The Creamy Goodness of Avocados

Do you love avocado? I do! And despite the bad press they’ve gotten because of their high fat content, there are lots of good reasons to eat them. Here are some for you to consider:

• They’re a rich source of antioxidants, including the carotenoids alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein;
• They're loaded with vitamins and minerals as shown here;
• They’re high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat prevalent in olive oil that helps to lower the risk of heart disease;
• They contain omega-3 fatty acids and help to control inflammation;
• When added to nutrient-rich salads, they help to boost nutrient absorption from the other vegetables, such as lycopene found in tomatoes;
• They’re a good source of fiber and low in carbohydrates, so they help to stabilize blood sugar levels;

Their mild flavor and creamy texture goes well with just about everything! Mash and spread them on toast, add them to salads, use them as mayonnaise on sandwiches, eat them with eggs, and mix them into salsa and gazpacho (you’ll boost the absorption of all that veggie power!). Here is a recipe for a gazpacho that I love to make during the summer. It’s quick, cool, and easy and loaded with flavor, fiber, and health promoting goodness!

For more information, check out The World's Healthiest Foods. How will you eat your avocado today??

What's in Season? - Beets

Is there anyone out there that loves beets as much as me?! They’ve become one of my favorite vegetables and this time of year, they’re particularly valuable for cleansing the body. Beets are a member of the Chenopod family that includes chard, spinach, and quinoa.

The effective nutrients found in beets include some powerful phytonutrients called betalains that function during detoxification in a pathway that involves the superstar antioxidant glutathione.

Betalains also work in the body as antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, betanin, has been shown to inhibit tumor cells growth by combating inflammation in a number of studies using cells from the colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, and prostate.

Beets provide carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin which is where they get their red pigment and they support eye and nerve tissue health. The nutrition data for beets can be found here. They are high in vitamin C, folate, potassium, and manganese. To maintain the quality of the nutrients found in beets, it’s best to eat them raw or lightly cooked.

Here’s a quick and easy beet and jicama salad that I prepare often. It’s light and refreshing. Beets are a colorful addition to green salads too and they add natural sweetness to fresh juices. This is a red juice I like to prepare.

What’s your favorite way to eat beets?

The Power of Herbs - Basil

Basil is the herb I most associate with summer and Italian cooking, maybe because it pairs so well with fresh-picked garden tomatoes. In fact, it is often a companion plant of tomatoes and I’ve found it grows like a weed. It does wilt and lose its flavor quickly, though, so it should be used soon after harvesting.

In continuing with the theme of this week, basil is another antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. It produces several volatile oils that inhibit the growth of bacteria including E. Coli, Pseudomonas, and Listeria. This site lists some interesting medicinal uses for basil.

In addition, the flavonoids in basil protect cells from oxidative damage and beta-carotene (vitamin A) and magnesium help to keep the epithelial lining of our blood vessels healthy and relaxed.

Like most of the herbs posted here this week, basil has a strong nutritional profile. Two teaspoons of dried basil provide the following:

% Daily Value

Vitamin K 60

Iron 7

Calcium 6

Vitamin A 6

Manganese 4

Magnesium 3

Vitamin C 3

Potassium 3

Fiber 5

Some classic ways to use basil include:

• As a main ingredient in pesto

• Layered with sliced summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, then drizzled with olive oil

• In tomato sauces or ratatouille

If you’ve got additional good uses for basil, share them here!!

The Power of Herbs - Thyme

Moving on to day three of herbs, there continues to be a common theme among them and that is their amazing healing and medicinal properties. Like oregano and parsley, thyme is more than just a flavoring agent.

It has antibacterial and antifungal properties and has a long history of use for sore throats and chest congestion because of the antiseptic properties of its volatile oil thymol. It has been inhaled in steam or steeped and used for gargling.

Thyme also contains antioxidants that help to protect our cells and it has a strong nutritional profile. Two teaspoons of dried thyme provide the following:

% daily value

• Vitamin K 42
• Iron 14
• Manganese 8
• Calcium 4

It also has small amounts of vitamins A, C, folate, and magnesium. As with other herbs, we can actually pump up the nutrient density of our meals by adding fresh (and sometimes intense) flavor! I love this concept because normally we think of something medicinal or healing as not tasting nice and it’s as if nature has made it a point of drawing us to the things that will do us the most good.

Thyme has always been one of my favorite herbs to use in dried form and I frequently combine it with oregano and basil in tomato-based sauces.

Like other fresh herbs:

• it’s wonderful in egg dishes
• on meats and fish
• in soups and stews
• and chopped fine in dressings

If you like clam chowder, my brother also has a wonderful recipe that calls for fresh thyme. It’s one of the few clam chowders I’ve ever made or liked, for that matter.

