12 Steps to Whole Foods
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards Why Should I Grow and Eat Beets? Beets are not only easy to grow, they’re a “bonus” food since you get two for the price of one. Not only are the colors in the root vegetable indicative of powerful nutrients, but the greens contain much more iron, vitamin A, potassium, and calcium than the roots—and they are a mild-tasting green smoothie ingredient. So never throw them away! The juice of the beet is rich in sodium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, copper, bioflavanoids, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. Folic acid, found abundantly in beets, helps prevent anemias and cervical cancer. The juice is excellent for cleansing and rebuilding the kidneys and gallbladder. As a fibrous root, it’s excellent for eliminating constipation, adding bulk to the diet, and improving peristalsis in the intestines. The red color is actually betacyanin, a powerful anti-carcinogen known to prevent colon cancer. And a study showed a 30- 40% drop in the cholesterol and triglycerides of animals fed beet fiber. Some say that if you see red after you eat beets, you shouldn’t be worried, because it’s harmless beeturia that dyes your urine or stool. Others, including Victoria Boutenko, claim that red in the stool or urine after eating beets is a symptom of hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid secretion. Thus, eating beets may be a good test for a health problem that is both important as well as pervasive in modern culture, with up to half of us suffering with low stomach acid and therefore not absorbing nutrients, especially minerals. Some with low stomach acid are being incorrectly treated with antacids. Dr. Ron Kennedy, M.D., says you can take 3-10 capsules (don’t buy tablets) of Betaine HCL (glutamic acid or hydrochloride) with each meal, starting with one capsule and working your way up, stopping where you feel any heartburn. If this eliminates the “red” problem, you may have solved your low stomach acid problem. He also recommends getting vitamin B12 injections twice a week for a few weeks, and taking folate, as you begin to address a hypochlorhydria problem. Someone close to me took his suggestions for only a couple of months and the problem has never returned in the ensuing two years. For recipes, see “Beet Recipes” on page 140. Why Should I Grow and Eat Bell Peppers? Bell peppers can be eaten in large quantities because, unlike most other peppers, they aren’t hot. And grow and eat them in large quantities you should, not just because they’re crunchy and delicious, but because their bright colors betray fantastic nutritional properties. Red and orange bell peppers are dramatically higher in vitamin C than green ones. When the summer harvest provides more bell peppers than you can eat, dice and freeze them for use in soups and sautéed dishes later. Peppers are high in two B vitamins, B6 and folic acid, consumption of which leads to healthy blood vessels and lowered risk of stroke and heart attack. The antioxidant lycopene is found in red peppers and known to prevent cancers of the prostate, cervix, bladder, and pancreas. And lowered risk of colon cancer is associated with vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid—all some of bell peppers’ virtues. Those same compounds also protect against cataracts, and the lutein and zeaxanthin in red peppers also prevent macular degeneration. Bell peppers are an important garden crop because they are part of the “dirty dozen,” those fruits and vegetables most likely to contain residues of harmful pesticides when commercially grown. And the colorful 124 12 Steps to Whole Foods © Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards red, yellow, and orange varieties are usually rather expensive to buy. When you grow them yourself, you can rest assured you have inexpensive, organic produce. For recipes, see “Bell Pepper Recipes” on page 143. Why Should I Grow and Eat Chard? I find rainbow, swiss, and red chard to be the longest-lasting, most prolific green in my garden: I harvest several varieties from spring until well past the first frost. The stalks grow to be as much as 2’ long, providing a great deal of food—both the leaves and stalks are highly nutritious and full of fiber. You can cut stalks from the perennial plant, and they will regrow. It’s one of the mildest-flavored greens for making green smoothies and, unlike spinach, chard doesn’t bolt easily in hot weather. Swiss chard is particularly high in vitamins K, A, and C as well as potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Chard and other greens like it have been documented to contain phytonutrients called anthocyanins, which prevent digestive tract cancers. Including chard in your diet can protect the kidneys of diabetics, and its high fiber content can prevent high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Vitamin K is necessary for bone mineralization and has been documented to dramatically lower the risk of