Food Cliches...Are You Guilty?

I just read a really good article in the Huffington Post entitled "8 Things Nutrition Experts Wish You Would Stop Saying About Food".  (Click on the link to check it out).  It was very informative and I found myself questioning how I look at food.  I was guilty of a few of those "8 things".   So take a moment and click on the link above and read the article.  I am just going to summarize the article and give my two cents in today's blog.

The author of the article is correct when she said that nutrition "rules" change on a moment's notice.  What you thought was good and healthy, now turns out to be bad and forbidden.  It's the same in the fitness world.  But you have to remember, play it smart when it comes to nutrition (and exercise).  There is no "magic pill" or "magic rule".  Just use your common sense and choose wisely.

One of the 8 things listed in this article that I find myself guilty of is using the term "clean eating".  Now I know what clean eating means to me...it means to cut out the processed/fried/fatty foods and choose more organic, healthy foods.  Clean eating to me may mean something different to someone else.  I try to choose locally-grown foods, non-GMO foods, and fresh-from-my-garden foods, but I cannot get all of my nutrients and ingredients in this manner.  I have to go the grocery store and purchase items from the inner-aisles.  The author of this article quoted a couple of Registered Dietitians and here are a few statements from both of them.  Julie Upton, MS, RD, CSSD, states that "...many athletes refer to 'clean' as eating natural, wholesome, real foods and fewer processed options. I think that makes sense, but I don't know why we need to call it 'clean' instead of healthy eating".  Then Elizabeth M. Ward, RD, states "...but I have a hard time with the clean-eating label because it makes me think that if you're not eating 'clean' then you're eating 'dirty.' Also, clean eating doesn't necessarily equal a balanced diet. As much as I've tried to embrace the clean eating term, I sense some shame in it. For example, people may feel bad that they can't 'eat clean,' because the cost is prohibitive or it's inconvenient".   So true!  Why place a stigma against clean eating?  Let's drop that label and just continue to eat healthy with fewer processed foods!

Another point brought out in this article was about eating "Gluten Free".  I previously wrote a blog on "Who Really Needs to Eat 'Gluten-Free".   Go back and check out that blog.  There have been few, if any, studies proving that people who do not have celiac disease will benefit from eating a gluten-free diet.

The final "thing" I will comment on from this article is about the word "detox".  I am guilty of doing this.  There are times when my nutrition habits are sub-par.  It happens to everyone...I don't care who you are or what your background is.  During those times, I think to myself, "I need to do a detox".  Usually the next words in my train of thought are "clean eating".  See a pattern here?!  Well, truth-be-told, all I am doing is getting back to a healthier way of eating.  Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN, CNS, was quoted in this article as saying "the best way to help your body get the toxins out is to put fewer in."  Duh!  (Did you hear the forehead slap I just did?)  It couldn't be any more simple than that!!

So my final thoughts...Choose your food wisely.  Know where it comes from and how it was grown and processed.  Take action in your community to allow everyone access to fresh fruits, vegetable, and meats grown from local farmers.  Join a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) group to take advantage of the yummy stuff your local farmers grow and harvest.  Most importantly, get rid of the labels of "good vs bad" food and "clean eating".  Keep it simple and healthy and your body will reward you tri-fold! 

Just Beet It, Beet It, Beet It....

Did you catch that?  Nope it wasn't a typo.  Today's blog is about that ugly red (and sometimes yellow) root vegetable you walk past in the produce section...the beet.  Growing up in a house full of beet-lovers, my sister and I used to complain when our Mom was boiling beets.  We used to say that it smelled like she was cooking dirty socks.  Our poor Mom had to listen to that every time she made beets...and let me tell you, she ate them A LOT!!  There was nothing worse than walking in the house on a weekend afternoon and getting a whiff of cooked beets.  Now, based on that you would think that I HATED beets, right?  I used to until about 5 years ago.  Ironic thing is now I can't get enough of them!!

OK, enough about my childhood trials and tribulations.  Let's talk about the nutritional value of the beet first.  The beet is on the top 100 "World's Healthiest Foods".  Beets are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties.  This root vegetable can be completely consumed as you can eat the beet (also known as beetroot), the little bit of root attached to the body of the beet, and the greens.  Here is a chart that shows all of the nutrients found in one cup of sliced, cooked beets.

Beets, sliced, cooked 1.00 cup 170.00 grams Calories: 75 GI: med
Nutrient	Amount	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
folate	136.00 mcg	34.0	8.2	excellent
manganese	0.55 mg	27.5	6.6	very good
potassium	518.50 mg	14.8	3.6	very good
copper	0.13 mg	14.4	3.5	very good
fiber	3.40 g	13.6	3.3	good
magnesium	39.10 mg	9.8	2.4	good
phosphorus	64.60 mg	9.2	2.2	good
vitamin C	6.12 mg	8.2	2.0	good
iron	1.34 mg	7.4	1.8	good
vitamin B6	0.11 mg	6.5	1.6	good

As you can see, beets are an excellent source of folate, manganese, potassium, and copper.  Eating beets is another great way to get iron and vitamin B6.  You can click on each of the nutrients above to learn a little more about them.  As with any vegetable, the longer you cook/boil/steam/roast beets, the nutritional value decreases.  It is recommended to keep cooking time for steaming beets under 15 minutes and roasting time under one hour.  This will help maintain the integrity of the nutrients.

Now that you know a little more about beets, let's talk about what to do with them.  If you are a fan of juicing your vegetables, beets are a great addition to your favorite mixture.  Try grating raw beets and adding them to your soups and salads.  Here's a yummy recipe for 15-Minute Steamed Beets:

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minute prep; 15 minute cooking
Ingredients:

• 3 medium beets, about 3" in diameter
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

• Optional:
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 TBS chopped dill
• 1 TBS chopped chives
• 2 TBS Feta cheese

Directions:

1. Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2 inches of water.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, wash beets, leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of the stem on the beets. Cut beets into quarters. Do not peel.
3. Steam covered for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork on the tip of a knife into the beet. Although some of their colorful phytonutrients are lost to the steaming water, there is plenty of color and nutrients left in the beets.
4. Press or chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
5. Peel beets using a paper towel.
6. Transfer beets to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients while they are still hot.

Serves 2
 
Be forewarned...beet juice will stain so use caution when peeling and cutting beets.  You can use a little lemon juice to help remove the stains from cutting boards and counter tops.  Add lemon juice and course salt to your hands and scrub gently to remove the "red finger" syndrome! 

If you are still looking for a few more healthy beet recipes, click HERE and you can check out some yummy ways to serve beets.  In the meantime, don't pass those dirty looking red vegetables the next time you are in the produce section.  Grab a bunch and give them a try.  You might find that they don't smell like dirty socks when cooking and possibly have a new veggie to add to your list of "must-haves".  Enjoy!!