Oranges. The Whole greater than the Sum of it's parts!

I take it all of you enjoyed those wonderfully nutritious and beneficial stocking fillers on Christmas Day!
For some of us it was the only thing in our Christmas stocking (weep), but the humble Orange packs a mighty punch, and according to recent research, no amount Vitamin C powder, tablet or whatever supplement form gets dreamt up, can in the end replace the simple, peeling, eating, juicing, squeezing of this natural wonder.

An Orange is NOT just for Christmas!

Researchers have been looking why the WHOLE is so much better for you than it's components when taken separately. That would be the 'sum of it's parts' bit then! 

In essence, researchers are looking at the benefits of supplementation that contains vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances as close to their original food state as possible, which would hopefully have a greater benefit to health than what already exists in the wider market.
For the Orange that would be to capture the best benefits of peeling and eating an Orange, as well as drinking the squeezed juice.

Eat whole, fruit salad, juice, smoothie!!

The team at Brigham Young University, Utah, USA, have been considering what it is in the nature and structure of the Orange that makes it so much better than current Vitamin C supplementation, BYU assistant professor of nutrition, dietetics and food science, Tory Parker:


"There's something about an orange that's better than taking a vitamin C capsule, and that's really what we're trying to figure out. We think it's the particular mixture of antioxidants in an orange that makes it so good for you."

 
Once reserved for special occasions in medieval times due to their expensive nature, and then becoming a staple for the contents of the Christmas Stocking ever since the reign of Queen Victoria, the Orange is now very much affordable and available and one of the most popular and most used fruits in the world.

Not only providing excellent levels of Vitamin C, but also dietary Fibre, Folate, energy producing Vitamin B1 and Calcium amongst other Vitamins and minerals, Oranges also contain more than 60 Flavonoids that provide a powerful anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effect by interacting with Vitamin C and hopefully providing protection against oxidative damage to cell structures, including DNA.

Foods or Supplements.Can they both be effective?

What previous studies have shown prior to BYU's work has suggested that Vitamin C are more readily absorbed when consumed together with other biological active Flavonoids or Phytonutrients contained in citrus fruits than when taken singly as maybe the case with supplement form.
BYU research wanted to look at the large combinations of antioxidants found in the orange at the same proportions they occur naturally with significant results-

"Cases where the effect of two or more antioxidants together was stronger than the sum of them separately."

 
Identifying combinations of antioxidants found not only in Oranges, but also in Blueberries and Strawberries the University team were able to identify specific compounds within the fruit, for instance in Oranges, hesperidin which has been shown to lower high blood pressure as well as Cholesterol in animal studies, and naringenin that together when working with Vitamin C provide the greatest antioxidant punch and hence potential benefit to health.


Whilst the best antioxidant mixtures are further studied and developed by commited teams such as those led by head author Brenner Freeman and Tory Parker at BYU, one thing is for sure, as l point out to my patients and will always hopefully portray in these articles, eating the healthy, hopefully Organic (or well washed) fruit will be more beneficial to the majority than the parts that make up the supplement!

Journal Reference:

1. Brenner L. Freeman, Dennis L. Eggett, Tory L. Parker. Synergistic and Antagonistic Interactions of Phenolic Compounds Found in Navel Oranges.Journal of Food Science, 2010; 75 (6): C570 DOI : 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01717.x

And though l don't calorie count...at just 62 Calories, what better food as part of a well balanced diet could there be!

Find fruits your enjoy-make up a fruit salad on the weekends for the days ahead!

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What do you mean Halloween has come and Gone!!!

I enjoyed writing this so much last month for production.....but no production came about.....So l decided to post it again, mainly because l was so proud of the Organic pumpkins we produced on our Co-Operative allotment in the heart of the Midlands, and the fact that l produced so much nice food and meals out of the subsequent cooking jaunt!


Foods Of the Week:  Halloween. (Ok, it's over, but lm still stuck in summer mode so give me a chance!)

Don't throw away all the flesh please

                                  
Foods of Halloween week (Autumn has almost been and gone but who cares)....could only Pumpkin and Apples...or Carving lanterns and apple bobbing if your American (lm not....No comment!)

 An apple is for life...not just for bobbing

So you have your Pumpkin lanterns at the ready and the apples ready for Bobbing...but how good are these scary but delicious foods and just how easy is it to cast the spell that turns them into wonderful healthy treats!



