What Is Daikon?

Did you know that this is one of the most popular vegetables in Japan?

Did you know that daikon literally means “big root”?

Did you know that this veggie has a sweet and tangy taste?

Did you know that you can use shredded daikon as a replacement to rice for sushi?

Wow!

You bet “WOW!” 

As a vegetarian, I am constantly in search of new and delicious vegetables.  I first discovered daikon while volunteering on vacation.  My lovely wife and I worked at an organic farm for a day and besides being great fun and fulfilling, we were rewarded with a delicious lunch made from several of the vegetables grown there.  One of those veggies was daikon.

Yeah, but how do you eat it?

Like this:

Daikon can be eaten cooked or raw.  Add it to stir-fry, boil it and mash it up, toss it on the grill and serve as a side dish, or bake it with the protein of your choice.

Eat it raw in a salad, pickled as a side dish, or shred it and use it as a great way to reduce your carbohydrate intake when enjoying sushi.  I love sushi, but the rice is loaded with carbs and difficult to digest—daikon is my savior!

Besides being a delicious root veggie, daikon also offers these benefits:

·        Low in Calories

·        High in Dietary Fiber

·        Excellent Source of Vitamin C, Potassium, and Magnesium

·        Low in Carbohydrates

·        May increase Immune System

·        Heart Healthy

·        Slow the Aging Process (count me in!)

·        Has Cancer-fighting Agents

Next time you’re cruising the produce aisle of your local grocery and see a white rooty vegetable about the size of a baseball bat, stop and grab some daikon.  You’ll be glad you did.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Livelife365

 

The Skinny on Eggs

As a strict vegetarian and wannabe vegan, I don’t normally consume a lot of eggs.  Likewise, in a perfect vegan world, I would not opt for a portion of healthy fish, as I now do, for the excellent protein and other nutritional benefits.

But as with adding fish as a source of good protein, while continually trying to reduce my carbohydrates, I have also started to add a few eggs to my diet.

Eggs, you say?

But aren’t eggs unhealthy for you?  Loaded with fats and cholesterol?  One of the worst things one can ingest?

Ummm, actually, think again.

Eggs for years have been getting a bad rap.  They are not only an excellent source of healthy proteins and fats, but even the amounts of bad cholesterol are grossly over exaggerated.

If loving eggs is wrong, then I don’t wanna be right…

Besides tasting awesome, as the above video can attest, eggs also have these healthy benefits:

•  High in choline, an anti-inflammatory, thathelps reduce risks for heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s 
•  Help promote weight loss
• May actually improve your cholesterol profile
•  Reduce the risk of blood clots
•  Protect against cataracts
• Are loaded with vitamins, protein, selenium andiodine
• While low in calories

Besides enjoying fried in a sandwich, eggs can be eaten in myriad ways:  omelets, scrambled, boiled and poached.  Eggs also enhance many types of baked goods and a variety of meals.

For years eggs have been getting bad press due to their high fat and cholesterol content.  But as more research and results have been revealed, eggs just may be healthier than you ever imagined.

And they make one heck of a fried egg sandwich.

Think about it.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

I Smell Asparagus!

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I mention asparagus? For me, it’s not how much I enjoy those tasty green (or white) spears, though I can think of few other vegetables that I like as much as asparagus. Does your mind automatically go through the long list of all the health benefits associated with a diet filled with asparagus? Probably not. The first thing that comes to my mind, besides the guilt associated with my inability to add adequate amounts of asparagus to my already veggie-loaded plate, is the, er, um, ahem…smell. That’s right, the odor wafting up from the, ahh, you know, toilet…that aromatic red flag nudging my nostrils reminding me that, yes, I remember now, I had asparagus for dinner.

Could it be that funky stench is the reason why asparagus, while highly regarded in some cultures, is not as popular as it should be? Perhaps, like that pungent bulb of flavor, garlic, it is eschewed rather than embraced due to a particular lingering aftereffect of the somewhat smelly kind? Well, I’d like to change all that, melt away those stinky misconceptions and celebrate this wonderfully tasty and surprisingly nutritionally robust vegetable.

ASPARAGUS FUN FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW (THAT DO NOT EMIT A FUNKY ODOR)

* asparagus is a member of the lily family
* plants are usually not harvested for the first three years
* after harvesting, the spears grow into ferns which produce red berries
* a spear can grow up to ten inches in 24 hours
* the larger diameter spears are considered better quality
* California produces the most asparagus in the United States (over 70%)
* asparagus is one of the most nutritionally balanced veggies


Now, what about that smell? Do you know why your urine has a distinct odor after consuming asparagus? Before I get into that, let’s look at the nutritional benefits of asparagus first.

