Nuts are yet another 'superfood' that we can eat on the South Beach woe from Phase I onwards. However, consumption does need to be limited:

Superfoods: Asparagus

Amanda Grant
Tuesday May 1, 2007
The Guardian


Make the most of the short British asparagus season of just seven to eight weeks, which begins in May. Visit a pick-your-own or farmers' market to buy a few bundles.

Asparagus are the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant. The growing methods and types can differ from country to country. Some asparagus is white, as it grows beneath the soil and is cut just as the tips emerge.

Nutritionally, however, all types of asparagus are pretty spectacular, providing high levels of vitamins A and C, which help to boost the immune system, as well as iron, which helps prevent anaemia. Asparagus is one of the few foods to contain folic acid, particularly useful if you are pregnant, and the prebiotic bacteria found in asparagus can help stimulate the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut.

Asparagus is known to be helpful in the relief of urinary infections and is a mild diuretic, due to the natural chemical "asparagines" that it contains. This helps your body to pass any excess water and hence detoxify. This chemical also explains why so many people notice that their urine takes on a distinctive smell after eating asparagus.
Fresh asparagus should be firm with crisp, tightly closed scales on the tips, and it will keep a few days stood in a jug of shallow water in the fridge. It freezes well too, but you will need to blanch it quickly first in boiling water to retain its colour and flavour.

Asparagus is good boiled or steamed. To boil, pop into a large pan of bubbling water, cover and boil for 3-6 minutes. To steam, stand in a little boiling water, cover and cook for 3-6 minutes.

Chargrilled asparagus has an intense, smoky flavour. Brush it with olive oil and cook on a hot ridged griddle pan for 3-6 minutes, turning occasionally. Then season and drizzle with a little aged balsamic vinegar and shavings of Parmesan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2069322,00.html

Good Info!

Blackcurrants are the berry best fruit for you

The Mail
London, UK
19 June, 2007


It may not be as fashionable as its more exotic cousins but the humble blackcurrant is the healthiest fruit of all.

Research shows that the common or garden blackcurrant is more nutritious than other fruits, from home-grown apples and strawberries to tropical mangoes and bananas.

Blackcurrants also contain the highest levels of health-boosting antioxidants - natural compounds credited with the ability to stave off a range of illnesses from heart disease to cancer.

Researcher Dr Derek Stewart said his findings, which come amid a growing appetite for exotic berries, colourful juices and other superfoods, prove the British blackcurrant is the healthiest fruit of all.

Dr Stewart, who came to his conclusion after comparing the properties of 20 popular fruits, said: "The motivation for the research came from the huge publicity surrounding superfoods, coupled with lack of consumer knowledge.

"We wanted to find out which fruit came out on top.

"The combined beneficial composition and impact in health-related studies mean that blackcurrants can claim to be the number one superfruit."

Dr Stewart reached his conclusions by analysing the findings of dozens of research papers published by other scientists.

Lack of published data on fruits which have only recently become popular, such as raisin-sized goji berries, means they could not be included in the analysis.

Fruits studied ranged from old favourites such as apples and oranges, to blueberries, pomegranates and others that have recently been feted as being especially good for health.

Blackcurrants were found to be the most nutritious, followed by blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and pomegranates.

The blackcurrant also come out top in terms of anti-oxidants. Next highest levels were found in raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Pomegranates took fifth place once more.

The tests, carried out at the Scottish Crop Research Institute near Dundee, showed that blackcurrants are particularly rich in a type of anti-oxidant called anthocyanins.

Responsible for the fruit's dark colour, the compounds are said to help ward off a range of ailments including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and diabetes.

The blackcurrant's health benefits have been apparent for some time, with herbalists using them since the middle-ages to treat bladder stones, liver disorders and coughs.

The currants' high vitamin C content led to them being made into a cordial which was given free to children during the Second World War.

Jo Hilditch, of the British Blackcurrant Foundation, said the latest findings should give shoppers an added incentive to buy British.

She said: "I have always believed in fruit, and indeed any produce, that is grown on our doorsteps to be the best for us and this research definitely confirms this.

"British blackcurrants are a nutritional powerhouse and prove that British is best in this case.

