Oatmeal
Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber and polyphenols, which lower cholesterol and help prevent heart disease
Health Benefits of Oats
Studies have revealed that starting the day with a nutritious, fiber rich meal such as oats can help with maintaining a healthy weight. Oats has been found as having the highest satiety value of all breakfast meals, giving a feeling of fullness for longer.
Health Benefits of Cholesterol
Researchers have identified a substance in oats called beta-glucan which significantly reduces LDL cholesterol. In people with high cholesterol levels, the intake of the equivalent of three grams of oat fiber daily generally reduces total cholesterol by 8 to 23 percent. Three grams of oat fiber can be had by eating about 1 bowl of oats. There are over forty studies which confirm the ability of oats to reduce unhealthy LDL cholesterol
Health Benefits of Blood Pressure
Individuals who had high blood pressure and oats added to their diet had a significant reduction in blood pressure as well as the need for antihypertensive medicine.
Health Benefits of Diabetes
A number of studies demonstrate that individuals with high whole grain consumption had from 28 – 61.5% less risk of type 2 diabetes in comparison to people with the lowest whole grain consumption. One study of individuals with type 2 diabetes that ate foods high in oat fiber had a much lesser rise in blood sugar compared to other individuals who ate bread or rice.
Nutrients in Oats
Oats are a great source of phosphorus, selenium and manganese. They’re a good source of soluble dietary fiber, iron and magnesium, vitamin B1.
History of Oats
Oats was one of the first cereals to be cultivated although the ancient Romans and Greeks saw oats as a kind of weed appropriate only for barbarians and horses. Cultivated oats arrived in America in the early 1601s with the first British immigrants. The biggest cultivators of oats are the U.S., Poland, Germany and Russia.
Avocados
I wish those creamy little treasures of nature fruit
The avocado is a fruit.
originally found in the Central Mexico region, which ripens after it is picked. There are more than 500 of varieties of avocado and it has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years. It is also known as the alligator pear because of its scaly skin. The outside skin and the pit are inedible, despite millennia of efforts (I mean, they are edible, sort of like gravel is technically edible). Avocados were first introduced to the United States in 1871, when Judge R.B. Ord planted three trees in Santa Barbara, California.
Creamy Deliciousness & Nutritious
While avocados have a high caloric count (one avocado is 320 calories), the various nutrients and “healthy” fats make it a must-eat. Some call the avocado the alphabet fruit because of all the vitamins it contains. One avocado provides your body with vitamins A, C, E, K and B6, along with an enormous amount of potassium and “healthy” fat. Perhaps the biggest health benefit of avocados is that by adding avocado to certain foods, you can improve your absorption of nutrients. This means that when you combine other fat burning foods with avocado, you can improve your nutrient absorption up to 400%! Avocados can also reduce the signs of aging, regulate blood sugar and improve eye health.
Good for the Heart
The fat content of an avocado provides protection against heart diseases. Studies have shown that oleic acid improves cardiovascular health. Oleic acid is the primary fatty acid in avocadoes. Many people now take supplements in order to consume more omega-3 fatty acids to lower their risk of heart disease. Avocadoes are rich in omega-3, delivering 160 milligrams per cup of alpha-linolenic acid.
Vegetarians and Vegans Rejoice – Protein
Avocadoes provide all 18 essential amino acids necessary for the body to form a complete protein. Unlike the protein in steak, which is difficult for most people to digest, avocado protein is readily absorbed by the body because avocadoes also contain fiber. If you are trying to cut down on animal sources of protein in your diet, or if you are a vegetarian or vegan seeking more protein, avocadoes are a great nutritional ally to include not merely as an occasional treat, but as a regular part of your diet.
FOR YOUR HEALTH TIPS
Top 15 Health Benefits
Maintain a healthy heart
Avocado contains vitamin B6 and folic acid, which help regulate homocysteine levels. High level of homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Avocado also contains vitamin E, glutathione, and monounsaturated fat, which help in maintaining a healthy heart.
Lower cholesterol levels
Avocados are rich in a compound called beta-sitosterol which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. According to a study, patients with mild hypercholesterolemia who included avocados in their diet for 7 days had 17 percent decrease in total blood cholesterol levels, a 22 percent decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels, and a 11 percent increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Control blood pressure
Avocados are also a great source of potassium, which helps in controlling blood pressure levels.
Anti-Inflammatory properties
Phytonutrient compound found in avocados, such as polyphenols and flavonoids have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, thereby reducing the risk of inflammatory and degenerative disorders.
Promote eye health
Avocado is an excellent source of carotenoid lutein, which known to help protect against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Regulate the blood sugar levels
The monounsaturated (good) fats in avocados can reverse insulin resistance which help to regulate blood sugar levels. Avocados also contain soluble fiber which keep a steady blood sugar levels.
Prevent birth defects
Avocados are rich in folate, a B vitamin commonly known as folic acid. One cup of avocado provides about 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. The high amount of folate in avocado is essential in the prevention of birth defects, such as neural tube defect and spina bifida.
