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Showing posts with label Health and Fitness. Show all posts

Monday, August 31, 2009

Food of the Week: Tomatoes

There are few vegetables that better mark the summer months than the sweet juiciness of a vine-ripened tomato. Although tomatoes are now available year-round, the truly wonderful qualities of tomatoes are the best when they are in season from July through September.

Tomatoes have fleshy internal segments filled with slippery seeds surrounded by a watery matrix. They can be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or brown in color. Although tomatoes are fruits in a botanical sense, they don't have the dessert quality sweetness of other fruits. Instead they have a subtle sweetness that is complemented by a slightly bitter and acidic taste. Cooking tempers the acid and bitter qualities in tomatoes and brings out their warm, rich, sweetness.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Food of the Week: Cucumbers

To be "cool as a cucumber" add them to your menus during the warm summer months when they are in season. Although slicing cucumbers are available year round, they are at their best from May through July.

Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus and belong to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and other types of squash. Varieties of cucumber are grown either to be eaten fresh or to be pickled. Those that are to be eaten fresh are commonly called slicing cucumbers. Cucumbers such as gherkins that are specially cultivated to make pickles are oftentimes much smaller than slicing cucumbers.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Food of the Week: Grapes

The combination of crunchy texture and dry, sweet, tart flavor has made grapes an ever popular between meal snack as well as a refreshing addition to both fruit and vegetable salads. American varieties are available in September and October while European varieties are available year round.

Grapes are small round or oval berries that feature semi-translucent flesh encased by a smooth skin. Some contain edible seeds while others are seedless. Like blueberries, grapes are covered by a protective, whitish bloom. Grapes that are eaten as is or used in a recipe are called table grapes as opposed to wine grapes (used in viniculture) or raisin grapes (used to make dried fruit).

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, August 3, 2009

Food of the Week: Olives

Olives are harvested in September but available year round to make a zesty addition to salads, meat and poultry dishes and, of course, pizza.

Olives cannot be eaten right off of the tree; they require special processing to reduce their intrinsic bitterness. These processing methods vary with the olive variety, region where they are cultivated and the desired taste, texture and color. Some olives are picked green and unripe, while others are allowed to fully ripen on the tree to a black color. Yet, not all of the black olives available begin with a black color. Some processing methods expose unripe greens olives to the air, and the subsequent oxidation turns them a dark color. In addition to the original color of the olive, the color is affected by fermentation and/or curing in oil, water, brine or salt.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Food of the Week: Green Beans

Commonly referred to as string beans, the string that once was their trademark can seldom be found in modern varieties. Although these bright green and crunchy beans are available at your local market throughout the year, they are in season from summer through early fall when they are at their best and the least expensive.

Green beans are picked while still immature and the inner bean is just beginning to form. They are one of only a few varieties of beans that are eaten fresh. Although green beans vary in size they average about four inches in length. They are usually deep emerald green in color and come to a slight point at either end. They contain tiny seeds within their thin pods.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Food of the Week: Swiss Chard

Similar to spinach and beets with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty, Swiss chard is truly one of the vegetable valedictorians with its exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Although Swiss chard is available throughout the year, its season runs from June through August when it is at its best and in the greatest abundance at your local supermarket.

Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens, is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as "greens". It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, July 13, 2009

Food of the Week: Bell Peppers

A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, bell peppers are the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world with their beautifully shaped glossy exterior that comes in a wide array of vivid colors ranging from green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown to black. Although peppers are available throughout the year, they are most abundant and tasty during the months of August and September.

Sweet peppers are plump, bell-shaped vegetables featuring either three or four lobes. They usually range in size from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, and 2 to 6 inches in length. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core. Bell peppers are not 'hot'. They contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin, the compound responsible for the 'hotness' found in other peppers.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, July 6, 2009

Food of the Week: Carrots

Easy to pack and perfect as crudités for that favorite dip, the crunchy texture and sweet taste of carrots is popular among both adults and children. Although they are shipped around the country from California throughout the year, locally grown carrots are in season in the summer and fall when they are the freshest and most flavorful.