A 5 OUNCE SERVING OF ASPARAGUS:

* is an excellent source of folacin (folic acid)
* is a good source of fiber and potassium
* is a significant source of thiamin and vitamin B6
* is rich in rutin (a bioflavinoid)
* has no fat or cholesterol
* is very low in calories

While I did not produce a video about the wonders of asparagus, I do have one of me eating just about everything else:

MIKEY LIKES IT!




Every spring the asparagus is celebrated at a huge festival a few miles south of where I live. The Stockton Asparagus Festival is one of the most popular food fests on the west coast. While enjoying all things asparagus, you can munch on asparaburritos, asparagus salsa and nachos, and for dessert, asparaberry shortcake. Can you imagine what those port-a-johns smell like?

And speaking of that smell. First off, not all of us are affected (or afflicted) with that unique odor during urination after consuming asparagus, though I don’t know too many people who are not. One theory has to do with enzymes and how the amino acids in this veggie break down…blahblahblah. Here is a more thorough scientific explanation.

Anymore questions? No? Good. I say ignore the smell and consume massive quantities of this delicious and nutrient-rich vegetable as often as possible. I know I’m going to.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Eggplant, So Misunderstood

On those days (most days) when I am following my rigid, yet very effective, high-fiber diet, I often dream about eating other, tastier delicacies. You see, contrary to some popular opinion, I am a human being and not a robot conditioned and programmed for non-stop healthy living. Yes, I take pride in eating right, every day, as well as taking daily walks and engaging in all sorts of healthy activities. But, just like most of you, I, too, would love nothing better than to sink my teeth into decadence, often desiring to dump out my bowl of olive oil-laden veggies and nutritious salad and indulge in…what?

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I dream of my weekend “cheat treats” during those more challenging days of the regular week. And when I am not fantasizing about devouring a slab of my mom‘s lasagna, my mouth waters at the thought of another of my favorite Italian gourmet delights: Eggplant Parmesan.

I love eggplant. As a vegetarian, I am always in search of great veggies to add to the haul that I consume daily. Prepared correctly, eggplant parm, and eggplant in general, will melt in your mouth and send your taste buds to gastronomical heaven. As I said, I love eggplant, but didn’t always. Just the name connotes unsavory images.

Egg? Plant?

Yeech!

Like broccoli, mushrooms, onions, even olives, these were all foods, along with eggplant, that I refused to eat during my younger years. All foods, I might add, that I absolutely love now, as a somewhat-adult.

But eggplant? Is it a plant that grows eggs? Could that be possible? Who in their right mind would eat such an oddly named thing? Let’s explore this often misunderstood vegetable.

Eggplants grow on vines, like tomatoes. They are spongy in texture and slightly bitter tasting.

Sound yummy? No? Read on.

While eggplant has been around for thousands of years, it wasn’t always well liked by certain cultures. Because of its bitter taste, some thought it also had a bitter disposition: it was thought, at one time, to cause leprosy, cancer, and insanity. The good news is that has all changed. In fact, eggplant is loaded with phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. Meaning that consumption of eggplant helps combat cancer, rather than causing it.

Eggplant is also a very good source of potassium and manganese, Vitamins B1 and B6, folate and magnesium. One cup also has 3 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein. Besides those healthy antioxidants, regular consumption of eggplant has been found to help reduce bad cholesterol, fight heart disease, and improve cardiovascular health. Now all we need to do is find a few ways to eat it.

But first you need to buy a few. While eggplants come in many varieties, most of us are accustom to the fat purple variety that I am holding in my hand. To test for ripeness, gently press the skin and, if it is ripe, it should spring back. Store in a cool, but not too hot or too cold, place, and once you cut one open you should eat it soon--they perish fast. Now let’s dig in!

Besides being an amazing veggie in my favorite (sorry, mom) Italian dish, eggplant also tastes great baked, stir-fried, stuffed, and used in another dish that I love to eat: babaganoush.

Huh?

Babaganoush is similar to hummus in that it is a Middle Eastern spread and dip made with eggplant rather than chic peas (garbanzo beans). I use soy crisps or strips of pita bread to dip into these two tasty treats. As a spread or eaten with sticks of veggies (carrots, celery, cucumbers), babaganoush is an excellent way to add eggplant to your diet.