Reduce strokes risk
The high levels of folate in avocados may also protect against stroke. A study has shown that individuals who ate a diet rich in folate had a lower risk of stroke than those who did not
Protect against cancer
Many studies have shown that avocado can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. The oleic acid in avocado is also effective in preventing breast cancer.
Fight free radicals
Avocados contain glutathione, a powerful antioxidants that helps fight free radicals in the body.
Anti-aging properties
Being rich in antioxidants, avocado is beneficial in preventing aging symptoms. The glutathione in avocado may boosts immune systems, slows aging process, and encourages a healthy nervous system.
Cure bad breath
Avocados are one of the best natural mouth wash and bad breath remedies. It is cleanses intestine which is the real cause of coated tongue and bad breath.
Increase nutrient absorption
Avocado intake is linked with an increased nutrient absorption. A study suggests that, when participants ate salad included avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes beta carotene and lycopene) than those who did not include avocados.
Skin Care
The avocado oil is added in many cosmetics because of its ability to nourish the skin and make your skin glow. It also aids in treating psoriasis, a skin disease that causes skin redness and irritation.
Weight gain
The avocado has 200 calories for 100 grams. Typically, fruits has approximately 60-80 calories for 100 grams. Due to the high amounts of calories, avocado is a best diet for people who want to gain weight. Avocado is a healthy source of calories, unlike many other calorie-dense foods that may contain excess saturated fats and sugar.
Wheat Germ
Wheat germ is the small, nutrient-containing center of a wheat kernel, comprising only about 2.6% of the weight of the kernel, but packing a very beneficial list of attributes.
Certain types of food can be nutritious “overall”, meaning that when they are consumed in their full form, both the normal parts and the beneficial parts are consumed, so the food is “healthy”. Wheat is one of those examples, and wheat germ is the healthy part that contains the vast majority of the nutrients. A wheat kernel consists of the outside shell (wheat bran), the starchy endosperm (used to mill flour), and the wheat germ (the reproductive element).
The wheat germ is the part of each kernel that helps in reproducing the plant, so naturally, it contains the many nutrients needed to grow and develop into a healthy, new organism. For years, wheat kernels were used mainly to mill flour, in which case the bran and germ parts were causally thrown away and white flour was produced, which held little or no nutritional value of any kind. In fact, once synthetic vitamins and bleaches are added to that flour, it can actually do more harm than good.
When wheat germ is extracted from the kernel and isolated into natural oils, or when the grain is eaten in its’ entirety, the nutritional benefits of the germ can be passed into a person’s system. It is often turned into cooking or baking oil for highly concentrated doses of wheat germ on salads or in pasta sauces, but it should not be used as frying oil, because much of the nutrients are lost when heated to that level.
Wheat germ can act as an additive in desserts or smoothies, or even as a replacement for breadcrumbs or flour in many recipes, conferring a wealth of nutritional benefits on those that choose to add it to their diet.
In health-conscious times like we live in, nearly every store will sell raw wheat germ in or around the cereal aisle, so get creative, and get cooking!
Nutritional Value of Wheat Germ
Although the wheat germ is small, the amount of nutrients it contains is impressive and formidable. The outer shell of the wheat kernel, the bran, is beneficial as well, but the germ has even more necessary nutrients that make it so desirable.
WheatgermWheat germ is a bountiful source of energy, fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates, all of which interact in numerous ways with the body’s internal systems. Important daily vitamins like folate, Vitamin E, and B (Niacin, Thiamin, and B6) can also be found in high levels in wheat germ. Minerals are usually not far behind vitamins, and wheat germ provides huge levels of potassium and iron to people’s diets, as well as very good levels of zinc, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and selenium.
The wheat germ also has omega-3 fatty acids, one of the necessary and beneficial forms of cholesterol found in the body that needs frequent replenishing from dietary sources like wheat germ!
For All Benefits
Immune System:
you can positively boost your immune system to fight against a number of diseases and conditions like heart disease and cancer. Wheat germ protein hydrolysates have been shown to positively increase the antioxidant activity in organic systems. Antioxidants seek out and destroy free radicals and other disease-causing microorganisms in the body, reducing or eliminating the chances of serious illness. Wheat germ has been shown to naturally contain high levels of these hydrolysates that stimulate the antioxidants within the immune system.
Cardiovascular Health:
Studies have shown that the regular intake of whole grain wheat and wheat germ can reduce risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and can increase the health of the entire cardiovascular system. LDL cholesterol is cholesterol that has been oxidized, and therefore swells in the arteries and veins. This is a common sign and risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Including wheat germ in your diet increases the amount of dietary fiber, which has also been scientifically linked to a reduction in heart disease. The presence of octacosanol in wheat germ has also been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, thereby decreasing chances of strokes and other harmful issues.
Cancer Prevention:
Adding wheat germ or certain types of wheat germ extracts to your diet can help you reduce the risk factors for multiple types of cancer. It has been shown to interrupt glucose metabolism at a fundamental level and inhibit the expression of various kinases, which may stimulate cancerous activity in cells. The study shows that test subjects with wheat germ extract in their diet have increased TNF secretion by the macrophages and stimulating NK cell activity (Natural Killer cells). Both of these benefits result in apoptosis (cell death) for cancerous and tumorous cells. The small germ inside wheat may not look very impressive, but its effects are very powerful!
