1. Lettuce
From the beginning of my raw food journey in 1990, lettuce has been one of my go-to leafy greens. I love the mild taste and versatility of lettuce, which often forms the basis for my salad recipes. Before my interest in raw food developed, I knew of one type of lettuce: iceberg. This changed quickly as I learned of the many varied types of lettuce including grocery store mainstays such as Romaine, green leaf, red leaf, and Boston. When I started shopping at farmers markets and growing my own food several years ago, I became familiar with lesser known and heirloom varieties of lettuce that expanded my lettuce repertoire further. Right now, Rick and I have 8 varieties of lettuce growing in our backyard garden. Lettuce is a member of the sunflower plant family.
2. Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens are popularly consumed as an early spring green, but I personally love dandelion greens year round, and enjoy them in my salads, smoothies, and juices. The mineral content of dandelion greens is notable and rivals kale in calcium content. Dandelion greens are in the sunflower plant family (Asteraceae), along with lettuce, endive, escarole, frisée greens, sunflower seeds, and Jerusalem artichokes.
3. Tree Collard Greens
Rick and I planted several collard plants in our garden when moved into our house a few years ago, and they are still going strong and producing beautiful large deep green leaves, year round in northern California. What we love about our tree collards is that they are relatively low maintenance and are a reliable source of greens for us. We enjoy greens from our tree collard plants mostly in smoothies, but occasionally put them in juice or a salad. These tree collard greens are tender and easily digestible for us in comparison to collard greens we find in the grocery store that generally have a tougher consistency. Our tree collards are now about 12 feet tall and still growing, with numerous leaves that can measure up to 8 inches in diameter or more. Collard greens, like other members of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) contain noteworthy amounts of certain minerals.
4. Kale
Kale is most certainly one of our many favorite leafy greens and a backyard garden staple. I first became interested in kale when I discovered its impressive calcium and iron content, which is not surprising, given that kale is a member of the cabbage family. Members of the cabbage plant family are also called “cruciferous”, in reference to the cross-like appearance of their flowers, or “brassica” vegetables, reflecting their plant family name Brassicaceae. Rick and I enjoy kale in smoothies, juices, soups, and many other recipes. Since we like to have a variety of foods in our diet, we rotate our leafy greens to enjoy the diversity of flavors, textures, and nutrients offered by different leafy greens. For example, we might have kale as our main leafy green on one day, dandelion greens the next, frisée greens the next, and so forth.
5. Escarole
Rick and I recently returned home from traveling, visiting, and teaching on the east coast to find that the tiny escarole starts we planted in September had grown into huge plants, with 9-inch diameter leaves, at the largest. Given the size of the leaves, this escarole would make great wraps. We have found that escarole grows well in cooler weather, so the size of our plants is not a surprise, given that it is mid-November.
Escarole is in the sunflower plant family, so its strong resemblance to some lettuce varieties is justified. I have found that the taste of escarole can vary, for example, the escarole growing in our yard has a more mild taste than the more bitter versions I have found in grocery stores and farmers markets.
Here are some of the nutrient highlights of escarole:
| 3 cups chopped escarole (150 g) | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 25.5 | |
| Calcium | 78 mg | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 1.24 mg | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 1.18 mg | 8 – 11 mg |
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In Defense of Research
I recently read an online article in which the author criticized nutrition-related “science” and “research.” His criticism focused on the notion that research quickly becomes outdated as more current research takes its place, so what is the point in paying attention to it at all? I understand this questioning, but must suggest that the answer is not as simple as the author would imply.
First of all, let’s explore the term “research”. The most common use of this term is to describe use of the scientific method to test a hypothesis in a controlled setting. In more relatable language, research is done to gather evidence that either supports or opposes a point of view, or adds to our knowledge of a subject. Let’s say that a researcher wants to assess the vitamin C content of oranges. In order to do this, the researcher would obtain a sample of oranges and use the appropriate technology to measure the vitamin C content, among other things. The amount of vitamin C found in this particular orange sample is new information, since it was just tested. Does this new information necessarily invalidate previous research done on the vitamin C content of oranges?
In my opinion, no.
I view this new information as additional knowledge to add to our growing understanding of the vitamin C content of oranges. I do not always see older information as being irrelevant, instead I recognize the importance of evaluating evidence on a case-by-case basis. For example, let’s say that a researcher wants to see if there is a change in the vitamin C content in oranges over a 50 year period. In this study, some of the data collected on the vitamin C content of oranges is decades old. Most people might think of this information as being outdated, but in the context of this comparison study, it is entirely relevant.
The bottom line is that we cannot lump all research into one category. In my opinion, if one believes that research is not worthy of consideration because it eventually becomes outdated, they are missing out on lots of great information as it becomes available. There is much that we know and much that we have yet to know. To discount research as incomplete is missing the very point of research, which is to discover new information.
Here is a real world example: should we not utilize the technology of today because it will be outdated tomorrow? Nothing will ever be 100% complete or perfect. If our knowledge on a topic is 80% complete, should we discount that 80% just because we don’t know everything yet? We recently watched the new Star Trek movie in 3D in a nearby theater, and enjoyed it very much – so much that we would like to see it again. Should we not purchase the blu-ray to watch it again at home because we don’t have 3D and our sound system is not as good and screen not as large as we experienced in the movie theater? Should I not use a computer because it will eventually become outdated?
