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Featured Food: Grapefruit

This is an added bonus blog because originally I selected asparagus then I figured to stick to the pink theme. I didn't realize I'd find so many benefits though! Let's begin with vitamin C (duh, it is a citrus, so we should have figured this one!) Good for the immune system and helping prevent/fight colds; it is great to battle inflammation. It prevents free radical damage (thus limiting the severity of inflammatory conditions: asthma, osteoarthitis, and rheumatoid arthritis). Free radicals can oxidize cholesterol, which leads to blocks, which leads to build-up, which ultimately leads to heart attacks or strokes. Go figure that the thing that makes grapefruit pink, makes them even greater. This is the carotenoid phytonutrient, lycopene. It has anti-tumor capabilities, by having a high capacity to fight oxygen free radicals, that damage cells. Although this women's week, grapefruit benefit men as well. Eating lycopene foods (green teas-which we looked at last month) reduces the risk of prostate cancer, by 82% in some studies. Naringenin (flavonoid) repairs damages DNA in prostate cancer cells, as well! This is important because the older we get, the more cells have divided, therefore greater the likelihood for mutations and cancers. Women don't worry because glucarates (found in the pulp) may help prevent breast cancer. Lab tests with human cells have shown limonoids help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach, and colon. Let's go back to the heart. Grapefruit contain pectin (soluble fiber) shown to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis; less narrowing of the arteries with grapefruit consumption. All colors of grapefruit (blond too) have been shown to lower LDL and triglycerides (although red grapefruit was twice as effective in this case). Go pink today (men too, hello did you read about all the prostate benefits) and grab some grapefruit!

Featured Food: Asparagus

Today I originally scheduled asparagus and then I thought of grapefruit later, so today we'll just have two featured foods. I love asparagus, so I figured we'd take a look at it (plus it's green so it has to have health benefits, right?) Asparagus provides folate; actually one serving provides 66% of the recommended intake. Folate is part of the methylation cycle. Their reactions are  'spark plugs' in the body and is vital for transcription of DHA, and the transformation of norepinephrine to adrenaline and serotonin to melatonin. Folate is involved in homocysteine levels; high levels of which , increase the risk of heart disease (elevated levels found in 20-40% of heart disease patients). The homocysteine promotes athersclerosis by decreasing the integrity of blood vessel walls and getting in the way of collagen formation, which is important for connective tissue. Folate, as most may know, is great for pregnant women as well! Without fetus' nervous system cells do not divide properly and can lead to birth defects, predominately neural tube defects like spina bifida. Asparagus is great for your gut as well. It contains inulin, a carbohydrate that we don't digest, but that friendly bacteria (like Bifidobacteria and Lactobcilli), that reside in the large intestine do. Bottom- line it's good for your gut flora. Don't know about flora/ Check out one of our old post. There are a variety of asparagus: green, white, and purple. I've never even seen purple asparagus, not have I tried the white, but I adore the green and you should too, so go and get some now (especially if you're pregnant, your body will thank you for it)!

Strength Training

Most women, I find, tend to be afraid (or sceptical) of strength training. I hear it time and time again, " I don't want to get bulky." I admit the women on the left is frightful (even a bit disgusting), but what women don't realize is that they're uncapable of getting bulging muscles like these without the use of steroids or some other exogenous hormones. Look at the women in the middle, she is a power lifter and she is not overly defined (she's actually quite petite looking), but she is clearly strong.Women have lower testosterone levels and lower muscle mass levels that don't allow them to get overly muscular. This means that women's strength training regimens should be the same as men because they have no excuse for not doing it. Reasons for strength training: less fat and more muscle makes for a lower body fat percentage, increased bone density (less chance osteoporosis), more functional strength (for things like holding a baby, pregnancy, etc.), it's challenging and fun. My favorite kind of strength training is functional style, that works the whole body. My choice tool-the kettlebell (as most should know, check past articles for the benefits of kettlebells. Sunday's our my heavy lift days, and my daughters comes in and works out with the guys and follows the same routine as we do. Once a month I have clients do a max Turkish get-up, which is great because it really pushes them, plus it can add a little bit of a competitive edge to lifting.So women, don't fear the heavy weight embrace it.

