Download Healthy Eating for Spring

Healthy Eating for Spring
Lynn Goldstein, MS, RD, CDN
The Jay Monahan Center for
Gastrointestinal Health
Nature Provides the Antidote
for the Harshness of the
Season
Spring Cleaning
 Spring is a time for cleansing
 Spring is the greening season
 For the Spring we focus on cleansing
foods: fruits and vegetables
 Balanced diet for Spring: 10% fat, 60%
carbs, and 30% protein
 Spring carbs: salads, sprouts, greens,
berries
Greens Glorious Greens
 Greens have traditionally been part of a
Spring diet in most cultures
 They are associated with freshening,
cleansing, and building the body
 Greens are high in calcium, magnesium,
iron, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A,
C, E, K
 Greens are great source of fiber, folic acid,
chlorophyll, and many phytonutrients
Benefits of Dark Green Leafy
Vegetables
 Reduced risk of cancer
 Improved circulation
 Strengthened immune system
 Healthy intestinal flora
 Reduced risk of depression
 Improved gallbladder, liver, and kidney
function
Chorophyll
 Gives greens their green
 Resembles hematin - a substance that
when combined with protein forms
hemoglobin (molecules that carry
oxygen in blood)
 Helpful in preventing anemia
 Helpful in healing wounds, peptic or
gastric ulcers, and ulcerated colons
Greens To Try
 Kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens,
broccoli rabe, dandelion
 Spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens are
high in oxalic acid which depletes calcium
from bones and teeth, so these are best
eaten in moderation
 Steam, boil, sauté oil garlic and oil and eaten
raw in salads
 When cooking in water, limit exposure time
to water and heat to prevent loss of nutrients
Marinated Kale Salad
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1 bunch of curly kale
3-4 portabella mushroom caps
1/2 cup onions (mix red and white)
1 pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
2 avocados
1/4 cup tamari sauce (low sodium)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
Great Grains
 Harvested in the Fall but available all year
round
 Unrefined grains are loaded with essential
fatty acids and protein
 Many traditional cultures still get most of
their protein from grains
 Each culture has a grain: Asian/Indian - rice,
African - sorghum, Middle East - pita bread,
tabouli, couscous, Europe - corn, millet,
wheat, and rice, Scotland - oats, Russia buckwheat (kasha)
Great Grains
 Contains high levels of fiber and B
vitamins
 Grains are absorbed slowly helping to
sustain blood sugar levels and
providing long-lasting energy
 Good for diabetics to control blood
sugar levels
Cooking Grains
 Recommend soaking grains in cold water for
1-8 hours, which will soften them and make
them more digestible as well as eliminating
phytic acid
 Phytic acid is a natural plant antioxidant and
it has the ability to bind minerals, proteins
and starch, and the resulting lower
absorption of these elements
 Add grains to boiling water with pinch of salt
and cook
Quinoa
 Highest nutritional profile of all the grains
 Contains all 8 essential amino acids complete protein - higher than any other
grain
 High in B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium,
calcium, and vitamin E
 Gluten free
 Stabilize blood sugar
Quinoa Tabouli Salad
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1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
3 cups water
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup parsley
1/2 cup scallion
1/2 cup tomato
Salt/pepper to taste
Fruits
 Fruits starting to come available in Spring
are cherries, blueberries, strawberries
 Dried fruits are a great Spring option
 Fruits are loaded with fiber, phytonutrients,
antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
 The different colors of the fruits are created
from chemicals that are powerful
antioxidants
 Over the past decade researchers have
been closely looking at berries for their
powerful benefits on health
Benefits of Berries
 Berries are high in vitamin C and folic acid
 As important, they are rich in phytochemicals
called anthocyanins, which are chemicals
that cause the red, blue, and purple color in
fruits
 Reduce the risk of heart disease,
degenerative eye disease, cancer, and
bladder infections; may help degenerative
diseases of the brain; and have antiinflammatory properties
Benefits of Berries
 The darker the berry, the more powerful
the benefit
 Eating 2/3 cup blueberries will give you
as much antioxidant protection as 5
apples
 These benefits come from fresh, frozen
or dried
Tri-Berry Salad
 2 tbsp yogurt
 Juice of 1/2 lime (1tbsp)
 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
 4 medium strawberries,
stemmed/quartered
 1/4 cup raspberries
 1/4 cup blueberries
How You Eat Is As Important
As What You Eat
 Eat only when hungry
 Take a moment before eating to relax and
breathe
 Eat slowly and chew well
 Eat only what you need
 After eating, relax, then do some light
movement like walking to help digest
 Do not eat at least 2 hours before bedtime
 Eat a balanced diet
The information in this slide presentation is
intended for healthy individuals, not for those
with digestive or other disorders.
Please talk with your doctor or nutritionist about
an eating regimen that is right for you.