If you have been avoiding eggplant, like I once did as kid, just because it sounds strange, or have yet to try it because your ancestors told you it may cause leprosy (believe me, it doesn’t!), take my advice and give it a shot. If you love lasagna (and who doesn’t?) then try eggplant Parmesan. And if you are in the mood to try something different, then dip a chip into a bowl of babaganoush. Or scoop out the center of an eggplant, load it up with just about anything, cover with breadcrumbs and some cheese, and pop it in the oven. You will be amazed at how tasty this misunderstood veggie can be.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

What is Jicama?

Many of you may already know what jicama is, may already know how to correctly pronounce it, and my have actually had some contact with it. If that’s the case, congratulations on your acquired knowledge and worldliness--you are more than welcome to skip this next part. For those of you still clueless, here are a few clues: Jicama is: a) a tropical island in the southwestern part of the Caribbean b) a rare skin disease that turns the bottoms of your feet purple c) a popular spicy stew prevalent in Portugal d) an edible root, originally cultivated in South America The correct answer (and it should be no surprise for those familiar with my plethora of posts about diet and nutrition) is “d.” Jicama is a tasty, crispy, root vegetable, cultivated in South America for centuries. It is amazingly versatile, easy to prepare, and healthy for you. If you would like to learn how to pronounce jicama, or are just tired of reading, watch this video: Also known as the Mexican turnip or potato, jicama is used in many recipes south of the border. Its unique taste (a cross between an apple, potato, and water chestnut) and texture (crisp and smooth) make it one versatile veggie. Enjoy jicama: * raw, in sweet, fruit salads, or lettuce-based salads * sliced or Julienned to use with a dip * plain, eaten as a snack (squeeze of lime, some hot sauce) * diced and added to savory dishes: stews, soups, stir-fry * mashed as a side dish Once you taste jicama, you will ask yourself why you waited so long to try it. And more good news: it is loaded with fiber. One cup has about 6 grams of fiber, around 1 gram of protein, and contains less than 50 calories. Jicama is also an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium. Simple to prepare, you peel jicama like a potato, using either a peeler or paring knife, removing the fibrous skin. From there, depending on how you want to eat it, it can be easily sliced, diced, Julienned, or mashed. Like my late discovery of the avocado, I did not taste my first jicama until I was well into my twenties, thus missing out on years of epicurean enjoyment. Don't let this happen to you. The next time you’re cruising the produce section of your grocery store, look for jicama, and grab a couple. The good news: Jicama is not a rare skin disease that turns the bottom of your feel purple, but a versatile, nutritious, and fun vegetable that will delight you with its unique taste. Until next time… peace, Mike

Fruit or Vegetable? Who Cares, Just Eat Tomatoes Every Day

One of my favorite things I like to do this time of year is visit the local farmer’s market and load up on my fresh fruits and vegetables for the week. This past Saturday, I was there—tasting apples and a variety of flavored nuts (almonds, in this town, it’s all about almonds!), while carefully selecting cucumbers, peppers, squash, and that market staple, tomatoes. Boy, do I love fresh summer tomatoes!

Recently, tomatoes have been getting a bad rap, with all the salmonella scares. And don’t get me wrong—there are several crops infected with these serious bacteria. The good news: most of the tainted crops have been removed from the marketplace, and none have been traced back to any local area farms. I still suggest exercising caution (wash and rewash all of your produce, not just tomatoes), but do not stop eating these nutritious and tasty…um, vegetables? Fruits? Ah, let me get back to you on that.

To even suggest that tomatoes sold in your grocery store are of the same species as those bought fresh (some are picked that morning!) at your local farmer’s market, is to compare eating frozen pizza to a fresh-from-the-oven slice from your favorite pizzeria. There is no comparison. Same with tomatoes. Store-bought tomatoes are months-old, stored and refrigerated for who-knows-how-long before being placed in the produce section.

My suggestion—Don’t buy them!
My other suggestion—Grow your own!
My last suggestion—If you can’t grow your own, then support your local farmer’s market and load up on this wonderful…ahh, vegetable…I mean, fruit? Chew on that for a bit longer and I promise I will get back to you.

Why are tomatoes so good for you? Lycopene. This is the chemical that makes tomatoes red. A review of over 50 different studies showed consistently that the more tomatoes and tomato products people eat, the lower their risks of many different kinds of cancer. The evidence is stronger in the prostate, lung, and stomach. The tomato is also an excellent source of vitamin C (one medium tomato provides 40% of the RDA) and a good source of vitamin A (20% of the RDA).

Okay, well and good, Mike, but the summer-fresh tomato season is short, and you suggest we shy away from the grocery store tomatoes. What do we do for the other eight months?

Can it.

Beg your pardon?

The tomatoes. Can them.

