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.