I personally love to watch the evolution of information through all types of research, be it peer-reviewed studies, clinical outcomes, or personal experience. There is always more to explore in the health and nutrition field, and to discount any information is a missed opportunity to learn what may be the key to unlocking one’s health potential. I see research as an adventure of discovery and am happy to have the opportunity to watch the progression of knowledge in this exciting and ever-changing field!
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What I learned about vitamin B12 from the Framingham Offspring Study
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I first came across the Framingham Offspring Study several years ago when I was doing some research on the vitamin B12 status of people of various dietary persuasions. I found the results of this study to be fascinating, and apparently I am not the only one who feels this way, given that I have seen this study mentioned in numerous YouTube videos, in various health blogs, and in class by many of my students. Why is this study in particular so popular?
The answer likely involves many reasons. Here a couple of my thoughts:
- This study talks about the vitamin B12 status of the study participants. There is little doubt that vitamin B12 is a hot topic in the health community and most people I have spoken with over the years have expressed interest in learning about B12. In fact, it is one of the more popular questions that Rick and I are asked.
- The study participants were omnivores. People who eat a plant-based diet or vegan diet are told to be aware of their B12 status, but what about omnivores? Do they need to be aware of this too?
The Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) helps answer this question. The study examined the B12 status of 2,999 omnivores of ages ranging from 26 – 83, along with supplemental and food sources of B12, such as fortified cereal, dairy products, and various types of meat. Here is a brief summary of the data from this study:
- 39% of study participants were found to have blood levels of vitamin B12 in the “low normal” to deficient range (<258 pmol/L or 350 pg/ml) and the youngest members of the group (26 – 49 years) had similar B12 status to the 65 years and older group.
- Study participants who consumed supplements and/or cereal fortified with B12 had the highest blood levels of B12, followed by dairy products, and then meat.
- Study participants who got most or all of their B12 from meat sources, had the lowest blood B12 levels.
- The researchers commented that vitamin B12 supplements and fortified foods are likely to be more reliable sources of B12 than non-fortified foods, and that the use of supplements in particular was found to be protective against low vitamin B12 levels in this and previous studies.
- Because of these outcomes, the researchers suggest that the potential for B12 deficiency in the general adult population be examined.
I was not completely surprised to see that this study calls to question the reliability of meat as an adequate source of B12, as we have consulted with several people in the past few years that have been low in B12 despite eating an omnivorous diet. Hmmm…..
I would encourage you to read this study, and see for yourself what the data indicates. I have provided here a brief summary of what I learned from this study, but the actual full-text article gives much more specific information on the observations of the researchers.
Granted, this is only one study and some case histories, but nonetheless I personally feel that it is important for everyone to consider their B12 status regardless of whether or not they are a vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, etc. As this study indicates, there are many factors to consider in this B12 puzzle. Here is a link to the full text article of the Framingham Offspring Study.
Reference:
Tucker KL, Rich S, Rosenberg I, Jacques P, Dallal G, Wilson PW, Selhub J. Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Feb;71(2):514-22.
Interested in taking your vitamin B12 and nutrition knowledge to the next level? We cover this topic and so much more in our online Mastering Raw Food Nutrition and Educator Course. For more class details, click here.
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The role of critical thinking in making health decisions
TMI, information overload, what on earth do I do with all of these little bits and pieces of health information, these “sound bites”? How do all of these pieces of information fit together into the puzzle of health, and is this information even accurate or relevant? Over the past 23+ years since I entered the health field, these questions have crossed my mind either consciously or unconsciously, and have even been something of a mountain at various times in my life. There is so much information “out there” on health and dietary choices that it can range from dazzling to overwhelming.
Many students I have spoken with over the years have said that one of the most important reasons they have attended the series of classes my husband and I teach is to make sense of all of this health information that they hear. One of the goals we have in teaching our classes is to provide a framework within which students can understand these individual pieces of information and how they fit into the larger picture of health. One of the ways we establish this health framework is though the encouragement of critical thinking.
Before we can proceed, we must consider the question “what is critical thinking?” I have read numerous definitions and points of view on critical thinking, some simple to understand and others more complex. Overall, most of the definitions of critical thinking involve the gathering of as much information as possible, including information in opposition to one’s current point of view, and then making a decision based on this information while still remaining open to possible alternatives, and considering that one has inherent personal biases that can influence the decision made.
In my very young years, I remember learning through memorization of information which I promptly forgot after the test was over, but more importantly, I believed that the information given to me was always accurate. Why wouldn’t it be? Later, I started considering other points of view as having validity and understanding the importance of thinking for myself. At this time, I found it somewhat challenging to make this change, given that I had become so accustomed to just accepting the information handed to me previously. Accepting is easy, thinking requires more effort. After a short period of time, I naturally started thinking for myself and the evaluation of information coming my way became second-nature. I eventually learned that this thought process I had adopted actually had a name: critical thinking.
The reason why I am sharing this story with you is because it is very much related to how some view health information.
To clarify, here is a relevant example:
There are lots of products being sold in the name of health and the people selling those products can be quite convincing. Is all of the information imparted about these products accurate? Or is the person saying whatever is necessary to make a sale?
In my pre critical thinking days, I would have likely accepted this information. Since my introduction to critical thinking, if I am interested in a product, I first gather information on the product, which includes:
- Reliable information supporting the popular view of the product
- Reliable information supporting the opposite view of the product
- Reliable information that supports other views of the product
- Reliable information that contradicts any of the points of view noted above.
