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5/13/2021 0 Comments

Now I know why "flower" is in the name

The word cauliflower is derived from the Italian caoli fiori, meaning cabbage flower (1), and what a beautiful flower it is! It comes in a variety of colors including white, orange, green and purple. 100 grams (almost a cup) has about 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, 300 mg of potassium, and is a good source of many vitamins (2).

My favorite is the purple cauliflower. It's not easy to find so when I see one, I snatch it up. Not only is it beautiful and vibrant, but the purple hue in foods comes with its own benefits. The anthocyanins are the pigments in purplish blue-colored vegetables and according to studies done by the National Institute of Health, they contain some potential health benefits. It is known to help reduce the risk of many diseases because of its ability to limit the efficacy of free radicals in the body.

The anthocyanins from these beautiful purple hues help reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer (breast, colon and esophageal just to name a few), and obesity. It also serves as an antimicrobial and helps promote visual health (3). Eating it raw has the best benefit since the heating process can decrease the nutrient levels (4).

I like to prepare it a couple of ways. One way is just to wash it, cut it up, and throw it in some greens with some homemade balsamic vinegar dressing (1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon honey). Another great way is to slice it into "steaks" and lightly roast it with some olive oil and fresh ground pepper.

Nothing brightens up a plate quite like this! It's a beautiful plate that just can't be refused and it helps emphasize that a nutritious life is a pleasant life!

References
(1) WordReference.com Dictionary of English. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
(2) https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169986/nutrients
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613902/
(4) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/201510/raw-or-cooked-how-best-eat-11-fruits-and-vegetables

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5/11/2021 0 Comments

It tastes better when you grow it yourself!

There is nothing more satisfying than walking to your backyard, picking something ripe and ready, and eating it. I am no gardener. In fact, this is my first year trying. I got a little carried away with buying seeds and seeing what would grow. As it turns out, most of it has grown. So, what started as just a few planters of sprouting plants has become a greenhouse surrounded by large planters. I've successfully grown peppers, onions, tomatoes, kale, lettuce, basil, and cucumbers. Many plants (green beans, squash, zucchini, broccoli) are still flowering so we'll see how those do. Growing in large growing bags are potatoes, yellow and white onions and carrots.

It takes some patience to wait for the plants to grow, the flowers to bloom and the vegetables to ripen. The best part about gardening is finally tasting the things you grow. And what could be healthier? I've used my peppers, tomatoes and onions to spice up my morning eggs, and my lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers to make a nice side salad.

If you're not a big fan of vegetables, try growing them. When you grow them with your own hands, the last thing you ever want to do is let them go to waste. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think my vegetables taste better than the store bought vegetables that had to be shipped from who knows where and were grown with who knows what.

If you think you can't grow plants so growing vegetables is out of the question, think again. Give it a try! Gardening enables you to eat some healthy things, but it is also a great way to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of things for a bit. Just one more reason a "Nutritious Life is a Pleasant Life."

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5/2/2021 0 Comments

Energy from food comes in three ways: Protein, Carbohydrates & fat. So how about a burger?

Your body obtains the energy it needs through protein, carbohydrates and fat. The USDA Dietary Guidelines (20115-2020) recommends the following calorie percentages for each in your daily intake:

Protein: 10-35%
Fats: 20-35%
Carbohydrates: 45-65%

With a 2000 calorie a day diet, this means 200-700 calories should be protein, 400-700 calories should be fats, and 900-1300 calories should be carbohydrates. The simplest way to determine calorie content of your foods is to use one of the many food logging apps or go to USDA Food Data Central website. However, since these are among the required nutrients required on food nutrition labels, and many restaurants provide that information if requested, you can also do the calculation yourself. For every gram of protein, there are four calories. For every gram of carbohydrates, there are also four calories. For fat, each gram contains 9 calories.

photo credit https://sites.psu.edu/eworkingernutr360/2017/03/17/the-importance-of-macronutrients/

Let's take a look at a typical fast food burger from McDonalds. According to their website, a double quarter pounder with cheese has 42 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates, and 48 grams of protein. The chart below shows the three nutrients are within the RDI (Recommended Daily Intake).

Many look at these numbers and this picture and think it's time to head to the drive-thru for a juicy double quarter pounder with cheese. After all, it's within the RDI for the day. However, other items come into play when looking at overall nutrition. Eating the RIGHT types of fat, carbohydrates and proteins helps promote a healthy lifestyle and reduced risk of many diseases that could lead to a shortened lifespan. So, when choosing fats, stay away from saturated fats, trans fats, and high cholesterol. When choosing proteins, keep them lean, and when choosing carbs, stick with high fiber, low sugar foods. This burger has 20 grams of saturated fat, 2.5 grams of trans fat and 186 milligrams of cholesterol. It only has 2 grams of fiber and 10 grams of sugar. Hopefully, these numbers make you rethink the drive-thru.

If you're really craving a burger, there are things you can do to make it better for you. Use a lean ground beef (I try to always buy the 93% lean) or ground turkey. Use a whole wheat bun, low fat cheese (or skip the cheese), add dark green lettuce and tomatoes and maybe even some slices of avocado. You can also limit the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard or find lower calorie options.

photo credit: https://weheartit.com/entry/346054504

Sources:
Marie, Boyle. Personal Nutrition. 10th ed., Cengage, 2019.
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/double-quarter-pounder-with-cheese.html

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Now I know why "flower" is in the name

It tastes better when you grow it yourself!

Energy from food comes in three ways: Protein, Carbohydrates & fat. So how about a burger?

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