Oh, I thought you meant…

Never mind that. For those months in between the too-short farm-fresh tomato season, I suggest, especially if you grow your own, to eat as many as you can, freeze some, and then can, or jar, the rest. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how fresh and tasty they remain months after you have plucked them from the vine. As for the rest of you who don’t grow your own—buy them canned. There are several excellent canned tomato products to choose from. I look for organic and watch the sodium levels. While these are not as tasty as the summer fresh fruit (veggie?), they still, in my opinion, are many times tastier that those sad excuses sitting forlornly in your grocer’s produce section. And here’s a bonus: processed tomatoes contain even more lysopene because the process helps release concentrated carotenoids. Even in ketchup!

What’s your favorite tomato dish? Growing up in an Italian household, where my mother made a tomato sauce once a week, I love pasta. I could drink marinara sauce! (I’m kidding…I use an i.v. drip). But summertime, I love nothing better than slicing up a fresh tomato (still warm from sitting on a window sill to ripen. Do not put fresh tomatoes in the fridge—it reduces flavor and texture, turning them into clones of their pathetic cousins from the grocery store) and eating it between slices of lightly toasted bread, a touch of mayonnaise, maybe a slice of cheese, and salt and pepper. My mouth is watering. Hope yours is too.

So, what’s the verdict?

Yeah, wow, tomatoes are good for you and taste great, especially in the summer. Gonna run out and—

No, not that. Fruit or vegetable?

Ummmm…

A: To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is: does it have seeds?

If the answer is yes, then technically, you have a fruit. This means that tomatoes are a fruit. It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts fruits as well.

What does it all mean? Who knows? What I do know is this: call them what you want, but just go out there and eat summer-fresh tomatoes every day while they last. They taste great, and may just save your life.

Until next time…

peace,
Mike

This Spud's For You

Potatoes are a misunderstood vegetable. They are kind of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world—they don’t get any respect! Sure they are popular: they are the number one consumed vegetable (around 130 pounds per person, per year…man, that’s a lot of spuds!) in America. But they are never mentioned along with broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, or apples as one of the healthiest. One reason: their association with that deep-fried, fast-food staple, the French fry. But what if I told you that potatoes are loaded with all sorts of healthy goodness—even in their greasy French fried state? Why not grab a fry (not too many) and read on.

The first misconception about the potato is that is it high in calories. French fried potatoes are (over 500 calories per serving; plus high in saturated fats and sodium, though zero cholesterol). But a medium baked potato (before you smother it with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits—wow, my stomach just growled real loud!) has only 160 calories. I eat my baked potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, and they taste delicious. Try one with just a touch of your favorite butter or margarine (although I recommend trying the olive oil), and skip all those other toppings, and you will get the healthiest benefits. The potato’s bad rap comes from the fatty toppings most people add to them, as well as in how they are prepared in other ways (augrautin, mashed, for instance). I compare this to eating salads (trying to eat healthy), but then drowning your lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, and carrots with fattening dressings, high-in-calorie croutons, cheese, and the rest of those salad bar offerings. You have essentially taken a healthy eating choice and rendered it unhealthy. Please resist doing this. Instead, let’s focus on more of the potato’s good attributes—like fiber.

One potato has around 4.0 grams of fiber. I am a huge advocate of fiber, constantly looking for ways to get more than the recommended amounts of fiber into my daily diet. I recently lost 40 pounds on a high-fiber diet, and have kept it off. I am always searching for healthy, fiber-rich foods, and the potato gets high marks.

Here’s a question for you: Which has more potassium, one banana or one potato? Most of us assume that the banana, with around 800 mgs, has the most. But a medium potato has just over 900 mgs. Did you know that the best way to get the most out of this tuber is to eat the skin, along with the potato? This helps retain the nutrients. So, always eat the skin when digging into a baked potato. Buy yourself a good potato scrubber and give your spuds a good cleaning before baking. That way you can enjoy the tasty skin without hesitation, while getting all that healthy potassium (and other nutrients) in the bargain.

Looking for a source of vegetable protein? I know I always am. Look no further than the potato. Eat one and get around 4.0 grams of protein—a good thing!

Potatoes are also loaded with more than 60 vitamins—including 45% or your daily value for vitamin C, also thiamin, niacin, iron, and magnesium—and phytochemicals, which along with flavonoids, are considered heart-healthy. Plus kukoamines, a plant chemical found in potatoes, which help lower blood pressure. Those are a bunch of big words that just mean—EAT POTATOES, THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

Wow, when you look at all those amazing healthy benefits, maybe potatoes aren’t the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world after all? I guess it’s all in how they are prepared. My mantra—keep it simple. The more toppings and extras you add (to any food, not just potatoes) that do not enhance the naturally good flavor and healthy benefits of that food, will ultimately detract from it…and add unnecessary and unwanted calories, fats, sodium, and carbs.

