Note: this piece first appeared in the August 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Sweet, sticky, fresh golden pineapple is one of my favorite hot-weather treats. It’s a cooling fruit, and it has a high water content. Pineapple is also high in cancer-preventing vitamin C, as well as the trace mineral manganese and vitamin B1.
Pineapple contains a special enzyme called bromelain. Bromelain aids protein digestion and is an anti-inflammatory that soothes the digestive tract.
A fresh pineapple can be intimidating to cut, but it’s easier than it looks. Simply slice off the top and bottom of the fruit and thickly peel off the brown or green skin using a sharp knife. Remove the core, slice the remaining flesh, and enjoy!
Dress up your fresh pineapple with some sweetened coconut cream, and use the peels for our recipe of the month!
Note: this piece first appeared in the June 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
That wonderful leafy green that, in its canned form, gave Popeye the firepower to defeat his enemies, can do great things for you, too! Spinach is a wonderful, tender leafy green with a mild flavor. Despite Popeye’s preferences, it’s best when it’s fresh — both taste-wise and nutrient-wise.
Spinach is high in vitamins K and A and lutein, an important nutrient for eye health. It also contains iron, a vital mineral for hemoglobin production (hemoglobin carries oxygen to all body tissues!), especially considering how low it is in calories compared to other high-iron foods. Spinach is very high in calcium, but it also contains oxalic acid, a compound that can bind to calcium and other minerals, rendering these minerals unabsorbable and therefore not bio-available to your body. So, while spinach is a healthful food, it shouldn’t be consumed every day.
Looking for new ways to enjoy spinach? Check out our spinach recipes. Yum!
Note: this piece first appeared in the May 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Quinoa is the quintessential spring grain (although it is available year-round). It’s light and fluffy, and it cooks up in just 10 to 15 minutes, making it perfect for warmer weather when you don’t want to have a hot stove going for a long period of time.
Quinoa is an ancient food that sustained South Americans in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia for over 5,000 years. Its nutrient profile is impressive. Unlike other grains, quinoa is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids; it’s also high in manganese, iron, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus.
To prepare quinoa, rinse the grain in a fine-mesh strainer and add to a pot of boiling water. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 10 to 15 minutes). Use 1 part grain to 2 parts water. For more flavorful quinoa, try one of our delicious recipes! Yum!
Note: this piece first appeared in the April 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
One of my favorite things about spring is that it’s a wonderful time of year to discover some delicious new veggies. Farmer’s markets are reopening or expanding after the winter season, and they’re always a fun place to make new produce discoveries. Even the regular supermarkets will have more fresh and local produce in the coming weeks.
This month, I challenge you to bring home one new-to-you vegetable each time you go to the market. Some of my favorite spring finds from past years are pea shoots (they taste like delicious peas in leaf form), garlic scapes (taste like garlic but look like curly chives), and even good old-fashioned asparagus (which you’ve probably seen but may not have tried). Let me know what new veggie loves you find!
Delicious, nutritious collard greens come from an ancient plant — the predecessor to wild cabbage. The large, heavy leaves are at their peak from January to April (although they’re available all year round).
Collard greens are a nutritional powerhouse. They contain large amounts of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. As a member of the cruciferous vegetables family, the collard plant also contains numerous cancer-preventive phytonutrients. Collards also contain a good amount of manganese, an essential trace mineral helpful in assimilating vitamin C.
Collards have enjoyed a long history in the United States as an essential component of soul-food and southern cooking. But the traditional preparation (with ham hock) isn’t the only way to enjoy these flavorful greens. They’re wonderful lightly steamed and seasoned with umeboshi vinegar or sautéed in olive oil with lots of garlic. Try our collard recipes for more creative ideas!
Note: this piece first appeared in the February 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
No food is more celebrated, more luxurious, or more mysterious than chocolate. Its rich, deep color and complex, sensual flavor have enchanted men and women for centuries. The latest research on chocolate touts its health benefits, but early cultures were enjoying this amazing superfood long before there were scientists, laboratories, and research grants. A sacred beverage made from toasted cacao was enjoyed by the pre-Columbian Mayans, and some historians and anthropologists believe the Olmecs, an earlier pre-Columbian people, were the first to domesticate the cacao tree.
Pure chocolate contains several beneficial phytochemicals and antioxidants that are preventive for cancer and other diseases. Consuming chocolate stimulates production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which in turn create feelings of happiness, pleasure, and satisfaction. Chocolate is our best source of magnesium, which is important for heart health and beneficial for hormonal support, especially for women. So be sure to get your chocolate every day!
