Watercress, Who Knew!

Who would think something as small as watercress could be so important? According to an article in the year-end edition of the Saturday Evening Post 2023, watercress is a superfood. In a study published by the CDC, watercress is officially the healthiest vegetable in the world! Researchers at William Patterson University analyzed 57 fruits and vegetables and ranked them on a 100-point scale. The ranking is based on their nutrient density. Watercress was the only veggie to earn a perfect score. Watercress was followed by Chinese cabbage, Swiss Chard, beet greens and spinach. All those foods listed made it on the CDC's list of powerhouse foods. How many of these foods are in your daily diet? Maybe once a week, or how about once a month? I think most of us would need to add them. Thank God I love spinach, last on the list and I do like Chinese cabbage. The article went on to say watercress is incredibly versatile and can be added to salads, sandwiches, soups, smoothies and more. So, no excuses, start working this powerhouse veggie to your life, for your health's sake, of course.

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A FEW IDEAS ABOUT USING BROCCOLI

 

I love broccoli. It is tasty and healthy! There are other articles on this blog about the health benefits of this vegetable which is full of vitamin K, among things. This post is about some quick, easy, and healthy ways to enjoy broccoli.

• Cut broccoli crowns off the stems and save for another use. Peel the stems and cut into matchsticks. Turn the matchsticks into a tasty slaw.
• Did you know the leaves are also edible? Sauté for a dish that resembles collard greens.
• Steam small pieces of broccoli until just tender (2-3 minutes).  Place in greased muffin tins, beat some eggs and pour over the broccoli, add shredded cheese and around 12 minutes at 350-degrees.
• Make a tasty dish or snack by tossing florets with some olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. Place in air fryer and cook 8 minutes at 325-degrees, shaking after 4 minutes. Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan.
• Buy the darker heads. You can keep in the refrigerator for around two weeks.

THE COLOR OF BROCCOLI

Broccoli is probably one of the best foods we can eat. Eating it fresh or just steamed allows you to the most of its vital nutrients. When shopping for fresh broccoli, you will notice the color can range from almost purple to yellowish. When buying broccoli, the darker the better. The broccoli that is almost purple in color is packing a whopping lode of beta carotene, the nutrient proven to cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. Remember to go for the darkest green and to forget the ones turning yellow. Those turning yellow have lost most of their nutritional value.

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SHOULD YOU EAT PEPPERS RAW OR COOKED?

 You will get the most benefit from peppers if you eat them raw or lightly steamed. If you want, they may be cooked over low heat for a brief period. In a study, grilling green bell peppers for only 7 minutes cut the amount of the cancer-fighting luteolin by 40 percent.

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DIABETES AND GREEN VEGETABLES

Diabetes is currently the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. It also doubles one's risk of having a heart attack or stroke, so it is important to avoid diabetes and to take proper care of yourself after a diabetes diagnoses.

Adding green vegetables to your diet is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Nutrient-dense green vegetables including leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, along with other green vegetables are probably the most important foods to focus on for diabetes prevention and/or reversal of this dreaded disease. Recent studies have shown that a higher intake of green vegetables is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and if you already have the disease, a higher green vegetable intake is associated with lower A1C levels. A recent meta-analysis found a greater consumption of leafy green vegetables was associated with a 14% decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Another study reported that as little as one serving a day of leafy greens brought about a 9% decrease in risk.

Your mother was right, eat your vegetables especially the green leafy ones!

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ONE MORE REASON TO EAT BROCCOLI

Broccoli, along with other cruciferous vegetables, are loaded with sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a cancer-fighting substance so potent researchers are testing it as a drug. According to Trygve O. Tollefsbol, a professor in the biology department of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, sulforaphane is delivered to almost every tissue in the body. Sounds to me like we should all be eating plenty of broccoli.

ANOTHER TIP FOR MIGRAINE SUFFERERS

According to a report in the Journal of Neural Transmission it is suggested all migraine sufferers should take magnesium supplements. Their study found that over half of all migraine sufferers seemed to be deficient in this mineral. It is, however, difficult to measure magnesium in a regular blood test. You can enrich your magnesium intake by eating the following magnesium-rich foods; leafy green vegetables, bananas, nuts, and seeds.

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SPINACH FOR YOUR BONES

As many of you know I have osteoporosis, so I am paying lots of attention right now to anything concerning the bones. Thankfully, spinach is one of my favorite foods and I plan on adding a lot more of it to my diet. Here are some 'good for your bones' facts about spinach:

• 1/2 cup of spinach supplies you with 122 mg of calcium
• Spinach provides the body with bone-building magnesium
• Spinach provides the body with bone-building vitamin K

Protect your bones! If spinach is not currently a part of your diet, make a point to start including it often, at least weekly. You can sauté spinach, eat in in a salad, drop some into soup, use it on a sandwich, etc. There are many tasty ways to work spinach into your diet.

 

BROCCOLI FOR BODY ACHES

Cold weather can often leave our bodies feeling achy, stiff and sore. How about some broccoli to help with that achy feeling? According to a study in the journal Antioxidants, 3/4 cup of broccoli daily can curb these types of pain flares by up to 64%. The help comes from the nutrients zeaxanthin and vitamin-K. both known to curb pain-triggering inflammation and fast-track healing of damaged muscles and joints. Who knew broccoli had that healing power?

