not be enough information to know what amount “enough” is.
Another post on The National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine’s website claims that three patients with Alzheimer’s showed significant signs of behavioral and psychological improvement after being treated with turmeric powder capsules. A change was seen after just 12 weeks, but a large improvement of recognizing family members was seen after a year.
There is always risks with anything if one is to use it as a treatment for a specific condition, so before you go out and purchase curcumin capsules please do some research and seek professional advice. I do think that my adding it to my food would not be a problem. I know in my post about turmeric I said I would, but I really dislike that it turns my dishes yellow. But I really think the possible benefits outweigh that. I prefer to try to use food, herbs, spices, and movement to provide nutrition and health benefits so that I can keep it healthy and hopefully not need medication.
Do you like curry dishes? What type of curry dishes do you make? What do you add turmeric to? Do you have a trick to keeping it from turning things yellow?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Alzheimer's, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, chronic inflammation, Curcuma longa plant, curcumin, curry, ginger, medicinal spice, memory loss, NCBI, prevention and treatment for Alzheimer's, The National Center for Biotechnology, Turmeric – Flavor With Benefits, U.S. National Library of Medicine's, UCLA Alzheimer Translation Center | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 29, 2013
Since I recently posted a recipe with Green Beans, Walnuts, and Onions, I have been posting about the three main ingredients separately, for Green Beans click here and for Walnuts click here. I like onions. I like sweet onions, red onions, white onions, yellow onions, and green onions. I have actually grown to like them more as I get older. When I was younger I liked the flavor, but not the onion itself. I would pick them out of anything and off of anything. And I used to never eat them raw. I still don’t like to eat a lot of cooked onions and will often leave them on my plate if they are cut large enough and it is easy to move them out of the food I am eating, but I do actually eat them now. Also I will include raw onions in my salad. It all depends. When I eat them raw they have to be so teeny tiny you would probably laugh. Onions, however, are more than just for flavoring.
Onions contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are what give the plant its pigment and have been linked to terms such as “cancer-fighting” and a lot of “anti-s” – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-biotic, anti-allergic, anti-microbial, and anti-diarrheal activities. Onions store the flavonoids primarily in their skin. So the less you peel off the better. There is the red in a red onion (to me it is actually purple, but whatever) and the yellow in a yellow onion. The white has flavonoids too, but not as many as the red.
According to PubMed, study was done that concluded the consumption of onions had a “beneficial effect on bone density in perimenopausal and postmenopausal non-Hispanic white women 50 years and older.” Wow. So it could be that eating onions helps with bone density . . . who would have thought.
Onions should not be refrigerated, except for the green ones (scallions). We keep our onions in the fridge. I should change that.
To me, onions are good in pretty much any type of savory dish. I don’t think onions go to well with sweet things, but sometimes it works, but usually the onion needs to be a sweet onion or a red onion. My husband does not mind onions with his sweet.
The following nutritional information is from the National Onion Association’s website:
Onion Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (160g) The Percent (%) is for the Daily Values*
*Percent (%) Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Calories 64 3%
Total Carbs 14.9 g 5%
Total Fat 0 0%
Cholesterol 0 0%
Dietary Fiber 2.7 g 11%
Sugars 6.8 g
Protein 4.9 g
Vitamin A 3.2 IU 0%
Vitamin C 11.8 mg 20%
Vitamin B6 0.2 mg 10%
Folate 30.4 mcg 8%
Calcium 36.8 mg 4%
Iron .3 mg 2%
Magnesium 16 mg 4%
Phosphorus 46.4 mg 5%
Potassium 234 mg 7%
Sodium 6.4 0%
Many people have strong feelings about onions. They either LOVE them or HATE them. Where do you stand? Do you love them? Do you hate them? Do you like them cooked? Do you like them raw? Did you know they had such great health benefits?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, bone density, cancer fighting, flavonoids, green beans, green onions, health benefits, National Onion Association, onions, red onions, sweet onions, walnuts, white onions, yellow onions | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 22, 2013
Walnuts are awesome. As you may have read in some of my other posts, my hubby doesn’t really like walnuts. I find that fact rather funny because he likes pretty much everything, but he is not fond of walnuts. One day I had a bag of pecans on the table and I was having some for dessert. He grabbed a couple and ate them. As he was eating them he looked at me and said something like, “What? These are so good. Why did I not know these are so delicious? I am amazed!” I actually laughed at his reaction to them because pecans really are very yummy. They are rich and slightly sweet and he didn’t know the joy. Walnuts are different and he doesn’t care for them. I think walnuts are awesome. The thing I like about nuts is they can be used in sweet or savory dishes, or even eaten by themselves. Walnuts are a bit harder than pecans. Pecans almost feel stale or old because they are kind of soft. Walnuts are hard and they are not as rich, but they are very good and good for you.
