Enjoy it Raw: Arugula

April 30, 2013 by ascott • 1 Comment

What’s the single nutritional maxim everyone can agree upon?

Eat your greens. And, as it turns out in the case of Arugula, serving it raw is especially key. Going raw is one of the best ways to preserve this leafy green’s delicate nutrients, enzymes and amino acids. Intact chlorophyll (raw) helps prevent DNA and liver damage from aflatoxins, which sometimes appear in corn-based products, peanut-based products and some tree nuts. And unlike many of members of the Brassicacae family, it also tastes delicious raw

Arugula’s dark color signifies its high levels of chlorophyll, which are molecularly similar to red blood cells (interestingly, the major difference is that red blood cells have iron atoms in their centers, while plant chlorophyll centers contain magnesium atoms). Dr. Perricone has written extensively on the health benefits of magnesium and its contribution to over 300 metabolic functions in the human body.

Arugula is also rich in the vitamin K family, a group of particular note for those with anti aging concerns such as bone density health, cardiovascular health and Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin K2 is important for bone absorption of calcium vital for bone health, but not so understood is vitamin K’s contribution to cardiovascular health. Vitamin K is also thought to minimize brain matter calcifications that often result in Alzheimer’s disease.

What’s your favorite spring superfood?

Summer Beauty Foods: The Cherry

August 9, 2012 by Guest Blogger • 1 Comment

One of the things I look forward to during the summertime is that stone fruits are back in season. Juicy plums, apricots, and peaches are everywhere and I couldn’t be happier. Another fruit in their family is the cherry. These fruits are not only delicious, but rank high in the anti-inflammatory kitchen. Cherries come in sweet and sour varieties, but the sour cherries have a shorter peak time.

1. Cherries are definitely a super-fruit, filled with antioxidants called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins help reduce heart disease and cancer.

2. Their potent anti-inflammatory properties reduce inflammation and symptoms of arthritis and gout. To reduce post-exercise muscle and joint pain, athletes have been known to consume tart cherries.

3. Cherries contribute to the quality of your beauty sleep. These fruits are one of the few food sources that contain melatonin, an antioxidant and hormone that helps regulate heart rhythms and the body’s sleep cycles.

4. They are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which helps protects the cells. This in turn slows the aging process.

5. Cherries also give more power to your brain! They aid in brain health and in the prevention of memory loss by protecting brain cells against oxidative stress. So remember to eat cherries, and you’ll start remembering a lot more.

Note: although fresh cherries are in season during the summer, when they’re out of season you can still enjoy all their wonderful benefits by incorporating cherry juice concentrate into your diet. Brownwood Acres is a trusted brand, offering quality cherry juice concentrate made from Montmorency tart cherries.

Katharina Knoll, a Manhattan-based food and art enthusiast has prepared a series of anti-inflammatory recipes celebrating simple, rustic foods. Enraptured by the intersection of health and nutrition, Kat is the founder and director of Behind Foods. Follow Kat on her blog, Katharina’s Food Adventures, and keep in touch through her Facebook fan page and Twitter

Salmon Nicoise

June 21, 2012 by Guest Blogger • 3 Comments

This recipe is reminiscent of a Salade Niçoise (which also happens to be a great summer salad), and it incorporates one of our featured summer beauty foods: artichokes. The majority of ingredients in this recipe can be found in the anti-inflammatory kitchen cabinet, so you will radiate with each bite!

Ingredients:

For Dressing

1 tbl red-wine vinegar
1 tbl Sherry vinegar
1 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl capers
1 tbl Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, give or take

The Salad

1/2 lb. green beans or hericot vert, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
6-oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
6- to 7-oz jarred tuna, drained (recommend using the Ortiz brand)
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbl fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/3 cup olives, halved
A chunk of sheep’s milk feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook beans until crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain beans and plunge them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Now on to the dressing. A blender or an immersion blender work just fine for this. Add the vinegars, lemon juice, capers, mustard, and garlic paste and mix. Then gradually add the oil and blend in the process.
Now put the artichoke hearts, olives, thyme, green beans, onion, cherry tomatoes, tuna and feta in a large bowl. Drizzle all of the dressing over and mix.
Serve a bit chilled or at room temperature.

Tips: when drizzling the dressing, pour along the edges so when you mix it, it will be more evenly spread rather than a pool in the middle. I also like to use my hands to mix salads, ensuring that everything is properly dressed to make a delicious looking dish.

What are your favorite salad recipes?

