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Fruit of the Vine

7/31/2013

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Grapes are such an easy fruit to eat.  Most of us have given our children grapes as a quick snack, added them to cheese plates, maybe even stewed them into compote, or used them as a condiment in the form of grape jelly.  Grapes give a quick pick-me-up since they contain a fair amount of simple sugars.  Even though their glycemic index falls in the middle of the range, early studies have suggested that they may help with blood sugar regulation.  This may be due to the fiber and the antioxidants found in grapes.  For specific ways to control your blood sugar, click here to contact me.  Ripe grapes consist of an equal ratio of glucose and fructose.  These two types of sugars are fermentable allowing grapes to be used for winemaking. 

But did you know that grapes are actually members of the berry family?  They are grown on every continent except Antarctica.  Table grapes (the ones we consume), wine grapes and raisins are all from the Vitaceae family.  There are over 60 different species of grape and thousands of varieties.  Table grapes are usually larger in size, seedless and possess thinner skins as opposed to the smaller wine grapes that contain seeds and have thicker skins.  Grapes are about 80% water.  Raisins, also called sultanas, are dried grapes that are either dark from red or black grapes or white from green grapes.  As dried fruit comprised of only 15% water, raisins have more concentrated sugars than raw grapes. 

Grapes are relatively low in calories.  One cup, which contains about 15-20 grapes, has about 104 calories, 1 gram of dietary fiber and 23 grams of sugar.  Grapes are not a good source of protein.  However, they are high in vitamin C and vitamin K, with 27% and 28% of the daily value respectively.  They are also rich in manganese and have good amounts of potassium and vitamins B1 and B6.  

So what’s special about grapes?  Grapes are rich in phytonutrients that benefit many of our body systems including the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous and immune systems.  In addition, these phytonutrients may aid in cancer prevention and are anti-inflammatory.  They act as antioxidants to provide damage control from the free radicals that we encounter in the environment or from our own metabolism.  The darker the color of the grape, the more antioxidants it contains.  The number of different antioxidants in darker colored grapes is well into the hundreds.  Resveratrol, one of the phytonutrients found mostly in the skin and seeds of red and black grapes, may play a role in longevity.  In studies, resveratrol has been shown to increase expression of three genes related to anti-aging.  For more on resveratrol, click here.  The highest concentration of antioxidants in grapes is found in the skin and seeds as opposed to the flesh.  In fact, the flesh of the grape contains between 1/20th to 1/100th of the total antioxidant activity.  So avoid peeling grapes.

Our cardiovascular system, pumping blood and nutrients throughout the body, ensures that we have a ready supply of oxygen to all our cells.  All our cells need to be protected from free radicals but particularly those that are rich in oxygen due to the chemical nature of free radicals.  As our arteries possess high concentrations of oxygen, antioxidants are especially important in the circulatory system.  Some benefits that have been linked to grape consumption include better blood pressure regulation, reduced LDL cholesterol levels and lowered LDL oxidation.  There are also some theories that grapes play a key role in explaining the “French paradox”.  Why is it that the French who consume large quantities of saturated fat have much lower levels of heart disease than would be expected?  One possible explanation is that antioxidants in grapes and red wine are supporting their cardiovascular system by neutralizing the free radicals and preventing oxidative damage. 

Grapes may also provide us with support for cognition.  Studies have shown that consuming grape extracts may reduce these harmful free radicals that oxidize cells in the brain.  In studies, the quantity of beta-amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease has been reduced when grape extracts have been taken.  So eating some grapes may be beneficial to your brain health and mental well-being. 

Conventionally grown grapes are one of the fruits that are heavily sprayed with pesticides.  Buying organic grapes is a safer choice.  For tips on removing pesticides, click here.  To obtain the highest concentration of antioxidants, buy grapes that are fully ripe.  They should be plump and wrinkle-free.  The grapes should be firmly attached to the stems.  Grapes will spoil and ferment when left at room temperature.  Loosely wrap unwashed grapes in a paper towel and place in an airtight bag for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  If you are not using all the grapes at once, separate the grapes clusters instead of picking off individual grapes so that the stems will not dry out. 

White (or green) grapes taste great but have fewer nutritional benefits than red grapes.  You won’t obtain all the antioxidants, particularly the anthocyanins that give red and black grapes their color.  But you will get some antioxidants as well as vitamins A, C and K and calcium and iron.  They also have fewer oxalates for those that have a history of kidney or gallstones.   Note that eating too many grapes can have a laxative effect.  Even with these potential negatives, grapes are beneficial.  Just don’t eat them alone.  For a delicious salad, click here to try my mizuna, pomegranate and walnut salad.  Enjoy these fruits of the vine.


