VEGETABLES in weightloss

VEGETABLES in weightloss


VEGETABLES TAKE THE PRIZE

 

 

Vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, win the nutrient density prize.

 

The concentration of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants per calorie in vegetables is the highest, by far, of any food. Research shows that vegetable consumption is the most important factor in preventing chronic disease and premature death. Unfortunately, the modern American diet is extremely low in natural vegetation, especially vegetables. It is not slightly deficient in just a handful of micronutrients; it is grossly deficient in hundreds of important plant-derived, immunity-building compounds.

 

Eating a large amount of greens and other colorful vegetables is the secret weapon to achieve great health. They are low in calories and high in life-extending nutrients. Eat these foods in unlimited quantities and think big. Try to eat a pound of raw vegetables and a pound of cooked vegetables each day. If you can’t eat this much don’t force yourself, but the idea is to completely rethink what constitutes a portion.

 

Include lots of salads and raw vegetables in your daily meals. Consuming salads is an effective strategy for weight control. I have treated thousands of patients and have observed that the more salad they eat, the more weight they lose. When you add one of my delicious fruit-, nut-, or avocado-based dressings to your salad, the monounsaturated fats in the dressing increase the body’s ability to absorb the anticancer compounds in the raw vegetables. The powerful combination of raw vegetables and healthful dressings makes salad a health food top star.

 

All vegetables contain protective micronutrients and phytochemicals, but cruciferous vegetables are especially powerful. They are loaded with disease-protecting micronutrients and powerful compounds that promote detoxification and prevent cancer. Cruciferous vegetables have a unique chemical composition: They have sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent or bitter flavors. When their cell walls are broken by blending or chopping, a chemical reaction occurs that converts these sulfur-containing compounds into isothiocyanates, an array of compounds with proven and powerful immunity-boosting effects and anticancer activity.

 

Methods of preparation and cooking affect the absorbability of isothiocyanates (ITCs). Chop, chew, blend, or juice cruciferous vegetables for maximum production of ITCs. They are not pre-formed in the plant; they are made when the plant cell walls are chewed or crushed. The more cell walls that are broken, the more enzymes are released to catalyze the reaction that produces these compounds. Cooking does not destroy the activity and functions of ITCs; it only deactivates the myrosinase enzyme catalyzing their formation. That means if you blend, crush, chop, or juice the greens while they’re raw and then put the blended or chopped greens into a stew or soup to cook, you will still have those functioning and beneficial compounds present after cooking.

 

Onions and mushrooms add great flavor to all kinds of dishes and also have well-documented anticancer and immunity-building properties. Add them to soups, stews, stir-fries, and other vegetable recipes. The allium family of vegetables, which includes onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives, and scallions, contains anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant compounds. This protection is thought to be due to their organosulfur compounds, which are released when the vegetables are chopped, crushed, or chewed.

 

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

 

 

Arugula

 

Bok choy

 

Broccoli

 

Broccoli rabe

 

Brussels sprouts

 

Cabbage

 

Cauliflower

 

Collard greens

 

Horseradish

 

Kale

 

Kohlrabi

 

Mustard greens

 

Radishes

 

Red cabbage

 

Rutabaga leaf

 

Swiss chard

 

Turnip greens

 

Watercress

 

Cooked mushrooms contain many unique disease-fighting compounds that are just beginning to be understood. They empower the body to react quickly and powerfully when we are exposed to disease-causing pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. They also contain compounds called aromatase inhibitors, which help to reduce the risk of breast cancer. As a safety precaution, mushrooms should always be cooked since some animal studies have reported toxic effects of raw mushrooms.

 

Frozen vegetables are a convenient option. They are rich in micronutrients because they are picked ripe and flash-frozen right on or near the farm. Feel free to substitute frozen vegetables in any of your recipes.

 

Many metal cans are lined with a BPA-containing resin. BPA (Bisphenol A), is a chemical linked to a number of negative health effects. I recommend that people avoid canned tomato products because tomatoes are acidic and a significant amount of BPA could leach into the food. Use fresh tomatoes or tomatoes packaged in BPA-free cartons. Pomi brand, for example, offers both chopped and strained tomatoes in this type of packaging. Look for tomato paste packaged in glass jars such as the Bionaturæ brand. I recommend purchasing the best fresh tomatoes during the tomato growing season and freezing as many pounds as can fit in your freezer. A box freezer in the garage is a great investment; it enables you to store summer berries, tomatoes, and other produce,

 

self-grown or purchased in bulk.

 

If you are trying to lose weight, eat as many raw vegetables as desired. Cooked green and nongreen nutrient-rich vegetables (such as eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and cauliflower) can also be eaten in unlimited quantities.

 

 

 

 

To get the maximum immune function benefits of cruciferous vegetables, do the following:

 

1.            Chew all cruciferous greens very, very well, trying to crush every cell.

 

2.            Puree, blend, or chop cruciferous vegetables before adding them to soups, stews, or other cooked dishes.

 

3.            When steaming cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli or cabbage, try to undercook them slightly so they are not too mushy.

