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Monday, July 29, 2013

Summer gardens are bursting with peas. Great recipes on how to eat them

Eat your peas! Here is the great reason why


Growing up your Mom would tell you eat your peas! And like most kids you did not like them. I remember my youngest brother eating them like he was taking pills. It was painful to watch  as he would take a mouth full of water and only a few peas in his mouth as he would try to swallow them whole. He would continue this grueling task till the pile of peas on his plate were gone. My other brothers and I would laugh at his funny tradition. The funny thing is if he ever tried them he would have realized they were tender sweet  morsels fresh from the garden. Now as an adult he actually enjoys eating his peas and we will  now see if his sons are like him and don’t eat their peas.
There are many varieties of peas. Peas date back as far back as the biblical days.
Peas are rich in Vitamin B and folate, which are important for in proper metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. They also provide antioxidant protection.

Garden Peas -
Snow Peas -Great in a stir fry or in a salad
Snow Pea, orange and jicama salad
  • 4 cups snow peas (about 12 ounces), trimmed
  • 2 oranges
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 small jícama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

Sugar Snap Peas – I like these raw on a salad or dipped in hummus or cooked lightly
  1. Spread sugar snap peas in a single layer on a medium baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with shallots, thyme, and kosher salt.
  2. Bake at 450 in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender but firm.
Green Peas promote bone health. The vitamin K that is found in peas helps activate the protein in the bone. It can help fight off osteoporosis. Peas also support your cardiovascular health as well.. These little peas help repair blood vessels that leads to a healthy heart. and helps the blood clot. The potassium and magnesium helps regulate blood pressure and the fiber helps lower cholesterol levels.
Peas also help promote eye health by protecting against oxidative stress. People with a diet high in lutein and zeaxanthin have less risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.
Peas a re a great source of energy producing cells and systems in the body. The high Vitamin B helps with the metabolism of protein , carbohydrates and lipids.
They are also important in normal blood cell formation and function. The iron in them helps fight off anemia, fatigue, learning problems and decreased immune functions.
1 Cup of green peas provides 17% of your Daily Value of protein
and 9% of the daily value of carbohydrates
and is 134 calories
Source
The World’s Healthiest Foods
Eating Well

Great Foods that help prevent muscle cramps after working out

Muscle cramps slowing you down from working out?


Speed recovery and decrease muscle cramping from working out.
Muscle cramps are no reward for your hard work out. So to avoid those nasty leg cramps try a few of my tips.
Avoid caffeine. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels and decreases circulation in muscles.
Potassium helps your body break down carbohydrates and build muscle.
Eat foods High in Potassium like:
Swiss Chard- it has 27 percent of you daily value and is only 35 calories per serving. Great way to eat it is raw in a salad or lightly saute in a pan with olive oil, garlic and crush red pepper.
Lima Beans- it also is 27 percent of your daily value. It has 216 calories per serving.
Potatoes and Yams are also great sources at 26 percent of the daily value and only 160 calories.
Spinach is 23.9  percent of the daily value with only 41 calories
Papaya is 22 percent   of the daily value with 119 calories
Pinto beans  21 percent of the daily value and is 245 calories
Lentils   pack 20 percent of the daily value and are 230 calories
Kidney beans  also pack 20 percent of the daily value and are 225 calories per serving.
These foods may make  great sit down meal  but, no one is walking around the gym eating their spinach salad with papaya dressing while working out. Besides juicing, the easiest ways to  consume extra potassium on the go would be -
grab a handful of dried fruit
a glass of tomato juice, citrus juice, or milk
a slice of melon, banana, or an orange
 Drinking  plenty of water will also  help flush the waste product from your muscles  and improve circulation.
Sources
World’s Healthiest Foods