Pumpkins:
Coming from the Greek word "pepon", today’s Pumpkins, not just a Halloween Candle Holder, but a wonderful Seasonal vegetable for the Autumn months.

Coming in various shapes and sizes with many different varieties, Pumpkin is rich in Vitamins and Minerals, as well as possible potent antioxidants, with both the flesh and seeds nutritionally beneficial.

Low in Calories and fat, Pumpkins benefit from being rich in nutrients such as:

* Alpha-carotene (converted by the body into Vitamin A)
* Beta-carotene   (converted by the body into Vitamin A)
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin E
* Potassium
* Magnesium
* Panthothenic acid
* Manganese
* Dietry Fiber

High in nutrients but low in calories, Pumpkin's variety of nutrient benefits may act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents as well as powerful antioxidants that assist with a strong Immune system as part of a well balanced diet, while levels of Dietry Fibre help with Blood sugar control and healthy digestion

 

Pumpkin Recipes: Easy & Nutritious

Steamed Pumpkin, Pumpkin Soup and Spicy Pumpkin Stew

Steamed Pumpkin and Feta Salad:            

- Peel the outer skin of the pumpkin and removed flesh and seeds (keep seeds to one side).
- Cut up Pumpkin into 1inch squares and fill two desert bowls with Pumpkin
- Steam using electric or Bamboo/Stainless steel stove-top steamer for 7 minutes

With some lemon Juice and Organic Extra virgin olive oil, pepper and sea salt mix and make a dressing. Add crumbled feta cheese, fresh rosemary and sage to steamed Pumpkin on a bed of Rocket or Baby spinch, along with dressing for quick easy snack.
Adding fresh chilli and Turmeric to dressing can add extra Kick as well as highly beneficial extra elements to this nutritious meal.

 Soup             

-Adding steamed Pumpkin to a pan with 1-2 cups of vegetable stock, 3 Tbs of coconut milk (canned tomatoes as an alternative) and bring to the boil.
- Fresh Ginger, Turmeric, sea salt and pepper to taste
- Blend with hand blender or food processor
-Wait to bring to slight boil and well heated through and serve.

 

 

 

Spicy Stew          

-Add already Steamed Pumpkin to a pan with a chopped red onion (cut and leave onion for 5 minutes before adding), along with4-6 chopped Organic/home grown carrots- 

-Red and green Chillies 

-1 pint of water

- Tsp Cumin, Paprika and Turmeric
- 1 carton of Organic Chopped Tomatoes
- Separately Stem fry fresh prawns with olive oil and 1 Tbs of water
- Bring soup to boil and cook for 15 minutes and then Blend with mixer/processor for 1 minute
- Add cooked prawns (chicken or turkey as other options) to soup, along with carton of Organic Butter beans
- Add Organic brown Basmati rice or Spelt or Buckwheat pasta according to taste
- Cook for further 15 minutes

Enjoy!



Apples:           

Forget all those bobbing apples in the bowl of water from the ancient Celtic tradition, and most recent North American association, apples have so much more to offer.

Coming from the Latin word “Pome”, apples originate from the Rose family and are associated with Love and Fertility.
In their many different varieties of colour, shape and size, apples are rich in Flavonoid and Phenolic antioxidants as well a good source of Vitamin C.
Apples also contain good amounts of Dietry fiber for Balanced Blood sugar and healthy digestion.

Whether part of a dessert or salad, apples are a great snack being low in calories.
As a seasonal fruit especially around autumn time, and apart from bobbing at Halloween and your mothers Traditional Apple crumble, what else can this Super Fruit do!

Apple Sundae:  

-         2 Apples cut into quarters and cored, add chopped almonds and grated coconut

-         In a small bowl, add home made almond butter to 3-4 Tbs of Organic Honey

-         Drizzle almond/honey sauce over apples and chopped nuts for quick easy dessert.

Add Homemade Granola and cinnamon for something a bit different.

Breakfast apple:             

-Diced apple, Organic Natural yogurt, chopped almonds, walnuts and Pumpkin seeds, raisins and Honey. Great as a Snack taken to work!

To bake apples in the Oven will means beneficial nutrients such as Vitamins, Antioxidants and enzymes can easily be destroyed.

So keep it natural, quick and easy.

And Eat such foods anytime of the year, just replace Pumpkin if not available, with Butter nut squash and steamed sweet potato. 