Beauty Foods: The Strawberry

June 1, 2012 by ascott • 2 Comments

These antioxidant powerhouses actually have the 4^th highest levels of antioxidants, as far as fruits go. They’re delicious and can be enjoyed as a dessert by themselves, added to smoothies or even in savory dishes like summer salads. And we’re in luck, because strawberries are in season.

Stress busters: They are high in Vitamin C which helps to strengthen your body’s adrenal glands- which require the most Vitamin C of all the organs or glands in our body. Stress can lead to breakouts, so for clear skin, incorporate them frequently as a snack.
‘C’ for Supple: Strawberry’s high Vitamin C content keeps collagen and elastin levels healthy, keeping skin supple and youthful. Eat at least 3 servings of strawberries per week and incorporate a topical Vitamin C product to further stimulate collagen. 8 strawberries actually have more Vitamin C than an orange.
Fat burning: Strawberries contain antioxidant pigments known as anthocyanins which signal the body to use stored fat as fuel, according to The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemisty.

What are your favorite summer fruits?

Eat Your Sunscreen

May 30, 2012 by ascott • Comment

It’s no news that the sun’s UV rays are widely considered to be the #1 external cause of visible aging, such as age spots, hyperpigmentation and sagging skin. When we look at how the skin is damaged by UV rays, it can be understood that the sun exerts carcinogenic effects on the skin, by causing oxidative stress, damage to our DNA, and ultimately, inflammation.

If we know that cellular inflammation can be mitigated by making certain food choices, would it also make sense that these same food choices would help fight UV damage?

It would, and in the case of Lycopene, a carotenoid antioxidant present in red and pink fruits such as tomato, grapefruit and papaya, it’s been proven true.

Lycopene, in vitro, has been shown to prevent or repair damage to DNA. Researchers have further tested if the antioxidant actions of lycopene in tomato paste could decrease the skin damage caused by UV radiation in humans by testing on a group of women. At the beginning of the 12 week study, a group of healthy women had their skin’s reddening response to UV light measured. They then consumed tomato paste daily, and at the end of 12 weeks, their skin’s resistance to UV-induced reddening was enhanced. Their consumption of the tomato paste also reduced mitochondrial DNA damage and reduced the degredation of the skin’s extracellular proteins, which contributes to visible signs of aging. The results of this study suggest that regular tomato consumption can help reduce the skin damaging effects of the sun.

Bottom line: Prepare for the summer months ahead with a good non-chemical SPF and a healthy diet incorporating brightly colored fruits and vegetables from the anti inflammatory diet.

What photoprotective foods do you eat?

References

1. Nichols, J.A. and S.K. Katiyar, Skin photoprotection by natural polyphenols: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and DNA repair mechanisms. Arch Dermatol Res, 2010. 302(2): p. 71-83.
2. van Breemen, R.B. and N. Pajkovic, Multitargeted therapy of cancer by lycopene. Cancer Lett, 2008. 269(2): p. 339-51.
3. Rizwan, M., et al., Tomato paste rich in lycopene protects against cutaneous photodamage in humans in vivo. Br J Dermatol, 2010.

The Cheapest Health Food You Aren’t Eating

April 17, 2012 by Guest Blogger • 1 Comment

Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian and nutrition operations manager for a small chain of organic and natural food stores in Vancouver, Canada. Passionate about plant-based diets for more vibrant health, Desiree believes that food should not only nourish your body but also feed the soul. When she isn’t chasing around after her toddler, Desiree is a sought-after speaker and blogger.

A staple of traditional cuisine, Barley is an inexpensive (a 4 lb bag can cost as little as $4-$7) yet highly nutritious grain. Usually relegated to the dustiest of bulk bins, barley is an anti inflammatory superstar that serves as an ideal substitute for rice, pasta or couscous when following Dr. Perricone’s 3 Tier Approach to healthy aging. Some benefits include:

Feel fuller, faster: Early research has shown that when the indigestible parts of barley are fermented in the gut, hormones called GLP-1 may assist in lowering blood sugars and improving feelings of satiety (aka, helping you feel satisfied on less food).

Stabilize blood sugar & lower cholesterol: The soluble fibre in barley helps keep blood sugars in check by slowing down the rate at which sugars are absorbed into the blood stream. It helps lower blood cholesterol by binding it in the gut and carrying it out of your system.

Boost energy levels: Barley is rich in the trace minerals manganese and copper and anti-oxidant selenium, which is a co-factor for the anti-oxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase – just what you need to keep that energy flowing!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s barely recipe. What are your barely preparation tips or recipes?