Bottom line, I gather as much information as possible about the subject in question from multiple points of view, and very importantly I also consider what information is supported by human physiology and biochemistry. As I collect more information and make sense of it in a larger context, the least relevant, least compelling, and least accurate information is naturally supplanted by the most relevant, accurate, and compelling information. In a sense, the most accurate information becomes even more apparent, when compared to that which is less accurate or inaccurate.
It is important to consider that information on how the body works is constantly evolving and is and will always be incomplete, so for this reason and others, I remain open minded to changing my decision in the future, when and if compelling new information becomes available. I know this is a lot to consider, but this critical thinking and decision making process has become second nature to me. I liken this experience to learning how to ride a bicycle. It can be a little challenging at first, but soon becomes easy.
The bottom line here is that critical thinking can be very useful in helping evaluate information that comes one’s way. Many times I have heard students say that they feel that they were convinced to buy a product that they ended up wanting to return. Often times, being aware of ways in which one can evaluate information about such products can help people be more objective about their purchases before they hit the “buy” button. Of course, critical thinking can be useful in evaluating all health information, not just product purchases. I must clarify that Rick and I are not opposed to the use of health products, given that we find many to be useful. Both of us find it very useful to approach our buying choices with critical thinking.
The reason why I mention critical thinking in this article, is that in the coming weeks and months I plan to start talking about various studies and research on health and plant-based diet related topics, and will be considering critical thinking in the evaluation of this information. So this article is, in a sense, laying the groundwork for things to come. After all, a building is only as strong as its foundation, and the same is true for health information.
I know that many of you are familiar with this topic, so if you are, great! For those of you that have not considered this information previously, critical thinking can be an empowering tool in helping one with making decisions!
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Video Series of How We Constructed a Raised Bed Garden: Parts 5 and 6 and Harvest Time!
Here are our most recent videos documenting our raised bed garden project. Since we live in northern California, we have dry summers and need to have an irrigation system to water our plants, which is especially handy when we are out of town teaching. This video shows the installation of the irrigation timer:
We have been harvesting the lettuce from our raised bed for a couple of weeks now – it is incredibly fresh and flavorful and has grown surprisingly quickly. Here is a video progress report:
Our raised bed is almost complete. The remaining aspect of this project is designing and finalizing the area around the bed to blend its appearance with the rest of our backyard. We will post a video when this final aspect of the project is finished. Have a great week!
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Video Series of How We Constructed a Raised Bed Garden: Parts 3 and 4 and Garden Update
A couple of days ago, I returned from being out of town visiting family on the east coast to see that our lettuce had grown significantly since we planted it three weeks ago:
For comparison, here is the size of the lettuce when we planted it:
In less than a month, we are already reaping the benefits of our efforts on this several day project! The lettuce is so vibrant and fresh, and without a doubt we feel that the time and energy we put into this project was more than well worth it.
Now, on to the latest videos:
Here is video number 3 showing the planting and irrigation setup for the lettuce bed:
Here is video number 4 showing the ball valve and drip emitter installation:
Next week: Part 5 of this video series, showing the installation of the irrigation timer.
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Video Series of How We Constructed a Raised Bed Garden: Parts 1 and 2
As we wrote in this blog last week, Rick and I recently converted a weedy unused area of our backyard into a raised bed garden for our lettuce plants.
Part 1 shows the planning of our raised bed:
Part 2 shows the construction of our raised bed:
Next week, we will post parts 3 and 4, showing the installation of the irrigation system and planting of the lettuce.
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Ready, Set, Grow!
Rick and I have been growing vegetables in backyard raised beds for the past few years and have learned much from our experience. One thing we have learned and observed first hand is the self-evident notion that some plants thrive in areas of our yard that have more sun, while other plants grow better in shady areas. Case in point: lettuce. The lettuce we have grown tends to wilt in the hot afternoon sun regardless of how much water we give the plants.
What we historically did for this challenge was to shade the lettuce with large beach and patio umbrellas. Of course, gardening stores do sell shades specific for this purpose, but this year we came up with a more permanent solution, which was to build a raised bed for the lettuce in an area of our yard that gets some sun in the morning, but is shady during the hottest part of the day, the afternoon. This location will be especially important as the growing season progresses and the daily temperature rises.
The area where we built the lettuce bed is adjacent to our house, and in the morning until about midday, the lettuce receives sunlight and then as the sun moves across our yard in the afternoon, our house shades the lettuce. So far so good! The lettuce has been growing beautifully, but the real test will be later in the season as summer approaches.
Here are some photos showing the transformation of an unused weedy area into our lettuce bed!
Here is the area weeded and leveled for construction of the bed:
Here is the bed:
With added soil:
With plants and irrigation tubing:
A couple days later, the irrigation tubing is hooked into the system, drip emitters are installed, and lettuce plants are growing!
We'll post updates as the season progresses and stay tuned for a series of videos documenting the building of our lettuce bed!
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Collard Greens and Tree Collard Greens
April 1st is upon us and here in northern California, Rick and I have been preparing our backyard raised beds for planting. This year, we are planting many of our garden staples such as heirloom tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, basil, and some plants we have not grown before, such as mizuna and stinging nettle. One plant that grows year round in our garden is tree collard greens. We have several tree collard plants that have been in our garden since we moved into our house a few years ago, and they are still going strong and producing beautiful large deep green leaves.