To help you get started on your way to appreciating (and eating) the amazingly healthy potato, here are a few excellent websites that are all about potatoes. They offer some great recipes and helpful tips in preparing these tasty spuds.

Potato Recipes

Potato Underground

Healthy Potato

Okay, wait, just one fry can’t hurt, can it? Man, those are good…
And good for you (in moderation)!

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Hummus, Anyone?

If someone were to ask me a few years ago what one of my favorite snacks was, I would have probably said: potato chips, or some other salty treat. Hummus would have been far down the list; in fact, it would not have even made the list. Back then, I didn’t even know what hummus was. Do you?

Well, today, most of us have at least heard of hummus. But how many of you have actually eaten it? Interested in learning more about this intriguing food? Read on.

Hummus is a dip, spread, or paste made from cooked and mashed chickpeas. It is then blended with tahini (crushed and soaked sesame seeds), olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. The best way for me to describe how this delicious spread is made is by letting someone else do the talking. Watch this informative video (after you finish reading this post) for one of the best hummus recipes out there.

Hummus is Middle Eastern in origin, and has been around forever. Chickpeas have been a food item for over 10,000 years. Wow, that’s a lot of hummus over the years, huh? Most people eat hummus with pita bread—tearing off pieces to use as a scoop. You can also use your favorite dipping chip or cracker. I like to eat it with soy chips. My favorites can be found at Glenny’s; and they are loaded with vegetable protein. A snack of soy chips and hummus, which I consume two or three times a week, gives me around 10.0 grams of healthy protein and 7.0 grams of fiber. And they taste amazing!

Besides being a wonderful source of vegetable protein and fiber, hummus is also high in vitamin C, calcium, and iron--and is a good source for antioxidants.

As for different types of hummus—shop around, there are dozens of flavors and styles and brands out there. And, as always, read the nutritional information—some are high in fat and calories (read the ingredients, see what you’re eating!). These days you can find hummus in most grocery stores. I love the eggplant hummus at Trader Joe’s. And this site has some excellent organic hummus and other products you may enjoy.

For all you lovers of hummus (like me!) out there, keep enjoying this flavorful food’s myriad tastes and healthy benefits. And for those of you who have yet to try hummus? Give it a shot; you may end up loving it and making it one of your favorite snacks.

For more about hummus, I suggest visiting these two great sites:
The Hummus Blog
Desert Candy

And, as always, you can enjoy self-help videos about health, personal development, entertainment and much more at my video site, livelife365.com.

Until next time...

peace,
Mike

What's Up, Doc?

Remember Bugs Bunny? That big-tooth, wise guy rabbit? Besides always tormenting poor Elmer Fudd, Bugs was always doing something else. Chomping on a carrot. Now, I'm not one to watch cartoons these days, let alone be inspired by one of their characters, but we can learn a lot from Bugs. Not about how to annoy a funny-voiced wabbit hunter, but by enjoying the myriad health benefits of carrots.

Recently, I wrote a post about apples that received some nice feedback. This was on the heels of a blog entry about the wonders of beans in your daily diet. Now carrots. I could have started with apples, followed by beans, and then added this entry about carrots, and called it the ABC's of Nutrition, but my brain isn't that organized. Maybe I'm more like Bugs after all: I am a bit of a wiseguy, I have been told that I can be annoying at times, and I do love carrots.

Besides being an excellent source of fiber and low in calories (one cup of chopped raw carrots has only 50 calories), carrots are loaded with good stuff for you. Like potassium, antioxidants and pro-vitamin A carotene. These protect against cardiovascular disease and all types of cancer (especially colon cancer, because of falcarinol, a phytochemical found in carrots), and promote good vision, especially night vision. Yup, carrots really are good for your eyesight!

And good news for you smokers and, hopefully, soon-to-be, ex-smokers. Vitamin A-rich foods like carrots promote healthy lungs by counteracting the vitamin A deficiency caused by cigarette smoke.

Eat them raw or cooked, in salads or as a vegetable side dish, in a soup or to use as a scoop for your favorite (low-fat) dip, just eat them. Or drink them (carrot juice, try it!) Every day, if you can, and you will benefit from all that healthy beta-carotene.

So next time you hear the words from that famous Looney Tune, "Ah, what's up, Doc?" The answer should be, "Ah, carrots, that's what."

Until next time...

peace,

Mike