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Whole Health Nutrition Newsletter |
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November, 2003
In this issue:
Karen's November
class schedule: Munchie Madness. If you have a picky eater at home, this class is for you. Learn how to make kid-friendly meals and snacks that
are healthy. Monday, November 3rd, 7-9PM, Jennings Park Barn, MarysvilleRegistration: 360-651-5085. Cost: $18.00 + $2.00 supply fee due at class.
Healthy Low-Carb Cooking. Learn how to make pancakes, breads and quiche that are grain-free, high in flavor and healthy. Thursday, November 6th, 7:15-9:15PM, Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline. Registration: 206-418-3383. Cost: $22.00 + $3.00 supply fee due at class.
Healthy Holiday Appetizers. This is a hands-on class where we will make several easy, delicious and healthy holiday appetizers. Bring your apron and a knife. Thursday, November 13, 7:15-9:15PM, Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline. Registration: 206-418-3383. Cost: $22.00 + $3.00 supply fee due at class.
The Joy of Soy. Learn about the various forms of soy such as tofu, tempeh and miso, the health benefits, and sample several delicious recipes. Monday, November 17th, 7-9PM, Jennings Park Barn, MarysvilleRegistration: 360-651-5085. Cost: $18.00 + $2.00 supply fee due at class.
Healthy Holiday
Appetizers. This is a hands-on
class where we will make several easy, delicious and healthy holiday
appetizers. Bring your apron and a knife. Tuesday, November 18th, 6:30-8:30PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds Registration:
425-771-0230. Cost: $18.00 + $3.00 supply fee due at class. Healthy Holiday
Appetizers. This is a hands-on
class where we will make several easy, delicious and healthy holiday
appetizers. Bring your apron and a knife. Thursday, November 20th, 7-9PM, Senior Center, Pacific and Lombard, Everett. Registration:
425-257-8300. Cost: $15.00 + $8.00 supply fee due at class. Beware
of Boiling Broccoli Getting
the necessary nutrients from vegetables may be even harder than you thought. New
research shows that different ways of preparing, storing and processing
vegetables can affect how good they are for you. Broccoli,
for instance, can lose as much as 97 percent of some antioxidants, or
cancer-fighting compounds, when it is zapped in the microwave. Vegetables
that are blanched before freezing (a common processing technique) can lose up
to one third of their antioxidants. Frozen storage can also cause losses, albeit
much smaller ones. Two
studies detailing these findings appear in the November issue of the
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Antioxidants
are plentiful in vegetables and work to eliminate free radicals, which can
damage cell DNA and contribute to various diseases. That's why eating fiber,
fruits, and vegetables, all of which contain antioxidants, can help prevent
cancer and cardiovascular disease. As
it turns out, though, that protective effect is most pronounced when the
vegetable is in its natural state. The
first study found that the simplest cooking method was also the worst when it
came to preserving nutrients. Broccoli lost 97 percent of flavonoids, 74
percent of sinapics and 87 percent of caffeoyl-quinic derivatives (three different
types of antioxidants) when it was microwaved. When
boiled the conventional way (i.e., not in a pressure-cooker), this green lost
66 percent of its flavonoids; when tossed in a pressure cooker, broccoli lost
47 percent of its caffeoyl-quinic acid derivatives. Steamed
broccoli, on the other hand, lost only 11 percent, 0 percent and 8 percent,
respectively, of flavonoids, sinapics, and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives. The
advantage of steaming vs. conventional boiling is that you're "not using
water directly in contact with the vegetable. The nutritional compounds don't
go into the water," says Cristina Garcia-Viguera, lead author of this
paper. "Once the compounds are in the water, the temperature destroys
them much easier." A
microwave wreaks havoc because it heats the inside of the vegetable. That,
combined with the fact that you normally use water when microwaving, causes
the destruction of valuable nutrients. Even reheating steamed broccoli in a
microwave would probably have the same effect, Garcia-Viguera says, although
she did not specifically examine this in her research. The
findings can probably be extrapolated to many other vegetables but, again,
the researchers did not specifically address this. The
second study looked at the effects of blanching and freezing and of long-term
freezer storage on more than 20 common vegetables. As it turned out,
different species showed different effects from these processing techniques. In
general, dietary fiber components were not affected or even went up slightly.