What we love about our tree collards is that they are relatively low maintenance and are a reliable source of greens for us. Of course, we rotate our greens for variety so we are planting a variety of other greens in our garden this year, which we will cover in another blog post or video. We enjoy greens from our tree collard plants mostly in smoothies, but occasionally may put them in juice or a salad. These collard greens are tender and easily digestible for us in comparison to collard greens we find in the store that have a tougher consistency. We have observed over the years, that the greens that we grow in our garden tend to be softer and more tender than commercially available greens. Although this may not be true across the board, this is just an observation from our own personal experience.
Here is a sampling of the nutrients found in regular collard greens:
| 3 cups chopped collard greens (108 g) | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 32.4 | |
| Calcium | 156.60 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Potassium | 182.52 | 4700 mg |
| Folate | 179.28 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 4149.36 mcg |
How do these numbers compare to the nutrients found in actual tree collard greens? We have yet to know, given that I have not yet been able to find neutral information on the nutrients measured in actual tree collard leaves. I would not be surprised if they are similar. This is the beauty of science and research, there is much that is known and much that has yet to be known. Happy spring!
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Why We Love Our Local Farmers Markets
One of the many questions that Rick and I are asked about raw food is where to find it at reasonable prices. In my last blog post, I wrote about wholesale produce markets, which can really help one save money when produce is purchased in quantity, providing that one has access to a wholesale produce market. What about areas where one does not have access to such a place? One alternative is a local farmers market.
We love farmers markets. They are a great place find locally grown produce and to interact with the farmers directly, if they are present to sell their produce personally – and many of them do so. Numerous times I have asked the farmers about their food producing techniques, an opportunity that I find to be very valuable. For me, this is a great way to have knowledge of how our food is produced and how it is handled. I have also found the food to be exceptionally fresh! An average head of lettuce purchased at our local farmers market lasts about 2 weeks before showing signs of withering. Produce that I buy at our local farmers market is often picked the same day that I buy it – how much more fresh can one get! Given that our diets are based on fresh produce, Rick and I buy in large quantities, and many of the farmers often give us a price break on the food we buy. Several of the farmers from whom we buy know us by name and actually anticipate our arrival at the market, by putting aside the usual foods that we buy from them. Talk about personal service – we really enjoy having a personal connection with the people from whom we buy food!
Since we live in northern California, our local farmers markets are open year round. In other areas, we have noticed that farmers markets depend on the local growing season and produce availability. Similarly, the variety of produce at our local farmers market depends on the type of food being grown locally at the time. For example, winter is a great time to find oranges, fall and early winter is the best time to find locally grown almonds, and of course summer is the most abundant season of all! Here, Rick and I can get lettuce and other green leafy vegetables at our farmers market year round, along with a variety of other fruits and vegetables. Such availability makes eating a produce-based diet much simpler.
It is wonderful to see that farmers markets appear to have gained popularity in the last 5+ years, especially in areas that did not have such markets several years ago. It is great to see that the trend of eating more locally grown food and supporting local farmers directly is continuing to grow. I hope that one day this is no longer a trend, but a mainstay in our communities.
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Saving money with wholesale produce
Our new YouTube channel is LIVE! After so many requests, we finally have a YouTube channel where we will be posting videos on a variety of health related topics! We have a couple of videos posted there now, including Rick’s three part essential fat video, and a video about our visit to the NY wholesale produce market:
Rick and I have visited wholesale markets in both the San Francisco bay area and the New York metro area. We live in the SF bay area, so when we buy from our local wholesale produce markets we buy enough food to last us about 3 weeks. Why so much? The food available at wholesale markets is sold in boxes or cases. This works well for us because the produce is so fresh, that it lasts for often weeks at a time in our large-capacity dedicated refrigerator.
We have found that when we buy lettuce at wholesale, the heads are very large, since very few, if any of the outer leaves have been removed. These heads of lettuce are generally larger than the heads we see at the grocery store, which likely have had leaves removed to maintain a fresh look. I really enjoy going to wholesale markets because of the wide variety of food available, especially organic. A very large percentage of the food that we eat is organically grown here in California.
For produce enthusiasts like us, wholesale markets can be a great way to purchase in quantity and save a notable amount of money. Rick has calculated that on average, we spend about 50% less money on produce from the wholesale markets that we would spend on the same amount of produce at the grocery store. You may be wondering if we go to farmers markets and the answer is yes, we love our local farmers market! We can often find foods at the farmers market that are not available at the wholesale market and vice versa.
The wholesale markets we have attended open around midnight or later and close around 10 am or earlier, depending on the vendor, so Rick and I find ourselves waking at 5 am to beat rush hour to the markets. I especially love these markets, since our need to go shopping for food weekly is drastically reduced. I find myself only having to do some minor fill-in shopping for items not available at the wholesale markets, maybe once a week or twice a month. With this shopping strategy, Rick and I overall spend much less time shopping and have more time available for work and other activities we enjoy.
The challenge is that our local wholesale markets are in San Francisco and South San Francisco which are about an hour and fifteen minutes away from our home if there is little traffic. The wholesale produce market that we have visited in the New York area is in the Bronx, which is also about an hour and fifteen minutes from our parents’ homes, where we stay on our visits to the New York metro area. This market has similar hours to our bay area wholesale markets, but is much larger.
Without a doubt, wholesale markets are certainly an experience and a great way to buy fresh produce in quantity. They can also be a tremendous resource for people who live in areas that have limited access to fresh produce year round, providing that the person lives within driving distance of a wholesale market. Many major metro areas have wholesale markets, and our experience at the two we have visited is that most vendors sell to individuals, although some sell exclusively businesses. You will have to check with individual vendors to learn their sales policies.
