HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--COCONUT, THE NEW KALE?

photo by Tom Woodward

Is coconut the new miracle health food? Every year it seems there’s a new “super” food being touted. Lately it’s coconut. It’s everywhere. There’s coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut water, and of course, shredded coconut. Coconut apparently is the new kale.

Recent research shows that coconut is good for you from head-to-toe. According to the research, coconut can help prevent obesity by speeding up metabolism. It can improve heart health by providing the right type of fatty acids. It’s high in dietary fiber. Coconut can regulate your blood sugar, reduce your craving for sweets, improve your digestion, and give you a quick energy boost.

Some claim coconut has anti-aging properties. It can prevent hair damage, moisturize your skin, and act as a sunscreen.

Coconut can help you lose weight, and even make your brain function better. Other claim coconut has healing properties and aids and supports our immune system functions.

Is this all hype or fact? Lots of foods once touted as being good for us have later been found to be not so good. However, coconut has no trans-fats and is gluten-free. And one thing is certain, populations that eat lots of coconut are some of the healthiest people in the world.

Besides, coconut tastes good, and how many things that taste good are also good for us?

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GARLIC

photo by Fristu

Garlic has been used for medicinal and therapeutic properties for thousands of years. Back in ancient Greece Hippocrates, known as the father of Western medicine, prescribed garlic for treating respiratory problems, poor digestion, various diseases, and even parasites. Throughout history garlic has been used around the world to treat bronchitis, high blood pressure, colic, diabetes, fevers, and other ailments.

Today garlic is still used by many people to prevent various cancers and promote heart health. Research has found that eating garlic seems to boost hydrogen sulfide in our bodies. Hydrogen sulfide is an antioxidant but is poisonous in large concentrations. People who eat diets rich in garlic appear to be protected against certain cancers and heart problems.

Additional research has discovered that exposing garlic to air after it’s chopped promotes the enzyme reaction that releases the cancer-fighting compounds within the garlic. So let your garlic sit for fifteen minutes after you mince it.

COOKING WITH CLORIS -- KALE CHIPS

I have to admit, not only had I never heard of kale chips, I’d never eaten kale until Cloris whipped up a batch in our test kitchen a few weeks ago. Now I can’t get enough of the stuff. And better yet, it’s chock full of vitamins and extremely low in calories. I’m hooked on this super food. -- AP

KALE CHIPS

Ingredients:

1 bag of kale

olive oil

salt

Bagged kale will come minus the thick stems and already cut into bite sized pieces. If you buy a head of kale, remove the thick stems and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces.

Wash and dry the kale thoroughly. (Even though bagged vegetables are pre-washed, I always wash them again.)

Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread kale onto parchment. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until edges are brown.

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--DIABETES SUPER FOODS

You’d have to have been living under a rock for the last year not to know that diabetes has become a huge problem in this country, both for children and adults. Health editor Janice Kerr is here today with some interesting news about recent studies. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! Diabetes is pretty much at epidemic proportions in America. One in four adults are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

There are two types of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, the body doesn’t produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. It converts sugar, starches and other food into energy.

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. It can occur in people of any age, including children. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance in which fat, muscle, and liver cells don’t use insulin properly. The pancreas at first is able to keep up with the body’s demand to produce more insulin, but over time the pancreas loses the ability to secrete enough insulin.

Being overweight and inactive increases a person’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Because of this, we know that maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular exercise, and eating a well-balanced diet can reduce a person’s chances of getting type 2 diabetes. However, there have been some recent studies published that tout four specific foods as “super foods” in the fight against diabetes.

A study at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine claims that drinking one glass of low-fat milk a day can lower your risk of getting diabetes by 44 percent. This is because milk is rich in both calcium and vitamin D, both of which aid your body in using insulin more efficiently.

A study of Chinese women found that those who ate peanuts every day reduced their risk of developing diabetes by up to 21 percent. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, all it takes is an ounce of peanuts a day.

Other studies have found benefits in adding half a teaspoon of cinnamon each day to your diet and at least two servings a week of whole grain brown rice. Cinnamon contains polyphenols which improve the body’s use of insulin. Brown rice contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals that stabilize blood sugar far better than white rice or refined carbohydrates.

Thanks, Janice. I wonder if Cloris can come up with a recipe that incorporates milk, peanuts, cinnamon and brown rice. Shouldn’t be too difficult for our resident kitchen wizard. What do you think, readers? Post a comment to enter the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest this week. -- AP