Vegetables Come Up Trumps

SCOTTISH researchers have found that not only will a diet high in fruit and vegetables make you feel better, it will also make you look better.

Lead study researcher Ross Whitehead, from the School of Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, said: “We found that within a six-week period, fluctuation in fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with skin-colour changes.”

The fruit and vegetable intake of 35 people was observed over a six-week period. A higher level of consumption was linked with higher levels of red and yellow colouring in skin, caused by carotenoids including betacarotene and lycopene.

A second study then linked the changes in skin colour to increased attractiveness. “Our study suggests that an increase in fruit and veggie consumption of around three portions over a six-week period is sufficient to convey perceptible improvements in the apparent healthiness and attractiveness of facial skin,” Dr Whitehead said. “Conversely, those that worsened their diet became paler. Eat more fruits and veggies to improve your appearance.”

3 Tricky Vegetables and How to Eat Them!

Don’t overlook delicious and nutritious vegetables just because they’re a little less common or their shape and texture confounds you. Artichokes may look like leafy flower buds. Leeks can resemble mutant green onions. But despite their appearance, these vegetables are packed with nutrients -- and they taste pretty good too. We’ll share a few tips so you can easily prepare these three seemingly “tricky” vegetables, making them convenient, everyday options to add to salads, enjoy as a side dish or even eat on their own.

• Leeks, Part 1: Remove the Top and Bottom: “Leeks have a flavour similar to onions or shallots, but offer a bit more subtlety,” says Brooklyn chef and author James Peterson. The vegetable is high in vitamin K, which aids in blood clotting, and it may help maintain strong bones in the elderly. One leek has 31 micrograms of vitamin K, which meets about 34 percent of your daily needs. “To prep the leek, remove the root end and the dark green top with a knife. Cut it lengthwise, then slice crosswise into half-moon shapes,” says chef and author Virginia Willis.
• Leeks, Part 2: Separate and Simmer: Separate the half-moons with your fingers, place them in a sink or a large bowl of cold water and swish the slices to let the dirt fall to the bottom. Scoop them out with your hands or a sieve and discard the sandy water. Repeat the process until the leeks are free of dirt. Chef Virginia Willis recommends simmering the leeks in stock and then allowing them to chill. Once fully chilled, mix the leeks with vinaigrette for a salad. “You can also bake them in a gratin or add them chopped to soups or broths,” says chef James Peterson.

• Artichokes, Part 1: Prep Work: Artichokes are a good source of fibre, vitamins C and K and folate, a B vitamin that aids new cell generation and helps prevent major birth defects, which makes it especially important for moms-to-be. An artichoke contains 107 micrograms of folate, or about 26 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for men and women. It also has 10 grams of filling fiber. “To prepare a fresh artichoke, cut off the stem and the top inch, then snip the top half-inch of each pointy, thorny leaf with scissors,” says chef and contributing writing for the Food Network Virginia Willis.
• Artichokes, Part 2: Cook and Cut: Place the artichoke bottom down into boiling water, lower the heat to a simmer and put a heatproof dish on top so it’s fully submerged. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. To eat, pick off each leaf and run your teeth along the thicker side, gathering the tasty flesh. “You can also cut off the bottom part of the artichoke, known as the heart,” says Brooklyn-based chef James Peterson. At the center of the heart near the stem is a knot of inedible fibrous strands -- scrape these out with a spoon. Cut the heart into pieces and serve on a salad.

• Fennel, Part 1: Sliced and Diced: “The light liquorice flavour of fennel marries very well with fish and shellfish, and it’s delicious raw in salad and slaws,” says cookbook author and chef Virginia Willis. Most recipes call for the bulb of the plant, but you can save the stems and leaves to boil in a stock, or dry them and add to a wood-fire grill to give fish an herbaceous flavor. Fennel bulbs are a good source of potassium. One bulb has 28 milligrams of vitamin C, which meets 37 percent of women’s daily needs and 31 percent of the daily needs of men. “To prepare fennel, cut off the green stems so that you just have the white bulb, then cut the bulb in half vertically and remove the tough core,” advises chef Virginia Willis. It can then be thinly sliced or diced. Willis recommends mixing thinly sliced fennel bulbs with reduced-fat mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest and juice, fresh chopped dill and a drizzle of honey.
• Fennel, Part 2: A Close Shave: Chef James Peterson likes to shave off the outside of the bulb with a vegetable peeler, cut the bulb into wedges and bake it in a pan with a little water or broth and covered loosely with parchment paper or foil. Bake until the liquid has evaporated and the fennel bulb is soft but not mushy.

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Veggie Showdown!

We all know that veggies are good for us: they're great sources of vitamins, minerals, andantioxidants. Scientific research has shown that cruciferous vegetables in particular may reduce the risk of lung, colorectal, stomach, breast, and prostate cancers. But some cruciferous vegetable varieties are more powerful than others.

When faced with broccoli and cauliflower on a vegetable tray, which tree-like veggie should you choose to get the most bang for your nutritional buck?

There was a reason why your mum made you finish your broccoli at dinner—it's crammed full of good stuff! A one-cup serving of broccoli has 205% of your daily recommended value for vitamin C, 194% of your daily value for vitamin K, and 45% of your daily value for vitamin A. Cauliflower makes a valiant effort, but doesn't hold a candle to its green cousin. A one-cup serving of cauliflower contains 91% of your daily value for vitamin C, which is still nothing to sneeze at, but only has 14% of your daily value for vitamin K and trace amounts of vitamin A. However, cauliflower is still a great source of fiber and folate, which helps create healthy red blood cells, and also contains fewer calories than broccoli per serving (29 calories vs. 44 calories). Load up your plate with each of them for the best of both veggie worlds!

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