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Five Health Tips I Learned from my Dad
Over the past several years, the longevity field has exploded in popularity as many people have become interested in staying as healthy and fit as possible into their golden years. My dad, who turned 87 this month, has been talking about the importance of fitness and health for as long as I can remember. Over the holidays this year, dad and I talked about the health-promoting habits that have made a difference in his life. Here are 5 things that he mentioned:
1. The importance of moving one’s body - When I was a child, dad started practicing yoga just about every morning upon rising at 5 AM – this was before many people had even heard of the practice. In addition this, my dad has been walking almost daily for the past 30+ years. His walking routine varies depending on the weather and ranges from 2 – 4 miles, with hills included. Dad walks within his body’s ability and he always says that it is important to not “overdo it”. He is happy to have maintained this level of fitness for so many years and does not experience any joint pain or lack of range of motion anywhere in is body. His friends often tell him that he is lucky to be able to move as well as he does, and his response to them is that he is able to do so because he started his exercise routine many years ago and has maintained it since then.
2. The importance of moving one’s mind – My dad is and has always been an avid reader. He loves learning and has numerous interests that keep his mind engaged constantly. Whenever I talk to him, he wants to talk about some new subject or idea he has recently learned. He thinks that this lifetime love of learning has helped him maintain his mental fitness over the years. He has volunteered at a local library for many years, and one of the benefits of this is exposure to lots of books within his areas of interest.
3. Relaxation is important – I work a lot, given the nature of my career. This work ethic extends to just about everything else I do, so when I am spending time working on projects with dad, I work on them until completion, even if it takes quite a bit of time and focus. When dad sees me working like this he commends me for my dedication and reminds me to take rest breaks, since he feels that rest is just as important as work. He also has told me on many occasions that excessive stress is “not worth it”. He thinks that a little stress can be a good motivator, but that constant stress can be harmful. He has always encouraged me to transform stress into action and not to worry about the things I can’t control. As much as that sounds like common sense, it’s always a good reminder.
4. A sense of humor is invaluable – Need I say more?
5. You are never too old to change – AKA flexibility of thinking. My dad has always said that “what you learn is important and how you apply what you have learned is equally important”. Dad thinks of himself as being selectively open minded, similar to me. He likes to educate himself well about subjects so that he can make a decision based on a substantial amount of information – sounds like critical thinking, which I talk about in our Science of Raw Food Nutrition classes.
When I first started becoming interested in health back in the late 1980s, dad was curious about the information I was learning and he was impressed with my health improvements. He made some changes to his diet here and there over the years, but did not really maintain the changes. About a year and a half ago, dad decided that he was ready to make some dietary changes and to move toward a plant-based diet. Over the past year and a half, he has noted that the more whole natural plant foods he consumes, the better he feels. He says he has more energy, thinks more clearly, has experienced improvements in his short and long term memory, can climb hills more easily while on his walks without having to rest at the top of the hill, etc. Myself and other family members have noticed these differences, too.
Dad attributes his improvements to both diet and exercise, but feels that diet especially has played a role, given that he has already been exercising for many years. He emphatically says that his changes have improved his life dramatically, and he thinks that at 87 years old, this has made all the difference in the world for him. He always says that age need not be a factor in one’s decision to make health promoting changes in one’s life and he is happy that he had the open mindedness to do so.
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Raw food kitchen appliances do not have to be a major financial investment :)
And - Introducing unfamiliar raw food kitchen appliances to loved ones
And - Nutrient analysis of the ingredients in celery, cucumber, carrot juice
Rick and I gave my dad a juicer for Christmas, so today we set it up and made a couple of juice recipes. He was very excited to use the juicer, since he loves fresh vegetable juice and finds the operation of the juicer to be relatively simple. Last Christmas, we gave dad a high powered blender, which he does not really use all that much, except when Rick or I make him smoothies or salad dressings with it. Today, he told me that the blender is a little challenging to clean, and he would prefer a smaller machine. This illustrates some notable points for introducing unfamiliar appliances to loved ones:
1. Operation of the machine has to be simple in the eyes of the beholder – this means set-up, clean-up, and everything in between. Different machines may be easier for some people versus others. For example, I find the operation of the high powered blender to be easier than the juicer, but my dad finds the opposite to be true for himself.
2. The person has to be really interested in actually using the machine or the final product has to be tasty or otherwise inspiring enough for the person to spend time making the recipe :). My dad loves fresh vegetable juice – celery, cucumber, carrot. Great recipes that showcase the flavor of healthy foods can make all of the difference in how much motivation someone has to use the appliance, but dad and I have found simplicity of operation to be just as important.
3. Used machines in good working order can be a good option to see if the person is interested in the machine. Last year, Rick and I purchased a used high powered blender for sale locally at a great price, rather than buying a new one. This way, dad was able to try out the blender without a large financial layout. We may end up purchasing him a smaller blender, but since we were able to find such a good deal on the used high power blender, we could actually sell it for more than the purchase price. However, we have no plans to sell this blender because even though dad may not use it, Rick and I certainly will when we are visiting him.
Additionally, it is our opinion that one cannot put a price on personal health, and we have found that kitchen equipment that we have purchased over the years, new and second-hand, has been well worth the investment.