Anti-Aging Properties:
Wheat germ is packed with nutrients and vitamins in such high levels that it can have significant effects on various anti-aging effects like skin quality and hair loss. As a dietary supplement, wheat germ is a natural way to get these benefits, but some people also choose to go for a more cosmetic approach, using wheat germ extract directly, or mixing it with other cosmetic materials. Vitamin E is packed into wheat germ as well, and studies have shown a wide range of benefits to people who fill their daily requirements of that vitamin. When eaten regularly, the proteins and vitamins within wheat germ can positively affect people with conditions like psoriasis, sunburn, eczema, wrinkles, dull complexion, and receding hairlines.
Cellular Metabolism:
Another of the beneficial vitamins found in wheat germ is Vitamin B, which consists of a number of different vitamins. The most common types found in wheat germ are Niacin, Thiamine, and folates (discussed below). These vitamins are vital for cellular metabolism, helping to transform nutrients from carbohydrates, lipids, and glucose into consumable energy for the cells. Thiamine can also fight against metabolic disorders like chronic obesity. A higher functioning metabolism means more natural energy, as well as more successful weight loss, strength, and alertness. B vitamins can be found in many whole grains, and in particular, a high supply within wheat germ.
Muscle Health:
One of the best sources of protein in a diet can come from wheat germ, and protein has a laundry list of beneficial attributes. Protein is integral in maintaining healthy muscles, repairing damaged tissues, regulating energy levels within the body, and aiding in homeostasis and overall system balance. Protein is also an essential dietary requirement for people wanting to get in shape and increase muscle mass. If you are looking to bulk up in a healthy way, add wheat germ to your health regimen for great results!
Diabetes:
The presence of so much folic acid in wheat germ has a secondary effect for people at risk for diabetes. Folic acid is negatively correlated with a compound called “homocysteine” in the body, which is closely linked to a number of harmful conditions, like vascular disease, diabetes, and heart disease. Folic acid is present in many whole grains, and in particularly high levels in wheat germ. Therefore, if you add normal, healthy doses of wheat germ to your diet, you will reduce the levels of homocysteine in your body, and reduce your chances of contracting these dangerous or lethal conditions.
Gluten-Free Diets:
A growing number of the population can no longer eat gluten, which is a primary component in grains like wheat. This gluten intolerance can often be caused by disease, like Celiac’s Disease. Eating gluten can be painful and harmful to the digestive tract, and even fatal in some extreme conditions. Despite the other nutritional benefits of wheat germ, if you are required to maintain a “gluten-free” diet, do not consume wheat germ or wheat germ extract.
High in Calories: Besides being nutrient-rich, wheat germ is also very high in calories. The positive benefits of wheat germ can be cancelled out if the intake of other daily calories is not monitored, because weight gain and subsequent health issues can occur regardless of how healthy the food was that contributed to your high caloric intake.
Sweet Potatoes
NaturalNews) Sweet potatoes, also commonly labeled as yams, are an excellent and inexpensive staple to have on hand. These deep orange-fleshed nutritional powerhouses add several important components to the diet. Their health and weight management benefits far exceed the nutritional value found in ordinary white and yellow fleshed potatoes.
How sweet it is for your health to eat sweet potatoes! but they provide some surprising health benefits. Many people think about sweet potatoes as being nothing more than plain old potatoes that can tweak our taste buds with some extra flavor. Yet cutting-edge research on sweet potatoes tells us that nothing could be further from the truth as they have so many unique nutritional benefits to offer!
One difficulty in describing the health benefits of sweet potatoes is knowing where to begin. There are a surprising number of nutrient categories responsible for the health benefits of this underappreciated tuber. Among these categories are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. Each category brings with it valuable health benefits.
Sweet potatoes contain a wealth of orange-hued carotenoid pigments. In countries throughout Africa, in India and in the Caribbean, sweet potatoes have been shown to be a highly effective way of providing school age children with sizable amounts of their daily vitamin A. In some studies, sweet potatoes have been shown to be a better source of bioavailable beta-carotene than green leafy vegetables. Because sweet potatoes are available in many countries on a virtual year-round basis, their ability to provide us with a key antioxidant like beta-carotene makes them a standout antioxidant food.
Yet beta-carotene only begins to tell the story of sweet potato antioxidants. Particularly in purple-fleshed sweet potato, antioxidant anthocyanin pigments are abundant. Cyanidins and peonidins are concentrated in the starchy core of part of purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, and these antioxidant nutrients may be even more concentrated in the flesh than in the skin. That's sweet potatoes have genes (IbMYB1 and IbMYB2) that are specialized for the production of anthocyanin pigments in the fleshy part of the tuber. Ordinary, we have to rely on the skins of foods for this same level of anthocyanin antioxidants. But not in the case of sweet potatoes! Extracts from the highly pigmented and colorful purple-fleshed and purple-skinned sweet potatoes have been shown in research studies to increased the activity of two key antioxidant enzymes—copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and catalase (CAT).