Mineral content, also, tended to remain stable. On the other hand,
antioxidant activity went down 20 percent to 30 percent during blanching. Carrots,
peas, and broccoli lost 30 percent of their vitamin C during
blanching/freezing, while green beans lost 10 percent and spinach lost 40
percent (with an additional 30 percent lost during deep frozen storage). Spinach
also lost almost 40 percent of its potassium and 70 percent of its folic acid
during blanching. Don't
despair just yet, says Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New
York University Medical Center in New York City. The
use of these vegetables in the studies meant they were nutritious in the
first place, she says. "Then I'm still reaping the benefits even if
they're losing some of their qualitative values," she says. Moreover,
Heller points out, not all of the healthy properties of vegetables are being
eliminated. "You're still getting plenty of healthy compounds as well as
fiber, so there's absolutely no reason not to eat vegetables -- although, of
course, the fresher the better," she says. "If
people are willing to have vegetables anyway, shape or form, even if they are
going to nuke then, I'd rather have them do that," she adds. Health Day News, October 16,
2003 More Antioxidants in
Organic Food Than Conventionally Grown Food Organic fruits and vegetables have significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than traditionally grown foods, according to a study of corn, strawberries and marionberries. The study suggested that the pesticides and herbicides used by conventional growers hampers the plants production of phenolics, chemicals that naturally defend the plants and are beneficial to human health. Fertilizers, on the other hand, appear to increase levels of anti-cancer compounds in the plants. Plants produce flavonoids--phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant activity--in response to environmental stressors, such as insects or competing plants. Plants that have been exposed to herbicides and pesticides have less of a need to produce such compounds, and therefore produce fewer antioxidants than organically grown food. The study compared the total antioxidants found in corn, strawberries and marionberries (a type of blackberry) that had either been grown organically (no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers used), sustainably (fertilizers but no herbicides or pesticides were used) and conventionally (synthetic chemicals were used). Organic and sustainably grown foods were found to have significantly higher amounts of antioxidants than conventionally grown food. Specifically, levels of antioxidants in sustainably grown corn were 58.5 percent higher than conventionally grown corn, while organically and sustainably grown marionberries had about 50 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown berries. Further, sustainably and organically grown strawberries had about 19 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown strawberries. Sustainably grown produce had the highest antioxidant levels overall, indicating that a combination of organic and conventional growing methods may be most beneficial. The higher level of antioxidants in the organically grown food is enough to have a significant impact on health and nutrition, researchers noted. Journal Agricultural
Food Chemistry February 26,
2003;51(5):1237-41 Produce Pick
of the Month: Sweet Potatoes Although sweet potatoes may be part of the
Thanksgiving tradition, be sure to add these wonderful naturally sweet
vegetables to your meals throughout the year; they are some of the most
nutritious vegetables around. Sweet potatoes can be found in your local
markets year-round, however they are in season in November and December. The sweet potato has yellow or orange
flesh, and its thin skin may either be white, yellow, orange, red or purple. There
is often much confusion between sweet potatoes and yams; the moist-fleshed,
orange-colored root vegetable that is often called a "yam" is
actually a variety of sweet potato. As an excellent source of
both vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin C, sweet potatoes
have healing properties as an antioxidant food. Both beta-carotene and
vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free
radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that damage cells and cell membranes
and are associated with the development of conditions like atherosclerosis,
diabetic heart disease, and colon cancer. This may explain why beta-carotene
and vitamin C have both been shown to be helpful for preventing these
conditions. |
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Recipe of the Month: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pepper and Thyme Try
this recipe instead of the traditional mashed potatoes at your Thanksgiving
table this year. It is more nutritious, and in my opinion more delicious too. 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes or yams 4 tablespoons unsalted
butter, cut into chunks and softened ¼ cup milk, cream, or
half-and-half 1 teaspoon chopped fresh
thyme leaves ½ teaspoon coarsely ground
black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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