"The current celebrity trends for exotic fruits has catapulted the word superfruit into the limelight but this research shows that we don't need to go to the ends of earth to find health boosting fruits."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...in_page_id=1798

Which berries will really benefit you?

‘Super berries’ are often hailed as a panacea. Amanda Ursell helps you sort out fact from fiction

The Times
London, UK
3 August, 2007

No sooner have we grasped the health-protecting, skin-boosting, brain-empowering properties of one super berry than along comes another one, with seemingly superior “supernutrient” virtues.

And yet, to date, much of the research that “reveals” their potential benefits has been carried out in laboratories and on animals, so their real benefits are just that, potential.

“It is possible to show charts and quote figures that reveal, for example, either blueberries or blackcurrants to have more supernutrients simply by testing a specific variety,” says Stephen Taylor, a leading berry grower. “This is confusing and potentially misleading.” So just exactly what can various berries really do for us? What we do know for sure is that berries share some universal nutritional properties.

They are low in calories. You can munch your way through a 200g bowl of strawberries for just 54 calories and the same size bowl of raspberries for 50. All are great too for vitamin C which we know is vital for immunity, the quality of our skin and our ability to absorb iron, needed for energy, from many foods.

Strawberries and raspberries give us more vitamin C than blackberries but less than blackcurrants. But all are very useful for this multifunctional nutrient, as well as for fibre and blood pressure-balancing potassium. So if you’re served gooseberries, mulberries, bilberries or red-currants, then tuck in with gusto.

The fact that we may also derive added benefits from particular varieties should be seen as an added bonus rather than a reason to stick to one to the exclusion of others.

Berries often feature in folklore and usually there is some science to back it up. For example, RAF pilots were given bilberry jam in the Second World War to improve night vision. We now know this is probably down to the deep blue pigments of these berries which help human beings to make “visual purple”, needed to see in dim light, while also strengthening tiny blood vessels in the eyes to improve circulation.

Native Americans and Nordic peoples have a long tradition of using berries to treat diarrhoea. It seems, from laboratory experiments, that certain so-called polyphenol compounds in berries do inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria found in our digestive systems.

Salmonella and staphylococcus, common food-poisoning bacteria, are especially sensitive to extracts from raspberries, while raspberry and strawberry extracts appear to fight candida and Campylobacter jejuni (the most frequent cause of diarrhoea in Britain).

Nordic folklore prescribes how to fight urinary-tract infections with cranberries, and, again, there is research to prove the point. As Dr Amy Howell, a nutrition researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey, says: “Scientists have proven that supernutrients in cranberries can physically stop bacteria which cause urinary-tract infections, stomach ulcers and even tooth decay.

“Regularly drinking 250ml of cranberry juice morning and night can cut the risk of these common and sometimes devastating infections. I’ve seen studies in China where this amount of juice actually cures 15 to 20 per cent of stomach ulcer cases. I’m amazed that a food can do this.”

So when aiming for your five-a-day fruit and vegetables, then a few servings of berries could indeed be a smart nutritional move so long as you keep a sense of perspective.


Truth or hype?

Blueberries make you brainier:
Laboratory studies at Tufts University in Massachusetts suggest that blueberry-rich diets fed to mice affect mechanisms involved in memory and learning. It is possible that supernutrients in blueberries and strawberries do improve signals between nerves in the brain.

Raspberries keep you slim:
Laboratory work at the University of Chubu in Japan indicates that colourful red pigments particularly found in raspberries appear to modulate the way that fat cells take up and release fatty contents. Feeding mice on high-fat diets lots of these pigments appears to suppress development of obesity. More research needed.

Strawberries reduce heart disease:
Work at Glasgow University on human beings shows that those eating 200g of strawberries daily helped to protect their arteries from the early development of fatty streaks on their arteries known as atherosclerosis. This may reduce the risk of furred arteries and future heart disease.

Berries are anti-ageing:
In the broadest sense, this is true. When you look at all the potential benefits of the combined nutrients and supernutrients, fibre and their implicitly low calorie count, then regularly eating a variety of berries probably will have antiageing effects.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/li...icle2186936.ece

I'm a berry nut! I love them and eat them nearly every day: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries. One or two servings a day!

