Different grades of olive oil help illustrate how processing can affect not only taste and antioxidant content but have important health implications as well. Extra-virgin comes from the first pressing and contains the largest amounts of polyphenols, which are an important source of antioxidants found in olive oil. Virgin oil, a lesser grade, comes from the second pressing. Pure olive oil is not pure at all. This is a still lower grade of olive oil that has been extracted using solvents and or heat which results in lower levels of polyphenols.

It is best to use extra virgin olive oil which is closest to its natural state and has the greatest amount of anti-oxidant polyphenols. Extra virgin olive oil is not only the best tasting grade but has demonstrated superior health benefits too. The better grades of olive oil, containing greater concentrations of anti-oxidant polyphenol compounds, are more effective in protecting LDL, bad cholesterol, from oxidation than lesser grades. LDL oxidation causes atherosclerotic plaques and lesions to develop and is thought to play an important role in the development of heart disease.

While chefs may tell you to use extra-virgin olive oil for salads and reserve less expensive oil for sautéing I would disagree. Sautéing meats with better grades of olive oil will also help reduce the formation of heterocyclic amines which are mutagenic compounds associated with increased rates of cancer. I use extra-virgin to sauté, in salads and as my general all purpose oil.

Nothing says “summer” more than eating meaty, lip-dripping, watermelon slices on a hot humid day. You may be surprise to know that something so delicious is actually good for you too.

This summertime treat helps boosts blood levels of a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.  Lycopene belongs to a family of compounds known as carotenoids which give many fruits and vegetables their vibrant orange, yellow and red colors. Identified as heart healthy and a cancer fighter, lycopene is responsible for the red color found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit. Individuals found to have higher lycopene blood levels had a much reduced incidence of heart disease and prostate cancer.

When people think of lycopene they often think of tomatoes, but watermelon actually contains 40% more lycopene than fresh tomatoes by weight. Whereas the cooking process, by releasing lycopene from the cell walls, helps makes lycopene from tomatoes more freely absorbable by the body, watermelon lycopene is just as easily absorbed fresh from the fruit.

Here’s a watermelon recipe that is sure to be a hit around your house…

Watermelon Gazpacho
Here’s a watermelon take on a classic gazpacho traditionally made with tomatoes. Either way, gazpacho is a great way to get your lycopene fix. The extra virgin olive oil adds a silky smoothness to the dish and will help boost you body’s ability to absorb the fat-soluble lycopene.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
7 cups cut in 3-4 inch segments + 1 cup finely diced watermelon (about 6 lbs with rind)
1 cup diced cucumbers
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Puree in batches 7 cups watermelon in food processor. Transfer to large bowl.
Add remaining 1 cup diced watermelon, cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion to bowl.
Stir in sherry vinegar, add black pepper and garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Whenever I am cutting onions I am always reminded of the onion chopping scene in a hilarious French indie film Diva, where Jules, the main character, is wearing a scuba mask and snorkel to prevent crying. Crying is good. It means that the onions you are chopping have a lot of organosulfur compounds. These are the same compounds that give garlic its wonderful pungent aroma and are found in the Allium family of vegetables which also include leeks, chives and shallots. The organosulfur compounds found in onions and other Allium vegetables have been linked with anti-cancer benefits.

In terms of antioxidants and anti-cancer properties the more pungent, the more they make you cry, the better. Pungent varieties, such as Shallots, Western Yellow, New York Bold, Northern Red, have more flavonoid and anti-oxidant content and were more effective in limiting liver and colon cancer growth, than less pungent varieties, such as Mexico, Peruvian Sweet, Western white, and Vidalia.  Onions are one the richest sources of flavonoids in our diet. Potent antioxidant compounds found in vegetables, fruit and beverages such as tea and wine, flavonoids are linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

You don’t have to don a scuba mask the next time your recipe calls for chopped onions. Simple refrigeration of onions prior to chopping will keep the tears to a minimum.

Tomatoes contain a carotenoid called lycopene which gives tomatoes their red color and has antioxidant properties. Lycopene may be one of the reasons tomato consumption has been linked with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. Interestingly, tomato sauce consumption has been associated with an even greater reduction in prostate cancer risk compared with raw tomatoes and the availability of lycopene may be responsible.

When we cook tomatoes to make a sauce, lycopene is liberated from the cell walls and is more readily absorbed which may explain the observed reduced prostate cancer risk. In fact cooking tomatoes for just 30 minutes will increase lycopene levels three fold and antioxidant activity will increase by more than half. Blending tomatoes in a food processor or a blender will also help free up lycopene and make it more readily absorbable. Lycopene, like other carotenoids, is fat soluble so a little extra virgin olive oil will help improve absorption.

My mom was always dishing out the nutritional advice during dinner. I was never sure if she really meant it, or it was some ploy to get me, my brother and sister to finish our plates. One popular refrain included, “Eat your broccoli. It’s good for you”.

It turns out that mom was right.

Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables which also includes arugula, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy, collards, kohlrabi, mustard, turnip, red radish and watercress. Cruciferous vegetables are known cancer fighters because they contain powerful antioxidants called organosulfur compounds. Notice the wonderful pepper taste when you eat cruciferous vegetables? These are the organosulfur compounds that are so good for you. Women with the highest levels of these organosulfur compounds had a 50% reduced risk of developing breast cancer. Similarly, men who consume just three or more servings of cruciferous veggies per week had a 41% decreased risk of developing prostate cancer.