Recent research has shown that particularly when passing through our digestive tract, sweet potato cyanidins and peonidins and other color-related phytonutrients may be able to lower the potential health risk posed by heavy metals and oxygen radicals. That risk reduction might be important not only for individuals at risk of digestive tract problems but for all persons wanting to reduce the potential risk posed by the presence of heavy metal residues (like small amounts of mercury or cadmium or arsenic) in their diet.
Storage proteins in sweet potato also have important antioxidant properties. These storage proteins—called sporamins—get produced by sweet potato plants whenever the plants are subjected to physical damage. Their ability to help the plants heal from this damage is significantly related to their role as antioxidants. Especially when sweet potato is being digested inside of our gastrointestinal tract, we may get some of these same antioxidant benefits.
Anthocyanin and other color-related pigments in sweet potato are equally valuable for their anti-inflammatory health benefits. In the case of inflammation, scientists understand even more about the amazing properties of this tuber. In animal studies, activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB); activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2); and formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) have all be shown to get reduced following consumption of either sweet potato or its color-containing extracts. Since each of these events can play a key role in the development of unwanted inflammation, their reduction by sweet potato phytonutrients marks a clear role for this food in inflammation-related health problems. In animal studies, reduced inflammation following sweet potato consumption has been shown in brain tissue and nerve tissue throughout the body.
What's equally fascinating about color-related sweet potato phytonutrients is their impact on fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is one of the key glycoproteins in the body that is required for successful blood clotting. With the help of a coagulation factor called thrombin, fibronogen gets converted into fibrin during the blood clotting process. Balanced amounts of fibrinogen, thrombin and fibrin are a key part of the body's health and its ability to close off wounds and stop loss of blood. However, excess amounts of these clotting-related molecules may sometimes pose a health risk. For example, excess presence of fibrinogen and fibrin can trigger unwanted secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules (including cytokines and chemokines). In animal studies, too much fibrin in the central nervous system has been associated with breakdown of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves and allows them to conduct electrical signals properly. If fibrin excess can trigger unwanted inflammation in nerve tissue and increase breakdown of the myelin wrapping the nerve cells (a process that is usually referred to as demyelination), health problems like multiple sclerosis (in which there is breakdown of the myelin nerve sheath) may be lessened through reduction of excess fibrinogen and/or fibrin. In preliminary animal studies, intake of sweet potato color extracts have been shown to accomplish exactly those results: reduction of inflammation, and simultaneous reduction of fibronogen levels. We look forward to exciting new research in this area of sweet potato's anti-inflammatory benefits.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Many people think about starchy root vegetables as a food group that could not possibly be helpful for controlling their blood sugar. That's because many people realize that food starches can be converted by our digestive tract into simple sugars. If foods are especially concentrated in starch, there can often be a risk of too much simple sugar release in our digestive tract and too much pressure upon our bloodstream to uptake more sugar. (The result in this situation would be an overly quick elevation of our blood sugar level.) What's fascinating about sweet potatoes is their ability to potentially improve blood sugar regulation—even in persons with type 2 diabetes— in spite of their glycemic index (GI) rating of medium. (Sweet potatoes are one of four WHFoods vegetables that have a GI ranking of medium. The other three vegetables are beets, corn, and leeks.) The 6.6 grams of dietary fiber in a medium sweet potato are definitely a plus in terms of blood sugar regulation, since they help steady the pace of digestion. But recent research has also shown that extracts from sweet potatoes can significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin in persons with type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein hormone produced by our fat cells, and it serves as an important modifier of insulin metabolism. Persons with poorly-regulated insulin metabolism and insulin insensitivity tend to have lower levels of adiponectin, and persons with healthier insulin metabolism tend to have higher levels. While more research on much larger groups of individuals to further evaluate and confirm these blood sugar regulating benefits, this area of health research is an especially exciting one for anyone who loves sweet potatoes but is nevertheless concerned about healthy blood sugar regulation.
One of the more intriguing nutrient groups provided by sweet potatoes—yet one of the least studied from a health standpoint—are the resin glycosides. These nutrients are sugar-related and starch-related molecules that are unusual in their arrangement of carbohydrate-related components, and also in their inclusion of some non-carbohydrate molecules. In sweet potatoes, researchers have long been aware of one group of resin glycosides called batatins (including batatin I and batatin II). But only recently have researchers discovered a related group of glycosides in sweet potato called batatosides (including batatodide III, batatoside IV, and batatoside V). In lab studies, most of these sweet potato glycosides have been shown to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. To what extent these carbohydrate-related molecules in sweet potatoes can provide us with health benefits in these same antibacterial and antifungal areas is not yet clear. But we expect to see increasing interest in sweet potato's batatins and batatosides
Heart-healthy
They contain a large amount of vitamin B6. This vitamin is crucial in breaking down a substance called homocysteine, which contributes to hardening of the arteries and blood vessels. Vitamin B6 helps keep the walls of these important blood passageways flexible and healthy which allows blood to flow freely.
leafy green vegetables
Better yet, a lot of these handy vegetables are also highly adaptable. Not only can you successfully grow them in your garden, but throughout cold seasons with a little protection, in containers on your patio, or even in windowsills so they are handy to harvest weekly.