cataracts. Chard is also high in beta-carotene, which lowers the risk of skin cancers, and a study shows that eating it may lower emphysema risk in those who are exposed to smoking. For recipes, see “Chard Recipes” on page 146. Why Should I Grow and Eat Carrots? Everyone knows that eating carrots preserves your eyesight because of beta-carotene, which improves night vision and prevents macular degeneration and cataracts. But other lesser known nutrients in carrots called alpha-carotene and falcarinol also dramatically decrease the risk of cancers of the bladder, colon, esophagus, larynx, prostate, and cervix. And at least half a dozen studies link carotenoid-rich foods like carrots to reduced risk of heart attacks. Eating even one carrot daily can cut lung cancer rates in half. Carrots are high in fiber and an excellent source of vitamins A, K, and C as well as potassium. They keep well in cold storage and sustain indigenous peoples through the winter along with other root vegetables such as onions, potatoes, and beets. Beta-carotene is not destroyed by cooking, and their sugars become more bioavailable when carrots are steamed or lightly sautéed. Carrots got a bad rap as being high in sugars during the anti-carb craze, but eating them actually is beneficial to blood sugar regulation and is inversely associated with insulin resistance, possibly because of their high fiber content. No evidence links them to diabetes, despite the hype and conjecture of the high-protein diet doctors. For recipes, see “Carrot Recipes” on page 144. © Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 125
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Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards<br />
red, yellow, and orange varieties are usually rather expensive <strong>to</strong> buy. When you grow them yourself, you can<br />
rest assured you have inexpensive, organic produce.<br />
For recipes, see “Bell Pepper Recipes” on page 143.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Chard?<br />
I find rainbow, swiss, and red chard <strong>to</strong> be the longest-lasting, most prolific<br />
green in my garden: I harvest several varieties from spring until well past the<br />
first frost. The stalks grow <strong>to</strong> be as much as 2’ long, providing a great deal of<br />
food—both the leaves and stalks are highly nutritious and full of fiber. You<br />
can cut stalks from the perennial plant, and they will regrow. It’s one of the<br />
mildest-flavored greens for making green smoothies and, unlike spinach,<br />
chard doesn’t bolt easily in hot weather.<br />
Swiss chard is particularly high in vitamins K, A, and C as well as potassium,<br />
manganese, and magnesium. Chard and other greens like it have been<br />
documented <strong>to</strong> contain phy<strong>to</strong>nutrients called anthocyanins, which prevent<br />
digestive tract cancers. Including chard in your diet can protect the kidneys of<br />
diabetics, and its high fiber content can prevent high blood pressure and<br />
atherosclerosis. Vitamin K is necessary for bone mineralization and has been<br />
documented <strong>to</strong> dramatically lower the risk of cataracts.<br />
Chard is also high in beta-carotene, which lowers the risk of skin cancers, and<br />
a study shows that eating it may lower emphysema risk in those who are exposed <strong>to</strong> smoking.<br />
For recipes, see “Chard Recipes” on page 146.<br />
Why Should I Grow and Eat Carrots?<br />
Everyone knows that eating carrots preserves your eyesight because of beta-carotene, which improves night<br />
vision and prevents macular degeneration and cataracts. But other lesser known nutrients in carrots called<br />
alpha-carotene and falcarinol also dramatically decrease the risk of cancers of the bladder, colon, esophagus,<br />
larynx, prostate, and cervix. And at least half a dozen studies link carotenoid-rich foods like carrots <strong>to</strong> reduced<br />
risk of heart attacks.<br />
Eating even one carrot daily can cut lung cancer rates in half. Carrots are high in fiber and an excellent source<br />
of vitamins A, K, and C as well as potassium. They keep well in cold s<strong>to</strong>rage and sustain indigenous peoples<br />
through the winter along with other root vegetables such as onions, pota<strong>to</strong>es, and beets. Beta-carotene is not<br />
destroyed by cooking, and their sugars become more bioavailable when carrots are steamed or lightly sautéed.<br />
Carrots got a bad rap as being high in sugars during the anti-carb craze, but eating them actually is beneficial <strong>to</strong><br />
blood sugar regulation and is inversely associated with insulin resistance, possibly because of their high fiber<br />
content. No evidence links them <strong>to</strong> diabetes, despite the hype and conjecture of the high-protein diet doc<strong>to</strong>rs.<br />
For recipes, see “Carrot Recipes” on page 144.<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> <strong>12</strong>5