Posts Tagged ‘spinach’

« Older Entries

100% Raw Food Diet – Is That the REAL Goal?

February 15th, 2011

Is the goal of improving your diet really to be 100% raw?

100% raw

For some people it is. For me, not so much.

I’m not a big fan of putting labels on things or striving to be a certain “%” raw. After all, how can you tell if you’re 85% raw?

If you’ve read Eating for Energy you’ll know that I espouse adding more raw plant-based foods into your diet. And I even give you 120 recipes and a 12-week meal plan to help you do just that.

But my intention isn’t to convert into a raw foodist. It’s up to if you want to be 100% raw.

As a nutritionist, not a fanatic, my first priority is to recommend what I think are the healthiest dietary options. For most of us, eating more fruits and vegetables falls into that category.

But there are also instances when just might be better off cooking your food. And this is where some people and other raw foodies might give me some grief. Believe me, I’ve received hate mail from others telling me that our diet should 80% fruit, others telling me that we need meat and dairy, and on and on.

That’s great. That’s what works for them.

I’m not here to convince you that you need to be 100% raw. I’m here to inspire and educate you as to what is healthy and what is less healthy.

Here are some examples of vegetables that you MAY consider cooking every now and then:

Broccoli

This cruciferous vegetable contains tons of cancer-fighting and health-giving properties. But, in its raw state, it also contains goitrogenic compounds which can depress your thyroid. These are lessened when broccoli is slightly cooked, steamed, boiled (ie. heated).

Spinach

Even I add raw baby spinach to my salads and smoothies but some research shows that raw spinach contains oxalic and phytic acids, natural compounds which can impair calcium and iron absorption, respectively.

Further studies out of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have revealed that spinach (along with carrots, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, and a few others) may provide greater amounts of antioxidants like beta-carotene and other carotenoids in its cooked vs. raw state.

Am I blowing the whistle on a 100% raw diet?

You might think I’m crazy for recommending non-raw foods, but the reality is that eating more plant-based foods should be the overall goal. Time and time again and study after study have shown that moving toward more of plant-based diet will improve ALL aspects of you health!

If it so happens that most of those fruits and veggies are raw, then that’s great.

Will some oxalic or phytic acid ruin your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients? Probably not to a significant degree.

So whether you choose to move closer to a 100% raw diet is up to you. I’m not here to judge.

The point I am trying to make in this post is that HEALTH, not fanaticism, should be our primary objective.

If you feel your body doesn’t respond well to ALL foods in their raw state, then don’t it force the issue. Many people have trouble getting all that fiber to co-operate with their system. If you want to enjoy a warm vegetable soup (instead of cold raw soup) during the cold winter months, then go right ahead and don’t feel bad about doing so!

At the end of the day, if you can enjoy a head of broccoli, even cooked, then in my books that’s far better than not eating it at all.

In sum…

Do I believe that most of your diet should be raw plant-based foods? YES.

Can you still cook some of your food? YES – if you like.

I’ll finish by leaving you with something very powerful to keep in mind…

You make the rules! You determine which dietary approach and which foods work best for your body. For me, Eating for Energy resonates with my constitution. And it does for millions of other people as well.

But if your body functions optimally with the occasional piece of meat or free-run eggs, then that’s great. Just make sure you’re getting tons of fruits and veggies on the side, and you’ll be fine!

eating for energy

.

.

.

.

References:

Miglio, C. et al. (2008) Effects of Different Cooking Methods on Nutritional and Physicochemical Characteristics of Selected Vegetables. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2008, 56 (1), pp 139–147.

.

==> What do you think about this topic? Is your goal to be 100% raw OR is it something else? Let me know in the comments.

18 comments »

Posted in Food For Thought, Raw Foods

Tags:

3 Raw Food Recipes for the Summer

May 16th, 2010

23_popsic_lgWith the return of beautiful summer weather, many of us begin to put away the last remaining items that we use regularly during the winter.

The big bulky sweaters return to the back of the closet; the winter tires come off the family car; the mittens and scarves are stored away and replaced with light hats to keep the sun off our heads. One other area of de-winterization, even for non raw food enthusiasts, tends to be in their diet.

During those cold winter months, we crave those hot foods to fill our bellies and warm our insides. Big, thick and steaming soups, hot meat pies straight from the oven, and mugs of hot chocolate are all the rage as the weather rages below freezing outside. But in the summer months, we tend to put away those hot foods in favor of cool salads, iced teas and other cold items intended to chill us out as the mercury climbs. We do this without any thought towards using more raw food recipes.

One of the most obvious summer foods is one that you can use for any number of easy raw food recipes – the watermelon. This enormous fruit may be mostly water, but the juicy flavors are synonymous with sunshine and picnics.

And while the temptation may be there to simply split the fruit open and feast on it by the slice, there is much more than can be done with watermelon in the summer. One great dish for raw food enthusiasts and those simply seeking an apres-sun dish is the delicious watermelon soup.

Served chilled, this dish is great for the evenings, just before the sun goes down. All you have to do is combine the flesh of a good sized melon in a food processor with a small amount of ginger to taste, the juice of a medium lime, and a few leaves of mint. Blend until smooth, adding cold water as needed, depending on the consistency you desire. Strain if you like, or serve as is, garnished with an extra mint leaf.

