antioxidant

What’s on the Menu – Superfoods in my Backyard

The Florida Strawberry festival takes place every year in the small, rustic town of Plant City. The event has been going strong for over 80 years, and it continues to grow each year with the addition of rides, livestock contests and popular music acts like Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts and Elle King (one of Shannon’s personal fav’s). The vast majority of the food at the festival is typical fair food; deep-fried and/or covered in sugar. However, the festival’s namesake is readily available and it when it comes to nutrient rich foods, it’s hard to beat strawberries, or any berries for that matter.

Strawberry shortcake

I consider myself pretty lucky to live in an area that has access to substantial berry crops every year. The farms in my area plant over 10,000 acres of strawberries annually, along with other berries like blueberries and blackberries (source). You best believe that when berry season rolls around, Shannon and I stock up on a weekly basis.  Not only do they taste delicious, but they’re often considered a superfood because of their nutritional benefits.

Possible health benefits associated with eating berries include reduced disease susceptibility, increased insulin sensitivity and improved arterial function. They are also high in essential nutrients (ones our bodies can’t make) like vitamin C, K, manganese and folate (source). I’m a huge berry fan, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention strawberry’s regular appearance on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen List.

Wish farms berries

Organic berries from Florida’s Wish Farms

Since 2004, the EWG has been creating lists of the dirtiest and cleanest produce in regards to pesticide contamination. Strawberries often find themselves at the top of the “dirty” list, most likely due to year round production brought on by high demand. According to EWG’s website, Americans individually eat an average of 8 pounds of strawberries a year. Even though we’re still discovering what negative side effects eating foods containing pesticides can have on our health, the EWG recommends that you buy organically grown strawberries whenever possible. If you like to check out what other produce made it onto EWG’s lists, head on over to their website.

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I believe the reporting of high contamination levels in produce like strawberries will help increase the demand for organically grown produce. The overuse of pesticides and the negative effect its had on our agricultural industry is a discussion for another day.

Whether you buy organic or conventional berries, I want to hear how you prefer to enjoy them. Do you throw them into a smoothie, add them to yogurt, or just eat them by the handful like I do? However you enjoy them, please feel free to let us know by leaving a response in the comment section below or emailing it to us at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

What’s on the Menu – Efficiency Nut

I don’t know who the PR person for walnuts is, but I feel like they’re doing a pretty lackluster job. Pistachios has Richard Sherman and a giant cartoon elephant, voiced by John Cena, telling me to pick up a bag. California almonds have SportsCenter anchors pushing them and it seems like Mr.Peanut as been telling us to eat peanuts, which aren’t nuts, before the TV was even invented. All these nuts are getting positive press, but the walnut is still waiting for its big break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IxAA2GsLE8

I think I may have an idea of why walnuts aren’t getting promoted as much as they should. The outside of a shelled walnut is covered in a thin, paper-like “skin” that some people attest to having a bitter taste. The flavor of the skin can be off-putting to certain folks, but much like an apple, there are a ton of nutrients in the skin of a walnut.  It’s believed that 90% of the walnuts beneficial organic compounds are contained in the skin.

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The beneficial compounds contained in walnuts include a special form of vitamin E, hard to find antioxidants and the highest alpha linolenic acid (omega-3) concentration of any nut (source). The positive health aspects of walnuts prompted the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and Loma Linda University to conduct a study on the daily consumption of walnuts. Preliminary results of the study suggest that daily consumption of 1.5 oz of walnuts can reduce LDL cholesterol & inflammation which can lower your chance of developing heart disease (source).

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If all these health benefits aren’t enough to make you run out to buy a bag of walnuts, the fact that they are one of the cheaper nuts should be all the convincing you need. Raw nuts, which is what you should buy if you want the maximum health benefits, can be a bit pricey. However, compared to cashews, almonds or the luxurious macadamia nut, walnuts are at least $1 cheaper per pound (according to my research).

Walnuts: the nut with the highest ROI. It’s no “get crackin'” but I think it has potential. Let me know if you have any suggestions on what walnuts’ promotional catch phrase should be. You can connect with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or email us at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

What’s on the Menu – Kombucha: Legit Elixir or Placebo Soda?

I truly believe that we can heal ourselves of common ailments (colds, acne, obesity, etc.) with proper diet and exercise. That doesn’t mean that I think all prescription medication is poison. There are certain conditions that require a trip to a medical professional and a necessary prescription. However, the over prescription of certain drugs can and has led to further health concerns like antibiotic resistant bacteria. That’s why we need to learn about possible natural remedies that allow us to heal ourselves, instead of always relying on our pharmacist. One particular natural remedy has been receiving a lot of pub lately about its numerous health benefits, but conflicting reports make me wonder if it’s really the “miracle drink” people claim it is.