 

4.            Add some raw, chopped, cruciferous vegetables to your salad. The enzymes will increase the production of isothiocyanates.

 

 

 

Starchy vegetables include butternut squash, acorn squash, corn, sweet potatoes, yams, white potatoes, and cooked carrots. They are more calorically dense than the nonstarchy vegetables and may need to be limited to one serving daily for those who want to lose weight. Squash has a better nutritional profile and lower glycemic index compared to potato, so it is a better choice if you are overweight or diabetic. Beans, which I discuss later in this chapter, are even more weight-loss and diabetic friendly.

 

 

 

Overcooking green vegetables causes them to lose valuable nutrients. As the vegetables steam, water-soluble nutrients are lost in the cooking water.

 

Overcooking also deactivates the beneficial myrosinase enzyme in cruciferous vegetables.

 

Do not cook your vegetables longer than the maximum times given in the ranges below.

 

 

 

 

COLORFUL FRUIT

 

 

Try to eat at least three fresh fruits per day. Fruit is an excellent nutrient-dense, low-calorie source of vitamins and phytochemicals. Fruit consumption has been shown to offer strong protection against certain cancers, especially oral, esophageal, lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. Researchers have discovered unique substances in fruit that can help prevent aging and deterioration of the brain.

 

Berries are especially rich in beneficial phytochemical compounds. Their high antioxidant content helps to reduce blood pressure and inflammation, prevent DNA damage that leads to cancer, and protect the brain against oxidative damage that can result in degenerative brain diseases. Berries have the highest nutrient to calorie ratio of all the fruits. All berries, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, goji berries, and strawberries, are super foods.

 

Eat a variety of fruits: apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cherries, clementines, grapes, kiwis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas,

 

peaches, pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, and tangerines. Try some exotic fruits too, if you have the opportunity. If you need to lose weight, use dried fruits only in small amounts as a sweetener in recipes.

 

Fruit, consumed at its peak of ripeness, is more delicious than any processed, overrefined dessert or treat. Sadly, in the modern world, most people don’t have orchards or gardens full of fresh fruit ready to be picked. Most of the fruit we buy at the grocery store has left the garden far behind, having been picked before its prime to avoid shipping damage and storage loss.

 

To learn how to choose the best fruit, look for color, smell, texture, and weight. Some fruits tell you that they are ripe by their color. As the acidity of a fruit changes, the green chlorophyll breaks down. Fruits such as bananas and apples have bright colors underneath the green chlorophyll layer; the colors show through as the chlorophyll disappears. Bluish-red berries become a deeper, more intense red as they ripen. For bananas, apples, tomatoes, red berries, and cherries, color change is an excellent indication of ripeness.

 

Smell is especially important when color is not a good indicator of ripeness— for example, with most melons. Chemical changes take place in ripening fruits that cause them to produce pleasant-smelling compounds. Sniff the blossom end of the fruit (the end opposite the stem) and select fruit that has a full, fruity aroma.

 

As fruits ripen, the substances that hold the cells together break down and convert to water-soluble pectins, which make the fruit become softer, so a gentle squeeze is a good test for ripeness. If a plum is rock hard, it isn’t ripe. The squeeze test is especially useful with fruit that doesn’t have a hard or thick rind, so squeeze stone fruit, pears, kiwis, and avocados. This doesn’t work as well with melons and pineapples, but even with these hard-coated fruits, a little give is a good sign.

 

Weight can be a good indicator of ripe fruit. If a fruit feels heavy for its size, it generally means that the fruit is at least fully mature, which is a good start for ripeness. A heavy grapefruit or orange, for example, is usually a good one.

 

Frozen fruit is a convenient substitute when fresh fruit isn’t available. The nutritional value of frozen fruit is comparable to that of fresh fruit. Avoid canned choices; they are not as nutritious. Often they have added sweeteners and have lost some of their water-soluble nutrients.

 

Since fruit is vital to health and well-being, I use fresh and frozen fruits to make delicious desserts that are nourishing and taste great. I have included many delicious and easy fruit recipes in this cookbook to satisfy your sweet tooth and end your meals on a healthy note.

 

 

 

 

How to Eat a Mango

 

Choose a mango that is plump, fragrant, and heavy for its size. Mangoes are ripe when you can indent them slightly with your thumb, but avoid mangoes that are so ripe that they are mushy or have brown marks. Unripe (but not green) mangoes will ripen in a few days when left on your counter. Refrigerate a ripe mango to make it last longer.

 

 

In the middle of the mango is a large, flat pit. Holding the mango on its side, make an initial slice slightly off center (so you miss the pit). Take another slice on the other side of the mango. You will now have two “cheeks” plus the pit. Score the two cheeks into cubes. When scoring, cut through until your knife reaches the peel, but do not cut through the peel. Scoop out the mango cubes with a large spoon. Dig deeply along the inside of the peel to get out all the fruit. Now take the piece that contains the pit, peel off the skin and cut off the remaining flesh.

 

 

 

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post
');