The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (3 page)

The old adage holds true: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Doctors in ancient Greece praised the healing properties of apples. Galen, the famous second-century Greek physician, wrote that apples “restore countless invalids to health” and described the healing properties of different types of apples for several illnesses.

What the ancients didn't know is what substance in apples makes them so good at protecting health. We now know that it's a flavonoid called quercetin and that apples are one of the best dietary sources for it. In laboratory studies, quercetin reduces allergic reactions and inflammation, and it has demonstrated some potential to limit the growth of tumors. It may also reduce symptoms in chronic prostatitis and interstitial cystitis. A study in 2007 found that cyclists given quercetin during a regimen involving three hours of bicycling per day developed fewer respiratory tract infections than a control group that did not get the supplement.

Apples have long been appreciated for their keeping qualities—stored in a cool and dry cellar or barn, they provided crisp, fresh flavor throughout the winter even in the days before refrigeration. Today, properly refrigerated, they will keep for months. Apples are also a good source of pectin, a soluble dietary fiber that helps lower cholesterol and is useful for relieving both constipation and diarrhea. Apples' high fiber content means that they slow the absorption of glucose—good for controlling blood sugar. And they contain alpha hydroxy acids, so you can even use apples as an exfoliating masque for your skin.

Unsweetened organic applesauce makes a great snack by itself and can replace oil and fats in baked goods. I use applesauce in place of the oil in my oat bran muffins, making them much more moist and tasty—and lower in fat and calories—than muffins made with oil. The trick also works for baking brownies, producing a chocolate treat that's fluffy, moist, and cake-like.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium size (about 4-inch diameter) apple with the skin provides 81 calories, 21 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 3.7 g dietary fiber, 73 IU vitamin A, 8 mg vitamin C, 10 mg calcium, and 159 mg potassium.

The best place to get apples in season is your local farmer's market. If you're in the western half of the United States, you can find great, locally grown organic apples. It's harder to get truly organic local apples in the eastern United States, because the climate that supports the apple trees also encourages insect pests and diseases that are hard to control with entirely organic methods. You may need to choose semi-organic apples to encourage local growers.

Livit Recipes

6 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thick (quarters or eighths)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon nutmeg

• Combine the apples, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heavy pot. Cover, and cook over low to medium heat until the apples are tender. Remove from heat.

• Mash the mixture using a potato masher or fork, or blend it, using short bursts, until you are satisfied with the texture. Be careful when blending; applesauce holds heat. Serve warm.

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NOTE
Try a mixture of sweet and tart apples, or one of the varieties that combine both tastes, such as Ida Red, Cortland, or Macintosh.

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VARIATION
For a balanced snack, serve with ¼ cup of ricotta cheese.

YIELD
5 cups

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
73 calories, 19 g carbohydrate, 0.4 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 3.5 g dietary fiber

cup unsweetened organic applesauce (prepared, or use the recipe above)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 whole egg

½ cup + 1 tablespoon egg whites OR liquid egg substitute

1½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda Safflower oil

• Preheat oven to 325°F.

• Combine applesauce, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat until the mixture just begins to boil, then remove from heat. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, and stir until the chocolate has melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

• In a small bowl, stir the egg and egg whites together slightly, then slowly beat them into the chocolate mixture.

• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the chocolate batter.

• Lightly grease a 13” × 9” × 2” baking pan with safflower oil. Spread the batter into the pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

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VARIATION
Use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat pastry flour for more fiber and nutrients.

YIELD
24 brownies

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
139 calories, 23.8 g carbohydrate, 2.8 g protein, 4.6 g fat, 1.5 g dietary fiber

The apricot has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years. Both fresh and dried, this fruit provides plenty of vitamin A, potassium, beta-carotene, and iron. In addition, a fresh apricot provides 17 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Dried apricots, high in dietary fiber, provide nearly a gram of fiber in just three halves. Fiber is essential for intestinal health, but most Americans consume less than 10 grams per day. Include apricots in your diet as a delicious way to add to your fiber intake.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (RAW APRICOTS)
Three medium raw apricots provide 51 calories, 11.8 grams carbohydrate, 1.5 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 2.5 g dietary fiber, 2769 IU vitamin A, 11 mg vitamin C, 15 mg calcium, 314 mg potassium, and 20 mg phosphorus.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (DRIED APRICOTS)
Three dried apricot halves provide 24 calories, 6.6 g carbohydrate, 0.4 g protein, 0 g fat, and 0.9 g dietary fiber.

