Mark’s Daily Apple

Smart Fuel: Eggs12

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How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Remember in the movie Runaway Bride when Julia Roberts’ character could never decide how she liked her eggs? We say, don’t worry about it Ms. Roberts, with so many health benefits associated with the consumption of eggs, you should eat ‘em however you can get ‘em!

On the most superficial level, eggs are an excellent source of protein, providing 5.5 grams per 68 calorie serving and all 9 essential amino acids (all for less than 0.5 grams of carbs!)

Digging deeper, eggs are perhaps best known for supplying choline, an “unofficial” B vitamin that our bodies can only produce in limited quantities (often too limited for optimal health, with one study indicating that 90% of Americans are currently choline deficient. Among choline’s many benefits, it is considered a key component of fat-containing structures in cell membranes, particularly those associated with the brain, making them particularly important for fetal brain development as well as overall brain function and health.

In the mineral department, eggs are an excellent source of selenium, which is thought to prevent cancer, particularly tumors affecting the prostate (although researchers are currently going back and forth on this one!) Eggs are also a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two types of carotenoids important for eye health (with several studies indicating that these compounds may prevent macular degeneration as well as reduce the risk of developing cataracts). Additionally, eggs are thought to be one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D, providing roughly 10% of the recommended daily intake per serving.

Still need convincing? A 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests that eggs keep hunger at bay longer than bagels (or “dietary disasters” as they should be renamed!). In addition, eggs’ high sulfur content and wide variety of vitamins and minerals can promote healthy hair - and may even speed up growth rate in those with such deficiencies - as well as help nails grow.

And now to address the bad press. In recent years, eggs have come under considerable fire for their high cholesterol content, with many suggesting that they could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, a 1999 Harvard School of Public Health study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association determined no such link and even went as far to say that regular egg consumption may actually prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attack. Not bad, eh?

So, there you have it. Eggs really are egg-ceptional. Some might even consider them egg-cellent and still others would even go as far to call them eggs-quisite (ok, we promise we’ll stop now!)

sir chalky Flickr Photo (CC)

Drop us a line with your favorite egg dish!

Further Reading:

The Definitive Guide to Cholesterol

Duck Eggs

Best Brain Foods (hint: eggs are one of them)

Conditioning Research: Make Sure You Have Eggs in Your Low Carb Diet!

Technorati Tags: eggs, choline, carotenoids, cholesterol

Posted: Diet, Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Smart Fuel

Smart Fuel: Radishes8

I’m totally rad-ish.

Love radishes? Turns out you’re not alone. In fact, radishes were once so prized in Greece that they were immortalized in gold!

Although we certainly appreciate the radish’s beauty - often attacking them with a few skillfully placed knife slices to create a beautiful rose garnish for dress-to-impress dishes - this cruciferous vegetable is held in higher esteem today for its health benefits.

Specifically, radishes are an excellent source of vitamin C, packing about 30% of the recommended daily allowance per one cup serving. In addition to shoring up the immune system, vitamin C has been found to reduce asthma symptoms among pediatric patients as well as a decrease susceptibility to bruising and other forms of inflammation. Other beneficial nutrients found in radishes include potassium, which can reduce the risk of kidney stones, folate and magnesium. Finally, radishes contain a number of sulfur-based chemicals that increase the flow of bile, helping to improve digestion and maintain a healthy gallbladder and liver.

Radishes - which are available year-round, but peak between June and September - are available in a number of varieties, with colors ranging from purple to white and varying in taste from mild to downright peppery - a taste that you can blame on its ties to the mustard plant. However, in the U.S. we are most familiar with the red-skinned variety, which is comparable in appearance to a cherry tomato with a tuft of green leaves (which are also edible - and actually pack six times the amount of vitamin C as the bulb!).

To select a radish, look for firm, compact bulbs with an unblemished exterior and bright, healthy looking leaves. To use, wash and trim radishes and then soak in ice water for an hour or two to soften slightly. The radishes can then be sliced and added to salads, roasted whole for inclusion in casseroles or stir-fry, or even used to spice up a simple salsa!

gonemissing Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

More Smart Fuel

Almost Vegetarian: Radishes and Old Recipes

Technorati Tags: radishes, vitamin C

Posted: Diet, Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Smart Fuel

Smart Fuel: Beets7

Now that’s some bloody smart fuel!

Haven’t been eating your beets? Don’t beat yourself up (see what we did there), because technically they’re out of season right now. But with spring fast approaching, perhaps it’s time to dig deeper and examine what these little purple monsters have to offer!

Hailing from South Africa, the beet - which is a relative of Swiss chard and a member of the Chenopodiaceae family - was initially cast off in Northern Europe as nothing more than animal chow. However, in the 16th century, Romans began eating the green leaves of the root vegetables and by the 19th century, they had become less picky and began eating the whole darn thing! In doing so, it was discovered that beets were an excellent source of natural sugar - so much so that Napoleon declared them Poland’s primary source of sugar after the British put the squeeze on other sugar sources during the war!

Although here at Mark’s Daily Apple, we wouldn’t normally tout such a high-sugar vegetable, the Beet has a number of redeeming qualities. First, the pigment that gives beets their rich purple hue (betacyanin) has been found to be a powerful cancer-fighting agent, especially for tumors affecting the colon and stomach, and may also mitigate the damaging effects of nitrates (the bad compounds found in hotdogs, bologna and other overly-processed meats!) For pregnant women, meanwhile, just one cup of beets provides 136 micrograms of the B vitamin folate (or about a third of the 400 microgram daily requirement), which is important for fetal development. Rounding out the beets nutrition profile, they are also considered a very good source manganese and potassium - which are important for blood pressure regulation - as well as vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

When selecting beets, look for small- to medium-sized roots that are firm and smooth skinned. While most people recognize beets based on their deep purple color, it should be noted that beets are also available in white, champagne and gold varieties. If you’re planning on eating the beets for its leaves (how very Roman of you!), look for leaves that are bright green and appear fresh and tender.

