8. th 2008 by admin.

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.

Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.

Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.

Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.

Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.

Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked
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Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.

Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.’’ They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.

Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,’’ it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.

Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.

Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In my own house, I only have two of these items — pumpkin seeds, which I often roast and put on salads, and frozen blueberries, which I mix with milk, yogurt and other fruits for morning smoothies. How about you? Have any of these foods found their way into your shopping cart?

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8. th 2008 by admin.

UCLA scientists have developed additional information about what we already knew: dark-colored fruit juices, such as grape, blueberry, black cherry and cranberry are healthiest. They discovered also that the dark-colored fruit enjoyed by ancient Greeks, including Spartans, is the healthiest of all. Pomegranate juice was found by the researchers to be the number-one healthiest fruit juice. The main reason dark fruits are healthier, according to the study, is their high antioxidant levels. In our view, however, there are three things wrong with the study, or at least how it’s being reported in the mainstream press:

1. As is often the case, foods are discussed as “drugs” that help fight various diseases and other health problems. In fact, it’s not natural, ancient foods that cure or prevent diseases, but the absence of those foods that cause disease and other health problems. Our bodies expect and need them in order to function properly.

2. Why juice? The Spartan Diet calls for drinking only water, and not drinking juice. The healthiest and best and most Spartan way to consume pomegranates (as well as grapes, cherries, blueberries and cranberries) is to eat them whole and raw. Organic is best. What’s funny is that the researchers arbitrarily focused on juice — a product made from the fruit rather than the fruit itself — then warned people not to drink too much juice because of its concentrated amounts of sugar and high calories. And they don’t warn againt “dead foods” (fruit or juice in cans or bottles) or praise “live” foods, such as fresh fruits. Spartans: Ignore the juice bit and just eat pomegranates as one of the many whole raw fruits you eat every day — no warnings necessary.

3. They focus on the anti-oxidant part of the fruit, and ignore the many other qualities, including vitamins, fiber and the rest. Again, it’s not a drug. It’s a food, which should be eaten for all its health benefits, not just the ones scientists have decided are the important ones.

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