A row of greens, like this Swiss chard, can be tucked anywhere in the garden.
A row of greens, like this Swiss chard, can be tucked anywhere in the garden.
And the variety that's possible! It is really mind boggling. Here's just a sample: Spinach, kale, 30 kinds of common lettuce, orach, Swiss chard, collards, turnips, parsley, Chinese cabbage, mustard, corn salad, endive, broccoli raab, and beets. Then, of course, are the lesser-known greens, some of foreign descent, some growing wild in our native countryside. Some we even call "weeds" until we are enlightened as to just how great they actually taste. Nifty, eh? Let's take a closer look.
Swiss chard
Swiss chard is one of our favorite leafy green vegetables. I grow it for its terrific rich taste and substantial texture. While Swiss chard wilts when it is steamed or simmered, it does not get as "mushy" as spinach can. The mid-rib stalks are succulent and tender. Under good growing conditions, Swiss chard can reach nearly two feet high. Unlike some greens, it does not easily go to seed during the summer. This allows you to harvest it over and over again, all spring and fall. So, a small row or bed provides a whole lot of eating pleasure.
Swiss chard is directly seeded in the garden in the spring when soil temperatures are about 50 to 60 degrees. It can handle a light frost but not a heavy freeze. Starting the seeds indoors is not necessary. But sometimes I do start the variety Bright Lights inside so that I can color-coordinate the row. Bright Lights is a mixture of brilliant colored stems with dark green leaves. Colors range from white to yellow, electric pink, and red. It tastes the same as "regular" Swiss chard, but the colors make it a favorite of ours.
I usually grow Swiss chard in a single row because the leaves are large and the plants rampant. However, you can also grow it in containers or in a raised bed. I space my seeds ½ inch deep and about 5 inches between, with rows about 20 inches apart. If sown in a raised bed or container, plant about one seed every 6 inches. When the plants are 3 inches high, thin to one plant every 10 inches (all ways if planted in a raised bed with plots instead of rows).
When Swiss chard is very little, it is sometimes attacked by flea beetles. Covering the plants with a floating row cover, such as Reemay, will often keep the plants safe. If not, spray or dust with rotenone or pyrethrin. Both are natural pesticides.
Keep the growing plants well watered but not soggy. They will rot off at the soil level if they are kept too wet.
You can begin harvesting a few individual leaves as soon as the plant is well established. I add these to my spring salads or a dish of mixed greens. Then as the plant gets bigger, you can harvest more of the outer leaves. It will just continue growing and producing more and more, all season long.
Spinach
Spinach is another of our favorite leafy green vegetables. Besides the sweet taste, I think we love it because we can always grow it, despite our short growing season. Spinach loves cool weather. It can even handle frosts and light freezes with a smile.
There are many types of spinach, from the lusty, savoyed (wrinkled, bubbled, bumpy) leafed varieties, such as Bloomsdale savoy, to the varieties that are grown primarily for baby leaf spinach for salads. As we grow our spinach mainly for cooked uses and in salads, I usually prefer the larger, succulent savoyed varieties. I pick the tender little new leaves to use in my salads and leave the larger ones to harvest in big batches when we want to include it in a meal or can up a batch for winter use.
Because most spinach loves cool weather and tends to go to seed (bolt) when it gets hot, it is one of the first crops in the garden, as soon as the soil can be worked up well. A soil temperature of 50° F is adequate for happy germination. I usually plant my spinach in wide beds, but you can also plant it in rows and, of course, in any type of container. Spinach also makes a good windowsill crop if you choose one of the smaller varieties such as Tyee, which only grows about 10 inches high.
Common lamb's quarter is easy to spot with its scalloped oval, pointed leaves. Pick when young and tender.
Common lamb's quarter is easy to spot with its scalloped oval, pointed leaves. Pick when young and tender.
The seeds are planted about ½ inch deep, and about 2 inches apart, and then when the plants are about 3 inches high, thin to have the plants stand about 3-4 inches apart. In wide bed plantings, have the plants stand 4 inches apart, all ways. In this way, they will grow happily and shade out most weeds.
The first thinnings can be used for baby leaf spinach in salads. As the plant grows, you may continue picking outer leaves for salads, snipping a leaf or two here and there, to let the plant mature. Then you can use scissors to cut the whole plant off an inch from the soil to steam until tender or to can for later use. In most cases, the spinach will quickly begin to grow again. A good watering will promote regrowth.
You may sow a batch of fall spinach the first of August to grow on through the fall. Even better, you can also continue growing spinach in cold frames or sturdy cloches during the winter in milder climates. (We even had spinach over-winter under six feet of snow up at 7,400 feet in Montana, with no additional protection. This continued growing all spring and most of the summer, without bolting. We had cut it back severely at harvest time, so it must have curbed natural bolting instincts.)
