Maybe you should be eating more beets, left, or chopped cabbage. (Credit: Evan Sung for The New York Times, left
Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.
Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
Cinnamon: Helps control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.'’ They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,'’ it has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.
營養學家作者Jonny Bowden已經列出了幾份應該大家食用但未信用的健康食品清單。不過其中有幾們他最喜歡的東西,在普通小賣部并不總是能買到,象馬齒莧、番石榴、草莓等。我請求《地球上150種最健康的食品》之作者Bowden博士更新了其健康食品清單,加入一些他喜歡的又易于發現,但不被我們放進購物籃里的品種。下面就是他的建議。
1. 甜菜:把甜菜當菠菜,Bowden博士認為,因為他們都富含葉酸以及可抗癌的天然紫紅素。
吃法:新鮮原料弄碎做成沙拉。加熱則會降低抗氧化效果。
2. 卷心菜:含蘿卜硫素營養素,這是一種據說可以促進抗癌生化酶的化學物質。
吃法:做亞洲風味的卷心菜色拉或做成脆料加到漢堡或三明治里吃。
3. 瑞士糖萵苣:這是一種綠葉蔬菜,含可防眼睛老化的類胡蘿卜素。
吃法:剁碎然后用橄欖油炒
4. 桂圓:對控制血糖和膽固醇有幫助。
吃法:撒入咖啡或燕麥中
5. 石榴汁:好象可降血壓,含抗氧化物。
吃法:直接飲用
6. 干李子:好,他們真正是干來的,但含有可抗癌的搞氧化物。
吃法:包在火腿中一起烤。
7. 南瓜籽:南瓜中最營養的部分,富含鎂,高礦物水平,可降低早死的風險。
吃法:炒來當零食吃,或加入色拉中。
8. 沙丁魚: Bowden博士稱他們為“罐頭里的保健食品”,其歐米茄三含量高,其實不含汞,而是含鈣。同時含鐵、鎂、磷、鉀、鋅、銅、錳和全系列維生素B族。
吃法:選好沙丁魚放入橄欖油或沙丁魚油。拌入沙拉或加入吐司或者搗碎加入芥末或蒜茸簡單吃。
9. 生姜:“調料中的超級明重”,含抗炎抗癌物質。
吃法:與炒雞蛋拌來吃,或混入蔬菜中吃。
10. 凍藍莓:盡管凍凍會降低水果蔬菜的營養成份,凍藍莓一年到頭都可以買到,并且不會變質,在動物研究中發現可以改善記憶。
吃法:與酸奶或朱古力豆奶混和,撒入一些碎杏仁。
11. 罐裝果醬:這是一種卡路里含量低的蔬菜,纖維含量高,富含刺激性免疫的維生素A。吃得多也不會熱量過剩。
吃法:加入一點黃油、桂肉和豆仁攪拌。