Walnuts have Omega 3 fatty acids in them. You might have heard that Omega 3 fat is the fat that we need to consume. Research has indicated that we don’t eat enough of it AND that it is a helpful and healthful fat.
My research has uncovered 1 ounce / roughly 28 grams has
190 calories
4 grams of protein
18 grams of total fat (1.5 grams of saturated fat and 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 13 grams of polyunsaturated fat)
4 grams of carbohydrates
2 grams of fiber
28 mg of calcium
.82 mg of iron
125 mg of potassium
11 grams of Linoleic acid
2.5 grams of Linolenic acid
The Linoleic acid is the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. And it is the Omega 3 that we want. Omega 3 is considered an anti-inflammatory. As I have mentioned in numerous other posts, anti-inflammatory foods are a welcome part of a healthy diet. With more and more research pointing to the association between chronic inflammation in the body and disease, it is a good idea to consume foods with an anti-inflammatory effect.
According to the World’s Healthiest Foods site: Research has shown walnuts to help with cardiovascular health.
They have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol, decrease total cholesterol, and increase omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells. Also decrease the risk of excessive clotting and excessive inflammation.
For me, as I mentioned they can be eaten in savory dishes, like with green beans (click here for a green been recipe) or in sweets. I like to put walnuts in my banana bread, but I don’t because John doesn’t like them and I primarily make the bread for him. But I do put them in the Banana Oatmeal Walnut Cookies (click here for that recipe). He actually is ok with them in the green beans and the cookies. I also think they are a great snack or dessert.
Do you like walnuts? How do you like to eat them?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, banana bread, Banana Oatmeal Walnut Cookies, cholesterol, dessert, excessive inflammation, green beans, Omega 3, pecans, sweet or savory, walnuts, World's Healthiest Foods | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 20, 2013
I recently received green beans in the organic produce box we get. I made Green Beans, Walnuts, and Onions. LOVE THAT. So this past weekend I bought some green beans at our Farmers Market. I plan to make that again. It is so good. My husband even mentioned after I made it that he doesn’t care for green beans nor walnuts, but he loves that . . . what did I tell you? I like green beans. I don’t make them often because . . . well, you know. Sometimes, if I am not making the previously mentioned recipe, it is probably because I don’t have walnuts, so I just sauté the green beans. I don’t typically boil vegetables. I just sauté them cooking them only slightly. I like them to still have crunch when I bite into them. I don’t like soggy beans. I cook them basically the same as if I am cooking them for the recipe. Green beans are good healthy vegetable.
Most vegetables lose some nutrients in the cooking process. Also for most vegetables the less they are cooked the better. According to several sources on the internet one cup (100 grams) of raw green beans yields:
31 calories
12.20 mg of Vitamin C
14.40 mcg of Vitamin K
690.00 IU of Vitamin A
0.14 mg of Vitamin B6
211.00 mg of potassium
2.70 g of Fiber
33.00 mcg of folate
37.00 mg of Calcium
1.83 g of protein
0.07 g of omega-3 fats
Green beans are a great source of anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and Beta-carotene. In addition to the anti-oxidants; Vitamin C and Beta-carotene, the rich color of green beans provide phytonutrients like carotenoids, another anti-oxidant. As a reminder antioxidants help the body reduce the inflammation. More and more studies are linking disease with chronic inflammation. You know my theory . . . food that can help our body reduce inflammation is something we want to add to our diet.
Green beans can be eaten raw. Just munch on them like you would a carrot or a slice of bell pepper. Green beans also make a great addition to a salad. Cut them up and throw them in a green salad or a pasta. I love vegetables that can be eaten cooked or raw. When they can be eaten both ways it is almost as if they will be eaten more often because of the variety in which they can be eaten. I would eat them a lot more if my husband liked them. I don’t really like to make him eat stuff he doesn’t like even though it is good for him.
It really is funny because these used to be the only kind of beans I like. Now I somewhat like garbanzo beans, and I eat kidney beans in certain recipes like my bean salad or red beans and rice (For Bean Salad recipe click here / For Red Beans and Rice recipe click here).