If you grow open-pollinated spinach, you can let a few plants go to seed naturally. When the seed is dry, shake it out into a paper bag, then put on a cookie sheet in a dry, wind-free area to finish drying. Then you can winnow off the chaff in a breeze and pour your seed into paper envelopes or film canisters to save for next year's garden.
Luckily, there are several good hot-weather spinach varieties now on the market that will not only stand the hot weather without bolting, but actually thrive in it.
Kale
Kale is sort of like a big brother to the more common collards. It is sweet, tender, and succulent. Kale is also very versatile, being equally useful in salads, stir fries, soups, and as a steamed green. Very hardy, it can be grown in just about any climate with ease. By planting successions of crops, it can be grown right through the winter, using appropriate protection such as cloches or cold frames, in all but severe climates.
There are many very different types of kale. Some are reminiscent of a stout spinach with heavily savoyed leaves. Others are very ruffled and curled. Still others are toothed and relatively smooth. And if that isn't enough, there are gorgeous varieties of brightly colored kales, brilliant enough for your favorite fall flower bed. These have green, white, purple, blue-green, and red stripes, and splashes in their loose heads, looking like huge, colorful (but tasty) roses.
Kale is best direct seeded into a well-worked seed bed in early spring, just before the last spring frosts. The seeds should be planted ½ inch deep, and about 1 inch apart in rows or about 4 inches apart, all ways in beds. When the plants are about 4 inches tall, thin them so they stand about 18 inches apart, all ways, in beds or 18 inches apart in rows. These thinnings are excellent in salads as they are sweet and very tender.
They have the same pests as Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and other brassicas. See Chinese cabbage for information on control.
Turnips
While turnips are thought of as a root crop in many areas of the country, they are also commonly used as a leafy green vegetable. Especially in the south, turnip greens are a gardener's staple. They should be everywhere. Not only are they very tasty, having a strong sweet flavor, but they are easy to grow, and very productive. Besides the greens, those hard-working plants also produce succulent roots that are especially good for winter storage in a root cellar (or even left in the ground in milder climates).
While there are several varieties, our old favorite is Purple Top White Globe. This old timer is hard to beat. I plant my turnips in double rows, planting the seeds ¼ inch deep, and about 1 inch apart. The rows are about a foot apart. Turnips are a little slow to germinate. Soil temperatures below 50° F make them slower; warmer temperatures bring germination on faster. But keep the rows evenly moist. If you let them dry out, you will kill off many germinating seeds even before you see them.
As the plants emerge, be on the lookout for flea beetles. They are tiny black bugs that leap about when you walk. Look out for tiny holes in the new leaves of your baby plants. In a couple of days, there will be no more leaves left; the plants are all eaten up. To prevent this, either cover the rows with a floating row cover, such as Reemay, or dust with rotenone.
Another turnip pest is root maggots. The flies lay their eggs at the base of the plant and the maggots tunnel down through the turnip roots. Using a floating row cover also prevents this problem by not allowing the flies access to the base of the plants.
Pigweed ready to pick. Pigweed is an amaranth—a better-known edible.
Pigweed ready to pick. Pigweed is an amaranth—a better-known edible.
When your seedlings are growing well, you may thin them to about 6 inches apart. These thinnings may be used in salads or as an addition to any recipe using fresh greens. I usually pull the thinnings, then snip off the roots right in the garden, dropping the clean plants right into my harvest basket.
I snip off larger, tender turnip greens all summer to use as a steamed green and take a few tender sweet little leaves to use in salads. When the turnip roots are about 2 inches across, I often pull the whole plant. I clip off the new turnip and clean it well, then cut the tougher lower part of the leaf stems. Then I simmer the whole bunch together for a slightly different take on boiled turnip greens. More substance, succulence, and different colors in one dish.
Chinese cabbage
There are two kinds of Chinese cabbage, the heading type that makes a tightly packed oval "cabbage head" about four pounds in size, and the pac choi family, which is a plant with thick, roundish, green leaves growing on a white, thick stalk. While pac choi can certainly be used fresh in salads or boiled as greens, it truly shines when added to a mixed stir fry.
Best yet, pac choi is very easy to grow. Simply direct sow the seeds in your garden just before your last normal spring frost date about ½ inch deep and about one seed per 2 inches. Thin the seedlings to about a foot apart in rows or all ways, in wide beds.
If flea beetles are a problem in your garden, either cover the row with floating row cover (Reemay) or dust periodically with rotenone until the plants are large enough to withstand minor attack. If cabbage worms are a problem, the same controls apply.
You may harvest a few small tender leaves periodically as a salad addition. Pac choi has a nice, sweet cabbage flavor, as well as a tender, succulent texture. As the plants mature, cut the entire plant at ground level and use as a steamed or boiled vegetable or as an addition to stir fries. It keeps well in the refrigerator for quite a while.
Lettuce
There are so many different types of lettuce today that there are varieties to suit anybody's taste and visual appeal. Where most lettuce used to be green, now there are reds, purples, stripes, spotted leaves, and more. There are head lettuces, leaf, French, Romaine, and butterhead. To top it off, there are also innumerable mesclun salad blends. (Mesclun is a French term which simply means a mixture of different salad greens, giving a combination of colors, textures, flavors, and types of greens.) Most have different types of lettuce as a base, with other ingredients, such as mustard, parsley, chervil, radicchio, joi choi, and others, mixed to gourmet tastes.
