Iron Rich Kale Offers Healthy Food Alternative

A member of the Brassica (mustard) family of plants, Kale is among the earliest cultivated Brassicas with many similarities to wild Brassica Oleracea on the western coasts of Europe. Kale is also referred to as collards or colewort. The Celtic ”kale” derives from “coles” or “caulis” used by Greeks and Romans to describe Brassicas.

Kale was first recorded in North America by 1669, but thought to have been introduced there much earlier.

Kale contains more iron and calcium than almost any other vegetable. Kale is also a good source of folate, beta carotene and vitamins E and C. It also contains bioflavonoids and other substances that protect against cancer.

Kale should be cooked quickly on minimal water to preserve its rich stores of beta carotene and vitamin C. It can be chopped, steamed and stir fried with other vegetables. Kales shrinks considerably during cooking.

For creative recipes and ideas on how to incorporate kale into your diet see the following clip which recently aired on CBS Sunday Morning. http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/kale-turns-over-a-new-leaf/

Olives and Olive Oils Provide Natural Protections for Your Heart

Olives are a fruit which have long been cultivated throughout the Mideast. They among the fruits promised to the Jews in Canaan. According to Homer, olives were brought to Greece by Cecrops, founder of Athens and quickly became its source of wealth.

By 571 B.C. olives had reached Italy and in the 1^st century A.D. historian Pliny recorded dozens of varieties grown as far north as Gaul (France) and as far west as Spain. Olives are now also grown in California, Australia and China.

Olives and olive oils are high in monounsaturated fats which have been shown to benefit blood cholesterol levels. In fact, olives are rich in disease fighting phytochemicals, Vitamin E, and the monounsaturated fats which are all know to clear cholesterol from arteries.

The antioxidant phytochemicals hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein may work together according to laboratory studies to help protect against breast cancer, high blood pressure, infectious causing bacteria and heart disease.

The major drawback of olives is that some varieties are high in sodium.

Highly Nutritious Alfalfa Better Known to Most as Little Rascals Star

Alfalfa was a vital fodder crop of ancient civilizations in the Near East and Mediterranean and became known in Britain by 1757. Alfalfa is also known as Purple Medrick from the Latin Herbia Medica, the Median or Persian Herb imported to Greece after Darius found it in the kingdom of Medes.

Alfalfa is valued by gardeners as a green manure as well as a nutritious vegetable. Its blooms in the wildflower meadows are rich in nectar, while the leaves are a commercial source of chlorophyll. Young shoot tips and sprouted seeds can be used in salads or cooked lightly.

A good source of iron and protein, young alfalfa shoots are rich in minerals and Vitamin B and highly nutritious and its seeds appear to reduce cholesterol levels.

For millions of baby boomers growing up watching the “Little Rascals” on their black and white televisions, Alfalfa will always be synonymous with the devilish character played by child star Carl Switzer.

Nutrient Rich Mushrooms Were Once Primary Ingredient in Ketchup and Sauces

Mushrooms are essentially simple, yet extraordinary, fungi lacking both chlorophyll and root systems. Mushrooms instead grow on decaying substrate or symbiotically with living plants and are more akin to molds or yeasts. Fungi are identified by the particular substrate on which it depends.

The fleshy mushroom is a fruiting body dispensing spores in order to reproduce in the same way fruits dispense seeds. Few of the many thousand fungi genera are amenable to cultivation as the organism requires the precise moisture and temperature variables to produce fruiting bodies.

The Romans esteemed mushrooms as a delicacy and the aristocracy of Rome employed collectors to find the most desirable species. By the late 17^th century varieties of agaricus began to be grown in underground caves in Paris in which giant heaps of manure were impregnated with soil taken from areas where field and horse mushrooms grew naturally.

For many centuries cultivated mushrooms were a delicacy enjoyed only by the wealthy and from the 18^th century most stable yards had a shady corner where there was a mushroom bed. King George IV of England had a large mushroom house at Kensington Palace in London. In seasons when wild or cultivated mushrooms were plentiful surplus mushrooms were conserved in the form of sauces and ketchups, and only recently has the role of mushroom sauce been usurped by tomato sauce.

Cultivated agaricus species have remained popular in northern Europe and the English-speaking world, yet eclipsed by other mushrooms varieties elsewhere. In Japan, for example, velvet shank, nameko, oyster and shiitake are now established cultivated varieties.