Here is the simple juice recipe my dad made today:
Two carrots
Three stalks of celery
One cucumber
Here is a nutrient analysis of the ingredients in the juice:
| Carrots, celery, cucumber | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 136 | |
| Calcium | 165 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 1.95 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 0.85 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 6.25 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 1442 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 26.4 | 75 – 90 mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.61 | 15 mg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.12 | 1.1 – 1.2 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.21 | 1.1 – 1.3 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.91 | 14 – 16 mg |
| Vitamin B5 | 1.25 | 5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 | 1.3 – 1.7 mg |
| Folate | 90.2 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 654 mcg | |
| Protein | 5.3 mg |
This nutrient content is notable for 136 calories. Where are the dark leafy greens in this recipe? Well, dad is not a huge fan of dark leafy greens in juice, yet. The good news is that he does like them in green smoothies.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2013! Cheers!
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Nutrient Analysis of Kale
Kale is most certainly one of our many favorite leafy greens. When I first started enjoying the raw food approach to eating, I was not all that familiar with kale as a leafy green choice. At that time, I had only tried kale on handful of occasions and was not impressed with its (ahem) perceived bitter flavor 🙂
However, as I began my nutrition education, I found kale to be a fascinating leafy green that is packed with positive nutritional qualities:
| Nutrient | Kale (3 cups chopped, raw) | Adult Daily Values |
| Calories | 101 | |
| Protein | 6.6 | |
| Thiamin (Vitamin B1) | 0.22 | 1.1 – 1.2 mg |
| Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) | 0.26 | 1.1 – 1.3 mg |
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) | 2.01 | 14 – 16 mg |
| Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) | 0.54 | 1.3-1.7 mg |
| Calcium | 271.4 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 3.42 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Magnesium | 68.3 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 898.5 | 4700 mg |
| Zinc | 0.88 | 8 – 11 mg |
I found the vitamins B1, B2, B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium content of kale to be impressive. Nowadays, Rick and I enjoy kale in smoothies, juices, soups, and many other recipes. Since we like to have a variety of foods in our diet, we rotate our leafy greens to enjoy the diversity of flavors, textures, and nutrients offered by different leafy greens. For example, we might have kale as our main leafy green on one day, dandelion greens the next, frisée greens the next, and so forth.
On a side note, the kale that we grow in our garden is generally more tender and easier for us to digest than the kale we find in supermarkets. When the kale that we purchase has a “tougher” consistency we tend to blend it in a smoothie or even sometimes lightly steam it. We find that more tender kale from our garden is easily consumed raw in salads or other recipes.
There are so many leafy greens from which to choose when designing one’s diet. Do you have favorite leafy green?
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Pomegranate Green Smoothie
One of the many things we love about this time of year is pomegranates and while visiting some friends this weekend, we enjoyed ripe, backyard-grown pomegranates. I do not believe that I have ever seen pomegranates this red and ripe – so ripe that the outer skins were splitting to reveal deep red colored arils in the inside. Pomegranate arils are delicate, red fluid-filled pouches that surround individual pomegranate seeds. The juice we made with these pomegranates had a rich and smooth flavor with no trace of bitterness at all. We used some of the juice to create some recipes including this green smoothie:
½ cup of fresh pressed pomegranate juice
Juice of three medium Valencia oranges
3 medium bananas
3 cups chopped collard greens
Here is a nutrient analysis of the ingredients in this smoothie:
| Adult Daily Values | ||
| Calories | 597 | |
| Calcium | 328 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 1.71 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 1.20 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 152.0 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 2304.9 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 253.9 | 75 – 90 mg |
| Vitamin E | 3.32 | 15 mg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.54 | 1.1 – 1.2 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.59 | 1.1 – 1.3 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 4.40 | 14 – 16 mg |
| Vitamin B5 | 2.71 | 5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.77 | 1.3 – 1.7 mg |
| Folate | 424.7 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 4241.4 | |
| Protein | 11.7 |
I found the calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6, folate, beta carotene, and protein content of this smoothie to be impressive! Especially for almost 600 calories (kcal), which is a little more than one quarter of my calorie intake for a day when I am exercising. FYI, I am not one to count calories, but I find that I naturally consume more calories on days when I exercise than not. Since this is a high fruit smoothie, I really appreciate it pre- or post-workout. For example, late last week, I had this smoothie a couple of hours before running, and found that I had a tremendous amount of energy during my run, so much that I actually ran a couple of extra miles longer than my original plan. I felt great the next morning with almost non-existent muscle soreness, despite my longer than usual run.
For those who do not prefer such a high fruit smoothie, there are a variety of substitutions that one can make for the bananas and OJ. If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear from you. We wish you an enjoyable thanksgiving or thanksliving 🙂
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Persimmon Season Is Upon Us
One of my favorite things about the month of November is visiting local farmers markets to find a beautiful, sweet, orange-colored fruit called the persimmon. Truth be told, I was not aware of the existence of the persimmon until I moved to the left coast in the late 90s. I quickly learned that there are several different types of persimmons, one of which needs to be soft and almost to the point of liquefying to be consumed without having a mouth-puckering astringent taste (I learned this the hard way), namely the Hachiya persimmon. For me, patience is definitely key to the successful consumption of this type of persimmon, which involves patiently waiting for full ripeness.
Two other types of persimmons that I have enjoyed are Fuyu and Amagaki, both of which I eat while they are still hard, with very little to no astringency, depending on the degree of ripeness. These three types of persimmons grow here in northern California and are relatively easy to find in local stores and farmers markets during the months of November and December.
