Antioxidants are one of the 8 age-defying benefits we look for in the foods we highlight in my cookbooks and on FoodTrients. My goal is to create delicious dishes packed with the nutrients that help us look and feel younger, and antioxidants are an important part of many of my recipes. So what exactly are antioxidants? Virtually every fruit and vegetable contains antioxidants, and antioxidants are powerful phytonutrients that help our bodies fight free radicals. Free radicals damage the body’s cells and are a major contributor to loss of cognitive function and the diseases of aging. When we eat antioxidant-rich […]
Salt has been one of the most vilified substances in the world of food. Too much of it can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. There is way too much of it in processed foods. It can cause water retention and bloating. These things can be true, but there can be an even greater danger in not getting enough salt. Salt is also an important seasoning tool that puts the finishing touch on most dishes. I need to watch how much salt I put in my food so I try to boost flavors with other spices, but […]
Soft, fuzzy sage leaves have a rich history and use culinary as well as medicinally. Sage has been used in Europe for centuries as a spice and a medicine. There are many different species of sage, perhaps as many as 900, but Salvia officinalis is most commonly used medicinally, horticulturally, and commercially. Used commonly as a savory culinary spice in everything from sauces to poultry seasoning to modern cocktails, sage also has a rich history of medicinal use. The essential oil in sage contains monoterpenes and tannins which may contribute to the way it can benefit health and the human body, exerting […]
You may see it listed on labels as calendula but better recognize its common name: marigold. These decorative yellow and orange annual flowers are native to Asia and southern Europe. They have a history of medicinal use and calendula is the common name found in supplement form. The main active components that may be health promoting in calendula are antioxidant triterpenoids and flavonoids. In a lab setting, calendula has shown antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antiviral effects. This extract can lower blood pressure as well as blood sugar. It is sedative and aids in wound healing when applied topically. Preparations […]
Most nutritionists agree there is no one dietary pattern that’s ideal for everyone. In addition to your unique combination of genes, medical history, cultural and family background, taste preferences and daily living patterns, you apply your own set of values to your eating approach. Some people may focus on preventing or managing disease, others on protecting the environment, some on managing weight, others on enjoying what they eat and so on. Prioritizing what matters to you can help determine your eating style. The six dietary patterns discussed here have dominated headlines over the past few years. We’ve tapped nutrition experts […]
A pilot study conducted at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center shows that eating all your meals by midafternoon and fasting the rest of the day improves blood sugar control, blood pressure and oxidative stress, even when people don’t change what they eat. “Ours is the first study in humans that shows consuming all of your calories in a six-hour period provides metabolic advantages compared to eating the exact same amount over 12 hours or more, even if you don’t lose weight,” said study co-author Dr. Eric Ravussin, Pennington’s associate executive director and director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center. “Our data also indicate that our […]
Who doesn’t love pesto, the uncooked sauce most associated with the city of Genoa in Northern Italy? The pesto most of us have tried is made with fresh basil that’s been pounded and mixed with super-diced garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, then blended with extra virgin olive oil. Basil pesto imparts a beautiful green color on pasta and is a great spread on Italian bread. The dark green basil leaves are nutritional stars, because they are full of compounds that stabilize blood sugar levels and antioxidants that help protect cells from free radical damage. The garlic in pesto contains allicin, […]
When I first saw pictures of the baobab tree, I thought I was looking at an extraterrestrial landscape. About 60 feet tall with fat trunks and at the very top, branches that are bare for nine months of the year, the baobab looks like a regular tree that has been jammed into the ground upside-down with the roots sticking up in the air.
Not just for Thanksgiving anymore, cranberries are tart nutrition powerhouses that have been used since ancient times as medicine. Because of their intensely
For such a delicate-looking and innocuous herb, cilantro, which is the leaves of the coriander plant, is a little bit controversial. People seem to either love it or hate it. Cilantro looks like flat leaf parsley, but it has a tangy, almost citrusy flavor. Long used in Asian, Indian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking, cilantro gives a bright taste to salads, salsas, meat, chicken and fish. I think it’s the secret ingredient to summer dishes, though you can find it fresh in supermarkets all year round. Given the chance, even the most skeptical can acquire a taste for cilantro. But […]
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