Another great summer raw treat comes from the huge selection of green smoothie recipes that can be found online. Green smoothies give you all of the energy you need, in a cool refreshing drink. For optimum results, process a handful of spinach or kale with a medium orange, a touch of lemon zest, a bit of raw honey, a glass of cold water, a half cup of ice and half of a cucumber. This delicious drink will serve you well as a breakfast, or a patio sipper on a scorching hot day.

Another summer favorite is the simple popsicle, but many of the store-bought options are loaded with processed sugars and artificial colors. For a healthier raw version, try mixing together your favorite smoothie – maybe a delicious banana-strawberry smoothie – and freezing your own treats on a stick.

This way, you will know exactly what wonderful foods you are eating, know that you are not resorting to sugars to provide flavors, and you can customize your frozen desserts and have a different flavor every single day!

2 comments »

Posted in Raw Food Recipes

Tags:

Eat to Boost Immunity

May 3rd, 2010

Why do we eat?

Many people never stop to question that. They simply eat because they are hungry, and subsequently, they don’t stop to think about what they eat.

Those are the people who simply line up at the nearest fast food restaurant every day, and quickly push down whatever tastes good. These people are often more sluggish, less active, and less happy overall. It is not all about diet, but there are certainly some correlations between an unhealthy diet and an unhealthy lifestyle.

But one area that many people do not think about is how eating poorly might affect your overall health and your ability to fight off illnesses. The average fast-food diet does nothing to protect you, and in fact drains away your body’s natural ability to fight disease.

If you want to eat to boost your immunity, you should consider these 4 raw foods. Not only do they taste great, they are wonders at keeping you at the peak of health. There are plenty of raw food diet testimonials that will tell you this.

Strawberries

strawberryStrawberries are one of those raw foods that are incredibly easy to eat. They taste great, contain tons of vitamins and nutrients, and are actually calorie-neutral, meaning that they take as many calories to digest and burn as they provide.

But it is those vitamins that really pump up the average strawberry into a health-helping food. If you want to eat more strawberries, simply mix them into your salads, blend them as a smoothie, or keep a bag on hand for snacking any time to help make you one of the raw food success stories.

Spinach

baby_spinachSpinach is a little bit of a harder sell than strawberries, but that is because many of us are familiar with the horror that is cooked spinach – limp, saggy and unimpressive in taste.

And in that cooking process, it actually loses much of the benefits that you are trying to take in. Instead, spinach should be eaten raw; in salads, in smoothies, or in wraps. The vitamins and minerals will not be cooked away and wasted, and you will be surprised how much better spinach tastes when it is raw.

Oranges

oranges-vitamin-c-lgOranges, of course, are great sources of vitamin C, which your body loves when it comes time to fight the flu or conquer a cold. If you don’t like the pulp, you can simply squeeze your oranges and drink the juice.

But if you enjoy the segments, they can be eaten as a snack, added to your breakfast plate, blended down for an after-workout smoothie, or added to raw sauces for that citrus kick.

Sprouts

alfalfa-sproutsSprouts are perhaps the least well-known item on the list, but they should certainly have a place in your kitchen based on eating for energy reviews.

Raw sprouts contain all the energy that the young plant will need to grow up big and strong, and by eating them at this young stage, you get to use all of those benefits for your body instead.

Sprouts can be added to almost any salad, or can be broken down in the food processor and used to make a raw dough for all sorts of wonderful recipes.

1 comment »

Posted in General Nutrition

Tags:

Raw Food Smoothie Recipes

March 23rd, 2010

iStock_000003025292SmallIf the last smoothie that you had came from the mall, I have big news for you. While it might have been made fresh to order, and it might have contained all sorts of delicious fruits, it was probably about as healthy for you as a big, heaping bowl of chocolate ice cream – with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Yes, those smoothies from the fast-food joints are not smoothies that are going to do you any good. If you want a true smoothie – one made only from raw ingredients, and one that is going to make you feel great inside and out, then there is only one place to go – your own kitchen.

Not only will a smoothie made at home cost you pennies on the dollar as compared to what you can buy at the mall, you can control the contents in a way that will really benefit you.

For instance, let’s say it is early in the morning, but not early enough. You have five minutes to get out the door and head to work – no time to brew a cup of coffee, and certainly no time for a properly prepared breakfast.

You could stop somewhere and pick something up, but this recipe will take less time than even the most efficient drive-through window. All you need to do is toss a handful of leftover greens from last night’s dinner – be that spinach, kale or lettuce – into the blender, along with a cored apple, a drizzle of honey, and a cup of ice water. After less than a minute of blending, you have a great, healthy green smoothie that you can pour into a travel mug and enjoy on your way into work. It is nutritious, delicious, modifiable and incredibly easy. What more could you ask for in the morning?

But what if it’s not the morning? What if you’ve just come in from a hard workout, and you need to replace all the fuel you’ve just burned in your system?