Lettuce is a cool weather lover. You can plant it at the same time you plant peas; just as early as the ground can be worked up in the garden. It can take several frosts and even light freezes without as much as a frown. Most varieties of lettuce are simply direct seeded into the garden, although starting heading varieties in a flat, inside, or in the greenhouse will give you much earlier heads of lettuce.
Lettuce seed is planted about ½ inch deep, about 1 inch apart, either in rows or in beds, scattering the seed about 2 inches apart, all ways. Lettuce germinates very quickly; in as little as three days when conditions are right. It grows quickly, so soon you can begin snipping off whole plants, thinning the stand so that the plants come to be about 8 inches apart all ways for leaf lettuces, and about 12 inches apart all ways for head, Romaine, and bibb. A small 2-foot square bed of mixed leaf lettuce will supply most families with salads all spring and early summer. If another is planted with heat-tolerant varieties, this can be extended to provide salads all summer and fall. If yet another is planted in the first bed in late August or September, especially in a protected spot, you will enjoy lettuce well into winter. This is true even if you have to cover the bed with a small portable cloche or mini-greenhouse.
These first thinnings are your first salad ingredients. Then, as the plants continue growing, your salads will get more substantial. By varying different types of lettuce and by planting successions of seed, you can have good lettuce right into hot weather. When hot weather is here for good, you'll find that all but the more heat-tolerant lettuces will become tough and bitter. I whack off all but the summer varieties and feed it to the goats and chickens as a treat. In a few weeks it will be cool enough to start a whole new batch of fall lettuce.
By using a cold frame or cloche in a protected area, you may well have lettuce all fall and winter if you are lucky enough to live in a mild climate.
If you grow open-pollinated lettuce, you can forego the whacking off and let the plants (or at least some of them) go ahead and bolt, sending up seed stalks. When these dry, you can shatter the seed out and save it until next spring. I store my lettuce seed in paper envelopes or in empty 35 mm film canisters. I write the name of the variety on a small piece of paper and roll it up and put that inside, too, just so I remember what those tiny brown seeds are.
Beets
Beet greens are an old-fashioned, nutritious, tasty family favorite. And, because beets are so hardy, they'll grow just about anywhere. Like lettuce, they can be planted at or just after the time you plant peas; as early as the soil can be worked (soil temperatures at or about 50 degrees). The baby plants are not bothered by frosts or light freezes.
Like turnips, beets are a double-crop vegetable. Not only can you harvest the juicy round root, but you can pick a few tender leaves all spring and summer to use in salads, cut more of the leaves off when the plants are larger, or pull the small beet and leaves to cook together in beet greens.
The seeds can be sown in rows, double rows, or beds. I prefer to plant my beets either in beds or in double rows to conserve both garden space and moisture. Beet seeds are double, so out of each seed you will usually get two plants. So even when planting the seeds ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart, you will still need to do quite a bit of thinning. I often use these tiny first thinning in salads as they are succulent and sweet. Later on, thin again so the beets stand about 4 inches apart when the plants are about 3-3.9 inches tall. You can either use these as salad ingredients or else in a batch of steamed greens.
OILY FISH
oily and white. Oily fish is higher in
fat than white fish, but contains more
polyunsaturated fat which is a ‘good fat’
and a great source of omega 3 fatty acids
(see Understanding good and bad fats).
White fish is low in fat, and high in protein.
It also contains some omega 3 fatty acids,
but not nearly as much as oily fish.
Omega 3 is vital to the body for growth
and development of the brain and nervous
system. It can also help to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is known
as a ‘bad fat’ and is often associated with increased risk of stroke and heart disease. It
can affect the arteries, causing them to narrow or become blocked and potentially trigger
a heart attack.
Recent scientific studies have suggested that oily fish are particularly beneficial to the
health of our hearts. As well as being a great source of vitamin D, they are also the best
source of omega fatty acids, in particular omega 3. Because our bodies cannot produce
omega fatty acids, it’s vital that we get them from other sources. That’s why having a
balanced diet rich in fish (to give us omega 3) and plant oil (to give us omega 6) is so
important.
TYPES OF OILY FISH
Oily fish include sardines, salmon, trout, mackerel and fresh tuna.
Fish Oil Benefits
Fish oil helps
Promote healthy heart beat
Moderate growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque
Naturally balance triglycerides, an important heart health marker
This is why the American Heart Association recommends that you take 1000 mg of Omega-3 everyday.
Joint Care
Omega-3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory for your joints.
Omega-3
Reduces joint discomfort
Reduces morning stiffness
Helps reduces the amount of painkillers needed
Reduces enzymes that destroy cartilage
Increases grip strength
Enhances walking pace
Brain Health
More than half the fats in the brain is Omega-3 DHA. And the lining of the nerve cells in the brain is lined with Omega-3. So, brain performance & function (cognition) is strongly influenced by the amount of Omega-3 in your diet.