GORGE ON GREENS

A group of famous doctors were asked a couple of years ago what they do to stay healthy especially during the cold and flu season.  Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Super Immunity, replied, "The best foods you can eat to fuel your immune response are green vegetables - they are loaded with antioxidants that keep free radicals in your body under control.  A refrigerator stocked with lettuce, kale, and broccoli is my secret weapon during flu season." Sounds like good advice we should all follow!

Celery For The Brain

I think this information falls into the "Who Knew" category.  According to Dr Oz, celery which has long been dismissed as a nothing vegetable, is chockful of lutein.  Lutein is a known brain booster. Maybe I need to add more of that to my diet!!  How about you?

DOES ICEBERG LETTUCE HAVE ANY HEALTH BENEFITS?

We have all heard that iceberg lettuce doesn't have any health benefits and it is a waste to buy it. That is not necessarily true!  Think of it this way; it is better to have a salad made with iceberg lettuce than to not have a salad!  Also consider this; iceberg lettuce is 96% water by weight so it is good for staying hydrated.  Iceberg lettuce is also a good source of fiber of which most Americans should eat more.  Make a sandwich wrap with a large iceberg lettuce leaf and save the calories you would get if eating a bun r bread.  Iceberg lettuce is certainly not the most nutritious lettuce available but it does have some health benefits.

EAT YOUR ORANGE AND GREEN VEGGIES

Your mother was right, you do need to eat your vegetables.  This is especially true for the orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, etc which are high in an antioxidant called alpha-carotene.  This is also found in the dark green vegetables such as broccoli and green beans.  Scientists have long known that eating vegetables can ward off chronic diseases.  A study published around ten years ago in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that this alpha-carotene could very well be the reason why.  The study found that people with high levels of alpha-carotene are likely to live longer and are less likely to die of heart disease and cancer than are those with low levels.  So, enjoy a colorful veggie plate!

BENEFITS OF BROCCOLI

Your mother was right; eat your vegetables.  That is especially true for green vegetables.  While all the green vegetables are good for you, broccoli is one you should eat regularly whether you like it or not!  Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C.  It is a good source of vitamin A and folate.  It is a significant source of protein, calcium, iron, and other minerals.  Broccoli is also rich in bioflavonoids and other plant chemicals that protect against cancer.  In fact, while other cruciferous vegetables are protective, broccoli seems to have more cancer-fighting compounds than the others.  Some of these compounds block the action of hormones that stimulate tumors; others work by inhibiting tumor growth or by boosting the action of protective enzymes.  The bioflavonoids and other antioxidants found in broccoli are substances that protect against mutation and damage from unstable molecules.

Other benefits of broccoli are that it is high in fiber and low in calories!

If you don't like broccoli, think of it as a natural protector for your body and learn to eat it for your health's sake.

CALCIUM IN FOODS

Don't make the mistake of thinking calcium is only in dairy products.  If you need more calcium in your diet, think green leafy vegetables including broccoli.  Broccoli and other green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium.  Be sure you are getting adequate vitamin D to help your body absorb the calcium.

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EAT YOUR SPINACH

Your mother was right, you need to eat your vegetables.  And that includes the green ones!  Just 1/2 cup of cooked spinach has 100% off the daily requirement of vitamins A & K.  If you don't like spinach, there are easy ways to include it without just eating a serving of spinach.  Include it in soups, stir-fries, smoothies, etc.

GO GREEN - VEGETABLES, THAT IS

Research by doctors at the United States Department of Agriculture has shown that cancer-fighting vegetables have shown their true color - dark green!  Dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, green beans, spinach are some of the best.  Analysis found that kale, has the highest concentrations of three important carotenoids, important in protecting us from most cancers.  When they boiled, steamed, and microwaved broccoli, green beans, or spinach the protective carotenoids did not diminish!  Dr. Frederick Khachik stated, "It's unlikely heat destroys the carotenoids in other green vegetables either."

BRIGHT LIGHTS AND SPINACH

Ever notice how bright the lights are in the grocery store?  They do more than make it easy to see.  When you go to the produce department, pick up the spinach that is in the front.  Often we dig to the back of the produce thinking the best or freshest might be there.  Well guess what?  Spinach that has been exposed to more of the light has greater amounts of vitamin C than those buried in the back of the bin.  This information came from a report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

IMPORTANCE OF GREENS IN THE DIET

It has been said that the greening of the diet may be much more important to survival than the greening of the planet!  Green vegetables are packed with a variety of compounds, ie carotenoids, cholrophyll, glutathione, folic acid, vitamin C, etc that are known to protect our cells from a whole list of damages.  So be sure you include green vegetables in your diet daily.  That doesn't mean you have to sit down and eat a bowl of greens everyday.  Toss some greens into soups, stir-frys, etc.  And a few salads a week is a good idea. 

As an example we will look at cabbage which along with its other cruciferous kin such as kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, etc, is extremely high in phytochemicals which are great protectors from cancer, etc.  Cabbage also works as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.  One of the properties of cabbage and its kin is indole-3-carbinol, known as IC3 for short.  IC3 nearly doubles how quickly the liver can break down estrogen so it doesn't remain in the body.  (Estrogen is known to feed some cancers.)  Do not overcook as you will lose some of the important chemicals in doing so.