Vegetables for Health 6 - Brussels Sprouts

By George Blays 

The Brussels sprout is a cabbage grown for its small edible buds which actually look like little cabbages. It is a winter crop, growing well in cool weather, and even in light frost.

The vegetable is named after Brussels, the capital city of Belgium, where it was first recorded a long time ago during the 13th century.

The main mineral in these sprouts is potassium, and the main vitamin is surprisingly vitamin C. However, other minerals are present in the plant. These are manganese, copper, and phosphorus.

The leaves of this highly nutritious vegetable provide plenty of health-giving dietary fibre, so the sprouts are good for the digestive system.

Unfortunately, Brussels sprouts are disliked by many people owing to a repulsive odour - which only arises when the sprouts are over-cooked. To preserve all the goodness and the true flavour of Brussels sprouts, it is therefore crucial NOT to over-cook them.

A sulphur-containing compound called glucosinolate is responsible for the bad odour of these sprouts when they are over-cooked. But the compound is also behind the health-giving benefits of Brussels sprouts.

This vegetable is ideal for dieting because it is very low in calories. It is one of the lowest glycemic-rated vegetables and it should be included in every weight reduction programme. A portion of the sprouts, for example, contain only around fifty calories.

A portion of also contains over twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin K1. This is a fat-soluble vitamin that has an important role in blood clotting, as well as being essential for strong bones and for the prevention of heart disease,

Brussels sprouts are sources of the compounds kaempferol, isorhamnetin, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid. The vegetable is also a source of the rare sulphurous compound named 'D3T', which is an abbreviation for 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione. This compound has anti-cancer properties.

This vegetable is an excellent detoxifying food. It helps to ensure that any body toxins are broken down and excreted.

Cancer is obviously a feared illness, but eating Brussels sprouts is actually a simple way of lowering the risk of getting this disease. The body uses the glucosinolates from Brussels sprouts to make compounds called isothiocyanates. It is these chemicals that apparently activate anti-cancer enzyme systems in the body.

In fact, this vegetable contains plenty of flavonoid anti-cancer compounds called antioxidants. These compounds include thiocyanates, indoles, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and the aforementioned isothiocyanates. Studies suggest that these can give protection against prostate and colon cancers.

In fact, in a study on men who ate Brussels sprouts each day for five weeks, it was discovered that they then had almost a third less DNA damage. That is how powerful these vegetables are for keeping us healthy.

Lastly, Brussels sprouts are very good for heart health because of their anti-inflammatory properties.

George Blays writes a weekly newsletter on ways to lose weight and other health issues. You can subscribe to it for free here.

George also writes a blog on health, fat loss, food, and dieting. Visit it here at George Blay's Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/George_Blays/2299554

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Beetroot Nutritional Benefits

By Jeannine Davidoff 

Beetroot Nutritional Benefits

Beetroot and Swiss Chard belong to the same family. Beets have a lovely rich red color from pigments called anthocyanins. It is water soluble and cannot be destroyed by heat. Since ancient times, this vegetable has been used for medicinal purposes that contain many healing properties. Thebeetroot nutritional benefits range from aiding anemia by building red blood cells to aiding digestion and helping the gall bladder and liver function. When beet juice is mixed with carrot juice, this combination provides the body with enough minerals to encourage the healing process.

Beetroot Nutritional Benefits 

·       Beetroots are a great anti-oxidant

·       Rich in fibre and micro nutrients

·       Rich in Iron and Calcium

·       Contain Vitamin A, Vitamin B-complex and Vitamin C, Iron and Magnesium

·       Regulates blood pressure

·       Keep bowel movements regular

·       Helps to detoxify the body

·       Clears the gall bladder, liver and kidneys

·       Beet greens are best used for juicing

Tips on harvesting and cooking Beetroot 

·       Harvest when the root is firm and swollen. It will usually be sticking out of the ground.

·       The bulbs should be scrubbed well till all the soil is removed.

·       The beetroot leaves can be used either when they are young or mature.

