Amazing Artichokes

Artichokes deserve their very own post!  Simply because artichokes are the detox powerhouse.  However, many people, including myself don't *really* like to buy them because they look at the vegetable and think, how would I eat this thing????  Don't worry, I used to think that way too...and here is my attempt to debunk your hesitations.

First, let me talk about the incredible properties of artichokes.  They are a liver-cleansing food, in other words detoxification.  Detoxification is important for battling diseases and keeping a healthy body.  Artichokes are a good source of silymarin, which helps protect and nourish the liver.

According to herbal experts Joe and Teresa Graydon, Ph.D. (authors of The People's Pharmacy), patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) upset who were given artichoke extract showed incredible improvement.  Another study showed patients experience relief from stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.  [Remember, findingfoodorlove.com does not provide medical advice, please consult your physician--but what awesome results!]

Second, how to consume whole artichokes.  After you buy a artichoke from the store, you will want to peel the outside layers by the stem, remove any fibers or small leaves at the bottom of the artichoke.  Next, cut the spikey tips of the artichoke leaves.  After you go around cutting all of them, cut off the top where all the leaves start to bunch up so you end up with something that looks like my picture.

Steam the artichokes for about 15-20 minutes.

That's it!  Now eat.  Just pull the leaves off and scrape the base of the leaf with your teeth.  When you get down to the heart of the artichoke, remove the hairy 'choke' (inedible fuzzy part).

I can eat with no dip.  It's really healthy.  It does take some work to eat, but in my opinion, when we have to work for our food, I think we eat better portions.

Source: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Pom Power

If you haven't seen, right now is pomegranate season.  The pomegranates are so juicy, so sweet, ruby red, and plump.  The fruit is shiny and, in many ways, just tantalizing.  I know that many western books depict the apple as the fruit of temptation in the Garden of Eden.  But, seriously, I think it was the pomegranate.  Have you ever eaten one that is in season?  It's ruby red, jewel-like parcels contain 100% juice.  They burst in your mouth with their refreshing sweet flavor, and the seeds have fiber.

I have been eating so many of these delicious fruits, that the other fruits can't keep my attention like a perfectly ripe pomegranate.  If it were really the pomegranate in the Garden, Eve, I don't blame you.

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants.  "Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine, and green tea," said Professor Michael Aviram at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.  There was one study presented in San Antonio at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting in which 48 men who had been treated for prostate cancer drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily.  Drinking the juice lengthened the time it took for the disease to develop.  Doesn't stop disease, but the results indicated there may be chemicals in the juice that have cancer-fighting benefits.

Pomegranate juice also has been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).  And at least five studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of pomegranate juice on cardiovascular health.

A study published in the Journal of Urology examined the long-term intake of pomegranate juice on erectile dysfunction (in an animal model).  Results suggest that free radicals (oxidative stress) are a contribution factor in erectile dysfunction.  In response, antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, and is an important part of the daily diet.  It may be time to get your pomegranate on!

Our collection of pomegranates:

Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Sweet Peppers

I took this shot of one of our red peppers from our garden - doesn't it look so interesting?  I love the unique shapes of each pepper, and dependent on where the plant is, each ripen in slightly different shades.  When the peppers initially grow up, they are green.  Dependent on the seed and the sun exposure, each matures and changes color.  The riper the pepper, the greater the nutrition (and the flavor).

Peppers are low in calories - and when organic, fresh and crisp some of the best snacks hands down.  I can just imagine the crisp juice that flies out with each bite.  I eat them in stir fry, salad, and all types of preparations.  If they are super fresh, I don't want it to go to waste, so I eat them raw.

They are high in Vitamin C and A (beta-carotene) and potassium.  They also contain Vitamin K (bone health) and some lycopene (said to lower risk of prostate cancer).

Be aware that bell peppers were on the 2003 list of twelve foods most contaminated with pesticides (Environmental Working Group).  The organization recommends buying them organic, which is probably good if you can, or use a fruit-vegetable wash.  But nevertheless, such a good food and full of nutrition!


Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Summer Squash

Summer is now over, and this picture was from a couple of months ago (time goes by so quickly!).  I didn't have such a love for yellow squash, until I started eating it organically grown.  They are easy to grow, and tremendous when sauteed.  I really like the picture I took (above) from our garden, the color of the plant is so crisp and green and complements nicely with the yellow vegetable.  Yellow squash when fresh is sweet and filled with nutrients.

Summer squash is high in heart-healthy potassium.  One cup of cooked squash gives you more than 3x the amount of potassium in a usual supplement.  There is also Vitamin A, beta-carotene, lots of carotenoids that are good for the eyes (yea! I want to be rid of these glasses! haha).

Squash has a high water content and low calories, which is really good for weight loss.  Hence, some people call it a "high volume" food.


Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Got Milk?

Most of us in the US grew up drinking milk, unless your mom figured out you were lactose intolerant from some allergic reaction.  Milk, in its raw, organic, unpasteurized, nonhomogenized state from grass-fed cows are full of nutrients and fat that we need to stay healthy.  However, what is typically sold in the grocery store is nothing close.  This is what I want to talk about.

Conventional milk typically has tons of antibiotics, steroids and hormones because of the way they "factory" the cows by putting them in areas, where they almost touch, stand still, row after row, many times in the dark, and milk the cows on unnatural schedules in order to maximize the milk production.  This maximization causes the dairy cows' udders to become very painful, heavy and infected.  In response, producers have to put these poor animals on more drugs to lessen the pain, reduce disease, and keep that milk production going around the clock.

This terrible cycle causes large doses of antibiotics and hormones in the milk and meat.  On top of that, they typically pasteurize and homogenize.  Both procedures destroy vitally important health-giving compounds in the milk, destroying enzymes, vitamins, vitamins B12 and B6, and promote pathogens.  However, unpasteurized milk may harbor harmful bacteria (thanks friends for point this out!), as the FDA states, so certain processes may be necessary. 

There also has been talk about a link between milk and cancer, including ovarian cancer.  According to research published in November 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, some Swedish researchers concluded that "our data indicate that high intakes of lactose and dairy products, particularly milk, are associated with an increased risk of serious ovarian cancer, but not of other subtypes of ovarian cancer."  Although we really don't know what kind of milk they were drinking or have multiple, multiple studies, but it should cause us to think about it (especially for those who drink conventional milk with cereal for like every meal--I was one of those in college).

The other thing to really question is why kids hit puberty SO MUCH earlier than people 50+ years ago.  Girls are wearing their first bra at younger ages.  My theory, and personal opinion, is that this abnormality could be very seriously linked to the impact of all the hormones and antibiotics industry uses.  Kids are fed milk from a very young age.  I am sure multiple factors, but this might be one (and potentially big one).

It is vital to know where your food is coming from.  I do drink milk every day for the most part, although I have learned that I can get calcium from many other foods such as kale and other vegetables.  Remember cheese also comes from the cow, so this same practice also impacts the nutritional value of it (to learn more: Is That Really Cheese?).  I drink Organic Valley milk.  From my research, Organic Valley is a co-op of farmers who really care about pasturing their cows and don't use hormones.  In addition, I have switched to whole milk; I was fat free for years.  Since my diet has changed, I now use milk to get some of my saturated fat.




Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden