Linda's Voice

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Insight of the Day 9/3/2013 - Quote by Anatole France

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

Anatole France
1844-1924, Poet, Journalist, and Novelist

Quick Black Bean Chili - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
August 30, 2013

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Recent studies have shown that the skin of pears contains at least three to four times as many antioxidant, anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and potentially anti-cancer phytonutrients than the flesh,another reason to choose organic pears whenever possible. Find out What's New and Beneficial About Pears.

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Chili is enjoyed even during the summer months, and this rich, hearty and flavorful version can be prepared in less than 30 minutes!

Quick Black Bean Chili

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups or 1 15 oz can (BPA-free) black beans
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 TBS chili powder
1/2 cup cilantro

Directions:

Chop onions and mince or press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting properties.
Place all ingredients—except cilantro—in a pot, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
Top with cilantro and serve.

Serves 2 From page 613 of The World's Healthiest Foods book.
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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Quick Black Bean Chili

Healthy Food Tip

Do purple cauliflower and orange cauliflower have the same nutritional value as white cauliflower?

Unfortunately, I have not seen complete nutritional analysis done for the purple and orange varieties of cauliflower. Yet, I would like to note that the difference in color is representative of the difference in phytonutrient pigments present. For example, anthocyanin flavonoids lend purple cauliflower its hue while carotenoids (some of which have vitamin A activity) lend orange cauliflower its unique coloration. Each of these phytonutrients adds to cauliflower's antioxidant concentration. I would describe each of these different forms of cauliflower as unique in their nutritional value and each variety can be viewed as making outstanding contributions to a Healthiest Way of Eating.
For more information on this topic, please see:

Insight of the Day - Funny Monday - Quote by Sofia Vergara

"I can turn around and scream and get angry, but I turn around and I forget about it."

Sofia Vergara
Actress, Comedian, and Model

Insight of the Day 8/29/2013 - Quote by Benjamin Franklin

"Doing an Injury puts you below your enemy; Revenging one makes you but even with him; Forgiving it sets you above him."

Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790, Author, Politician, Scientist, and Inventor

Curried Chicken Over Spinach - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
August 29, 2013

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Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

This is a great tasting dish that requires little work. The curry coconut complements the flavor of spinach and you can easily include more vegetables. Just increase the amount of sauce slightly and add along with the bell peppers.

Curried Chicken Over Spinach

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (6oz each)
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 TBS fresh ginger chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1 medium sized onion, cut in half and sliced
1 medium sized red bell pepper julienne about 1 inch long
1/2 cup coconut milk, make sure it is mixed well before using
4 bunches fresh spinach
salt & white pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring water to a boil for spinach. While water is coming to a boil, cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Healthy Sauté onion in a medium sauté pan over medium low heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic and fresh ginger and continue to sauté for another minute. Add turmeric, and curry and mix well. Add stock, chicken, and coconut milk. Simmer for 5 minutes and add bell peppers and other vegetables you desire. Cook until chicken is done, about another 5 minutes.
While chicken is cooking, cut ends off the bunch of spinach all at once. Don't bother trying to do it one stem at a time. It will take you too long and it is not necessary. Rinse spinach well and drop into boiling water for just 1 minute. Strain and press dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Place spinach on plates and top with chicken mixture.

Serves 4 For optimum flavor and nutrition serve with:

Minted Carrots

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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Curried Chicken Over Spinach

Healthy Food Tip

Do pickles have about the same amount of nutrition as raw cucumbers?

There is some nutrient loss that occurs when a vegetable, like a cucumber, is pickled. The exact nutrients that are lost and the exact percentage depends on (1) the liquids you use to pickle and marinate and (2) the length of time you keep the vegetables in the solution before consuming them. A certain percentage of some water-soluble nutrients, like vitamin C, can naturally transfer to the pickling liquid over time.
Here are some specifics regarding cucumber pickles:
A raw unpeeled 8-inch cucumber weighs about 300 grams, provides about 45 calories of energy, and contains about 8.4 milligrams of vitamin C. Two 4-inch pickled cucumbers (sour, not sweet) weigh about 270 grams, provide about 30 calories of energy, and contain about 2.8 milligrams of vitamin C. So you can see that there is a moderate amount of vitamin C loss involved with the pickling process. I say "moderate" here because pickles do not contain a very large amount of vitamin C to begin with, and even though the loss is fairly high in terms of percentage, we are only talking about 5-6 milligrams here.
This same type of nutrient loss applies to a vitamin like folic acid. In the 8-inch raw cucumber referred to above, there are about 21 micrograms of folic acid. In the sour pickle example, there are only 2 micrograms. Once again, this nutrient loss is very substantial as a percentage, but since DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) recommendation for adults is 400 micrograms of folic acid each day, these 19 lost micrograms, while still important to notice, only constitute about 5% of the DRI requirement.
Many of the minerals in cucumber are contained in the skins, and keeping the skins on when pickling would be important if you wanted to maintain the mineral content. (Of course, I would highly recommend organic cucumbers, especially when leaving on the skins, since it's the skin that gets the most exposure to potentially toxic sprays.)
I don't object to the pickling of vegetables and think they definitely can have a healthy place in your Healthiest of Way of Eating. However, I do see them as significantly different (in terms of nutritional value) both from raw vegetables and from minimally cooked vegetables.

