Top 5 Healthiest Vegetables
Posted by admin in Vegetarian Recipes on May 24, 2011
Not all vegetables are created equally. Each have their own strengths and merits, and eating a wide variety of vegetables daily is a good way to ensure you’re getting you’re body all the vitamins and minerals it needs. Some vegetables, though, are simply standout for their nutritional feats of heroism. Working more of these into your diet will certainly yield noticeable effects on your overall health and energy levels.
Kale
Greens, in general, are incredibly nutritious, but Kale tops the heap as the healthiest. 1 cup of boiled kale has over 1000% DV of vitamin K, 192% DV vitamin A, and 88% DV vitamin C, not to mention the high levels of manganese, dietary fiber, and copper. Vitamin K is an anti-inflammatory, which helps the cardiovascular system fight off heart disease. Vitamin A and C, as well as manganese, are anti-oxidants, which are proven cancer fighters of all kinds. Incorporating 2-3 cups of kale into your diet a week, you’ll be able to experience the benefits associated with this miracle vegetable.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a delicious vegetable that can be enjoyed raw, steamed, boiled, baked, or sautéed. The head of broccoli is, in fact, thousands of small flowers that have yet to emerge when the broccoli plant goes to seed. Plants naturally put as much energy as possible into their seeds, which is why broccoli is so nutritious. It has high levels of dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Try to eat 2-3 cups of broccoli a week to receive all its health benefits.
Carrots
The etymology of the word carrot finds similar heritage with the nutrient beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is responsible for the orange and red hues found in carrots, denoting its high nutritional value. When ingested, beta-carotene is turned into vitamin A inside the body. A one cup serving of carrots packs in %680DV of vitamin A in just a few calories. Vitamin A is great for the eyes, helping to improve and maintain eye sight. It also functions as an anti-oxidant, making it a supreme cancer fighter. Who needs an overpriced vitamin A supplement when you can just eat a carrot a day? Read the rest of this entry »
An Eccentric Lifestyle Popular in the Early 19th Century Has Left Us the Graham Cracker and More!
Posted by admin in Vegetarian Recipes on May 24, 2011
The Presbyterian Reverend Sylvester Graham, an early 19th century proponent of an extreme, aesthetic lifestyle, is largely forgotten today. During his life, however, he was amazingly popular and many of the theories he espoused are actually popular to this day, though he is rarely credited with their acceptance. He was also widely reviled and a controversial figure of derision.
Rev. Graham promoted a strict form of vegetarianism at a time when meat was a staple and considered essential to a healthy lifestyle. He held a number of extremely controversial diet and wellness ideas which he championed and was militant in defending. His followers were so dedicated that they became known as Grahamites.
Speaking before adoring crowds, Rev. Graham spoke boldly and powerfully against women wearing corsets, any type of gratuitous sexual activity and nihilism. His encouragement of a Spartan lifestyle was widely reported in the media.
In an age when bathing was rare and oral care primitive Grahamites practiced both; daily and religiously. Temperance was strictly enforced among Grahamites. Excitement was discouraged. They also did not use spices to enrich the taste of food, as these additives were considered to excite the senses and encourage sexual activity. Consuming meat, butter and white bread were forbidden. Especially white bread!
The elimination of white flour from their diet became central to the lifestyle and philosophy of Grahamites. Rev. Graham preached about the evils of white flour which was considered crucial by bakers in producing whiter loaves and more commercially appealing bread. He despised any food that contained additives and chemicals. Darker types of bread were considered a foodstuff for the lower classes during the Industrial Revolution. Graham set out to change this perception.
He created the recipe for Graham bread. It was made from un-sifted flour and contained no alum or chlorine, both present in the white bread of that time. He believed that bread should be coarse not fluffy and uniform like the loaves then being mass produced in industrial bakeries. A variant of the recipe for Graham bread lead to the creation of Graham crackers, popular to this day. Grahamites consumed massive quantities of Graham crackers to supplement their exceedingly bland diet. Read the rest of this entry »