·       The leaves must be washed thoroughly and chopped then cooked.

·       The bulbs can be cut into fries, steamed or used fresh.

·       Beetroot juice is a very healthy and cleansing drink.

·       When juicing beetroots, be sure not to overdose.

·       Start by using half a juiced beetroot per week.

Build up your consumption to one per week.

Recipe using Beetroot
Beetroot Salad

·       Beetroot (2-3 large ones)

·       4 large Carrots

·       1 Pineapple peeled and diced

Grate the beetroot and carrots; add the pineapple and you have a tasty salad.
Simple and nutritious - serve with fresh bread.

How to Grow Beetroot 

·       The seeds, much like Swiss Chard are best planted directly in the place you want them to grow.

·       It is important to keep the soil moist around the seedlings.

·       In five to eight days after planting them, you will see the little leaves of the beetroot appear from beneath the soil.

·       They will shoot upwards and after about two and a half months, you should see the bulb beginning to form.

·       You can push the soil up around the beetroot bulb, as this will allow it to become larger. This is called ridging.

·       Be sure to give maturing roots space in which to grow without crowding them.

Companions of beetroot 
They have many companions and these include: Beans, Lettuce, Garlic, Onions, Kohlrabi and Cabbage.
However, Beetroot is not fond of growing near Mustard.

This vegetable is extremely simple to integrate into your diet; its so easily available in stores or just easy to grow. But the best reason to eat beetroot is for the beetroot nutritional benefits that assist in good health.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jeannine_Davidoff/391549

Acid-Alkaline Food Chart Benefits-Where to Search for it and what are in its list   

by Eva Grace Montemayor

Acid-alkaline food chart is a chart of almost all food listings available. There are the positive foods and the negative foods. The foods with positive signs are those foods with high acid content while the negatively signed foods are those that are high in alkalinity. The main purpose of this chart is for you to know the food that you're eating and eat more foods that have more alkaline level. 

Our body maintains a pH level of 7.4 and if it goes up then it means danger. Degeneration of cells begins and diseases start to occur. Helping your body attain a very high alkalinity is for you to follow strictly the acid-alkaline food chart. Eating foods that are in the alkaline food list is very helpful in fighting diseases such as colds, flu and even chronic diseases, depressions and fatigue. The chart can actually help you save your life.
If you are new to this diet, you will have a hard time knowing what foods to eat and what are not to eat because you don't have a food chart. This food chart includes an alkaline food list to help you better understand the diet and choose the right foods to keep you healthy.
The internet is teeming with different acid-alkaline food charts but how are you going to identify it as the right one? There are food charts that are ineffective and lack the proper information. They sometimes are not updated. You should look for a very precise yet effective food chart. It doesn't need to be 30 pages long. It can only have 1 page that you can hang into your refrigerator or bring with you to the grocery. The food chart that you can easily identify as to how much alkalinity it will give you by the color coding and star ratings of the foods on the list. 

Everybody loves to have a fair glowing skin, long shiny black hair, hard nails and disease free. All of these you can achieve by strictly following your diet on the acid-alkaline food chart. The alkaline food list can give you all the foods that you need to eat to have a healthy body. People with high tendency of fatigue and depression can hold on to the diet too. Diseases will appear if you have an increased acid level in your body. Eating high alkaline foods can keep your body's natural pH level so all the faculties in your body can do their functions well.
The alkaline food list includes fruits and vegetables. Green vegetables have more alkaline and they ranked high on the chart. These veggies are asparagus, onions, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, wheat grass and many others. Tomatoes, eggplants and other non-green vegetables are also rich in alkaline. Fruits like figs, melons, dates, apples, bananas, grapes and mangoes are alkaline foods. All fruits that are sweet are all alkaline rich fruits. But lemons and lime leave an alkaline food ash when digested so they are still high in alkaline content and they are very high on the chart.
If you want to live longer and you haven't bought your dream house yet, then the time has come. Stock your fridge and homes with these alkaline rich foods and reap the fruits!

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