Have you ever grown thyme or bought it fresh? What types of dishes do you use it for?

The Power of Herbs - Parsley

Parsley is probably one of the most widely used herbs to garnish a dish, and it does add a certain elegance to a meal. It is also a practical tool for cleansing the palate and freshening the breath after eating, so in that way, it plays multiple roles on the plate.

However, limiting parsley in the diet to a sprig at the end of a meal greatly limits its true health benefits as an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and digestion aid.

Just 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley provide the following nutrients:

% daily value

vitamin K 154

vitamin C 17

vitamin A 13

Folate 3

Iron 3

The flavenoids in parsley act as powerful antioxidants to neutralize oxygen radicals and increase the antioxidant activity of the blood. It has high levels of vitamin K, which is required for blood clotting and bone formation, the antioxidant vitamin C, and vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Foods rich in this nutrient are linked to a reduced risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and colon cancer.

Parsley contains volatile oils including myristicin, which have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in the lungs of animals. Myristicin also activates glutathione-S-transferase, which works with glutathione to prevent damage done by oxidized molecules. The oils also work to protect against the harmful effects of compounds referred to as benzopyrenes found in cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and fried foods.

Here are some easy ways to get the full benefits of parsley:

• Add fresh, chopped parsley to scrambled eggs or omelets
• Sprinkle it onto grain dishes near the end of cooking
• Flavor sautéed vegetables
• Include it in soups and stews
• Mix it into salads
• Use it to make pesto

What are your favorite ways to use parsley??

The Power of Herbs - Parsley

Parsley is probably one of the most widely used herbs to garnish a dish, and it does add a certain elegance to a meal. It is also a practical tool for cleansing the palate and freshening the breath after eating, so in that way, it plays multiple roles on the plate. However, limiting parsley in the diet to a sprig at the end of a meal greatly limits its true health benefits as an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and digestion aid.

Just 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley provide the following nutrients:

% daily value

• vitamin K 154

• vitamin C 17

• vitamin A 13
  

• folate 3

• iron 3
  

The flavenoids in parsley act as powerful antioxidants to neutralize oxygen radicals and increase the antioxidant activity of the blood. It has high levels of vitamin K, which is required for blood clotting and bone formation, the antioxidant vitamin C, and vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Foods rich in this nutrient are linked to a reduced risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and colon cancer.

Parsley contains volatile oils including myristicin, which have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in the lungs of animals. Myristicin also activates glutathione-S-transferase, which works with glutathione to prevent damage done by oxidized molecules. The oils also work to protect against the harmful effects of compounds referred to as benzopyrenes found in cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and fried foods.

Here are some easy ways to get the full benefits of parsley:

- Add fresh, chopped parsley to scrambled eggs or omelets

- Sprinkle it onto grain dishes near the end of cooking

- Flavor sautéed vegetables

- Include it in soups and stews

- Mix it into salads

- Use it in pesto

What are some of the ways you like to use fresh parsley??

The Power of Herbs - Oregano

The idea of oregano probably brings up images or thoughts of the dried herb flavoring spaghetti sauce and other Italian dishes and we probably don’t think about it as a source of healing powers. But oregano offers a wide variety of disease-fighting properties. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, and an antimicrobial/antibacterial agent.

Its volatile oils thymol and carvacrol are potent inhibitors of bacteria and thymol and rosmarinic acid, also found in oregano, act as strong antioxidants that help to prevent damage done by free radicals. In fact, oregano’s antioxidant capacity is even stronger than blueberries! Yet, how many of us think about ways to include oregano into our daily diets?

Although oregano is best eaten fresh for better flavor, just two teaspoons of dried oregano provides the following micronutrient profile:

% daily value

Vitamin K 23

Manganese 8

Iron 7

Dietary fiber 5

Omega-3 FA’s 5

Calcium 4

Vitamin A 4

Vitamin C 3

Although I’m not one to pick apart foods for their nutritional value and would rather look at them in terms of their overall nutrition, I list the above nutrients to demonstrate how powerful oregano is as a source of valuable vitamins, minerals, and even fats. Can you see the value of including herbs in meals on a regular basis? Oregano enhances our health while adding flavor and aroma at the same time. There isn’t a multivitamin out there that can do that.

To take advantage of oregano’s powers, experiment with it by adding it to any dish you would normally add herbs:

- combine it with other fresh herbs in egg dishes,

- add it to sauces and soups,

- mix it into vegetables,

- use it in marinades and dressings

Can you think of another use for oregano, either fresh or dried? I’d love to hear your favorite dishes that include oregano!!