The carrot has a thick, fleshy, deeply colored root, which grows underground, and feathery green leaves that emerge above ground. It is known scientifically as Daucus carota, a name that can be traced back to ancient Roman writings of the 3rd century. Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family along with parsnips, fennel caraway, cumin and dill which all have the umbrella-like flower clusters that characterize this family of plants.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods
photo credit, faeryboots *back & catching up soon*

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Food of the Week: Corn

What vegetable is more synonymous with the coming of summer than freshly picked corn on the cob? Although corn is now available in markets year-round, it is the locally grown varieties that you can purchase during the summer months that not only tastes the best but are usually the least expensive.

Corn grows in "ears," each of which is covered in rows of kernels that are then protected by the silk-like threads called "corn silk" and encased in a husk. Corn is known scientifically as Zea mays. This moniker reflects its traditional name, maize, by which it was known to the Native Americans as well as many other cultures throughout the world.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods
photo credit, vitalacharya

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Food of the Week: Blueberries

With flavors that range from mildly sweet to tart and tangy, blueberries are nutritional stars bursting with nutrition and flavor while being very low in calories. Blueberries are at their best from May through October when they are in season.

Blueberries are the fruits of a shrub that belong to the heath family, which includes the cranberry and bilberry as well as the azalea, mountain laurel and rhododendron. Blueberries grow in clusters and range in size from that of a small pea to a marble. They are deep in color, ranging from blue to maroon to purple-black, and feature a white-gray waxy "bloom" that covers the surface serving as a protective coat. The skin surrounds a semi-transparent flesh that encases tiny seeds.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Food of the Week: Summer Squash

The delicate flavor, soft shell and creamy white flesh of summer squash is a perfect addition to any summer meal. Once only available in the summer, they are now available throughout the year; however, they are in season between May and July when they are at their best and most readily available.

Summer squash, members of the Cucurbitaceae family and relatives of both the melon and the cucumber, come in many different varieties. While each type varies in shape, color, size and flavor, they all share some common characteristics. The entire vegetable, including its flesh, seeds and skin, is edible. In addition, some varieties of the squash plant produce edible flowers. Unlike winter squash, summer squash are more fragile and cannot be stored for long periods of time.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, June 1, 2009

Food of the Week: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Anyone coming from the Mediterranean region of the world would tell you about the health benefits, as well as the wonderful flavor, of a good dose of olive oil on salads, pasta, fish and almost anything else. Fortunately, it is available throughout the year to satisfy taste buds and promote good health.

Olive oil is made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. The fact that olives are rich in oil is reflected in the botanical name of the olive tree-Olea europea- since the word "oleum" means oil in Latin. Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and has the most delicate flavor and most antioxidant benefits.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Food of the Week: Shiitake Mushrooms

Long a symbol of longevity in Asia because of their health-promoting properties, shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years. More recently, their rich, smoky flavor has endeared them to American taste buds and these exotic hearty mushrooms can now be found in supermarket shelves across the U.S. throughout the year.

Like other mushrooms, these specialty mushrooms are as mysteriously unique as they are delicious. While often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually a fungus, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Food of the Week: Strawberries

The fragrantly sweet juiciness and deep red color of strawberries can brighten up both the taste and aesthetics of any meal; it is no wonder they are the most popular berry fruit in the world. Although strawberries have become increasingly available year-round, they are at the peak of their season from April through July when they are the most delicious and most abundant.

While there are more than 600 varieties of strawberries that differ in flavor, size and texture, one can usually identify a strawberry by its red flesh that has yellow seeds piercing its surface, and the small, regal, green leafy cap and stem that adorn its crown. In addition to strawberries that are cultivated, there are also varieties that grow wild. These are much smaller in size, but feature a more intense flavor.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods
photo credit, mwri

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Food of the Week: Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) have a delicious nutlike taste and buttery texture. They provide a good source of protein that can be enjoyed year-round and are available either dried or canned.

