healthy food tip and recipe
Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
This recipe is a great way to enjoy a variety of vegetables and, at the same time, add a wide array of health-promoting nutrients to your Healthiest Way of Eating.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
- 2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
- 1 medium onion, sliced thick
- 1 cup cubed zucchini
- Mediterranean Dressing
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- *optional 1 tsp soy sauce
- Chop onion and press garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes to enhance their health-promoting benefits.
- Bring lightly salted water to a boil in a steamer with a tight fitting lid. Add onions, cover, and steam for 3 minutes. Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes, Add kale and zucchini and steam for another 3 minutes.
- Remove vegetables from steamer and place in bowl. Toss with dressing ingredients. If you want to cook chicken or fish, here's how to do so: Add sliced chicken breast (3/4" thick) or fish (1" thick) on the top of the carrots and onions.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Steamed Vegetable Medley
Healthy Food Tip
The Latest News About Brussels Sprouts
You'll find nearly 100 studies in PubMed (the health research database at the National Library of Medicine in Washington, D.C.) that are focused on Brussels sprouts, and over half of those studies involve the health benefits of this cruciferous vegetable in relationship to cancer. This connection between Brussels sprouts and cancer prevention should not be surprising since Brussels sprouts provide special nutrient support for three body systems that are closely connected with cancer development as well as cancer prevention. These three systems are (1) the body's detox system, (2) its antioxidant system, and (3) its inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Chronic imbalances in any of these three systems can increase risk of cancer, and when imbalances in all three systems occur simultaneously, the risk of cancer increases significantly. Among all types of cancer, prevention of the following cancer types is most closely associated with intake of Brussels sprouts: bladder canc er, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.
What's New and Beneficial About Brussels Sprouts
- Brussels sprouts can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will use a steaming method when cooking them. The fiber-related components in Brussels sprouts do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it's easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw Brussels sprouts still have cholesterol-lowering ability-just not as much as steamed Brussels sprouts.
- Brussels sprouts may have unique health benefits in the area of DNA protection. A recent study has shown improved stability of DNA inside of our white blood cells after daily consumption of Brussels sprouts in the amount of 1.25 cups. Interestingly, it's the ability of certain compounds in Brussels sprouts to block the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes that researchers believe to be responsible for these DNA-protective benefits.
- For total glucosinolate content, Brussels sprouts are now known to top the list of commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables. Their total glucosinolate content has been shown to be greater than the amount found in mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, or broccoli. In Germany, Brussels sprouts account for more glucosinolate intake than any other food except broccoli. Glucosinolates are important phytonutrients for our health because they are the chemical starting points for a variety of cancer-protective substances. All cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates and have great health benefits for this reason. But it's recent research that's made us realize how especially valuable Brussels sprouts are in this regard.
- The cancer protection we get from Brussels sprouts is largely related to four specific glucosinolates found in this cruciferous vegetable: glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, sinigrin, and gluconasturtiian. Research has shown that Brussels sprouts offer these cancer-preventive components in special combination.
- Brussels sprouts have been used to determine the potential impact of cruciferous vegetables on thyroid function. In a recent study, 5 ounces of Brussels sprouts were consumed on a daily basis for 4 consecutive weeks by a small group of healthy adults and not found to have an unwanted impact on their thyroid function. Although follow-up studies are needed, this study puts at least one large stamp of approval on Brussels sprouts as a food that can provide fantastic health benefits without putting the thyroid gland at risk.
WHFoods Recommendations
You'll want to include Brussels sprouts as one of the cruciferous
vegetables you eat on a regular basis if you want to receive the
fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family.
At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your diet 2-3
times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups. Even
better from a health standpoint, enjoy Brussels sprouts and other
vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week and
increase your serving size to 2 cups.
It is very important not to overcook Brussels sprouts. Not only do they lose their nutritional value and taste but they will begin to emit the unpleasant sulfur smell associated with overcooked cruciferous vegetables. To help Brussels sprouts cook more quickly and evenly cut each sprout into quarters. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out the health-promoting qualities and then steam them for 5 minutes. Serve with our Honey Mustard Dressing to add extra tang and flavor to Brussels sprouts.
Cruciferous Vegetable Benefits
All cruciferous vegetables-including Brussels sprouts-provide
integrated nourishment across a wide variety of nutritional categories
and provide broad support across a wide variety of body systems as well.
For more on cruciferous vegetables see:
Health Benefits
Brussels sprouts provide numerous health benefits including:
- Anti-inflammatory benefits
- Antioxidant properties
- Detoxification benefits
- Cancer prevention
- Cardiovascular support
- Digestive support
Nutritional Profile
Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of immune-supportive vitamin
C and anti-inflammatory vitamin K. They are a very good source of
immune-supportive vitamin A (through their concentration of carotenoid
phytonutrients), enzyme-activating manganese, heart-healthy fiber,
potassium,vitamin B6 and fiber, and energy-producing vitamin B1.
Additionally, they are a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty
acids, vitamin E, and magnesium, energy-producing iron, phosphorus, and
vitamin B2, bone-healthy copper and calcium, and muscular-system
supportive protein.
Brussels Sprouts as a "Goitrogenic" Food
Brussels sprouts sometimes referred to as a "goitrogenic" food. Yet,
contrary to popular belief, according to the latest studies, foods
themselves-Brussels sprouts included-are not "goitrogenic" in the sense
of causing goiter whenever they are consumed, or even when they are
consumed in excess. In fact, most foods that are commonly called
"goitrogenic"-such as the cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli,
kale, and cauliflower) and soyfoods-do not interfere with thyroid
function in healthy persons even when they are consumed on a daily
basis. Nor is it scientifically correct to say that foods "contain
goitrogens," at least not if you are thinking about goitrogens as a
category of substances like proteins, carbohydrates, or vitamins. With
respect to the health of our thyroid gland, all that can be contained in
a food are nutrients that provide us with a variety of health benefits
but which, under certain circumstances, can also interfere with thyroid
function. The term "g
oitrogenic food" makes it sound as if something is wrong with the food,
but that is simply not the case. What causes problems for certain
individuals is not the food itself but the mismatched nature of certain
substances within the food to their unique health circumstances. For
more, see an An Up-to-Date Look at Goitrogenic Substances in Food.For more on this nutrient-rich vegetable, including references related to this Latest News, see our write-up on Brussels sprouts.
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