#161: Organics For You - What's Up Doc?

February 15, 2008

Contents


  1. What's Up Doc?
  2. Immune Boosters
    3. What's Up Doc?

    Bugs Bunny’s favorite term of endearment has always been, “doc.” Considering how often he eats raw carrots, it’s probably rare that the wascally wabbit actually has to see a doctor. Cartoon characters aside, a carrot a day will compete with the proverbial apple to keep you safely out of the doctor’s office. Beta carotene, the best-known nutrient in carrots, lends carrots their orange color and transforms into vitamin A in digestion. Other nutritious components in carrots include vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C, K folic acid, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, colbalt, chlorophyll, and amino acids. Carrots also contain fiber and vegetable protein. Juicing carrots frees the vitamins from the dense fiber, and makes the vitamins easier to uptake. Gently cooking carrots similarly breaks down the fiber, making the nutrients and more available and the sweetness more prominent.

    So what’s the benefit of all of that nutrition? The combined action of beta carotene and an antioxidant called falcarinol found in carrots may work together to prevent cancer and reduce tumors. Eating a carrot a day reduces the risk for several cancers and lowers cholesterol. One interesting study showed that tobacco smoking induces vitamin A deficiency, causing emphysema. Even more interesting is that eating carrots seemed to reverse the effect. If you are frequently exposed to second hand tobacco smoke, you can protect yourself by eating carrots.

     

    Carrots are plentiful year round because planting is now staggered throughout the year, and carrots store extremely well. Like any root vegetable, the roots should be stored separately from the leaves, or the leaves will drink all of the moisture out of the roots. Wrap carrots in a towel to retain moisture, and separate them in the refrigerator from fruits and vegetables like apples and potatoes which release ethylene gas as the ripen because the ethylene can make the carrots taste bitter. Sarah Aubry

     

     

    Immune Boosters

    With spring a few weeks away, let nutritious fruits and veggies keep cold and flu season from overwhelming you. To fight off disease, your immune system relies on quick-response cells circulating your body to seek and destroy invading germs, and major organs which serve as infection-barriers (your skin and gastrointestinal tract), as well as specialized molecules that signal for immune action to start or stop. It’s a complex system that requires more than just vitamin C to protect you effectively. You need a vast array of vitamins to keep your immune system functioning optimally, and eating a variety of differently colored organic fruits and vegetables is a great start. So-called “conventional” produce is likely to contain pesticide residue even after it’s washed, because plants drink up chemicals just like they drink water; avoid any excess toxins when you’re trying to stay healthy.

    If there is “something going around” that you don’t want to catch, wash your hands frequently & look to good food choices for safe preventative medicine. Aromatic or pungent foods like garlic, ginger, onions, and hot peppers, contain strong magic for keeping you in good health. Garlic has been used over the course of human history to remedy every kind of ailment imaginable—including coughs, colds, blocked arteries, animal bites, intestinal parasites, depression, fatigue, impotence, infected wounds and more. Modern scientists, starting with Louis Pasteur have demonstrated garlic’s antibacterial strength. Garlic contains more than 33 sulfurous substances which are responsible for its strong smell and for its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. To prevent an infection coming on, eat two or three raw or lightly cooked garlic cloves per day (to avoid smelling like garlic, eat it right before bed with a little bit of milk). Ginger is especially helpful as a digestive aid, and offers symptomatic relief for stomach cramps, bloating, gas, and nausea—including morning sickness. Onions contain antioxidants and sulfurous compounds, and offer specific protection for your stomach and colon. Hot peppers (if you like spice) contain vitamin C, help to detoxify the body, and clear up congestion.

     

    Less intensely flavored fruits and vegetables are also very helpful. Whole, fresh fruits and veggies are high in fiber which promotes a strong gastrointestinal barrier. Eating dark leafy green vegetables including kale, collards, chard, mustard greens, beet greens, and dandelion greens provides lots of vitamins A, C, E and K as well as folic acid and other B vitamins which support your immune system’s circulating T-cells and B-cells. Supplement your variety of fresh fruits and veggies with healthy protein and a source of omega 3 fatty acids (like flax seed oil or fish) and your immune system will be strong for any late-season battles! SA