Choose organic raw apricots and unsulfured dried apricots. Commercially grown dried apricots may be treated with sulfur dioxide gas during processing to keep their color bright or with sulfites to extend shelf life. An estimated one out of every 100 people (and perhaps as many as five percent of people with asthma) are sensitive to sulfites and may have an adverse reaction to them. As with all produce, buy locally and at farmer's markets whenever possible.

Add sliced apricots—either fresh or dried—to hot or cold cereal, or add chopped apricots to the batter the next time you make whole grain pancakes. Give a Middle Eastern flavor to chicken or vegetable stews with the addition of dried, diced apricots. Add fresh apricots to green salads when they are in season, or add chopped apricots to rice or bean salads. Pack a plastic zipper bag of apricots and almonds in your briefcase or gym bag for a handy snack.

Livit Recipe

See Safe Handling of Poultry on page 211.

3 whole skinless, boneless organic chicken breasts (6 breast halves), cut into bite-sized cubes

½ cup organic orange juice

1 stalk organic celery, finely diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion

3 large organic raw apricots, pitted and finely diced

1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise

Lemon pepper

Sea salt

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Place the chicken in a casserole dish and pour orange juice over the chicken. Bake for 1 hour.

• When the chicken is cooked thoroughly (white, with no pink) remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly.

• In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked chicken with the celery, onion, and apricots, then add in just enough mayonnaise to bind the ingredients. Season to taste with lemon pepper and a dash of sea salt. Serve immediately.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
230 calories, 7.3 g carbohydrate, 41.6 g protein, 2.9 g fat, 0.9 g dietary fiber

Bananas grow in more than 100 countries and are a major food crop throughout the tropical world, where they are cultivated in many sizes and colors, including red, yellow, purple, and green. Only 10 to 15 percent of the bananas grown are for export. In the United States, the vast majority of supermarket bananas are the Cavendish variety, a sweet, seedless, yellow “dessert” banana—one eaten without cooking. Plantains, which have become more readily available in recent years, are banana varieties intended for cooking, and they tend to be less sweet and more starchy.

Because our fruit-stand bananas are so sweet, they've gotten a bad reputation among the low-carb crowd. But they are an incredibly rich source of potassium, vital for regulating blood pressure and a factor in preventing heart disease, stroke, and muscle cramps. One medium banana provides more potassium by weight than practically any other fruit.

Most of us can afford the 15 grams of carbohydrate found in half a banana in exchange for its nutrient benefits, given that Americans typically get only about half the recommended daily intake of potassium.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium raw banana provides 105 calories, 26.7 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 2.7 g dietary fiber, 92 IU vitamin A, 10 mg vitamin C, 22 mcg folic acid, 451 mg potassium, 7 mg calcium, 23 mg phosphorus, and 33 mg magnesium.

Since virtually all bananas are imported, this is one food you probably won't find at your local farmer's market, unless you're lucky enough to live in Hawaii. The history of banana exports has been fraught with exploitation, so try to choose fair trade bananas, whose growers are more fairly compensated. Store bananas in a well-ventilated area, but don't refrigerate them. If your bananas are too green when you buy them, put them in a brown paper bag, which traps the ethylene gas that fruits exhale and quickens the ripening process. Peel ripe bananas, break them into four or five pieces, and store them in the freezer. Add one to a smoothie for a little extra potassium and fiber. Use overripe bananas for baking.

Livit Recipe

Canola oil spray

¾ cup unbleached organic all-purpose flour

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup oat bran

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

¼ cup mashed, very ripe banana

½ cup organic nonfat milk

1 tablespoon canola oil

• Preheat oven to 400°F.

• Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with canola oil spray.

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine flours, oat bran, sugar, and baking soda.

• In a small bowl, combine egg whites, banana, milk, and oil. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to blend.

• Spoon the batter into the cups of the muffin tin, filling each about two-thirds full to leave room for expansion as the muffins bake. Bake for 18 minutes. Serve warm.

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NOTE
Make your own canola oil spray by putting canola oil in a spray bottle. The store-bought sprays add an unpleasant propellant smell to your cooking, and they cost too much!

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VARIATION
Add ½ cup blueberries or chopped fresh apricots.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
175 calories, 32 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 3 g fat, 1.7 g dietary fiber

THE BENEFITS OF BERRIES

A diet rich in berries improves levels of HDL cholesterol, improves blood pressure, and helps reverse age-related cognitive decline. Berries—blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and others—are rich in polyphenols, including flavonols and anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. It's believed that the berry polyphenols promote proper function in aging neurons.