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Kernels of Corn

7/17/2013

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Nothing evokes images of summer for me more than ears of corn.  While most corn in the US is grown in the heartland, I remember fields of corn lining the roads where I grew up on the east coast.  The word corn or maize to the Native Americans meant “that which sustains life”.  Some of us have always thought of corn as a vegetable, but in fact, corn is a grain--part of the grass family.  It is the third most important grain worldwide after wheat and rice.  Corn is an important food staple globally, especially in Latin America, Asia, Africa and parts of the Soviet Union. 

In the US, corn is the largest food crop.  Not only do we use corn for food, but it also has a myriad of other uses including livestock feed, ethanol production, plastics, cooking oils, high fructose corn syrup, antibiotics and alcohol.  Industrialized countries grow much of their corn for livestock feed and for industrial raw materials.  However, in developing countries, most of maize is grown for human consumption.    

There are six general varieties of corn.  Let’s start by taking a look at the corn that we consume.  Sweet corn, also called zea saccharata or zea rugosa, is sweet because when picked the natural sugars have not converted into starch.  However, sweet corn should be consumed quickly since almost half of its sugar converts to starch after only 24 hours from harvest.  Fresh is best!  If not using quickly, store refrigerated for up to two days.  For a delicious and easy corn dish, click here to try my corn, tomato, and arugula salad.

One medium ear of corn contains about 77 calories.  Most of the calories come from simple sugars like glucose and sucrose that the body breaks down very quickly, so limiting one’s intake of corn is important for those working on weight loss and blood sugar regulation.  Corn has about 5% of the RDA for fiber.  Other nutrients found in white corn are vitamins C, B1, B3 and B5 as well as folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese.  Yellow corn also has vitamins A and E, providing us with more antioxidants.  The antioxidants found in corn determine the expression of the corn color.   These antioxidants support healthy mucus membranes, skin and eye health.  For more about the benefits of antioxidants, click here.  One particular antioxidant found in corn, ferulic acid, may help in cancer prevention, anti-aging and lowering inflammation.  While corn is a gluten-free grain, it is also a common food allergen. 

Even though corn contains B3, also known as niacin, it is in a form that is biologically unavailable for our bodies to use.  Early settlers who were eating a predominantly corn-based diet didn’t know about this aspect of corn and developed pellagra, a B3 deficiency disorder.  In order to unbind vitamin B3 and make it available, Latin American cultures cook corn with an alkaline lime solution releasing the bound B3.  Hominy, tortillas and tamales are all foods that incorporate the lime solution to allow B3 to be readily absorbed.  

A medium ear of corn contains some protein—about 8% of the RDA—but it is an incomplete protein source as it is deficient in two important amino acids.  To obtain a “complete protein”, corn should be combined with legumes such as beans to obtain all the necessary amino acids.   The oils in corn are high in omega 6 fatty acids.  Thus, they may be inflammatory in nature.  Corn oils are polyunsaturated and can turn rancid easily.  For more about fats, click here.    

Dent corn is used as livestock feed and industrial products.  It has a completely different texture and taste to the sweet corn we consume.  It is starchier and the kernel is indented when mature.  Flint corn is similar to dent corn.  Sometimes called Indian corn, it has a range of colors from white to red.  Flour corn is used in baked goods since the corn kernels are soft and starch-filled.  Due to its softness, the kernels are easy to grind into flour.  Flour corn was one of the earliest forms of corn used by the Native Americans.  Finally, popcorn is a type of flint corn with a soft center and hard exterior.  When heated, the moisture in the kernel steams and with enough pressure, the kernel explodes resulting in popcorn.  Remember most calories in popcorn come from the butter that people put on it rather than the kernels themselves.  For an interesting analysis about the industrialization of corn, watch the movie “King Corn”. 

As summertime is corn season, enjoy those sweet cobs but in moderation.  Combine corn with other more nutrient dense foods to obtain the full complement of vitamins, minerals, and maintain blood sugar balance.
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Fearful Fats

7/3/2013

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What do I mean by the “fearful fats?  It’s the dreaded “fat” that we have come to associate with a higher risk of heart disease and weight gain.  Do you avoid butter and use margarine instead?  Do you choose the non-fat or low fat versions of snacks or other consumables thinking they are healthier for you?  Do you consistently opt for vegetable oils because they are supposed to be better for you?  Let’s work on debunking some of these common misconceptions.