So do you like green beans? Do you like to eat them raw? How do you like to cook them? Have you tried the Green Beans, Walnuts, and Onions?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidants, boil vegetables, box of produce delivered, Garbanzo beans, green beans, onions, organic produce, phytonutrients, Red Beans and Rice, walnuts | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 16, 2013
One day I was having my Chai Tea Latte (you can check out that recipe I got from a fellow Nia Teacher here: Venting Gets Me Good). Even though the tea needs to be stirred constantly, the spoon I was using to stir the tea ended up on my plate with my turkey sandwich. Some of the ginger from the tea came off the spoon and I ended up taking a bite of sandwich with ginger on it. “Oooooo!” I thought. That was good. So I got up and sprinkled more ginger on my sandwich. Right now the lunch meat we have is sliced turkey breast from Costco and it is a sweet flavor so it was nice to have the little bit of spicy from the ginger. I don’t know if other sandwich meats would taste as good.
Since then I have been making our sandwiches with ginger on them. I don’t know if my hubby has even noticed . . . .well, in all fairness, I have not been doing it on his everyday lunch sandwiches. Just on the weekend sandwiches. I know the poor guy eats a sandwich every day for lunch and then on the weekend I make him yet ANOTHER sandwich. Ahh, but yes, thank you for the reminder (I heard your future thoughts, he COULD make something for himself). But since I am making a sandwich I just make two so we can each have one. With each sandwich I make I get a little more bold and add more ginger. So far I have not made it too hot or spicy for me.
I really like the little drama that the ginger adds to the sandwich. This is really funny to me because two years (maybe about that long) ago if you would have asked me if I like ginger I would have said no. But then again, I always thought of that pink slimy stuff that comes on a sushi and sashimi plate as ginger. I mean, it IS ginger, but it is PICKLED ginger. I hadn’t known that fresh ginger or even powdered ginger can add just enough of a zing to food to make it a nice change of pace.
Like many things I post, some people might be reading this and wondering why I am doing an entire post on adding ginger to my sandwich and it is for the others saying, “Oh, I would have never thought of that. I bet it IS good. I’m gonna give it a try.” I can’t take for granted and/or assume that everything I know other people know. That is ridiculous. And just because it is simple doesn’t mean that it is not worth sharing.
And here is a picture of my lovely half eaten sandwich. There is turkey, cheese, mayo, bell peppers, and ginger on the sandwich! Pretty good.
Remember that ginger is a digestive aide and can help relieve nausea. It is also considered an anti-inflammatory root/herb/spice. So in addition to adding a little zip to your sandwich ginger could add some health benefits!
Are you a ginger fan? What do you put it in? Have you tried it on a sandwich?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, bell peppers, Chai Tea Latte, digestive aide, drama, ginger, ginger root, health benefits, lunchtime, Nia, Nia Teacher, sandwich, sashimi, sushi, turkey sandwich | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 1, 2012
Don’t you just love avocados? I know so many people who do. Some people I know could just eat an avocado plain. Cut it in half, pull it apart, and use a spoon to scoop out the mushy flesh inside. Ewwww. Not my thing. I am not a fan of avocado at all. I usually get as far as cutting it in half and scoop out a portion, then it starts to get on my hands and under my nails and I am done. I end up putting it on a dish with a spoon or a knife — depending on the ripeness — and telling my husband he has to deal with it. I lean towards the idea that they taste like dirt. But I can’t actually remember the last time I tasted one. But the idea of it tasting like dirt is stuck in my head. People are often amazed that I don’t like avocado because most people LOVE them. They say, “Oh, but you must like guacamole?” And I don’t. But there are many smoothie recipes that have avocado in them. There is also a recipe that came with my blender for tortilla soup recipe that has a bit of avocado in it. I do like that, but it has a very small bit of avocado. I think that if you mix avocado with enough other stuff the taste can be disguised. After looking up nutrient information on them I am going to try to add it to more recipes. It seems the fat in avocados is unique and has the potential for many health benefits.
According to WH Foods about 85% of an avocado’s calories is from fat. But as you probably have heard it is a “good” fat. The properties in the fat contained in avocados have anti-inflammatory benefits. And you might have heard that more and more research is proving that chronic inflammation in the body is being linked to many illnesses and diseases.
The information I am seeing is that avocados are thought to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Also since they contain oleic acid it is believed they might help lowering risks of heart disease. These are some of the things that are meant by avocados contain “good” fat.
World’s Healthiest Foods nutrient information on Avocados:
1.00 cup (146.00 grams) = 233.60 calories
fiber 9.78 g / 39.1% of the DV
vitamin K 30.66 mcg / 38.3% of the DV
folate 118.26 mcg / 29.6% of the DV
vitamin C 14.60 mg / 24.3% of the DV
vitamin B5 2.03 mg /20.3% of the DV
potassium 708.10 mg / 20.2% of the DV
vitamin B6 0.38 mg /19.0% of the DV
WebMD states:
“Avocados are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, K, folate, and B6. Half an avocado has 160 calories, 15 grams of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and only 2 grams saturated fat. One globe contains more than one-third daily value of vitamin C, and more than half the day’s requirements of vitamin K.”