Insight for the Day 8/28/2013 - Quote by Rich German

"Competition as we know it is dead. Collaboration is the new competition. It's about working with each other, not against. Together we all win."

Rich German
Author and Success Coach

Cranberry and Fresh Pear Cobbler - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
August 27, 2013

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Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

This is a wonderful after-dinner treat that provides a great combination of flavors and health benefits to your Healthiest Way of Eating! Cranberries, like their cousin blueberries, are one of the best sources of health-promoting antioxidants.

Cranberry and Fresh Pear Cobbler

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium orange*
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp honey
1/2 ripe pear (Bosc or other firm variety)
1/4 cup + 2 TBS walnuts
*Because the recipe calls for orange zest we recommend using an organic orange

Directions:

Grate enough orange rind to make 1 tsp zest and place in a mixing bowl.
Cut the orange in half and juice both halves into the same bowl as the rind.
Add the cranberries and honey. Mix until the honey is dissolved. Let sit for 1/2 hour to allow cranberries to soften.
After the cranberries have softened, cut the pear into 1/4-inch cubes and add to the bowl.
Add 1/4 cup walnuts.
Divide the mixture into 2 dessert dishes and sprinkle each with 1 TBS of the chopped walnuts.

Serves 2 Printer Friendly Version of Cranberry and Fresh Pear Cobbler
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cranberry and Fresh Pear Cobbler

Healthy Food Tip

The Latest News About Pears

Pears are a member of the rose family of plants (Rosaceae), which, in addition (of course) to roses, contains a long list of fruits including apples, apricots, cherries, chokeberry, crabapples, loquats, peaches, plums, quinces, raspberries, serviceberries, and strawberries as well as the tree nut, almonds. They are distinct from (but closely related to) the fruit we commonly call "pear apple." Some of the more commonly enjoyed varieties include: Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Concorde, Forelle, Anjou, Seckel, and Starkrimson.

What's New and Beneficial About Pears

For nutritional reasons, we're often advised to consume the skins of fruits. However, it's less often that research provides strong evidence in support of this advice. Recent studies have shown that the skin of pears contains at least three to four times as many phenolic phytonutrients as the flesh. These phytonutrients include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and potentially anti-cancer phytonutrients like cinnamic acids. The skin of the pear has also been show to contain about half of the pear's total dietary fiber.
In recent studies measuring risk of type 2 diabetes in U.S. women, pears have earned very special recognition. Researchers now know that certain flavonoids in food can improve insulin sensitivity, and of special interest in this area have been three groups of flavonoids (flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins). All pears contain flavonoids falling within the first two groups, and red-skinned pears contain anthocyanins as well. Intake of these flavonoid groups has been associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes in both women and men. However, a new analysis of the Nurses' Health Study has shown that among all fruits and vegetables analyzed for their flavonoid content, the combination of apples/pears showed the most consistent ability to lower risk of type 2 diabetes. We believe that this special recognition given to pears as a fruit that can help lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women is likely to be followed by future studies showing this same benefit for men.
You've no doubt heard someone say that cloudy fruit juices containing fruit pulp provide better nourishment than clear fruit juices that have had their pulp removed through filtering. Scientists have now proven that statement to be correct with respect to pear juice. With their pulp removed, pear juices were determined to lose up to 40% of their total phenolic phytonutrients, and to have significantly reduced antioxidant capacity. "Cloudy" pear juices (technically referred to as "high turbidity" juices) emerged as the superior juice type in terms of nutrient content as well as antioxidant benefits.

Health Benefits

Pears provide numerous health benefits including:

Antioxidant support
Anti-inflammatory benefits
Decreased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease
Reduced Cancer Risk

For more details on pears' health benefits, see this section of our pears write-up.

Nutritional Profile

Pears are a concentrated source of phenolic phytonutrients, including hydroxybenzoic acids (chlorogenic acid, gentisic acid, syringic acid, and vanillic acid); hydroxycinnamic acids (coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and 5-caffeoylquinic acid); hydroxyquinones (arbutin), flavanols (catechin, epicatechin); flavonols (isorhamnetin, quercetin, kaempferol); anthocyanins (in red-skinned varieties, including Red Anjou, Red Bartlett, Comice, Seckel, and Starkrimson); and carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin). Pears are a very good source of heart-healthy dietary fiber and a good source of immune-supportive vitamin C and bone-building vitamin K.
For more on this nutrient-rich fruit, including references related to this Latest News, see our write-up on pears.