You could grab a glass of pasteurized and otherwise dead milk, mixed with a dose of chocolate-flavored syrup. But why not replace the fuel with something of a higher octane than that?

Grab your trusty blender, and toss in a handful of your favorite fruits and berries, along with a few ice cubes, a cup of water and some nut milk – almond tends to work best for flavor, but go with whatever you prefer here. There are other milks available, including raw soy milks, so experiment a little, and find out what works best for you.

If you like a little more sweetness than the berries and fruit provides, add a bit of raw honey or agave syrup. Blend until smooth, and drink while it’s still cold. You’ll get a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals, fluids to replace what you’ve sweated out, and some protein to help those tired muscles to recover. And you’ll do it without all the added processed sugar and the hard-to-process milk products that your regular smoothie stop will usually toss in.

No comments »

Posted in Raw Food Recipes

Tags:

Mineral Spotlight: Magnesium

November 26th, 2009

Magnesium is an important essential mineral for the body. It is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions, including those that contribute to production of energy and cardiovascular function.

Considering its immense importance to our health, it is a sad to report that magnesium intake has been on the decline since the earl 1990s. For instance, the greatest decreases in dietary magnesium have been seen in the American diet (what a surprise!) as a result of supplemental vitamin D and calcium supplements, increased phosphorus, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar intake, and constant consumption of refined and processed foods.

And let’s not forget that the average American is only getting 1.5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Considering that magnesium is abundantly found in these foods it’s no wonder we a have a problem.

What Does it Do?

Magnesium is known as the “anti-stress” mineral. It is a natural tranquilizer as it functions to relax skeletal muscle as well as the smooth muscles of blood vessels and the GI tract.

Research has indicated that decreased blood and tissue levels of magnesium are correlated with high blood pressure, kidney stones, and heart attacks.

But it’s no surprise that we would see such issues since magnesium has a relaxing effect on the body. Therefore, low levels of this vital mineral means that many contraction (calcium-stimulated)-relaxation (magnesium-stimulated) relationships are disrupted tipping the scales toward a state of “constriction” or “contraction”.

For instance, studies have shown that a decreased concentration of magnesium is found in the heart and blood of heart attack victims.

Because of its influence on the heart (which in turn in the greatest reservoir of magnesium), it is considered important in preventing coronary artery spasm, a significant cause of heart attacks. Spasms of the blood vessels lead to insufficient oxygen supply, which results in pain, injury, or death of the muscle tissue that they nourish.

To function optimally, magnesium must be balanced in the body with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium chloride. For instance, too little magnesium leads to more calcium flowing into the vascular muscle cells, causing them to contract – leading to tighter vessels and higher blood pressure.

For women, magnesium’s relaxing effects has implications for helping to alleviate  PMS.

It also a big role to play in allowing the body to eliminate properly. Adequate magnesium allows your bowels to relax and thus allow the passage of waste from the colon.

These are just a few of the many vital functions that magnesium performs in our body. Needless to say, it is an important which we need to get from our diet and possibly supplementation.

Where is it Found?

Almost all of our magnesium supplies come from vegetables. As a component of chlorophyll, magnesium is to the plants what iron is to the hemoglobin of our red blood vessels. In fact, chlorophyll and hemoglobin have the EXACT same molecular structure differing only in their main mineral – magnesium and iron, respectively.

This molecular identity is one of the reasons that green vegetables are so amazing for the human body. Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives plants their green colour. It also important to plant photosynthesis – the process of converting sunlight, CO2, and water into carbohydrates and oxygen. As a result, when we ingest green foods we essentially infuse the sun’s energy right into our blood stream. Pretty powerful if you ask me!

Therefore, best sources of magnesium are definitely dark green vegetables. Think kale, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, watercress, and anything else that is green.

Most nuts, seeds, and legumes also have high amounts of magnesium.

Here are some magnesium-rich foods and their respective levels of magnesium:

Spinach (1 cup, boiled) –  156 mg

Swiss chard (1 cup, boiled) – 150 mg

Pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup, raw) – 185 mg

Sesame seeds (1/4 cup, raw) – 126 mg

Black beans (1 cup, cooked) – 120 mg

Cashews (1/4 cup, raw) – 89 mg

Kale (1 cup, boiled) – 24 mg

How Much Do I Need?

The minimum required intake of magnesium can be expressed as about 6 mg/kg of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person would need about 410 mg per day.

In general, for men over 19 years of age, the recommendation is 400 mg of magnesium per day, while for women of the same age it’s about 360 mg per day.

However, the problem is that the average American diet only supplies about 120 mg of magnesium per 1,000 calories. Which means that we need enhance the nutrient density of our food intake without over-doing the calories!

book_cover_webSo what’s the take home message from this information?

Eat more plant-based foods! Especially dark green leafy vegetables. All you need to do is add one more cup of spinach or swiss chard to your meals and you will most likely have doubled the average American diet intake!

In fact, if you haven’t already read my ebook, Eating for Energy, then I would highly recommend you do so. Apply just 10% of what I recommend in the book and your magnesium levels will soar and you healthier than you ever thought possible!

Got any questions? Feel free to ask me in the comments.

No comments »

Posted in General Nutrition

Tags: