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Woundrous Watermelon

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I love watermelon. It’s a fact! And a complete joy to my taste buds. For those of you unaware, July is National Watermelon Month. Yes, every month in our calendar associates with some food, cause or Hallmark occasion so I know you aren’t too surprised.

Why is July set as the auspicious occasion to celebrate the wondrous watermelon? Watermelon harvests peak in July of course! According to the USDA’s statistics the United States produces 4,200,000,000 pounds of watermelon annually. Estimated per capita fresh watermelon consumption in 2010 was 15.5 pounds. Wow.

There is much more to watermelon than its flavor. It contains powerful health benefits for you too. Watermelon is an excellent source of the vitamins A, B6, and C, fiber, and potassium, which are vital to good health and disease prevention. As a bonus, a cup of watermelon is only 46 calories. That’s all great and good, but here are five things you may not know about the wildly wonderful watermelon:

5 Wacky Watermelon Facts

1. Is a fruit and a vegetable! – As with most fruits, watermelon is a seed producing plant with a sweet taste. They are classified in the family of Cucurbitaceaes, including cucumber, pumpkin and squash. Plus, it is completely edible; rind, seeds and all!

Watermelon Rind

2. The juice relieves muscle soreness. – A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that drinking watermelon juice helped ease muscle soreness for athletes. It’s attributed to the naturally occurring citrulline found in watermelon. Citrulline is known for its ability to relax blood vessels, improve artery function and lower blood pressure. However, the most citrulline is found in the rind so juice it or pickle it for later!

  1. It has more lycopene than raw tomatoes. –Lycopene, a powerhouse antioxidant, found only in a few red plant foods, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. The USDA estimates watermelon has 1.5 times the lycopene than a large fresh tomato!
  1. It is packed with…you guessed it…water. Watermelon is estimated to be 91.5 percent water. This is a big deal as dehydration, even mildly so, can cause headaches, poor concentration, fatigue and grumpy moods. Most of us wander through the day partially dehydrated so if you aren’t a big water drinker, consider adding watermelon to your day!
  1. It is an anti-inflammatory food. –There is an enzyme reaction blocked by COX-2 inhibitors – think NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen. The lycopene and other antioxidants found in watermelon reduce the activity of the inflammation causing enzyme reactions and help with pain relief.

Not sure how to pick the perfect watermelon? Follow these tips:

  • Look for a pale, butter-yellow spot on the bottom. This is where it Pick Watermelonsits on the ground to ripen. Be sure the spot isn’t white or green.
  • Make sure your watermelon is heavy for its size.
  • Some say the melon should have a hollow sound when thumped.

Looking to grow your own? Here’s a good resource: Watermelon

As with any food, moderation is key. While the watermelon offers up fantastic nutritional benefits, it is also higher on the scale in fructose.

Enjoy!

 

Green Bean Un-Casserole

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Green Bean Un-Casserole

GreenBeanUnCasserole
Healthy and satisfying replacement to the traditional casserole.

I’ve never been a fan of the gelatinous goop with deep-fried onions on top –  also known as the traditional green bean casserole served on Thanksgiving.

I love green beans. A lot. And I don’t prefer them swimming in goop. Thankfully, neither does the hubby! 🙂

This recipe is full of flavor and leaves us feeling satisfied, not wishing we’d never eaten. Why not lighten up your table with a quick and easy recipe this year?

8 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
  • 2 TBSP olive oil or walnut oil
  • 2 TBSP minced garlic
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 TBSP minced fresh parsley
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp (or to taste) sea salt

Directions:

Place walnuts on ungreased baking sheet and bake 7 minutes at 350° F until lightly toasted.

Place beans, garlic and 1 TBSP oil in storage bag and shake to coat beans in oil and garlic.

Sauté beans and garlic in remaining oil, 5 minutes, until crispy-tender.

Place in deep serving dish; season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and parsley, toss well before serving.

Puree of White Bean and Celery Root Soup

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What’s Celery Root?

Celery root is NOT the bottom of celery stalks! It’s a type of celery, grown as a root vegetable, about the size of a large potato (but uglier! – see photo). Celery root is rich in potassium, which can help normalize blood pressure and protect against bone loss, and is energetically grounding.

I’ve included this soup recipe because it has a double dose of potassium with its celery root and beans! Beans are a wonderfully high-quality, plant-based protein. In addition to potassium, they are rich in iron, B vitamins and fiber. This soup is thick, creamy (without adding cream!), tasty, satisfying, and oh-so-good for you!