Of course, since I love to know the nutrient content of foods, I did a nutrient analysis of persimmons. The type of persimmon used to determine this information was not specified:
| Persimmon, 3 fruits (75 g) | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 95 | |
| Calcium | 20.3 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 1.87 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Potassium | 232.5 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 49.5 | 70 – 90 mg |
| Protein | 0.6 g |
I was a little disappointed to find that many of the nutrients of interest to me were not reported, such as the B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium. However, I was surprised to see the notable iron, vitamin C, and potassium content of persimmons. For a fruit, I find this to be worthy of consideration.
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Nutrient Analysis of Jackfruit
Last week, a friend dropped by with a rare treat for Rick and me: jackfruit. What is jackfruit? It is a large tropical fruit that has a taste somewhere between bananas and pineapple. I love, love, love the flavor of jackfruit! Our jackfruit pictured below is 15 inches long and 8 inches wide:
Here is a photo of our jackfruit cut in half, revealing the edible yellow sections that surround the seeds:
To eat this jackfruit, I removed the yellow sections from the surrounding husk, removed the seeds from the yellow sections, and enjoyed eating the yellow sections. Here is a photo of the yellow sections with the seeds removed:
Of course, I just had to research the nutrient content of jackfruit, and found this information on my nutrient analysis program:
| Jackfruit – one cup of edible sections | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 155 | |
| Calcium | 56.1 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 0.99 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 0.69 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 61.1 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 500.0 | 4700 mg |
| Protein | 2.43 g |
Per calorie, I found jackfruit to be a surprising source of calcium, iron, and potassium for a fruit. I love good news about foods that I enjoy. ♥
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Cup of Sun, Anyone?
Wow, what a busy summer it has been for us. We spent a good part of the summer traveling and teaching and now we are getting ready to head out on the road again for our fall Science of Raw Food Nutrition I tour. Next weekend (September 29th and 30th, 2012), we will be teaching in Portland and the Seattle area and in October we will be teaching in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. This coming Wednesday, September 26th, 2012, we will be doing an evening talk at the Chaco Canyon Café in Seattle. More information on our fall tour, please click here. We hope to meet you at a future event!
Now on to our blog post: One of the highlights of our summer was the Woodstock Fruit Festival. This event was incredibly enjoyable with great food, fun activities, and a warm community of people. I was amazed with the amount of fruit available for the participants, as well as a variety of fruits that I rarely see in stores, such as longan and lychee. Of course, the festival provided plenty of common fruits such as watermelon, apples, and oranges. In fact, on many of the mornings I found numerous people making fresh squeezed orange juice, which was not unusual, except for the amount that some people were making: 32 ounces, 48 ounces, etc…
In the 22+ years that I have been eating a mostly raw, plant based diet, I have not consumed this much orange juice in one sitting, however it is not unusual for me to make 32 – 48+ ounces of green juice at once. I thought it would be fun to do a nutrient comparison between the ingredients used to make 32 ounces of fresh squeezed orange juice and the ingredients in 32 ounces of a favorite green juice recipe of mine.
Here are the ingredients in my juice recipe:
5 stalks of celery (12” long)
1 lemon, peeled
2.5 medium cucumber, 8” long
1 cup dandelion greens, loosely packed
This recipe made a little more than 32 ounces of green juice. Please note that there is definitely some variation in the amount of juice that one can make from whole foods due to variability in natural products. Here are some of the nutrients found in these ingredients:
| Green juice ingredients | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 213 | |
| Calcium | 373.1 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 4.96 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 2.20 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 159.5 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 2272.4 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 94.8 | 75 – 90 mg |
| Folate | 192 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 4424.8 mcg | |
| Protein | 9.51 g |
This is a very strong nutrient profile, particularly notable is the calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and protein content of these ingredients.
Here are the ingredients for the freshly squeezed orange juice:
8 medium Valencia oranges, cut in half and juiced with a manual citrus press.
This recipe made a little less than 32 ounces of orange juice. Once again, natural variation in ingredients may yield different amounts of juice. I got as close as possible to 32 ounces by using whole ingredients for ease of replication.
Here are some of the nutrients found in these 8 oranges:
| 8 medium Valencia oranges | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 474 | |
| Calcium | 387.2 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 0.87 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 0.58 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 96.8 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 1732.7 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 469.5 | 75 – 90 mg |
| Folate | 377.5 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | Not reported | |
| Protein | 10.1 g |
I have heard many people over the years talking about fruit being low in minerals. In all of the research I have done on the nutrient content of foods, I have seen numerous exceptions to this notion. Oranges are a great example. As one can see, per serving oranges contain more calcium, vitamin C, folate, and protein than the green juice ingredients. The green juice ingredients are superior in iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium content. Imagine that - more protein in oranges than greens??? Hmmm……
It is important to note that this comparison is per serving, if I were to make this an isocaloric comparison, which is a comparison where both samples have an equal number of calories, the green juice would be superior in most nutrients. It is important to consider how much juice one is willing to consume, which is why I did this comparison with equal volumes. Per calorie, green juice ingredients are richer in most nutrients, whereas per serving the green juice and orange juice ingredients are each superior in certain nutrients.
