Nuts and Seeds

Just by eating a handful of nuts five times a week, you can lower your risk of heart disease by anywhere from 15 to 50%. The top superfood nuts are walnuts, almonds and pistachios. Pumpkin, sunflower and flaxseeds offer great nutritional benefits as well. One ounce of any shelled nut is a serving.

Walnuts are one of the best plant-derived sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Other good sources of omega-3’s are ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, organic soybeans, organic soybean oil, wheat germ, and spinach. They are rich in plant sterols, which lower cholesterol. Walnuts are also a good source of fiber, protein, magnesium, copper, folate, and vitamin E. They also have the highest level of antioxidants.

Almonds provide 7.6 grams of protein per quarter cup – more than an egg (6 grams). They are the best nut source of vitamin E and also contain calcium, zinc, riboflavin, iron, potassium and magnesium. Almonds will aid in skin health and energy levels. They are also a good source of fiber.

Pistachios are a great source of fiber. One serving (47 pistachios) has more fiber than a half a cup of broccoli or spinach. They also have the same amount of vitamin B6 in a one ounce serving as in a 3 ounce serving of chicken or pork.

Flaxseed, as stated above, is rich in Omega 3 fatty acid. Omega 3’s have enormous health benefits including bone health, protection against diabetes, heart disease and cancer, prevent and control high blood pressure, can help lower cholesterol, can reduce hot flashes and many more positive reasons to add foods rich in Omega 3’s, like ground flaxseed, to your diet. I put about a tablespoon of ground flaxseed in my oatmeal a couple times a week. You can also add it to breads and muffins or put it in smoothies. Use ground flaxseed as your body will absorb nutrients much more easily than the whole seeds.

Peanut butter, eaten in moderation, can also be nutritional. Again, pay attention to portion sizes. One serving is 2 tablespoons. Buy natural or organic and check the label to make sure there are no added oils or sugar. If you store the peanut butter upside down for a few days before opening it, the oil will be a little more evenly dispersed and you won’t have to stir so much. An apple and peanut butter is one of my favorite snacks.

Eat a variety of nuts and seeds to get all the health benefits, but pay attention to serving sizes. And use oils sparingly. While they may contain high amounts of nutrient, they can add a significant amount of fat and calories to your diet quickly. If you think about the food in nature, it’s easy to see that if you were shelling the nut yourself you would probably eat about one serving, whereas you probably wouldn’t eat as many seeds as it would take to make one serving of its oil.

I prefer to eat nuts as a snack, either by themselves or mixed with a few raisins or chocolate chips. Make sure to check the serving size and stick to one serving. We have a food scale which we’ve found to be really helpful in watching our portion control. You can also put nuts and seeds in your oatmeal or on top of your salad.

Sources:
Superfoods Rx by Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews. Copyright 2004
The World's Healthiest Foods, www.whfoods.com

Pumpkin

The first superfood I wanted to feature is one everyone loves at this time of year. The leaves are turning, the weather is getting colder and we all want our pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin muffin. While neither of those things might be the healthiest thing to put in our body, pumpkin can be really good for us. Pumpkin is extremely high in fiber and low in calories. It is high in disease fighting nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins C and E. According to Dr. Steven Pratt, “Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable carotenoids known to man.” Foods rich in carotenoids (that deep yellow, orange and red color you see in produce) have been shown to decrease the risk of some cancers, including breast cancer, and have also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

While beta-carotene has many health benefits, the alpha-carotene in pumpkin really makes it a superfood. Pumpkin contains almost twice as much alpha-carotene as carrots, which have the next highest amount per serving. Alpha-carotene has been shown to slow the aging process. It may not be a fountain of youth, but I’ll take what I can get. And all of the key nutrients in pumpkin, working together, will aid in protection against cardiovascular disease. Other good sources of beta- and alpha-carotene are sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, and orange bell pepper.

Pumpkin also has high fiber content. In canned pumpkin, one serving is a half a cup and has 5 grams of fiber. That’s about 20% of what you need daily. While most of the time I prefer and recommend using fresh ingredients, in the case of pumpkin it’s ok to use canned. For one, it’s so much easier than trying to cut up and cook a huge pumpkin in your kitchen very often. Canned pumpkin also is somewhat concentrated; it has been cooked down so doesn’t have as much water in it. And, it’s available year round. There is even organic canned pumpkin. Be careful not to get pumpkin pie puree, it has added sugar. But you have to try cooking your own pumpkin and roasting the seeds, at least once.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They are also a great source of plant-based omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Clean the seeds well to remove any strings and gunk. Air-dry them overnight. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and some sea salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let them cool completely and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. One ounce of pumpkin seeds has 128 calories, 5 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein.