The Sunday Times
London, UK
28 October, 2007


All hail curly kale
A tastier version of the old-fashioned superfood has finally arrived

Peta Bee

It is likely to be the new leaf of choice for those who swear allegiance to rocket. After three years of development, baby leaf curly kale (BLCK) makes its world debut on supermarket shelves this month, and nutritionists and fashion-conscious foodies are welcoming it onto the ever-growing list of healthy, all-year-round salad ingredients and leafy vegetables.

For anybody who has ever tried to chomp their way through a plateful of old-school kale, it may come as a surprise to read the words “kale” and “foodies” in the same sentence. A cruciferous vegetable, belonging to the same family as cauliflower, broccoli and sprouts, kale tastes bitter and is horribly chewy and tough if not cooked properly.

The good news is, this variety is different. “It is delicately flavoured and more like spinach than cabbage in texture and taste,” says Steve Rothwell, the plant biologist who helped to develop it. What really sets it apart, though, is the high amount of nutrients it contains. According to Lyndel Costain, of the British Dietetic Association, 100g of BLKC provides more than half of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. “It also provides seven times as much vitamin A as broccoli and more calcium than milk, yoghurt, broccoli or spinach,” she adds.

Leafy green vegetables have long been known as good bone-boosters, but BLCK surpasses the lot in the fight against osteoporosis. “It is an excellent addition to a bone-healthy diet,” says Sarah Leyland, of the National Osteoporosis Society. “And it is a particularly useful source of calcium for those who don’t eat dairy.” It also contains vitamin K, which works in conjunction with calcium to build strong bones; lutein, an antioxidant that maintains eye health; and plenty of fibre for a healthy digestive system.

But the benefits of this new superfood don’t end there. Eating curly kale and other cruciferous vegetables regularly has been shown to lower the risk of developing life-threatening diseases. A recent study at the University of Leicester revealed that cruciferous vegetables contain a compound called Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), which could help to fight breast cancer. I3C supplements led to breast cancer cells being killed when they were exposed to chemotherapy drugs. Similar effects could apply to colon cancer cells, according to the researchers.

In another study, carried out last year, the International Agency for Cancer Research found that eating cruciferous vegetables at least once a week can cut the risk of lung cancer for some people. Researchers looked at two genes that normally protect the body against certain toxins. For the 50% of the population with an inactive form of one of the genes, GSTM1, eating cabbage, broccoli and kale was found to offer 33% more protection against the disease.

Since research began emerging about curly kale’s disease-fighting properties earlier this year, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have reported a 12% rise in sales. BLCK is infinitely more palatable ? appealing to the taste buds as well as the immune system. “Look for crisp, unwilted leaves and eat soon after purchase, when the nutrient levels are at their highest,” Costain advises.

If you prefer it cooked, it takes only 2-3 minutes to flash-fry or steam.

However you choose to prepare it, adding it to your diet can only be good news.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/li...icle2705812.ece

The Telegraph
London, UK
11 February, 2008

Tomatoes: The humble superfood in your salad

A new book documents, for the first time, the benefits of tomatoes, reports Chloe Rhodes

Pomegranates, pumpkin seeds, green tea, goji berries and, most recently, beetroot have all jostled for position at the top of the superfood tree. But never has the case for the superfood crown been argued more persuasively than it has now for the humble tomato.

In his new book, The Red Bodyguard, pharmacist Ron Levin has, for the first time, collated decades of research confirming the powerful health-giving credentials of this everyday fruit.

Tomatoes contain high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that supports the immune system and helps maintain healthy skin and tissue lining. They are packed with antioxidant flavonoids and vitamin E, both of which are essential for heart health, and are a good source of potassium. One medium-size tomato provides 50 per cent of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C; they contain no saturated fatty acids, are low in salt, starch and sugars, high in dietary fibre and have a low glycaemic index.

But that's not all. Tomatoes are the richest source of an exceptionally potent antioxidant called lycopene - the pigment that gives them their deep red colour. A single lycopene molecule can neutralise 13 free radicals which, if allowed to build up, can cause cell damage and trigger cancer - that's twice the free radical busting power of beta-carotene, another powerful antioxidant.