Let us look at an isocaloric comparison between oranges and the green juice ingredients. To get close to 474 calories, we will have to add more ingredients to our green juice formula:
8 stalks of celery (12” long)
2 lemons, peeled
6 medium cucumber, 8” long
3 cup dandelion greens, loosely packed
This recipe (version 2) contains more than double the ingredients as the previously discussed green juice recipe. This is a great example of the fact that greens contain fewer calories, by volume, relative to fruit. Fruits are in general more calorie rich than greens. Simply stated, one would have to eat a much greater volume of greens to get the same number of calories as the original volume of fruit.
Here are some of the nutrients found in the ingredients of version 2 of our green juice recipe:
| Green juice version 2 ingredients | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 476 | |
| Calcium | 846 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 12.2 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 5.05 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 363.9 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 4872.9 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 213.2 | 75 – 90 mg |
| Folate | 374 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 11859.4 mcg | |
| Protein | 21.6 g |
It is important to note that the nutrients reported in these nutrient analyses are based on the ingredients used to make these juices. Information on the actual nutrient content of fresh vegetable and fruit juices is very limited at this time, and I look forward to research being more complete in this area in the future.
Overall, I was AMAZED with the nutrient content of oranges, since they contained greater amounts of important nutrients than I had anticipated. Not surprisingly, an almost isocaloric comparison of 474 calories of oranges and 476 calories of green juice ingredients showed that the green juice ingredients were superior in all nutrients reported with the exception of vitamin C and folate, which were higher in the oranges.
The green juice ingredients were more nutrient dense than the oranges and the oranges were more calorie dense than the green juice ingredients. Each of these foods has their nutritional strengths and weaknesses, which is good information to know when making food choices.
Additionally, these juices were so beautiful and literally glowed when Rick and I placed them in the sun for photographing. There is something to be said for the appearance of foods and their appeal – needless to say these juices did not last long in our house. Cheers!
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Science of Raw Food Nutrition I on the Road Fall 2012 Tour
Whew! Rick and I returned home earlier this week from an amazing time at the Woodstock Fruit Festival to find our raised beds full of ripe heirloom tomatoes! Now, we are teaching our Science of Raw Food Nutrition series of classes here in northern California, after which we will head out on our Science of Raw Food Nutrition I fall tour of the Pacific Northwest and northeastern U.S. We certainly have a busy fall of teaching ahead of us and we hope that you can join us for a class if we are visiting your area.
Our Science of Raw Food Nutrition I “on the road” class is the same class that we teach in northern California in a slightly different format. It is a 12-hour course covering hot topics including plant sources of iron, calcium, protein, vitamin B12, essential fatty acids, blood sugar, pH balance, food changes from cooking, anti-inflammatory nutrition, weight management, anti-aging and longevity, and much more! Science of Raw Food Nutrition I “on the road” is composed of 8 hours of in-class instruction and 4 hours online. For those of you who have wanted to take this class but could not find the time to come to California, here is your opportunity to see us closer to home! We are very happy to bring this class to you!
Here is a list of our upcoming Science of Raw Food Nutrition I on the road dates for September and October:
September 29, 2012 – Portland, OR at the People’s Food Co-op
September 30, 2012 – Kenmore, WA at Bastyr University
October 21, 2012 – Fairfield, CT at Catch a Healthy Habit Café
October 27, 2012 – Washington, DC at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
One of the best ways to keep in touch with us is to join our email list. You’ll receive a free copy of Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on A Raw Plant-Based Diet eBook along with regular information about raw food and plant-based diets and periodic promotions for our classes, events, and other offerings!
Nutrient Analysis of Durian
Durian, what’s that? It is a fascinating fruit that grows in southeast Asia and other tropical areas that has painful spines on its skin (ouch!) and tastes like…..onion pudding (huh?). I have also heard people characterize the taste as garlic custard, vanilla almond pudding, etc. The smell is, well, one of the most unusual smells that I have ever experienced from a fruit. Rick is so repelled by the smell that he has asked me to keep durian on our back porch and not in the house.
It is very rare that I eat durian. In fact, I have not had durian since Rick and I presented at a retreat in Hawaii in 2005. I consider durian to be a fun treat whenever I have it and actually enjoy the unusual taste. Here at the Woodstock Fruit Festival, there is lots of durian :):
It is tricky to open this fruit and before I opened my first durian years ago, I had to educate myself well on how to do so to avoid hurting myself with the spines on the skin. Here is a photo of durian pulp on the inside of the spiny husk:
Here is a photo of durian pulp removed from the husk:
Here is a nutrient analysis of two cups of durian pulp:
| Nutrient | Durian, two cups of edible pulp, seeds & husk removed (486 g) | Adult Daily Values |
| Calories | 714.4 | |
| Protein | 7.14 g | |
| Fat | 25.9 g | |
| Carbohydrate | 131.7 g | |
| Beta-carotene | 111.8 mcg | |
| Thiamin (Vitamin B1) | 1.82 | 1.1 – 1.2 mg |
| Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) | 0.97 | 1.1 – 1.3 mg |
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) | 5.22 | 14 – 16 mg |
| Calcium | 29.2 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 2.09 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Magnesium | 145.8 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 2119.0 | 4700 mg |
| Zinc | 1.36 | 8 – 11 mg |
For the calories consumed, durian is not as nutrient dense as some of the other foods that we have profiled on this blog, such as certain leafy greens. Also note the fat content of durian, it has more fat per calorie than other fruits, with a notable exception: avocado. I have yet to find a source for the omega 3 and 6 content of durian.
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