Increased levels of Omega-3 helps:
Enhance memory
Support thinking speed
Increase overall cognition
Manage age-related brain decline
Mood
Blueberries Benefits
Blueberries are one of the healthiest foods available to us all year round. More and more researchers publish study results that are quite amazing. Short of a nutritional miracle this tiny dark berries can help reverse effects of premature aging and improve debilitating conditions.
Blueberry is a native North American perennial flowering plant from the genus Vaccinium that also includes cranberries, lingonberries and bilberries. The plant produces indigo-colored berries and is mostly cultivated in North America and Europe, but also grows successfully in other parts of the world.
Blueberries are very high in vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, copper and dietary fiber. They contain anthocyanins, flavonols, and other phytonutrients that include resveratrol and pterostilbene. Studies demonstrated that all these phytonutirents act as antioxidants that protect the whole body from oxidative stress. These nutrients protect the DNA and act as anti-inflammatory agents that help reduce inflammation in the body
Cognitive Health
The latest research suggests that compounds in blueberries may help slow down age-related damage to the brain cells, reverse age-related memory loss and improve overall cognitive health. Test subjects who consumed blueberries had improved memory, learning skills, cognition, reasoning, verbal comprehension and numerical skills.
Blueberries may help slow down cognitive decline in aging adults and prevent against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Researchers discovered that compounds in blueberries significantly increase production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine deficiency is associated with bad mood, depression and Parkinson's disease. Increased consumption of blueberries may help ward off the onset of Parkinson's disease, improve mood and alleviate depression in dopamine deficient individuals.
Cardiovascular Health
Blueberries protect blood vessels from oxidative stress and help balance cholesterol. People who ate 1-2 cups of blueberries daily for a period of 1-3 months had increased levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and reduced levels of LDL or the blood vessels clogging and damaging bad cholesterol. Blueberry extract was shown to lower blood pressure. People who eat blueberries on regular basis have much lower chance of developing hypertension. Research shows that blueberries help lower blood pressure in two ways: On the one hand they help blood vessels to relax reducing the resistance to blood flow; on the other, blueberries (the extract, to be precise) inhibits the protein that the body uses to keep blood pressure elevated.
Blood Sugar
Blueberries are classified as low-GI fruits. GI or the Glycemic Index is a method of measuring the impact of food on our blood glucose levels. Foods with lower GI release glucose more slowly and steadily and do not cause glucose spikes. This is important for people who struggle with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity. In addition, fiber in blueberries helps to further balance blood sugar and improve health of those patients who were diagnosed with blood sugar problems.
Cancer
Various studies demonstrated that blueberry extract may prevent uncontrolled cell reproduction that could lead to formation of tumors. The extract also prevented formation of pre-cancerous lesions. Cancers such as that of the colon or the cervix begin as pre-cancerous lesions and turn into malignant tumors. Blueberry extract greatly reduced formation of such abnormal tissues.
Blueberry extract also prevented angiogenesis or the formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumors. Cancer has the ability to spread to adjacent or distant organs. Tumor cells can penetrate the blood (and lymphatic) vessels and spread throughout the body. For the metastatic spread of cancer a network of blood (and lymphatic) vessels is important. The formation of new blood vessels is called angiogenesis. (The formation of new lymph vessels is called lymphangiogenesis.) Blueberry extract curtails this growth of blood vessels and increases survival rate in cancer patients. It also has the ability to inhibit enzyme responsible for the proliferation of cancer cells. And last but not least, the extract triggers apoptosis or cancer cells' death.
Vision
Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the retina from oxidative damage. They also protect the retina from damage caused by the sun. Anthocyanosides in blueberries provide protection against such disorders as the age-related macular degeneration, myopia, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, extreme dryness and retinal infections. People who consume blueberries on regular basis report improved night vision.
Urinary Tract
Just like cranberries, blueberries contain compounds that prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to the walls of the bladder. According to latest research this helps ward off the urinary tract infections.
Weight Management
As I mentioned before, blueberries have a very low glycemic index and help balance blood sugar. This helps people with weight problems to reduce cravings. Blueberries help lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels, and improve fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity. Moreover, polyphenols and catechins found in blueberries help activate fat-burning genes in abdominal fat cells. And last but not least, fiber in blueberries helps improve digestion and elimination. All these factors combined with active lifestyle, exercise and sensible calorie intake may contribute to a desired weight loss.
Conclusion
There is hardly any system in the body that is not positively affected by the consumption of blueberries. Adding one or two cups of blueberries to your daily diet can help your reverse premature aging and protect you from many diseases.
Blueberries are rather inexpensive and are easily accessible throughout the year. When buying fresh blueberries make sure that you are buying pesticide-free organically grown berries. They are darker and richer in antioxidants. Fresh and frozen blueberries can be used to make smoothies or desserts. Dried blueberries can be added to cereals or trail mixes.
Standardized blueberry extract sold in capsules has one advantage over the fresh fruit. It provides the most reliable means of delivering the vital flavonoid components to your body. Capsules can be taken as a means of prevention in addition to regular consumption of fresh fruit