A very versatile legume, they are a noted ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Indian dishes such as hummus, falafels and curries. While many people think of garbanzos as being beige in color, there are varieties that feature black, green, red and brown beans.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Food of the Week: Salmon

Delicious with exceptional nutritional value found in few other foods (omega 3 fatty acids), the lovely pink-hued salmon can be served in a variety of ways and is always a favorite among fish lovers and enjoyed even by those who are not always fond of fish. The season for the different species of salmon ranges from early summer to late fall, however, the increased production of farm raised salmon has made it available fresh in local supermarkets year round.

Salmon are incredible fish traveling thousands of miles throughout their life cycle and within two to five years returning to the very location where they were born to spawn and die. The specific characteristics and life cycles of salmon vary with each species. Their flesh ranges in color from pink to red to orange with some varieties richer in important omega 3 fatty acids than others. For example, chinook and sockeye are fattier fish than pink and chum and contain great amounts of healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods
photo credit, jlastras

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Unhealthy Foods

A couple on months ago, I posted about Diet Essentials For Everyone as my personal reference on which foods to eat more of and which to avoid. Now, I came across this post about 12 Food Items the Healthy Foodie Wishes Were Absent From Your Kitchen. It talks about several kitchen staples that are not so good for the body, and provides healthier alternatives.

After some kitchen inspection, I found out that most of the unhealthy foods like margarine, vegetable oil and artificial sweeteners, are nowhere to be seen in our kitchen. However, I also discovered that out of the 12 food items we need to remove from our kitchen, we still have 2-3 things remaining:

1. Table Salt. We actually have refined salt and iodized rock salt in our kitchen. Though we rarely use them.

2. Pasteurized Juice. We still buy apple cranberry juice from the grocery; this is our only guilty pleasure. But lately, we are starting to drink fresh juice from the juicer.

3. White Bread. But this is just a one-time deal because we bought some special cheese that would only taste good eaten with white bread. Once the cheese goes, so does the white bread.

I am not preaching on anyone here, but it pays to be aware of the effects of certain foods on your health. As they say, you are what you eat.

How about you? Which food items are still in your kitchen?

article source: LoveAndBlueberries.com
photo credit, iLoveButter

Update: you might also be interested in reading these similar articles from the internet:
- The 10 Most Unhealthy Foods
- The 6 Most Unhealthy Foods You Should Avoid at All Costs
- 20 Unhealthy Foods That You Think Are Healthy But Are Actually Killing You Slowly

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Food of the Week: Green Peas

Nature packages green peas in several different forms all of which have a vibrantly delicious flavor, wonderful texture and a wealth of health-promoting nutrients. Garden peas are generally available from spring through the beginning of winter.

Legumes are plants that bear fruit in the form of pods enclosing the fleshy seeds we know as beans. Peas are one of the few members of the legume family that are sold and cooked as fresh vegetables. However, only about 5% of the peas grown are sold fresh; the rest are either frozen or canned. Frozen peas are preferable to canned peas as they retain their flavor and have lower sodium content.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Food of the Week: Lamb

While lamb makes up only a fraction of the meat eaten in the United States, it is used in a myriad of wonderful recipes throughout the world. When lamb is labeled as "spring lamb" it signifies that lamb that was brought to market during the spring and summer months which was formerly the season for fresh lamb. However, lamb is now available throughout the year, and the label "spring lamb" does not necessarily connote additional quality.

Lamb is the meat from young sheep that are less than one year old.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Food of the Week: Onions

What would a kitchen be without the distinctively pungent smell and taste of onions filling out the flavors of almost every type of cuisine imaginable? Fortunately, yellow storage onions are available throughout the year but sweet varieties have a much more limited growing season and are available only a few months out of the year.

The word onion comes from the Latin word unio for "single," or "one," because the onion plant produces a single bulb, unlike its cousin, the garlic, that produces many small bulbs. The name also describes the union (also from unio) of the many separate, concentrically arranged layers of the onion.

Source: The World's Heathiest Foods

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