Here are a few recipes with pumpkin. I didn’t post any pumpkin bread, muffin, cookie, pie, cake, etc. recipes because I’m sure you can find at least a dozen of those on your own. And all of the sugar, butter and flour you add to the pumpkin to make those delicious treats are not what makes it a superfood. They do taste good though!

This is a recipe for a pumpkin spice “latte.” Well, not a latte, but I will say it is delicious. I got the idea from the blog of a friend of a friend (gotta love Facebook!) and then searched around and found a few recipes. Here’s my take. It was so easy for me because I had every ingredient in my kitchen. If you have never tried almond milk, I recommend it. I use it on a daily basis in place of cow milk. If you don’t want to try the almond milk you can use cow milk in its place. I promise this tastes so good!

Pumpkin Spice “Latte”
1 ½ cups vanilla almond milk or soymilk (or some kind of milk)
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave (optional, to taste)
½ cup coffee or add a shot or two of espresso (honestly, I left the coffee out and still loved it!

Put all the ingredients in the blender for 15-20 seconds; then heat on the stove in the microwave. Pour into a cup and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Total Calories: 140
Total Calories in a Tall Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, no whip: 480 (yikes!)
This tastes so good, and is 340 calories less than what you’ll get at Starbucks. For me, it’s a no-brainer.

How to Roast a Pumpkin:
1. Choose a small, 3-4 pound pumpkin. Smaller ones are supposed to be sweeter.
2. Wash away any dirt from the outside.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds
4. Lay the pumpkin face side down in a large baking dish.
5. Pour a little water into the dish so it’s about ¼ inch deep.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Bake time depends on size, it should be very soft when poked with a fork.
7. Scoop out the insides and throw away the skin.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.

Ginger Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup
vegan, makes about 6 cups

1 cup canned organic pumpkin (or use fresh roasted if you have on hand)
4 cups butternut squash cubes
1 Tbsp ginger powder
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup
2 Tbsp vegan buttery spread (add more for a richer, more buttery soup)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 leaves fresh sage, torn
1/2 cup+ plain organic soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)

To Make:

1. Add 4 cups of water to a large pot. Bring to boil. Add in butternut squash cubes and a pinch of salt. Boil until squash is tender, but not falling apart.

2. Drain the squash and add to a high speed blender. Add in the pumpkin, spices, and all the remaining ingredients. For the soy, start with 1/2 cup and keep adding until your soup reaches your desired thickness.

3. Blend. Serve immediately - warm. Or you can simmer on the stove until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh sage leaves.
Enjoy!

Added October 21, 2011: We have been putting pumpkin in everything we can! French toast and pancakes are favorites, you have to try it. Just add a couple tablespoons of pureed pumpkin to the egg mixture on French toast or to the pancake batter. And send me any other recipes you have, we are pumpkin obsessed lately!

Book Recommendation: Superfoods Rx by Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews. Copyright 2004
Pumpkin soup: (http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/10/ginger-sage-butternut-squash-pumpkin.html)

SUPERFOODS

I’ve decided to do a little “mini-series” of blogs on superfoods. Superfoods are foods that are nutrient dense and low in calories. They have great health benefits including lowering cholesterol, lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, promote a healthy digestive track, can boost the immune system and promote overall good health. We see articles all the time on superfoods, and most likely you can name a few off the top of your head, but are you actually adding them to your diet? While you might see a lot of “top 10” lists, or some variation, there are actually a bunch of foods that you could consider a superfood, which is great because it gives you some options. We all know about blueberries and green tea, so I will try to give you those that you might not think to add to your diet or just don’t know how to prepare. I will also provide you with nutrition data and benefits of the particular food. Some of these will be new to my diet, too, so I will try to provide you with easy recipes and ways to prepare them.

First, though, let’s talk about water. If there is one thing that most people can easily change in their diet, it is how much water they drink. There are many recommendations on how much to drink. The most common is at least 8 glasses a day, but this might not be enough. Another recommendation is half your weight in ounces. So someone weighing 200 pounds would drink 100 ounces of water. I like this one better. But everyone is different and needs different amounts. You will need to drink more if you’re active, in warm weather, pregnant or breastfeeding, fighting an illness, etc. Try to keep track of your water intake for a couple days to see if you’re on track. You should drink enough water so that you rarely, if ever, feel thirsty and your urine is fairly clear. Follow these two indicators and you’ll get an idea of what your own body needs. I recommend drinking nothing but water or unsweetened tea. I usually drink about 48 ounces of water first thing in the morning to flush toxins out, and then continue to drink water throughout the day. Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired and without energy.

So start drinking that water and I’ll be posting some good recipes with superfoods and we’ll all be a little bit healthier!