The amount of lycopene in a tomato varies according to the variety, but deep red tomatoes are best - they can contain 50?mg of lycopene per kilogram. On average, people in Britain consume only 1.1 mg a day - a fraction of the recommended five to eight mgs.

Cooking and condensing tomatoes is an easy way to increase one's intake, as this concentrates the lycopene. Analysis of the Mediterranean diet, which keeps southern European populations comparatively healthy, suggested that cooking tomatoes with olive oil further improves their potency.

Lycopene and beta-carotene are broken down by heating, and are soluble in oil but not water, so cooking tomatoes in olive oil prepares these beneficial chemicals perfectly for absorption by the body. One Italian study showed that absorption of lycopene was more than three times greater when consumed as tomato sauce or paste than from raw tomatoes.

Lycopene plays other roles in the prevention of disease. Three independent studies conclude that it may suppress the production of an insulin-like growth hormone called IFG - 1, which is made in the liver and stimulates the growth and spread of prostate and breast cancer.

Other research collated by Levin suggests that lycopene may enhance chemical communication between the cells, which helps to regulate unusual cell growth and may even reverse the process by which a tumour becomes malignant. A laboratory study found that it has a similar effect to the cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins.

['The Red Bodyguard: The amazing health-promoting properties of the tomato' by Ron Levin (Icon) ]

HEART DISEASE

When free radicals attack soluble fats in the blood, the fats solidify and form layers known as plaques, which build up in the arteries and restrict blood flow.

Eventually the heart muscles become starved of oxygen, leading to a heart attack or stroke, and the plaques break away from artery walls causing blood clots or thromboses. In 2001, a team of scientists at the Rowett Nutritional Research Institute in Aberdeen tested the juices of 17 different fruits for possible anti-clotting activity.

Tomato juice was found to be very potent. Additionally, agents in the gelatinous substance around the tomato seeds appeared to help prevent blood platelets from clumping together, guarding against the formation of clots.

PROSTATE CANCER

A study at Harvard University, in 1986, looked at the impact of 46 fruits and vegetables on the development of prostate cancer over nine years. Only four food items were found to be significantly related to a lower risk of prostate cancer - tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, tomato juice and tomato purée.

Men who had regularly eaten 10 or more helpings per week had reduced their risk of developing the cancer by 30 per cent, as compared to those who consistently consumed one helping or less. Again, tomato sauce made by cooking tomatoes in oil appeared to be more effective than raw tomato. Recent trials have suggested that tomatoes could also reduce, slow or prevent the conversion of latent prostate cancer to the aggressive, lethal form.

MALE FERTILITY

Excess production of free radicals in the semen reduces sperm count and has been linked to infertility.

In a study of 50 people, infertile patients were given a daily capsule containing eight mg of lycopene until their sperm analysis was normalised or pregnancy was achieved. There was a 36 per cent pregnancy success rate.

HOW MUCH?

Have one of these tomato variants with half to one teaspoonful of virgin olive oil three to four times a week: soup (one cup); juice (one cup); cooked tomatoes (two medium whole tomatoes); ketchup (two tablespoons); spaghetti sauce (½ a cup); paste (two tablespoons); purée (two tablespoons) sauce (¼ of a cup).

EYESIGHT

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) affects the central part of the retina called the macula, which controls fine vision. Researchers found that eye disease was less frequent and less severe in people with antioxidant-rich diets. Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lutein, which is believed to protect the retina from free radical damage.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/m.../11/htom111.xml

Demi: a question about the asparagus mentioned in this thread?...how are you supposed to freeze it? i am a newbie in some aspects of cooking and have no idea what blanching means---also are you supposed to blanch it before you freeze it?


and congrats on the weight loss...only 2 lbs to go! If you don't mind me asking, how long did it take you to drop those almost 65 lbs, what a success!

The following webpage provides a great explanation about blanching and freezing veggies: Freezing Vegetables and Blanching Chart

Thanks for your comments on my weight loss It has taken me around 5 months so far.

Demi, thanks for posting all this GREAT stuff!!!!!!

And WTG - you are ALMOST AT GOAL!!! WOO HOO!!!!

It;s nice to see foods I eat regularly up there. I take a dose of flaxseeds every day, I have to have my garlic with my meal (most of the time). They are really miracle foods. Thanks for the list.