According to Wiki, avocados originated in Mexico. Wiki further states “The avocado is a climacteric fruit (the banana is another), which means it matures on the tree, but ripens off the tree.” I didn’t know that. I always thought they were picked too soon, but apparently they ripen off the tree.
So do you like avocados? How do you eat them? Do you have any recipes that you put them in?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, avocados, chronic inflammation, good fat, green smoothie with avocado, guacamole, heart disease, lower cholesterol, smoothie recipes, Tortilla Soup, WebMD, Wiki, World's Healthiest Foods | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 22, 2012
Since I am still busy with my Nia classes and I have my Zumba teaching debut coming up, it really helps to have produce delivered. I know Nia and Zumba instructors that can learn a routine in an afternoon and teach it that night. I am not one of those teachers. It takes me a long time, so something that saves me a trip to the store is awesome. But then I do spend a little time trying to figure out what to do with the new-to-me produce. I also like to look up the nutrition. One thing I didn’t remember when I received my beets is that the beet greens can be eaten. I forgot about my own post Borscht Is Beets and I just chopped them off and threw them away. Now I know. I do have faith that beets have more nutrition than dirt, but I don’t actually know the nutrition value of dirt, so I really am just going off of faith.
As a reminder beets have anti-inflammatory affects along with antioxidant properties. According to World’s Healthiest Food website here are some numbers on a cup of raw beet:
1.00 cup raw
136.00 grams
58.48 calories
folate 148.24 mcg
manganese 0.45 mg
fiber 3.81 g
potassium 442.00 mg
vitamin C 6.66 mg
tryptophan 0.03 g
magnesium 31.28 mg
iron 1.09 mg
phosphorus 54.40 mg
copper 0.10 mg
The website states that the phytonutrients in beets are called betalains and the longer the beets are cooked, the less there are in the root. They “recommend that you keep beet steaming times to 15 minutes or less, and roasting times under an hour.” So some of the nutritional value is higher the less they are cooked. I had mentioned something similar in my Borscht post.
The paper that comes with the produce I have delivered states that the beets were gold beets. Being unfamiliar with beets I say, “Ok.”, but they were not yellow. They were deep red/purple — as you can see. And I KNOW, I have seen yellow beets before. I had a co-worker who loved beets and she would eat them in all the colors. Maybe the yellow ones aren’t called gold beets and these really were gold beets? I don’t know. The red and yellow pigment in beets lose their “super powers” the more the beets are cooked.
Since I have had my first foray into cooking beets and making something with beets I think I can do it again. I know I just made a salad, but it wasn’t terrible. I think I need to move onto something my husband just loves. In fact when I asked him if he liked beets he said yes and he reminded me that he loves borscht. I forgot he loved borscht and I forgot I posted about it. So I think I will actually purchase some beets and give it a try.
This is exactly one of the reasons I chose to have a produce box delivered. I never would have bought beets — obviously since back in January 2011 I talked about them and STILL haven’t done it. So now it is one of the things I can add to our list of vegetables for us to eat. I have the tendency to buy the same vegetables over and over even though I know variety is good. I just don’t buy it if I don’t know what to do with it. But when it lands on my doorstep, I feel as if I have to find something to do with it. I am so excited to be expanding my produce horizons. I also love that so many people have ideas on what to do with these new-to-me items.
Do any of you like Borscht? Do you have a recipe for it?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, beets, borscht, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia instructor, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, organic produce, teaching debut, World's Healthiest Food, yellow beets, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba instructor, Zumba teacher | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 23, 2012
I don’t think I really knew that the zucchini is a hybrid of the cucumber. I do sometimes have trouble telling them apart when they are cut up in a salad, but I never really thought about their relation. I guess I figured they were related somehow. Since zucchini and cucumbers are related that makes zucchini a fruit. Geez louise. I would be in so much trouble if my life depended upon knowing the difference between what actually is a fruit and what isn’t. Most of the vegetables I think of as vegetables are actually fruits. The culinary world and the world of botany doesn’t always match up. Wiki describes the zucchini in the following appetizing way: “swollen ovary of the zucchini flower”. Yeah thanks, I want to eat swollen ovaries. 🙂 I am mostly familiar with the green zucchini, however, it is called a summer squash. I call yellow zucchini squash, not zucchini.
You might see recipes calling for courgettes . . . that is zucchini.
