IN FRATERNAM MEAM: WHAT AMERICA EATS: SIX SUPERFOODS TO KNOW

IN FRATERNAM MEAM

Thursday, April 10, 2008

WHAT AMERICA EATS: SIX SUPERFOODS TO KNOW

Whether you use them for seasoning, sweetening or snacking, the foods you choose can function as health boosting agents. And some vital nutrients come in surprising packages! These six superfoods are packed with benefits - and flavor:

COCONUT MILK
The coconut is an unusual fruit: It's rich, and the fat is mostly saturated. In the South Pacific, traditional diets use copious amounts of coconut oil, yet studies there have shown that people don't get heart disease. In the U.S., research to support the heart-healthy claim is still being conducted. But we do know that coconut flakes, coconut milk, and cream, and coconut oil contain lots of an antiviral, antibacterial fatty acid called lauric acid - one of the immune-boosters babies get from breast milk.
COOKING TIP
Mix a can of coconut milk with a pint of chicken stock and some grated ginger for a coconut chicken soup.

GRASS-FED BEEF
All beef is a great source of iron, B vitamins and zinc - three nutrients many Americans don't get enough of. About 50 years ago, we started to fatten cattle on grain instead of grass. But grass-fed beef has many virtues. According to Loren Cordain, a professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, grass-fed beef resembles the wild game our ancestors ate. It contains less fat, less saturated fat, more CLA (an anti-cancer fat) and more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef.
Cooking Tip
Grass-fed beef is very lean.Use it found for spaghetti sauce, chili and meatloaf.

NUTS
Almonds, cashews, macademia nuts and hazelnuts are all rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants. Walnuts are one of the best vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids that fight obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. Meanwhile, Brazil nuts are incredibly rich in the antioxidant selenium- essential for sperm health, says fertility expert Dr. Marc Goldstein of Cornell University.
Cooking Tip
Put nuts in a blender with a little olive oil, milk or water for fresh but butter.

CINNAMON
Here's one superfood that's easy on the waistline and popular with kids. The bark of the cinnamon tress, native to Sri Lanka, turns out to have extraordinary health benefits. Various research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggest that cinnamon regulates blood sugar, inhibits cancer cells and is anti-inflammatory.
Cooking Tip
Sprinkle it on French toast, oatmeal, hot buttered bread or a cup of hot chocolate. Cinnamon is great on sauteed bananas.

OLIVE OIL
Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats (which reduce inflammation),phenols(cancer-fighting antioxidants), and vitamin E (which lowers the risk of heart disease, protects skin from damaging agents, and prevents nerve damage). Cold pressed, extra virgin oil contains more phenils, and its vitamin E is undamanged.
Cooking Tip
Gently saute vegetables in it, drizzle it on salads or use it in pesto.

RAW HONEY AND MOLASSES
If you have a sweet tooth, try these whole, natural sweeteners instead of sugar. Unfiltered, raw honey contains many phytonutrients and enzymes to aid digestion. Molasses is the nutritious byproduct from boiling sugarcane down to white sugar. Blackstrap molasses is from the third boiling boiling, which concentrates nutrients and, unsulfured, is a surprisingly good source of iron and many other minerals.
Cooking Tip
Unlike honey, which is best unheated, molasses already has been boiled, so there's no more reason not to cook with it. Think spicy baked goods like muffins and pumpkin pie.

(Source:PARADEMAG by: Nina Planck /visit PARADE.COM)

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posted by infraternam meam @ 5:11 PM

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