health and wellness

There are many delicious, super-nutritious foods that never see the inside of a shopping cart. Many people have never heard of them before, while others have simply forgotten all about them. I realize this most every time I enter the grocery store and I can’t help but notice that most carts include the basics such as tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. But being that my mother was an organic-minded, health-food fanatic; most of my whole life, my diet consisted of fruits and vegetables that many people had never heard of before. I remember always going to the farmer’s market as a child. To this very day, I still get cashiers asking me on a regular basis, “What is this?” I always enjoy telling them, and then quickly add in some tips on what they can do with the same superfoods. They seem always fascinated and grateful to listen! So let me share with you as well.

Beets

These odd, grungy looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, and are pack with flavor and offer the edible advantage of both the beet greens as well as the root bulbs.

Why you should eat them: Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye’s powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Their natural pigments - called betacyanins- that give beets their color have been proven to be potent cancer fighters in lab mice.

How to eat them: I love beet and carrot juice together, should you have a juicer. You can also grate the bulbs and throw them along with the fresh beet greens into your salad with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and a little lemon juice with seasonings. The beet leaves are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and it’s a sin to toss these out and not to make use of them. If you don’t care for the taste of fresh greens, you can make them as a side dish by gently saute them as well as the bulbs with olive oil over medium heat. Be sure to add lots of fresh garlic and remove them when leaves are just wilted as you do not want to destroy the nutrients. I pour a little apple cider vinegar over them along with lemon juice and sea salt. They are to die for. You can also sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese to top. Just be sure to scrub these roots well and always buy them fresh for maximum nutrition.

Purslane

Even though the FDA has classified purslane as weeds, it is a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.

Why you should eat them: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 essential fats of any edible plant. Scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin - an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth - than any other fruit or vegetable tested.

How to eat them: Purslane is wonderful in any salad whether as an alternative or addition to lettuce. The leaves and stems are crisp and succulent providing a lemony taste. They are usually sold at farmer’s markets, or Chinese and Mexican markets, and can also be found at some Whole Foods stores. 

 Pomegranates

Pomegranates have finally become available in most grocery stores in the United States, but they have been around for decades in the Middle East, and are served as a popular drink there.

Why you should eat them: Israeli scientists discovered that men who drank just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice each day for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts. What’s more, 4 ounces provides 50% of your daily vitamin C needs.

How to eat them: You can peel them open and remove them of their white skin and eat the succulent seeds raw. They taste wonderful and are quite juicy. Try 100% pomegranate juice from Pom Wonderful. It contains no added sugars, and because it’s so powerful, a small glassful is all you need. 

Pumpkin Seeds

These jack-o’-lantern, wasted seeds are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.

Why you should eat them: Eating pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium. French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40% lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels.  

How to eat them: You can eat them roasted, and they are eaten whole; shells and all while the shells provide extra fiber. They taste nutty and great. They have 150 mg of magnesium per ounce, and if you add them on top of casseroles and salads, you’ll easily get the 420 mg recommended by the USDA. Look for them in the health food section of your grocery store.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is one of my very favorite greens. They are a slightly bitter, salty vegetable which is actually native to the Mediterranean. They are quite beautiful with long leafy-greens while their stems are both red and slightly green in color.

Why you should eat them: A half a cup of cooked Swiss chard provides a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin, supplying 10 mg each. These plants have carotenoids, which protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers. Because of their nutrient pigment - they absorb the type of shortwave light rays and protect the internal eye.

How to eat them: Chard goes great with almost anything; as part of a salad,  side dish, with grilled steaks, chicken, and also works well as a bed for pan-seared fish. Be sure to wash them well, and prepare these the same way as beet greens with lots of fresh garlic seared in a wok with olive oil. You can also get creative, and add crushed red pepper to the wok while cooking them, and then season them with sea salt. Yummy! 

Guava

Guava is tropical fruit that’s slightly acidic but with intense sweetness to its flesh.

Why you should eat them: Guava has a higher concentrate of lycopene - an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer - than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. Just one cup provides 688 mg of potassium, which is 63% more than you’ll find in a medium banana. Additionally, guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food.

How to eat them: You can eat the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It’s all edible and the rind alone provides more vitamin C than in the flesh of an orange.

Cabbage

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable and is among a major ingredient in European and Asian diets. It is, however, most unfortunate that it is absent from most American kitchens. 

Why you should eat them: One cup of cabbage has just 22 calories, and it is loaded with valuable nutrients. Notably high in sulforaphane, it increases your body’s production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce risk of cancer. Stanford researchers have found cabbage to be higher than any other plant source in sulforaphane.

How to eat them: Shred cabbage in your salads, on your burger or sandwich to add a wonderful crunch to it, and be sure to add it to Mexican tacos as an alternative to lettuce. Next there is the wonderful, well renowned Irish dish of cabbage and corned beef - one of my favorite dishes, and one I will have to share my recipe at a later time. Additionally, you can make coleslaw with it or just simmer the cabbage in water or home-made chicken stock, and sprinkle sea salt over it and maybe a little apple cider vinegar. This is fabulous in taste!!

nutritional reference sources:
Stanford University, Harvard, FDA, USDA, and Men’s Health