So listen to your mom, and eat your broccoli!

Far from being an “empty calorie” sweetener like refined sugars, honey has demonstrated some surprising anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. In healthy and high-cholesterol individuals honey:

• lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol
• lowers homocysteine (a risk factor for heart disease and stroke)
• shows anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties by lowering CRP, a blood marker of inflammation.

These health benefits may be explained by the antioxidants contained in honey. When choosing honey, the darker the better in terms of antioxidants. Buckwheat honey, for example, is darker in color and contains higher antioxidant concentrations than the lighter-colored clover honey. Also remember unless you choose raw honey, you will lose many of these health benefits as heating and processing will destroy these antioxidants. Honey is not recommended for children less than one years old, due to the risk of infant botulism.

Here’s a tip to make measuring honey a pleasure and not a sticky mess! Spray a little olive oil or lightly grease your cups and spoons, before you measure, to prevent the honey from sticking. Enjoy!

With summertime just around the corner, here’s a favorite cantaloupe recipe of mine that’s easy-to-make, incredibly elegant and will help your skin look younger too. Cantaloupe is loaded with sun-protecting betacarotene, the bright-orange pigment found in cantaloupe that is a powerful antioxidant. Better known for its anticancer properties, betacarotene keeps your skin young and healthy by decreasing your skin’s sensitivity to sunburn. Other foods high in betacarotene include carrots, mango, squash, peaches and broccoli.

Another skin-healthy compound, found in this recipe, is limonene which gives citrus peels its bitter taste and has been linked with a reduction in skin cancer. Be sure to use the zest or citrus peels in your dishes as limonene is mainly found in the citrus peels and not in the juice.

While no substitute for sunscreen, it’s good to know that you can help keep your skin young by eating right. I have always been a big fan of getting your vitamins and nutrients from fruits and veggies, especially since the health claims of some vitamin supplements have been called into question.

Cantaloupe with Lemon Zest
I find that the simplest recipes most often taste the best. This elegant summertime favorite is deceptively delicious contrasting the sweetness of cantaloupe with the tang of lemon juice and zest.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 medium cantaloupe
Juice and zest of 3 lemons

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut cantaloupe in half and remove seeds. Cut each half into 6 slices. Using a paring knife cut away rind in one piece. Re-assemble each cantaloupe slice, putting flesh with rind, and carefully cut each slice into 1/2 inch segments leaving the rind intact.

2. Drizzle lemon juice over each prepared cantaloupe slice. Top with zest and serve. Enjoy

Organic produce is more expensive than conventionally grown produce, so why buy organic? Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Traditional farming methods such as crop rotation, mulches and tillage are used to control weeds and natural fertilizers are used to enrich the soil. Besides limiting the pesticide residues you consume, organic farming methods kick up the nutritional value of the food you eat.

With no protective pesticides, organically grown produce is under more environmental stress from insects and competing plants compared to conventionally grown produce. Fruits and vegetables respond to these environmental stressors by producing greater amounts of antioxidants to build up their protective defenses. Organically grown blackberries, for instance, have 50% higher antioxidant levels compared with conventionally grown. Similarly, organically grown corn was found to have 58 % higher levels of antioxidants including Vitamin C. Often tastier than their conventionally grown counterparts, this is another good reason to go organic.

Mom was right. “Eat your Broccoli it’s good for you.”

Now recent evidence has shown that the antioxidant protection from 2 servings of broccoli per day is superior to taking a multivitamin supplement. Oxidative stress was reduced 22% by eating 2 servings of broccoli, while no change was observed with a multivitamin. Like rust damaging your car, oxidative stress causes your body to rust and age prematurely.

There is mounting evidence that getting antioxidants from food is superior to supplements. In fact, several studies have suggested that some vitamin supplements may do more harm than good.

Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables which also includes arugula, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy, collards, kohlrabi, mustard, turnip, red radish and watercress. Notice the wonderful pepper taste when you eat cruciferous vegetables? These are the organosulfur compounds that are so good for you and provide you with antioxidant and cancer protection. So take 2 cruciferous veggie servings and…

We’re not listening to mom when she pleads to “eat your veggies.” Despite government campaigns and slogans, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows there has been a small decrease in veggie intake and no improvement in Americans’ fruit consumption.

The study compared dietary survey data from almost 15,000 adults during 1988 to 1994 with a later survey from 8,900 adults during 1999 to 2002. The results for the average American are sobering:

• only 28 percent meet USDA guidelines for fruits
• only 32 percent meet USDA guidelines for veggies
• less than 11 percent meet USDA guidelines for both fruits and veggies
• 62 percent did not consume any whole fruit servings
• 25 percent reported eating no daily vegetable servings

Practically all the disease-preventing antioxidants in our diet come from fruits, veggies and whole grains. Besides being nutritionally rich, fruits and veggies are also low in calories. Unfortunately, the refined processed-foods that are so pervasive not only are nutritionally poor but also calorically dense. Little wonder that we are witnessing an epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases in this country.