Tom, Barbara, Jerry and of course Margo!

Try Growing your own on your own allotment or prepare a patch of garden...or a friends garden....just ask them first, Im not Jerry and this is not the Good Life.

It's a Great Life!                            

Enjoy!

P.S It's Christmas soon so l have been told, though l was till hoping for summer sun until the reality of shop front Christmas lights and That's What l call Christmas Music Vol. 76 playing everywhere.....

So soon will come our run up to Christmas, Good Food, good nutrition, good health that will be happy and healthy for all...

Except maybe for people like me who still wish it was Summer!

Food of the Week: Avocado......And no, it does not (NOT!) make a Snowball.

Avocado, a culinary delight, from the bay and cinnamon family of trees was brought over to Europe after the Spanish conquests of central and southern America, yet it took us Brits the last half a century to experience it's like, a like......like no other it has to be said.

A rich, smooth fruit, distinctive taste and buttery texture, they are great sources of many Vitamins such as Vitamin C, B6, Vitamin K, as well as Potassium, Folate and the mineral copper, as well a great source of dietary Fibre....yet to many they fear it's 30% fat content more than the many positive elements this wonder holds.

 Healthy Fat or Unhealthy fat?

30% fat this wonderful fruit maybe, but while a majority of it's calories do come from fat, almost two-thirds of the fats they contain are monounsaturated fats that are good for heart health, as found in Olive oil, so not to be sniffed at on any occasion!
As l don't count calories with my patients unless they are underweight, then neither should you....yes, YOU!

The Mediterranean diet so lauded by health experts, Nutritionist's and researchers alike, and rightly so for it's monounsaturated-fat-rich foods it promotes (all in moderation of course) will heavily feature the benefits of the green giant that is the Avocado, and it should be eaten similar (in moderation) to help promote a well balanced, healthy approach to eating.....and a very tasty one considering the fruits many wonderful uses.

Guacamole:
1 Ripe avocado, juice of half a lime, dried or fresh chillies, a good handful of coriander, chopped fine, black pepper, dash of sea salt, mash well or blend for a few seconds. Great with slow cooked meats, fish, the list is endless, but Mexican dishes with the chillies and limes and possibly the addition of finely chopped tomatoes bring out the classic dip to it's fullest.

Slow Cooked Turkey and Avocado Salad:
With Christmas just around the corner, get into the taste of good quality turkey, slow cooked, with organic salad leaves, watercress, spinach, 1 whole ripe Avocado sliced and mixed in with the semi hot slices of Turkey, and try finishing it off with a spicy tomato and cranberry salsa, with tomatoes, fresh cranberries, coriander, red onion (diced), 2sp fresh, grated ginger, Juice of 1 whole lime, black pepper and sea salt to taste. Great at Christmas, but with the great health benefits of Turkey, a must for all year round.


Fresh Berry & Avocado smoothie:
1 Ripe Avocado, 1 large organic banana, hand full of ice, fresh frozen mixed berries, or in summer, organic or garden berries, juice of 1 pomegranate.
Blend up, smooth, drink. Great!





Is it the same as........

So the fattiest of healthiest fruit, a wonderful addition to any diet (in moderation as always) but as pointed out often has to overcome an identity crisis, not only because it's fat content causes many to run away in fear from this stunning piece of natural gold, but an identity crisis in the sense that for some people, they just get dammed right confused of what it actually is!

Hence a conversation l have had with quite a few people in the past when happily eating away on my fat filled nugget of green loveliness......which left me not knowing whether to laugh, cry, or choke on the stunning fruit l was enjoying so much....in turn, it usually goes;
             "what's that....
             It's Avocado..
             Oh, is that the yellow drink stuff you have at Christmas with a cherry on top.....!
             No..........that's a snowball.....made from..............................ADVOCATT!"

Big Difference......

The Fruit

The Christmas Drink!

  

    

                              Vs    











What l don't tell them is that when Dutch colonies of South America first invented the delightful Christmas drink it's main ingredient was.....yep, Avocado, that delight of our Guacamole, Summer salad's, nutritious, beautifying smoothies and even face packs......a far cry from the eventual main ingredients when developed and processed back in Europe of Eggs, sugar, cream, vanilla and Brandy!

Oh well, win some lose some.
Enjoy (in moderation) of course!