The best way to eat chocolate is in its raw, unadulterated form. Our recipe of the month uses raw cacao and is amazingly delicious! If the raw chocolate is too intense for you, or if you want some other great options, look for organic, high-quality, refined sugar–free dark chocolate. Dairy products, white sugar, and hydrogenated fats can inhibit the absorption of the antioxidants in chocolate, so pure dark chocolate is best. Savor and enjoy!
Note: this piece first appeared in the January 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
One of my favorite preparations for vegetables is to steam them. It couldn’t be simpler — simply clean and slice your veggies and throw them in a steamer basket over boiling water. It’s so easy to add an extra vegetable to your meal when you use this cooking method.
Steaming is a light preparation for veggies. In fact, compared to boiling, steaming is considered a “cooling” preparation, meaning it is more cooling to the body than other cooking methods. Also, because steam moves up during the cooking process, steaming is considered by macrobiotic practitioners to have what’s called an “upward energy,” which means it acts more on the upper parts of the body, such as the lungs and respiratory system. If your nasal and respiratory passages feel dry in the winter, eating steamed vegetables can help draw more moisture to these areas of the body.
Toxins are the first thing to leave the water in the form of steam when water is boiled, so it’s important to steam with pure, clean water. You may have heard that some nutrients are lost in the steaming process, which is true — but the good news is that if you’re using good water, you can drink the steaming water after your veggies are cooked. I especially love to do this with leafy greens, such as collards or kale. Just add a few drops of umeboshi vinegar to the water and drink warm. It’s a very soothing, nourishing tonic!
Cooking time depends on what vegetables you are using and how you like them done. Steaming broccoli for a minute or two will turn it a vibrant, bright green, but it will still be fairly crunchy. If you let the broccoli steam for 10 or 15 minutes, it will be very soft. Experiment and see what you like!
Make it a delicious, simple meal by adding a whole grain to your steamed vegetables. See our many whole grain recipes for inspiration. Enjoy!!
Autumn is harvest time, and the wonderful root vegetables and squashes available now in the markets are perfect for blending into beautiful and tasty soups. Soups are a fabulous choice in the fall. They are warming and comforting, and when you allow the autumn harvest veggies to play starring roles in your creations, they’re very nutritious, too! Soups are also highly portable in insulated thermos-type containers, so they’re perfect for school and office lunches. If you prefer not to carry an insulated container, no problem; most soups reheat beautifully.
In terms of macrobiotics, slowly simmered vegetable-based soups are considered moderately yang. This means they are gently contractive, helping you to balance the cool (yin) weather by inviting warmth and strength into your body. This effect is enhanced by warming seasonings, such as ginger, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Try our recipes for some delicious soup and stew choices, and enjoy!
Note: this piece first appeared in the October 2005 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation; they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables lend us these properties when we eat them, making us feel more physically and mentally grounded and rooted, increasing our stability, stamina, and endurance. Roots are rich in nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing a steady source of energy to the body. Since they absorb, assimilate, and supply the plant with vital nutrients, roots likewise increase absorption and assimilation in our digestive tracts.
Long roots like carrots, parsnips, burdock, and daikon radish are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots, such as turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas, are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar, moods, and alleviate cravings.
Root vegetables are wonderfully nourishing and delicious, especially in the autumn. Their hardiness makes them great choices in cooler weather, and they’re substantial enough to be the basis for a meal. Prepare them by boiling and mashing, adding to soups, or oven-roasting. Enjoy!
Note: this piece first appeared in the September 2005 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Whole grains have gotten a lot of extra attention this year because the USDA included them in the newly revised food pyramid and dietary recommendations. It’s good to see the USDA finally catching up with traditional societies—human beings have been sustained by whole grains for over 10,000 years!
It’s important to distinguish whole grains from refined grains, which were introduced relatively recently to the human diet. Whole grains are much richer in nutrients than their stripped-down counterparts. Whole grains are also much higher in fiber—brown rice, for example, contains 3.5 grams of fiber per cup, while a cup of white rice contains only 0.6 grams. The fiber content helps brown rice digest more slowly than white rice, so the whole grain can sustain you more effectively and for a longer period of time.
This basic preparation method works for nearly all whole grains. Simply combine one part rinsed whole grains with two to three parts water in a cooking pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer until the water is absorbed. You can serve the cooked grains with or without a sauce or other topping, or you can cool the grains and then mold them into patties or use them in a grain salad. The possibilities are endless!
There are many different whole grains available at the supermarket, and there’s an even greater selection at your local natural foods store. My personal favorites are millet, brown rice, quinoa, kamut, and spelt berries. This month, pick a new grain to try, and have fun experimenting to find your favorite whole grains!
