Posts Tagged ‘kale’

Upon request, Vitamin of the Month is back! Check out previous vitamin of the month posts to see more information on Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E. In keeping with the theme of fat-soluble vitamins, January is the month for Vitamin K!

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K (along with vitamins A, D, and E) is the last of the fat-soluble vitamins. This means that dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of vitamin K into the body. Excess fat soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and adipose (fat) tissue from which the body can retrieve the vitamins later as needed.

What are the health benefits of Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is important for healthy blood clotting and protecting your bones from fractures and postmenopausal bone loss. Many cardiovascular problems are related to the hardening of arteries causing them to become blocked. This in turn impairs blood flow to major organs like the heart and brain causing further medical problems. Vitamin K prevents this hardening or calcification (build up of calcium deposits) within the arteries and therefore limits blockage that may occur. Vitamin K also provides protection against liver and prostate cancer.

(Source)

What is the daily recommended amount of Vitamin K?

People who are deficient in vitamin K suffer from excessive bleeding such as heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding of the gums, digestive tract bleeding, and easy bruising or nose bleed problems. If you are on anticoagulant medications (such as Coumadin) you should discuss vitamin K with your doctor as vitamin K works to clot blood while these medications try to prevent clotting. Other deficiency-related problems include bone loss (osteoporosis) and age-related bone fractures. On the other end of the spectrum there has been no research regarding vitamin K toxicity.

What foods contain Vitamin K?

Foods that contain vitamin K include dark leafy greens such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, asparagus, broccoli, kale, and mustard greens. Cauliflower, green tea, liver beef, and a variety of lettuces are also good sources of vitamin K. Be sure to pick darker lettuces (such as spring mixes that include spinach, arugula, and endive) as they will contain more vitamin K than lettuce with less pigment (such as iceberg) Cooking, freezing, or storing such foods will not effect the amount of vitamin K in any of these foods. It is recommended that men consume 120 micrograms/day and women consume 90 micrograms/day.

Eating only 1/2 – 1 cup of any of these vegetables is enough to meet your your daily needs! So what are you waiting for? Make vitamin K part of your January diet!

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After a long day in Harvey, IL for a Dietetic Internship Seminar, I finally got around to eating my Butternut Squash Tortellini! Unfortunately I crashed into bed before I could get this post up, so here it is now!

This recipe works out perfectly to prepare it ahead of time and freeze it to cook later, which is what I did! It was great to come home after a long day and just have to put on some boiling water for dinner. I got this recipe as well as tips for folding the tortellini from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I LOVE this cookbook!

The inside is a mixture of 2 cups baked/mashed butternut squash, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, and a tsp of sugar. I cheated a little and used pre-made wonton wrappers to wrap the tortellini which made it even easier. Simply spoon about a Tbsp of the mixture into the wrapper and fold it up! You can do whatever kind of sauce you like for this pasta. I did a butter and freshly chopped safe sauce this time around, but next time I am going to put it with some marinara!

Of course while I was waiting for the water to boil I had to make a snack. I went ahead and made some fabulous kale chips!

Since the oven was already on, I went ahead and heated up some cherry tomatoes that I had purchased from the UIC farmers market last Friday. I coated these little guys with some olive oil, minced garlic, and basil and put them in the oven for 15 minutes (at about 350 degrees). Then I pulled the pan out, sprinkled on some whole wheat bread crumbs (from an embarrassingly stale piece of my leftover homemade bread) and feta cheese. Back in the oven for 10 more minutes and they came out looking like this!

The best part is that measurements for both Kale Chip and Garlic Cherry Tomatoes are totally up to you! These recipes are simple and flawless, so add ingredients that suit your taste buds. Since I am just one person I only made 2 cups of cherry tomatoes with 3 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup of both bread crumbs and feta cheese.

As I mentioned before, I still have leftover butternut squash and I was debating making some soup, but after trying these tortellini I may just have to make some more of it and freeze it for another meal down the road!

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Today we are always hearing talk about antioxidants and how we should eat this or drink that becaues it is full of antioxidants that can save us. But what exactly is an antioxidant? Don’t think you can’t know what an antioxidant is just because you hate science. Eat Chic will fill you in with this quick and dirty explanation.

When oxygen reacts with certain compounds it produces free radicals via a process called oxidation. Oxygen can react with compounds that are naturally present in the human body; but it can also react with environmental factors such as ultraviolet rays from the sun, air pollution, and tobacco smoke. When oxygen reacts with any of these, it creates free radicals.

Chemically speaking, a free radical is an unstable, highly reactive molecule. The presence of one free radical creates a whole chain reaction that produces more damaging free radicals. So where do antioxidants fit in? Well antioxidants are substances that can neutralize these free radicals and stop this chain reaction.

Still with me?

Why do we need antioxidants to stop the free radical chain reaction; are free radicals dangerous? Yes. Free radicals cause damage to your body’s proteins and cells, thus impairing their function. Damaged cells with impaired function lead to the development of disease within the body and speeds up the progression of aging. Such diseases can range anywhere from cataracts and arthritis to diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

So how do I get antioxidants to protect me from disease and aging? Many vitamins have antioxidant capabilities including Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Beta Carotene (the compound that gives yellow and orange fruits and vegetables their color). Studies have shown that people who eat diets high in fruits and vegetables with antioxidants have a lower risk for cancer and heart disease.

What foods are high in antioxidants?

• Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
• Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, etc.)
• Pomegranate
• Kale
• Spinach
• Peppers
• Brussel sprouts
• Oats
• Pinto beans
• Soybeans
• Walnuts
• Coffee
• Tea

Try including these foods into your daily diet and be sure to always select a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables! Eating nutritious foods is only the first step to a long and healthy life; to fully protect your body from disease and aging you should also exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and quit smoking.Enjoy this post? Share it with your Facebook friends!

Eat Chic would like to share with you one of our favorite snacks, kale chips! With kale typically available year round, you can easily snatch up a bunch at the grocery store or local farmers market for super cheap. And a bunch goes a long way when it comes to kale chips!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse off your kale, pull the leaves from the stalk, and rip into 2-3 inch pieces (you can make your kale chips as small or large as you want). Place the pieces of kale on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil (or spray with Pam cooking spray). Sprinkle kale with salt and pepper (feel free to experiment with different spices or even add asiago or parmesean cheese!).

Bake in the oven for about 3-5 minutes. Keep and eye on your kale because it cooks VERY fast! Once the edges of the chips brown pull them out of the oven and enjoy!

Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, so if you are trying to get your share of this month’s Vitamin of the Month here is your chance! This crispy veggie treat is sure to get eveyone’s attention this summer!Enjoy this post? Share it with your Facebook friends!