07.03.06
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi- Also called cabbage turnip, this member of the turnip family looks like a root but is actually a thickened stem. It’s a distinctive looking vegetable, with a ball-like shape, pale green and purple-tinged, marked by points where the leaf-stems attached. It has a sweeter, more delicate flavor than a turnip. There are two types of kohlrabi, green and purple. The coloring should be light for the green one and deep for the purple one. The greens for both types should be crisp and firm. Kohlrabi can be found in the produce section of most health food stores, specialty markets, and supermarkets. Choose firm, heavy kohlrabi with deep green leaves, avoiding any with browning or yellowing leaves. Store kohlrabi, refrigerated and wrapped in plastic, for up to four days.
Preparation: Wash kohlrabi just before using. Peel it, cut it in 1/4-inch (0.6cm) slices, and sauté in butter or olive oil, or boil and mash like potatoes. To prepare the leaves, wash them, remove the middle stems, and sauté like spinach or chard.
Nutritional Info: Kohlrabi (raw), 1 cup (140g) - Calories: 36 - Protein: 2.3g - Carbohydrate: 8.4g - Total Fat: 0.13g - Fiber: 4.9g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (84mg) - *Good source of: Potassium (472mg)
Miscellaneous Fruits and Vegetable Health benefits:
Asthma: Vitamin C, present in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may influence the development of asthma symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.Bruising: Many Americans eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase the incidence of bruising. People who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common dietary sources of vitamin C.Cancer: The strong association between increased intake of beta-carotene from food and a reduced risk of lung cancer does not necessarily mean that supplementation with natural beta-carotene supplements would reduce the risk of lung cancer. Dietary beta-carotene may be a marker for diets high in certain fruits and vegetables that contain other anticancer substances that may be responsible for the protective effects. Until more is known, some doctors advise smokers to avoid all forms of beta-carotene supplementation—even natural beta-carotene.Capillary fragility: Eating plenty of flavonoid- and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables helps to support the structure of capillaries.Cataracts: Some, but not all, studies have reported that eating more foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A was associated with a lower risk of cataracts. Synthetic beta-carotene supplementation has not been found to reduce the risk of cataract formation. It remains unclear whether natural beta-carotene from food or supplements would protect the eye or whether beta-carotene in food is merely a marker for other protective factors in fruits and vegetables high in beta-carotene.High homocysteine: A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered homocysteine levels. Healthy people were assigned to either a diet containing a pound of fruits and vegetables per day, or to a diet containing 3½ ounces of fruits and vegetables per day. After four weeks, those eating the higher amount of fruits and vegetables had an 11 percent lower homocysteine level compared to those eating the lower amount of fruits and vegetables.Kidney stones: Potassium reduces urinary calcium excretion, and people who eat high amounts of dietary potassium appear to be at low risk of forming kidney stones. The best way to increase potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. The level of potassium in food is much higher than the small amounts found in supplements.Macular degeneration: People who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables high in beta-carotene appear to be at lower risk for macular degeneration than people who do not eat these foods. However, another study found no association between age-related macular degeneration and intake of antioxidants, either from the diet, from supplements, or from both combined. More research is needed to reconcile these differences. In the meantime, beta-carotene-rich vegetables continue to be part of a healthful diet.Multiple sclerosis (MS): In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk.Stroke: Researchers have found an association between diets low in potassium and increased risk of stroke. However, the association of increasing dietary potassium intake and decreasing stroke mortality only occurred in black men and hypertensive men in one study. Others have found an association between increased risk of stroke and the combination of low dietary potassium plus high salt intake. Increasing dietary potassium has lowered blood pressure in humans, which by itself should reduce the risk of stroke; however, some of the protective effect of potassium appears to extend beyond its ability to lower blood pressure. Maintaining a high potassium intake is best achieved by eating fruits and vegetables.
07.02.06
Daikon
Daikon is also known as Lobok, Oriental Radish, or Chinese Radish. This type of radish is usually cooked rather than eaten fresh, but it can be used raw in salads. In
Japan, the radishes are often pickled. Nutrition: Daikon contains no Vitamin A, 22 mg of Vitamin C, 0.6 g of protein, and 27 mg of calcium per 100 g raw, edible portion (about 1 cup of sliced daikon).
07.01.06
Endive
Endive has two forms, narrow-leaved endive called curly endive and the broad-leaved endive which is often called escarole. The outside leaves of an endive head are green and bitter. The inner leaves of the endive head are light green to creamy-white and milder flavored. Both types of endive are used in salad mixtures with blander- flavored lettuce to prepare a salad with a “little bite” to the flavor. Endive is grown like lettuce. Seed is sown in early spring in the garden. Plants can be started in the greenhouse and transplanted to the garden for growing and extra early crop. Endive heads should be clean, free of browning, crisp and bright green. The tender leaves are excellent for salads. To enhance the appearance, flavor, and nutritional value of the salad try combining it with several different types of lettuces.![]()