A day doesn't go by when news of the benefits of certain foods is trumpeted, making one wonder if it's better to indulge in them rather than pop pills.
"The more people learn about the benefits and the value of food as medicine, the better," says Fran Berkhoff, Canadian consultant and editor of "Food Cures: Breakthrough Nutritional Prescriptions For Everything From Colds To Cancer" (Reader's Digest).
She thinks the message is getting out there, she says, and "they aren't complicated foods, they are just everyday foods."
"When we talk about fast food, what could be faster than a piece of fruit?" Berkhoff asks. "Some of the best convenience foods are really good for us, such as a handful of almonds or a dish of blueberries."
Almonds have been found to be a good source of vitamin E and are rich in calcium, while blueberries contain generous amounts of antioxidants and may help to prevent heart disease and cancer.
Berkhoff says the concept of food as medicine is many thousands of years old. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, prescribed a veritable pharmacy of edibles.
"We've also learned more about the healing powers of specific foods," she points out in the book. "We now know that pumpkin seeds improve symptoms of an enlarged prostate, that regularly eating yogurt effectively suppresses the bacteria that causes most ulcers and that cabbage helps the stomach lining heal."
There is a chapter on specific foods that are beneficial and another on healing herbs and spices. Good fats are noted and smart carbs are explained.
This book is a valuable resource for anyone concerned about their health and well-being.
Here is a recipe for a quinoa salad made with this super grain which is considered a complete protein and is higher in unsaturated fat and lower in carbohydrates than other grains.
Corn, Tomato and Quinoa Salad
250 ml (1 cup) quinoa, rinsed well
2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) salt
50 ml ( 1/4 cup) lime juice
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) flaxseed oil
0.5 to 2 ml (1/8 to 2 tsp) crushed red pepper
5 ml (1 tsp) honey (optional)
250 ml (1 cup) fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 500 ml (2 cups) water. Add quinoa and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, flaxseed oil, red pepper and honey, if using.
Add corn, tomato and avocado to quinoa. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat well.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrients per serving: 345 calories, 8 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 7 g fibre, 17 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 310 mg sodium.
