Food
Not all potatoes are created equal.
October 13, 2014
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Imagine the following scenario. You're engaged in
conversation at a dinner party with friends that you feel comfortable
enough to discuss "hot button" topics with. Politics, religion, and
parenting techniques probably come up and most likely, the views vary by
person. When I attend dinner parties, however, the issue of food is
often the hot topic of the night, and even hotter, the opinions
surrounding the right and wrong way to eat. It's not enough these days
that we are eating more kale (thank you trendy farmers markets and
Hollywood celebrities!), we have to now dissect the right and wrong way
to eat it as well. It was discussions like these that motivated me to
write this blog. After all, my career surrounds helping people to simply
eat better -- to get, what I call, the most bang for their nutritional
buck. There are many factors that impact the amount of nutrients that
you will derive from a food. Things such as cooking and ripening method,
food pairing and even your own
gut flora may
impact how much benefit you get from plant-based foods. Different
varieties of foods affect this as well. Not all nuts, apples or as
you'll read in my first example, potatoes are created equal. If you're
interested in knowing how science views the best way to eat, then read
on. Spoiler alert: Raw is not always the right way to go!
Potatoes
Think
you're getting the benefits of the potato vegetable when you consume
French fries, mashed or baked potatoes from white potatoes? Think again!
One
study found that it was purple potatoes that gave the best benefits, like lowering blood pressure and reducing the
risk for cancer. Further, a
2014 study found
that purple potatoes surpassed their white counterparts when it came to
high amounts of polyphenols and decreased effect on overall blood sugar
response.
Carrots
As fall gears up, our love
of soup increases as well. Next time you're making a batch of chicken
noodle soup, resist the urge to cut up your carrots. One
study found
that cutting carrots increased surface size and allowed more nutrients
to leach out. That means after washing and peeling, your carrots should
hit the water in their whole form. Keep cooking (vs. raw) though. One
study found that cooking carrots increased the bioavailability of carotenoids.
Tea
If you want high nutrient absorption with your high tea, then forget about doing as the Brits do it!
Several studies have
shown that adding milk to your tea may actually take away some of the
cardiovascular benefits that tea provide. Going with green tea? Add a
little juice instead to sweeten. The vitamin C in juice may help to
increase the bioavailability of green tea's nutrients.
Garlic
Don't rush your garlic, CRUSH your garlic!
Research indicates that
crushing your
garlic and allowing to sit for at least ten minutes released an enzyme
called allicin that has been shown to help reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease by making platelets less sticky or more likely to
flow freely through the cardiovascular system.
Salad dressing
Fat
free dressing may seem like a good idea in theory, but when you look at
what you give up; it's no match for the full fat counterpart. Several
studies have shown the benefits that fat has when dressing your greens,
from keeping you
fuller and more satisfied after consumption to getting
more nutrient absorption from your salad (specifically from lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin).
Apples & Pears
Let your fruit ripen up a bit! One
study found
that the ripening process allowed the breakdown of chlorophyll in
ripening apples and pears which, in turn, produced more "highly active"
antioxidants in the fruit.
Broccoli
Broccoli
is, without doubt one of the best foods you can feed your body! Broccoli
is part of the brassica family of foods, a family that has shown to be
quite effective in terms of prevention of certain
cancers from
breast cancer to
skin cancer , but how you prepare your broccoli makes all the difference in the world. A 2008
study found
that steaming was the only cooking method that completely preserved,
and even increased, the cancer fighting components of broccoli. Boiling
and frying were found to be the worst cooking methods. Still don't want
to ditch the boiled broccoli? Pairing with a spicy food may help! A
2012
study found
that adding spicy foods to broccoli increased its cancer fighting power
and the spicier the better according to the study authors!
Mustard
Mustard
in any form is a fabulous condiment to add to sauces, salads and
sandwiches, but if you're interested in decreasing overall
inflammation as well as reducing your risk for
certain cancers then
you better keep your mustard choices simple. That's right! It's the
cheap yellow mustard options that have the best benefits. Why? Because
they contain a compound called curcumin (that's the active ingredient in
turmeric) that not only gives cheap yellow mustard its yellow color,
but all of its potential health benefits as well!
While the
factors discussed in this blog have an impact on the best ways to
consume your foods, the truth is, simply adding these foods to your diet
is a huge step in the right direction. Once you have mastered a liking
for these healthier food options, the next logical step is to prepare in
the best way for maximum nutrient density!
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