Nutritional health is achieved through the therapeutic use of whole foods, safe culinary preparation, and understanding the metabolic impacts of specific dietary frameworks and ingredients.
Oxalate is a chemical compound that occurs naturally in almost every plant to some degree, including fruit, vegetable and grain plants. Oxalate is usually located in leaves or bark, where the compound binds with calcium to remove it when plants go through their seasonal shedding.
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Because dense, creamy cheesecakes can be easily damaged by inverting them onto cooling racks or plates, they require special two-piece springform pans with removable sides.
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Almonds are related to peaches, apricots and cherries. Unlike their pitted cousins, however, the edible nut is situated inside a tough, fleshy outer layer that becomes its hull upon maturation.
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It’s no surprise that most of America’s sesame seed crop is used by the baking industry -- the flavorful seeds are a familiar topping on bread, rolls, breadsticks, crackers and biscuits.
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Sucanat -- a granulated sugar that takes its acronym-like name from the words “sugar cane natural” -- is often marketed as less refined and more nutritious than table sugar, or sucrose. Although it is minimally processed, Sucanat isn’t any healthier than other types of sugar.
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With its innumerable varieties, cabbage is considered the king of the family of cruciferous vegetables, which also includes Brussels sprouts, turnips, kale, collards, mustard greens, rutabaga, broccoli and cauliflower.
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Whether it’s because they’re economical, intensely flavored or usually found in a can, sardines are widely regarded as low-end fare in the United States. These small, plentiful fish are as nutritious as they are underappreciated, however, which is why "The New York Times"
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Calories -- formally known as kilocalories -- measure the amount of energy supplied by food and beverages. The number of calories your body requires to function and maintain itself depends on a variety of factors, including your body size, your metabolism, your activity level and your gender.
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When it comes to produce, perishability isn’t necessarily a liability – buy a pint of raspberries and you know you’ll have about a week to eat them before they go to waste. Acorn squash, like other winter squash varieties, keeps far longer than most fresh produce.
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Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps cakes rise. Cakes that don’t call for baking powder, or some other leavening agent, are typically cheese- or milk-based. Cheesecake doesn’t require baking powder, but many cheesecake recipes call for vanilla extract.
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Just as often as carbohydrates and fat are shunned in the name of weight loss, protein is turned to as a sure-fire way to keep off excess pounds. Although protein is designed to maintain body tissues and can’t be stored as-is, eating more protein than your body requires can lead to extra body fat.
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A number of world cuisines, including Jamaican, Filipino, Indonesian and Indian, incorporate coconut into savory dishes as well as sweet desserts. In Thailand, which has the lowest cancer rate of all 50 countries surveyed by the National Cancer Institute, some form of coconut appears in almost every dish.
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Eggplants belong to the nightshade plant family, which includes tomatoes and potatoes. Eggplants are high in dietary fiber, containing 2.5 g per 3 1/2-oz. serving. They’re also rich in potassium and vitamins B1 and B6, and are good sources of folic acid, niacin, magnesium and phosphorous.
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If the yogurt section of your local dairy case seems to have expanded in the last few years, it could be because yogurt is big business in the United States -- Americans spend almost 7 billion dollars a year on the cultured dairy product, according to the National Yogurt Association.
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Pumpkins are something of a natural two-for-one deal. Whether you use them to make jack-o-lanterns or pie, all pumpkins contain a valuable prize in their pulpy core -- nutritious, edible seeds.
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Muesli and granola are virtually indistinguishable on the grocery store shelf. Despite sharing many common ingredients and remarkably similar histories, however, the two oat-based cereals are actually quite different.
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It’s probably safe to assume that the average American enjoys popcorn -- the whole-grain snack is consumed at a per-capita rate of about 200 cups a year, according to the U.S. popcorn industry. At its best, popcorn is low in calories and fat, a good source of dietary fiber and virtually sodium-free.
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Flaxseed, also known as linseed, is a leading source of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. Grinding the glossy brown seeds into fine particles is what unlocks their nutritional benefits, as whole flaxseeds are so small they usually pass through the intestinal tract undigested.
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Carrots are the second most widely consumed root vegetable in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Although potatoes may be the perennial favorite, carrots still have a lot to offer. These sweet, earthy vegetables are low in calories, a good source of fiber and incredibly versatile.
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Lysine is an essential amino acid that plays an active role in growth and development, collagen formation, calcium absorption and cholesterol regulation. Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid involved in wound healing, immune system function and hormone secretion.
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