Fat free and low in calories are rich in minerals and other nutrients including potassium, linoleic and folic acids, carbohydrates, iron, niacin and B vitamins. Edible fungi are said to lower blood cholesterol, stimulate the immune system and deactivate viruses.

Some varieties of wild mushrooms may be poisonous so it is recommended that only cultivated mushrooms offered at a reputable grocer be consumed.

Nutritious Artichoke Aids Health of Liver

A member of the sunflower family, artichokes originated in the Mediterranean and were cultivated by the Greeks and Romans who considered them a delicacy. Its common name comes from the Italian articolus deriving from cocali or pine cone – an apt description of the appearance of the flower bud.

Artichokes waned in popularity during the Dark Ages but were restored to favor when Catherine De Medici introduced them to France in the 16^th century. From France the artichoke was spread around the world and reached the U.S. in 1806 traveling with French and Spanish settlers.

Low in calories and high in fiber, artichokes are a good source of folate, vitamin C and potassium. Artichokes may provoke an allergic reaction in people sensitive to ragweed.

Artichokes are especially good for the liver aiding detoxification and regeneration. They also reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, stimulating the gallbladder and helping the metabolism of fat. A natural diuretic, artichokes have been used to treat hepatitis and jaundice. In folk medicine artichokes have been used as both a contraceptive and an aphrodisiac. 

Leafy, Green Lettuce Possesses Many Surprising Medicinal Properties

Garden lettuce is a selected form of the bitter-leafed wild species cactuca serriola, which is found throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. Ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to cultivate lettuce. Examples of tomb wall paintings depicted a form of Cos lettuce, which is said to have originated on the Greek Island of the same name. The Egyptians believed lettuce was an aphrodisiac and also used its white sap and leaves in a concoction alongside fresh beef, frankincense and juniper berries as a remedy for stomach ache.

The ancient Romans attributed medicinal properties to the lettuce. Emperor Augustus erected an altar and statue in its honor believing lettuce upheld morals, temperance and chastity. Romans were said to have introduced lettuce to Britain with their conquering armies and even after many centuries it is still regarded as the foundation of a good salad.

There are dozens of varieties of lettuce available in many grocery stores the better known being Arugula, Belgian Endive, Butter Head, Chicory and Escarole, Iceberg, Loose Leaf, Lamb’s Lettuce, Romaine, and Watercress.

Low in calories, lettuce in salads in the preferred option for dieters. Some varieties of lettuce are high in beta carotene, folate, vitamin C, calcium and potassium. Dieters need to be cautious when opting for lettuce-laden salads as they are often served with large amounts of oily and high fat creamy dressings.

There are many surprising medicinal benefits associated with eating lettuce including:

•      Lettuce can be used as a sedative and narcotic;
•          Lettuce soup is effective in treating nervous tension and insomnia;
•          Lettuce sap dissolved in wine is said to be a good painkiller;
•          Lettuce soothes inflammation - lotions for the treatment of sunburn and rough skin are made from its extracts;
•          Lettuce  is also used as a poultice on bruises or taken internally for stomach ulcers and for irritable bowl syndrome;
•          Lettuce is also used as an antispasmodic and can be used to soothe coughs and bronchial problems and also reported to cool the ardor.

The oft-used reference of lettuce to mean cash started in the 1920’s and is inferred from its green color.

A Thanksgiving Staple, Cranberry Products Enjoyed Year Round

As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, many families will undoubtedly be sitting down for turkey dinner with all the fixings including a side dish of cranberries – a seemingly American tradition. However, Cranberries in various forms have made their way into the American diet in the dried and juice forms and are consumed year round.

Native to North America, cranberries can be found in bogs and moorlands in the wild and are mostly cultivated in the states of Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey. Closely related to blueberries and huckleberries, cranberries are too tart to eat raw. When buying fresh cranberries one should look for firm, bright red fruit; berries that are at their peak will bounce when dropped.

Cranberries are a fair source of vitamin C and fiber. Cranberries also contain bioflavonoids thought to protect eyesight and help prevent cancer. Cranberry juice is well noted for its ability to help prevent or alleviate cystitis and urinary tract infections. Studies have established that cranberries contain a natural antibiotic substance that makes bladder walls inhospitable to the organisms responsible for urinary tract infections enabling the organisms to be washed out of the body.

The primary negative regarding cranberries is that they must be prepared with large amounts of sugar to make them palatable.