When storing beets, exercise caution: Despite their tough-as-nails name, beets are actually rather delicate and are susceptible to bruising and can even bleed (Literally. A slash to the skin can cause the red pigment to be released during cooking!) Beet roots can last for up to about four weeks if stored correctly - preferably unwashed in the refrigerator crisper. If storing the leaves alone, wash and store in a plastic bag at the bottom of the fridge.

When its time to handle beets, it might be useful to throw on a pair of rubber gloves - the pigment can easily stain hands. Too late for the gloves advice? The purple coloring can be reversed by rubbing hands with a wedge of lemon or dousing them with lemon juice. From there, it’s best to boil beets with their skin on (to prevent bleeding) and peel them after, or you can also broil or sauté them for inclusion in stir-frys, casseroles and other vegetable-laden dishes. Alternatively, beets are also delicious when added raw to sweeten up vegetable juice (and make it a more palatable pink color!), and are also good when grated and added to salads and soups.

More Smart Fuel

phxpma Flickr Photo (CC)

Technorati Tags: beets, betacyanin

Posted: Carbs, Diet, Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Smart Fuel

Smart Fuel: Asparagus4

Sticks of Green Goodness

Used for cooking and medicinal purposes for over 2,000 years, asparagus is one nutritious perennial garden plant! See, and you thought all it was good for was turning your pee green!

Among its many health benefits, asparagus logs off-the-charts levels of Vitamin K (more than 115% recommended daily allowance (RDA) per 1 cup serving!), which is important for heart health and calcium regulation. In addition, asparagus also boasts high levels of folate that, when combined with Vitamins B6 and B12 (as is the case in asparagus), can protect against heart disease and other cardiac ailments. Asparagus also contains a hefty dose of potassium, which combines with an amino acid called asparagines to cause a diuretic effect as well as a healthy type of carbohydrate called inulin that clears the intestinal tract of unhealthy bacteria and promotes good digestive health.

But a discussion about asparagus wouldn’t be complete without some serious details on the effects it has on urine. Quite boringly, the green color is the result of simple chlorophyll (the chemical that gives all green vegetables their hue), but the smell? Well, that’s a little more complex. Turns out asparagus contains a type of sulfur called mercaptan which, interestingly enough, is the same chemical that gives onions, garlic, spoiled eggs and even skunk secretions their odor. When asparagus is consumed, this chemical is broken down in the gut, leading to less-than-sweet-smelling urine. Never experienced sour smelling pee? Not to worry, turns out about a third of people don’t have the gene for the enzyme that breaks down mercaptan, meaning that it leaves them - and their pee - relatively unaffected.

Moving out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, asparagus comes in green, white and even purple varieties (although the purple does turn green during cooking.) When selecting asparagus, look for thin, firm stalks and deep green or purple-tinged tips. To store, wrap the base of the asparagus in a damp paper towel and store in a plastic bag at the back of the fridge (since exposure to light can compromise the folate content of the vegetable). When ready to cook, asparagus is delicious steamed, broiled or sautéed with a light sprinkling of olive oil and sea salt or a simple spritz of lemon juice.

More Smart Fuel

Esteban Cavrico Flickr Photo (CC)

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Posted: Diet, Health, Nutrition, Smart Fuel

Smart Fuel: Sea Vegetables8

A Complete Dinner

Is it a plant? Is it an animal? Who cares when it tastes this delicious!

Classified as an algae (so neither plant nor animal!), the sea vegetable family counts ultra-healthy seaweed, sea lettuce, nori and kelp among its many relatives. Mimicking the mineral content of the ocean - which incidentally mimics the mineral content of human blood - sea vegetables are, pound for pound, the most nutrient dense food in existence.

On the minerals side, sea vegetables provide each of the 56 minerals required by the body for optimum physiological function. In addition, these minerals are made available in colloidal form, meaning that they are small enough to be easily absorbed by the body.

In terms of vitamins, sea vegetables are an excellent source of Vitamins A, B, C, and E as well as several B vitamins. Specifically, sea vegetables log high levels of folic acid (B9), which is an important deterrent of birth defects and cardiovascular disease, riboflavin (B2) and pantothenic acid (B5). Incidentally, sea vegetables are one of the only known non-meat sources of vitamin B12, which helps the body metabolize fats for energy and also plays an integral role in the formation of DNA.

Rounding out the list, sea vegetables are perhaps one of the best vegan sources of protein - with some varieties made up of as much as 48% protein - and are also a great source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Finally, sea vegetables contain a compound known as alginic acid, which removes radioactive isotopes and other heavy metals from the digestive tract and lignans, a type of phytochemical that is thought to prevent the formation of cancerous tumors.

Long considered a staple in Japanese cuisine, sea vegetables are increasingly making their way into America’s kitchens, with today’s chefs using them as an alternative to table salt, as a seasoning for soups and salads and even to reduce the flatulence-causing quota of other veggies.

landoh Flickr Photo (CC)

More Smart Fuel

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Posted: Diet, Health, Nutrition, Smart Fuel