What is fat?  Fats are one of the key macronutrients in the diet (the others being proteins and carbohydrates).  Also called lipids, fats do not dissolve in water.  Without getting too technical, the fatty acid portion of the fat chain is used by the body for energy.  In addition, fats are an integral part of every cell in our bodies (and we have between 60-90 trillion cells).  In fact, every cell membrane is comprised of fats.  For the cell to properly function, we need to consume healthy fats.  By denying ourselves of fats, we compromise our overall health.  Fats not only work at the cellular level, but also are extremely important for losing weight, enhancing our mood, supporting our immune system and keeping our skin supple and youthful.  Fats also help us absorb the fat-soluble vitamins--A, D and E.

When we eat foods that are labeled low fat or non-fat, typically extra sugar has been added to compensate for the lost fats.  Perhaps this is one reason that with the low fat craze, obesity rates have more than doubled over the last 20 years and are predicted to get worse.  Is it because of the shift in our diets?  Fats give food flavor and texture.  They also fill you more quickly than carbohydrates.  Refined sugars streaming throughout the body are linked with insulin resistance and type II diabetes as well as other chronic diseases.  A new study in the journal Circulation has found that women eating the Mediterranean diet comprised of healthy monounsaturated fats lowered their risk for heart disease by 29%. 

Let’s look at the various types of fats.

·      Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs) tend to be liquid at room temperature but solid when refrigerated due to the structure of the chemical bonds.  They are relatively stable fats, thus they can be used in cooking.  Typical monounsaturated fats include olive oil, sesame oil and the oil in almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts and avocados.  These fats may help raise our HDL or good cholesterol and lower LDL or bad cholesterol.  They also protect us from plaque deposition in our arteries.  Incorporate these fats in your diets. 

·      Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs) contain the “essential” omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids meaning that they must be obtained from the diet, as we cannot produce them ourselves.  Omega 3 fats are universally beneficial with anti-inflammatory properties.  They are found in wild, cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines as well as flaxseed, walnuts, pastured eggs and tofu.  For a delicious and easy salmon recipe, click here to see my recipe.  Omega 6s fats, on the other hand, have some benefits and some detriments.  They are needed for skin and hair growth, bone health and nervous system support but can be inflammatory as well.  Omega 6 fatty acids are found in most vegetable and seed oils namely safflower, grapeseed, corn, cottonseed and sunflower oils.  In a healthy diet, omega 3s should be at least one third of the polyunsaturated fats consumed.  However, a typical American diet often has only about 5% omega 3s because omega 6 fats are a cheaper alternative.  It is best to cut back on the omega 6 oils as much as possible and tilt your consumption toward the omega 3s.  All the PUFAs are highly reactive and should be refrigerated in tightly closing containers to prevent rancidity.

·      Saturated fats are predominantly found in meat and poultry products.  Some vegetable oils like coconut and palm oil also contain saturated fat.  Their chemical structure is the most stable of the fats.  These fats are usually solid at room temperature.  There is controversy whether saturated fats contribute to heart disease or not.  For example, Southeast Asians routinely use coconut oil without any extra incidence of heart issues.  The USDA guidelines recommend no more than 10% of calories be from saturated fats.

·      Trans fats are fats that are not produced in nature.  They are manufactured by heat and/or pressure.  The manufacturers like products made with trans fats because they extend the shelf life of processed foods.  However, our bodies don’t know what to do with these foreign compounds.  Trans fats have been linked with increased inflammation throughout the body and increasing our LDL cholesterol.  Beware when buying foods that advertise “No Trans Fats”.  Manufacturers only need to label trans fats if they are over 0.5 grams/serving.  If you see the words “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients, it means that it contains trans fat.  Avoid these foods!

For most healthy individuals, fats should make up between 25-30% of one’s total calories.  Choose the healthiest fats possible.  When purchasing oils, buying “unrefined” oil means that it has been simply pressed and bottled.  The oil will retain most of its flavor, color and nutrients.  If the oil has been “refined”, it has been processed, which will remove most of the beneficial qualities. 

Salad dressing is one of the easiest ways to incorporate healthy oils into the diet.  Try making your own as you will then have control of the ingredients and it will likely be less caloric.  You only need 2T for a serving of salad.  Dressings need to be made with a base, an acid and a thickening agent.  Oil is the base of the dressing giving it a smooth consistency.  Try experimenting with different oils like flaxseed or hemp oil.  Vinegar is the acid portion of the dressing.  A little goes a long way and will add flavor and complexity to the dressing.  Vinegar will help with digestion and provide vitamins and mineral.  Examples of the acid portion are apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.  The thickener helps to emulsify the ingredients.  This could be a sweet or savory food that will enhance the flavor.  Possible thickeners are Dijon mustard, tahini, avocado, flaxseeds, honey or maple syrup.  For a dressing recipe, click here to see my beet salad recipe. 

Enjoy the summer with the fresh veggies dressed in a homemade vinaigrette.
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