Skinny Fat

This may seem like a contradiction, but there are a load of skinny fat women among, and many more aspiring to look this way. First off I will say that I hate the word skinny! Somehow women seem to correlate skinny with happiness and health, but really these women are not healthy. I hear it all the time though, "I want to be skinny," or "I wish I was skinny." Not "I want to be healthy and live a long-functioning life." Look at these pictures, who would honestly pick to look like Tori or Nicole in this picture over Gabrielle Reece and Halle Berry? The first two I would put into the skinny fat category. What is skinny fat, you ask? Skinny fat is appearing to be thin (in clothes and what not, wearing tiny sizes), but really their body fat is not within the healthy range and they have hardly any muscle tissue and carry more fat than their frames should. Women become so fixated on the scale, thinking constantly of their goal weight, or getting to that certain size (I don't understand what happens when they reach this though, are they happier, healthier or a better person?). On BMI testing they may fall within the healthy range, but really this is a bull shit test that doesn't tell us much of anything. People are built different ways and can't be expected to all fit within a box. What needs to be done? Body fat composition (calipers, hydrostatic

Breast Cancer

Saturday in Terre Haute was Race for the Cure, and breast cancer awareness is everywhere. Breast cancer is one of the most prevelant forms of cancer, almost everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer (I've had several breast cancer survivors come through my program). All women are at risk for breast cancer, this risk only increases with age. In a 90-year life span, 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer. It can be a scary thing, especially if you have a family history. Testing and feeling are important for diagnosing. Before we look at possible cancer reducing foods; we'll look at other preventative ideas. First off quit smoking and don't start smoking. Soak up sun rays! Once again vitamin D is so important. Some suggest adequate levels of vitamin D could cut the risk of breast cancer in half. I also read that decreasing the amount of time you wear a bra, can reduce risks because bras restrict flow of lymph in breast, which hinders the cleansing process of breast tissue. This leads into foods, but obesity increases risk (just like it increases

Sardines and Eggplant

What's in It:

1 medium eggplant, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
1 small finely chopped shallot
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup chicken stock 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped roasted red pepper
2 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 fresh sardines, boned, heads and tails intact

How It's Made:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Brush the cut sides of the eggplant with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the eggplant for about 45 minutes, until very soft. Let cool, then carefully scoop out the flesh and coarsely chop it. Transfer the eggplant to a medium bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar with the water, 2 tablespoons of the tarragon, half of the shallot and two-thirds of the garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the chicken stock and one-fourth of the eggplant and puree until smooth. Stir the puree into the remaining chopped eggplant and season with salt and pepper. In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderately high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the remaining shallot and garlic and cook over low heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shallot and garlic to a bowl and let cool. Whisk in the lemon zest, roasted red pepper, capers and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of tarragon and the pine nuts. Preheat a grill. Brush the sardines with olive oil and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Grill the sardines over high heat, turning them once, until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the eggplant puree onto plates and top with the sardines. Spoon the tarragon dressing on top and serve.

Sardines with Sicilian Salad

What's in It:
zest and juice 1 lemon

bunch parsley , half the leaves kept whole, the other half finely chopped
1 small chopped garlic clove
1 fennel bulb , with fronds
10 toasted pine nuts
handful green olives , chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large sardines , scaled and gutted

How to Make It:
Mix the lemon zest, chopped parsley and garlic together, then set aside. Pick the fronds from the fennel and set aside. Halve the fennel bulb and finely slice. Make the salad by mixing the sliced fennel and fronds with the pine nuts, olives, and whole parsley leaves. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice. Heat the griddle pan or barbecue. Season the fish with rock salt (this stops them sticking). Griddle for 2-3 mins on each side until the eyes turn white. Sprinkle the fish with the parsley mix and lift onto plates. Drizzle with oil and serve with the salad.

Featured Food: Sardines

Could have included these in Mediterranean week, since they are named after the Italian island of Sardinia. These little fish pack a real nutritional punch, without some of the concerns facing other fish. We'll start with a big one- sardines are one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. This is great because these two lower cholesterol and triglyceride (culprits of most cardiovascular conditions) levels. One can contains over half of the daily values. More good news for the heart, sardines are an excellent source of vitamin B12 (check past post). It actually has the highest concentration, only behind calf's liver! What does B12 do (besides promoting heart health, of course)? It balances homocysteine, which if not balanced can damage artery walls and increases the risk for atherosclerosis. Bones? Osteoporosis? We've discussed