Ingredients:
o 2 TBSP olive oil
o 1 celery root, peeled and chopped

o 2 cans of white Cannellini beans
o 
1 ½ quarts water
o Juice of 1 lemon
o 3 scallions, chopped
o 1 tsp sea salt
o Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped celery root and sauté for 10 minutes or until it starts to brown.

Rinse beans thoroughly and add to pot of sautéed celery root.

Add the water and 1 tsp of sea salt to the mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

At 30 minutes, blend soup with an immersion stick blender until smooth and creamy. Add the juice of one lemon, sea salt and pepper to taste, and continue blending. Top with chopped scallions.

This is good leftover too!

Spaghetti Squash

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Bored with boiled pasta? Looking for a low carb alternative? Look no farther than the fun, tasty, and nutrient rich spaghetti squash! Spaghetti squash is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. It is a fair source of niacin, pantothenic acid, and potassium too. And the best part? Spaghetti squash is lower in carbs and calories than pasta.

Spaghetti squash is named because its flesh separates into spaghetti-like strands when separated with a fork after it is cooked. If you enjoy spaghetti, but are limiting your pasta intake due to calories or carbs, then you already have two reasons to choose this vegetable as a low cal, low carb replacement.

How to cook spaghetti squash

When cooking spaghetti squash, you can avoid adding calories to your food by selecting cooking methods that do not require large amounts of added fats or oils. I usually bake or broil a halved squash until it feels tender, then scrape the cooked insides out with a fork, which separates the squash into strands. Super simple!

Once you have the strands, top it with your favorite pasta sauce or butter and Parmesan for a complete meal. However, I get tired of the same old thing and got creative with our last spaghetti squash from the local CSA. I went to Greece instead of Italy for flavor inspiration.

Greek Salad Spaghetti Squash Bowl

Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Greek seasoning (can’t find in grocery? See below to make your own blend*)
1 large English cucumber (or two smaller cucumbers)
1/4 cup diced red onion (sweet onion works well too)
1/4 cup diced green pepper (red, yellow or orange are good too)
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, sliced in half
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese (or more if you like)

Dressing Ingredients
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice (I keep a bottle on hand so I’m never without lemon juice)
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
½ tsp. Greek Seasoning
Fresh ground pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F/200C. Cut both ends off the squash. Stand it up on the cutting board, and cut into fourths lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and stringy parts around the seeds. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and arrange spaghetti squash cut side up. Drizzle a little olive oil onto the cut surface of each piece of squash, rub the oil around with your fingers, and sprinkle each one with a little Greek seasoning. Roast the squash for 50 minutes, or until it strings apart easily with a fork.

While the squash cooks, peel the cucumber, if not organic, chop to ¾” sized pieces, and put in a bowl. Chop the red onion and green bell pepper into pieces a little smaller than the cucumber and add to the bowl. Cut Kalamata olives and cherry or grape tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Crumble the Feta cheese and set aside.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dried Greek Seasoning, and desired amount of fresh-ground black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil and set dressing aside.

When the squash is done, let it cool enough to handle; then use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash strands away from the skin. Discard the skin and divide the spaghetti squash between four serving bowls. (Or refrigerate some if you’re not eating it all right away.)

Stir the Greek salad ingredients to combine. Then add the dressing and stir until all the ingredients are coated with dressing. (It may seem like too much dressing, but you want enough that it will drip down on the squash.) Gently stir in the crumbled Feta.

Spoon a generous amount of the Greek salad mixture over each bowl of spaghetti squash, making sure you get some of the dressing in each serving. Eat right away.

DIY GREEK SEASONING BLEND
Play around with the amounts and types of herbs to match your own personal tastes. Here’s what I did.
Ingredients
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp onion powder (dried, minced works too)
¼ tsp garlic powder (dried, minced works too)
Combine all in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 6 months.

This was a hit with my Mr. and we had enough for leftovers. Always a plus for this cook! Let me know how you like it.

5 Surprising Beauty Foods

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Beauty foods?!? Yep, BEAUTY foods. Get you glow on without all the toxic muck from the ‘beauty’ industry. Heck, you can grow your own beauty foods in the backyard, balcony or kitchen window sill!

All fresh fruits and vegetables contain magical powers when it comes to shiny hair, clear skin, and strong nails. However, the ones I’ve chosen below are perhaps not as well known for their powerful beauty benefits. Try and include these foods into your diet if you want to look your best without the need for botox or other unnatural remedies.