In regards to nutrition, zucchini are low in calories. They are a great source of antioxidants. In about 100 grams of zucchini there is 17 mg of vitamin C. It seems the best way to get the most antioxidants out of the fruit is to steam them. I am not sure I’ve tried them that way. I like to roast them, but the time involved to get them the way I like them usually keeps me from making them that way. As I mentioned in my Grated Zhuccini is GREAT post I actually like to grate them and mix them into other foods. I think they go great with linguine and rice. Not linquine and rice together, but one or the other. A comment made on that post was asking if they are stringing when they are grated, but they are not, after it is cooked it has the consistency of cheese. My last mix was turkey . . . . which is yummy too. I also like them raw, sliced paper-thin, in green salads.
My mom makes them into cheese boats. That’s a great way to cook them too. Kind of like the eggplant I did, but she takes a little out from the middle and then puts cheese in them. I only did that once. That was really good.
Zucchini has a few of the B vitamins, as you can see below.
Also since the seeds contain Omega 3, zucchini might be one of those anti-inflammatory foods that can help with the inflammation of the body. So many other foods (sugar, dairy, foods with transfat, refined grains) ADD to chronic inflammation it is always nice to get the foods into our diet that help combat it. I say “might” because the information I read had said that studies have yet to prove . . . but if the seeds have Omega 3 the might help in the battle.
According to WHFoods, 1 cup (113 grams) of raw zucchini contains:
vitamin C 32%
molybdenum 18%
vitamin B6 12.5%
manganese 10%
vitamin B2 9.4%
potassium 8.4%
folate 8.1%
fiber 4.9%
magnesium 4.8%
vitamin A 4.5%
phosphorus 4.2%
vitamin K 4.2%
vitamin B1 3.3%
tryptophan3.1%
copper 3%
vitamin B 32.7%
protein 2.7%
omega-3 fats 2.5%
Calories (18) 1%
Since is it summer time here and they call zucchini a summer squash, it’s a good time to post about it. Especially since I received some in my organic produce box.
How do you prepare zucchini? Which color do you use? Which is your favorite?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, chronic inflammation, courgettes, cucumber, low in calories, Magnesium, Omega 3, summer squash, vitamin B6, vitamin C, WHFoods, zucchini | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 10, 2012
For a long time now, I have been hearing about the nutritional benefits of flax seeds. I know one of my Nia friends said she uses them. They have probably been in the spot light a bit more lately as more and more information becomes known and available about inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the body’s response to things in it that shouldn’t be in it—as in, a very large part of the average Western Diet. With the over processing of food comes a huge amount of chemicals and chemically altered compounds. These types of things are not meant to be in our bodies and used as “nutrition”. In addition, the average Western Diet contains too much omega-6 fats. Omega 6 fats are linked to health issues and inflammation. Flax seeds contain omega-3 which is an anti-inflammatory agent, among other things. There is a ratio of the fats that is thought to be the optimal. I’ve heard that it is 3 to 1. Wiki states: “Modern Western diets typically have ratios of n−6 to n−3 in excess of 10 to 1, some as high as 30 to 1.”
Flax seeds can be eaten whole, but they are difficult to digest so the common thought is to grind them so that their nutrition is readily available. I didn’t know that when I bought them otherwise I probably would not have bought such a HUGE quantity. I just remember see information that said to put them in things. I thought I could just toss them into — whatever. Well, it seems like I can, but I might not be getting all the nutrition out of them eaten that way then if I grind them.
Omega 3 is thought to do many wonderful things. It is thought to help protect against heart disease, cancer (both prostrate and breast cancer), and diabetes. And help with high blood pressure through both control and prevention. Also studies are showing that flax seeds can help lower cholesterol. Some studies show that flax seeds may help in reducing hot flashes. As little as “40 grams (1.4 ounces) of crushed flaxseed each day” (per WH Foods) cut the flashes in half.
Web MD says: “Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:
Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
Lignans which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.”
Remember lignans are phytochemicals!
Flax seeds are best stored whole in the fridge. Once ground they tend to go rancid quickly, they should be used within a week. I guess I could grind some once a week and just make sure that I use it all. As with many foods that deliver great health benefits, they are still meant to be a part of a healthy diet. None of the amazing foods are meant to make up for an unhealthy diet, they are to ADD to a healthy diet.
As I first mentioned I know one of you uses them. But I don’t think she said how. I could use some ideas as I now have four HUGE bags!
What about you, do you use flax seeds as a supplement? How do you use them? Do you grind them?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, chornic inflammation, fatty acids, fiber, flax seeds, ground flax seeds, Nia, Nia friends, nutritional benefits of flax seeds, Omega 3, omega 6, phytochemicals, western diet | 4 Comments »
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