Kombucha is a fermented beverage often referred to as “living tea.” It is made by combining sugar and tea leaves with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast known as SCOBY. The final product is a slightly fizzy, sour beverage that claims to boost your immune system, help with digestion, provide energy and even mitigate serious health conditions like cancer.

Kombucha

Mother Kombucha is available throughout Florida

I’m a big proponent of probiotics. I guess you could say I’m pro-pro (rim shot). The benefits of probiotics range from better gut health to improved mood (source link). The fact that kombucha is full of these probiotics, along with other beneficial micronutrients, is why advocates believe it will cure what ails you. There has been some recent scientific studies that backup certain health benefits of kombucha like its antidiabetic (source link) and antioxidant (source link) effect, but almost all these studies were performed on non-human subjects. Critics have stated that a lack of research on human subjects negate a lot of kombucha’s supposed health benefits. They also state that kombucha prepared in unsanitary conditions could result in the consumption of deadly bacteria (source link).

I researched “deaths due to kombucha consumption” and was unable to find any cases in which drinking kombucha was directly responsible and only one case where it was believed to be a contributing factor (source link). It’s true due to the presence of active bacteria cultures, drinking kombucha does present some level of risk, but so does buying bagged spinach. Foodborne illnesses are an issue we need to be aware of. However, it shouldn’t prevent us from consuming items that provide certain health benefits. Kombucha has been consumed for centuries for a reason. I believe that the “living tea” does provide certain health benefits, but it should be enjoyed in moderation and by those with non-compromised immune systems. Also, if you do buy it, makes sure you research the producer. I’m sure where and how the kombucha is made can have an effect on its purity.

Are you a kombucha fan? If so, let us know about your favorite brand. Feel free to send pics of you drinking your favorite kombucha to elementaltampa@gmail.com. We’d also happily accept any feedback from any kombucha naysayers.

 

 

 

What’s on the Menu – They’re Not Just For Dipping

I don’t know why but it seems like every casual dining restaurant has the same six appetizers. Doesn’t matter if you are at an Applebee’s, Bennigans, or TGIFriday’s, the “starters” portion of the menu usually contains wings, mozzarella sticks, chips & salsa and one particular item that contains today’s menu spotlight. I highly doubt they know that the artichoke dip they sell contains one of the most powerful cancer fighting foods on the planet.

Even though artichoke’s presence on casual dining menus is most likely a happy accident, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the nutritional benefits of this vegetable. One medium size artichoke (about 120g) contains nearly 25% of our recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fiber. It is also contains a significant amount of folate and vitamin K which are especially important to expectant mothers (source). All these nutrients are great, but the purpose of this blog is to highlight the cancer fighting properties of artichokes.

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One of the reasons why cancer cells propagate is due to oxidation which is caused by a build up of free radicals in our body. In order to reduce the negative effects of oxidation, our body produces antioxidants and we acquire them from the food & drinks we consume. Artichokes just happen to contain some of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. Cynarin, rutin and the other antioxidants from artichokes have been shown to reduce the cell growth of certain forms of cancer in clinical studies (source). You should put THAT fun fact on your menu Cheddar’s!

I doubt that if you combine artichokes with cheese and mayo like those restaurant appetizers do that you’ll get the same health benefits as just grilling them. Shannon and I have used them recently to make a delicious Tuscan Chicken Skillet meal, that I contend wouldn’t be the same without the artichokes. Send us your go to artichoke recipes and don’t forget to include pictures. You can always reach us on social media or send us an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

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What’s on the Menu

Spaghetti and meatballs. I feel like those two have been perpetually linked since the beginning of time, or since pasta has been a thing. Fortunately, we’ve discovered that meatballs don’t always need a refined carb counterpart. This week’s look into Shannon and I’s menu features turkey meatballs paired with garlic sautéed baby bok choy instead of pasta. Bok choy is a great pasta alternative because it’s a cruciferous vegetable that is loaded with vitamins A, K, and C and contains over 70 antioxidants, which is why some researchers believe it can aid in cancer prevention (source). Expanding our food choices, especially when it comes to vegetables, is crucial to optimizing our health and developing as a species (source). The next time you go grocery shopping, forget the box of barilla and go for the bok choy. If you are already a bok choy fan, let us know what dishes you incorporate it into. We’re always looking for new recipes.