1. Red Peppers. All red and orange colored foods contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Red peppers are particularly beautifying due to the minerals A, C, and K. Vitamins A and C can help prevent cell damage that leads to premature ageing, and they can also reduce inflammation, which can cause a puffy-looking face. Pepper also has Vitamin K, which is an excellent property for protecting our cells from damage.

2. Spinach. All leafy greens are actually very powerful in terms of being a beauty food because of the chlorophyll they contain. There are also loads of other phytochemicals and fiber in spinach that help build blood that is super clean and which will show through in your skin.

3. Turmeric. This yellow-colored, Indian spice has a load of powerful antioxidant qualities. Turmeric assists in protecting our cells from free radical damage and also contributes towards cleaning up metabolic waste in our systems. It is also great as a liver flusher to get rid of any poisons and chemicals which are stored there.

4. Pumpkin Seeds. Wow, these really are powerful. What don’t pumpkin seeds have in them?! The humble pumpkin seed contains high levels of zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B, C, and E. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids, all essential for healthy cell maintenance. Make a handful of pumpkin seeds a regular part of your diet, and you will definitely notice a change in your appearance.

5. Parsley. Next time your plate is garnished with parsley, don’t push it aside. This is a pretty powerful herb when it comes to anti-aging, as well as purifying and cleansing the body. It contains vitamins A and C as well as anti-oxidizing flavonoids that protect our cells from free radical damage. Parsley also helps to purify the blood, kill bacteria, aid digestion, and cleanse toxins from the liver.

The best thing is that all these foods are easy to incorporate into your diet. Add turmeric to juice and combine the other foods with some other fixings to make a great, beautifying salad. Who said that beauty was hard to keep?

Looking for more tips? Check out my tips for Sexy Summer Legs!

Smoothie Slim Down

 

Cruciferous What?

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Cruciferous. Big word, huh? Not only is it fun to say. I really like how it rolls off the tongue. But my real love of this vegetable family stems from their big cancer fighting potential. I love that fact! The vegetables in this class are also called Brassicaceae. Another big word. So what makes these vegetables so special?

First let’s understand glucosinolates. Imagine biting into a juicy piece of kale. When you tear or chew a piece of kale, glucosinolates are broken down into two major molecules:

Sulforaphane – helps liver detox and decreases risk of variety of cancers
Promising results in studies testing sulforaphane’s ability to delay or impede cancer have been seen with multiple types of cancers including melanoma, esophageal, prostate and pancreatic. Sulforaphane-containing foods could potentially be part of cancer treatment in the future. How awesome is that?

Diindolylmethane (DIM) – produced when the body digests indole-3-carbinol
In addition to fighting off cancer cells, another benefit of DIM is it promotes growth of new brain cells and helps keep their connection to other brain cells. That translates to better moods and better memories! Eat your greens!

The other benefits of the kale you’re chewing are that it’s full of folate, which helps make neurotransmitters, and fiber, which makes you feel fuller longer and disrupts the absorption of toxins. Score!

I want some CRUCIFEROUS Veggies!

Convinced you should add these fabulous cancer fighting, brain building vegetables to the weekly menu selection? Hope so. Here’s a list of the nutritional powerhouses to shop for or grow yourself!

cruciferousA word of caution to people with any thyroid disorders – intake of cruciferous vegetables can affect iodine uptake in our bodies. People with thyroid conditions should limit their amount of raw cruciferous vegetables. Heat and salt deactivates their anti-thyroid properties (sauté, roast, bake, steam, etc.). So don’t be afraid to add them to your weekly diet!

Quick & Easy Recipe

I like to sauté greens for a quick and easy breakfast, lunch or dinner. There is nothing to it and they cook in a jiffy. Here is a basic recipe to get you started. To change it up I like to caramelize onions in ghee then add the garlic and greens. Sometimes I add vinegar. Sometimes not. Depends how I’m feeling taste-wise that day!

saute cruciferous greensBasic Sautéed Greens

Ingredients:
• 2 large bunches greens (chard, collards, kale or mustard)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or ghee)
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Few pinches red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or cider vinegar (can use veggie broth too!)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
How To:
Rinse greens well. Tear or cut leaves away from stems and discard stems. Coarsely chop.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Cook garlic and pepper flakes in oil briefly, then add greens, a few handfuls at a time, stirring in between.
Stir in vinegar and salt. Cover. Cook until just tender, 2-10 minutes, depending on the type of greens and your preference.

Hope you take up the challenge and add cruciferous veggies to your plate each day!