Supercharge Your Veggies

How to get a lot more nutrients from your foods.

If you eat a cup of yogurt and the label says it has 300 mg of calcium don’t assume that’s how much of the mineral your body will absorb.  You’ll actually get just under 100 mg of calcium on average from the yogurt.  This kind of disconnect between what foods contain and what they give you comes a surprise to many people-even though she pride themselves on eating wholesome, fresh foods that are known to be packed with nutrients. So what am I talking about? I’m talking about bioavailability (the amount of nutrients your body actually absorbs) of foods can vary widely depending on which foods you eat and how they are prepared and even how they are combined with other foods. Absorption of nutrients also can be affected by some health conditions, such as autoimmune diseases and digestion problems and by certain medications, such as anti-acids and some antibiotics.  So how do we get more of these nutrients from the foods we eat? Here’s a few things you might not know.

CALCIUM

We all know you need calcium for healthy blood pressure and to keep your muscles moving and your bones strong. Get many Americans actually do not get enough.  Diary products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese are widely considered to be our primary sources of calcium but the truth is only about 30% of the calcium and most dairy products is absorbed by your body.

To Get More Calcium: eat more greens. Some varieties have nearly double the calcium bioavailability of daily foods. Examples: you will absorb about 61% of the calcium and broccoli… 59% of the calcium and kale… And 54% of the calcium and bok choy.  Even though these greens do not contain as much total calcium is dairy products, when you factor in the high bioavailability of these plant foods you’ll see that they can be excellent sources of the mineral.  Just make sure you get the right greens if you’re trying to maximize your calcium absorption. The calcium is poorly absorbed from some greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard because they contain oxalic acid or phytic acid. These chemical compounds by two calcium and other minerals reducing their absorption by the body. Spinach and Swiss chard however are good sources of iron and folate.

ALLICIN

Allicin, one of the chemical compounds that gives onions and garlic such a powerful smell has been linked to lower cholesterol, better blood pressure and reduce risk for heart disease and some cancers.

To Get More Allicin:  minced fresh garlic and onions. Mensing, rather than slicing or course chopping, releases more of an enzyme that interacts with a different compound and onions and garlic to trigger the formation of allicin. Also helpful, after mincing, leave the onions or garlic on the cutting board for about 10 minutes. The short time out allows the allicin producing process to continue.

CAROTENIODS

Caroteniods are the substances that get tomatoes, carrots, and other brightly colored produce their brilliant hues. The most studied caroteniods, such as lycopene and beta-carotene, have been linked to lower rates of cancer, heart disease, and I diseases such as cataracts. Raw produce is rich and caroteniods but you’ll generally absorb even more when the produce is cooked-heat helps break down the cell walls so that the Nutri can be released.

How To Get More Caroteniods:  instead of eating raw tomatoes, simmer them in a sauce. Also cooking carrots to allow more lycopene be released. Spinach and kale release more beta-carotene when cooked. Another helpful hint… Buy processed tomatoes-they actually have more lycopene than fresh. But use tomato paste and tomato sauce in glass jars rather than canned varieties, which can expose you to bisphenal A (BPA), and industrial chemical that’s in many metal cans and plastic bottles. It has been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

GLUCOSINOLATES

While cooking tomatoes and carrots coaxes optimal absorption, it’s best to eat cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cabbage) raw to get their cancer fighting benefits.  Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds called glucosinolates that help protect against cancer. Boiling these veggies for 9 to 15 minutes results in a 20% to 60% decrease in glucosinolates which are released into the water. And steaming or microwaving cruciferous vegetables on high may deactivate myrosinase, an enzyme that breaks down glucosinolates into compounds that may eliminate carcinogens.  Wanna get more… Eat cruciferous veggies raw or microwave them on the power.

FAT-SOLUBLE NUTRIENTS

All of the fat-soluble nutrients and antioxidants, such as vitamin E, beta-carotene and lycopene, require a little bit of fat in order to be absorbed by the body. The average mail contains plenty of fat to get the job done. But if you’re eating say, a simple salad and want to ensure you absorb the most nutrients, a small amount of added fat will help. Recommended: have no more than 10% of calories from saturated fat a day.

How to get more: toss some healthy fat containing foods into your salad-good choices include cooked grains (such as quinoa), slivered nuts and/or a few olives. You also be adding exciting flavors!

And one more thing…The Truth About Iron.

The majority of Americans get plenty of iron from eating meat so most are not deficient in this mineral. However there is an exception, low iron is more likely to occur in people who have ulcers or other conditions that cause bleeding or women with heavy periods. Note: having too much iron has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. So how do we get more iron if you need it? The nonheme iron In plant foods-found chiefly and dark green vegetables-is less well absorbed then the heme iron in meats. To get more iron from greens such as spinach and Swiss chard season them with a little vinegar or lemon juice. Acidic ingredients enhance the body’s ability to absorb the iron and plant foods. (But… As mentioned before, don’t forget it lowers the ability to absorb calcium.)