TOPS FOR ANTIOXIDANTS

According to research conducted by scientists at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and reported in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, there are three vegetables that bring the largest amount of phenols – plant chemicals that bring blood vessel health and prevent cell damage that might cause cancer and Alzheimer’s – broccoli, beets and red peppers. Broccoli and red peppers are loaded with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, beets are tops with blood- pressure- lowering potassium and red peppers announce their antioxidant power by inviting shoppers to stop at the colourful vegetable aisle and load up with more antioxidants.

Green peppers have not been able to complete their life cycle and for many people are more difficult to digest which negates their healing power. Consequently all those wonderful antioxidant benefits of the entire salad dish are often left untouched.

When shopping at the store’s beet bin, remember that the green tops are a bonus and filled with the antioxidant vitamin C. Beets are not hard to grow so slip a few beet seeds among your flowers beds for cozy colourful viewing and healthy eating.

Last Friday we were served with an especially great tasting soup here at Carrington for the small meal of the day and the following day I asked the chief chef if she ever shared a recipe with clients. “How about that lentil soup we had last evening, it was the best soup yet and so satisfying, as agreed by the foursome at our table,” I asked. She smiled and replied, “That recipe isn’t written in any of my books – one of those ‘off the top of my head’ recipes - but I added some chopped yams to give it a little more body and flavour.” Yams (sometimes called sweet potatoes) are also a very colourful and beneficial vegetable that could be added to top off the day for restful sleep and pleasant dreams.