TOMATOES

Tomatoes are filled with lycopene which is an antioxidant that protects cells from oxygen damage, certain cancers, and heart disease. Some of the cancers it helps fight are breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and pancreatic.

Because the lycopene, which is a carotenoid is absorbed into the body with fats, it's better eaten with certain fats like olive oil, avocados and the like. When buying tomato products try to purchase the darker red organic products, they contain up to three times the lycopene that you get with regular brands.

Tomato cooked with broccoli gives a super double dose of nutrients to protect against and fight prostate cancer. Green Tea is also a super partner with tomatoes to protect against prostate cancer.

Tomatoes that are cut and cooked will make the lycopene more readily available to combine with the good fats to absorbed into the body.

Tomatoes are also very high in vitamins C and A. Vitamin A has a lot of beta-carotene that neutralizes the free radicals that cause illnesses and disease. They also have fiber which is good for maintaining blood sugar levels, helping in the fight against colon cancer, and lowering high cholesterol.

One study also showed that women who ate oil based tomato products at least twice a week had about a 34% lower risk of heart disease. Women who ate seven to ten servings of just tomato
products had a 29% lower risk to those who ate just one to two servings.

Drinking tomato juice also helps with stopping blood clots. One serving of tomato juice per day takes care of this. The juice is also an inflammatory. It's recommended for people who smoke and those not active for long periods at a time while flying, it's good also for those with diabetes type 2.

Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin K which is very good for the bones.

To greatly increase the level of vitamin C, and decrease the inflammation and stress on the arteries and cells from free radicals that occur from oxidation, is having two servings of gazpacho soup a day.

Tomatoes have folate and can help protect against colon cancer. They also contain riboflavin and studies have shown that helps reduce the incidence of migraines. Diabetics also benefit from the chromium which helps keep blood sugar steady.


Choose tomatoes that are deeper red in color as this indicates more lycopene. They should be smooth without wrinkles or bruises. Store them at room temperature. When ready to use they should have a wonderful smell and give slightly to the touch. If they ripened too fast and you're not ready to use them you can put them in the fridge for a couple days. If they are not ripe enough place them into a paper bag with an apple and they will ripen quicker.

Tomatoes have a high acid content and should never be cooked in anything aluminum. The acid breaks down the aluminum and it leaks into the food which is very unhealthy and bad tasting.

Here is the nutritional value for one cup of tomatoes,

• Calories - 38
• Calories from fat - 5
• Protein - 2 g.
  
• Carbohydrates - 8 g
  
• Fiber - 2 g
  
• Sugar - 5 g
  
• Fats - .59 g
• No transfats
• No cholesterol
  

Make tomatoes a regular part of your diet!

WALNUTS

Walnuts have a very high omega-3 content. In fact at 2.5 grams per ounce they contain the highest of any nut. In second place would be the macadamia, and it only has below .5 grams.

Walnuts are also very high in antioxidants. There was a research study done on all plant based foods and it was determined that even sunflower seeds only had about 25% that walnuts do, and other nuts only had about 4%.

Walnuts help keep your cholesterol down by reducing the LDL and increasing the HDL. It also is able to make the LDL particles larger thus making them less likely to stick and clog an artery.

Arteries can become inflamed when the cells inside get damaged and begin to stick and absorb white blood cell and cholesterol which begins to harden. That in turn causes blockage and that leads to heart attacks and strokes.

CRP is a measure of how inflamed the artery walls become. Walnuts decrease CRP levels. Walnuts also decrease VCAM-1 which make white blood cells stick to the artery walls.

When selecting walnut make sure they have no rancid smell. Walnuts have a high content of polyunsaturated fat so they are very perishable. If shelled look for walnuts that are not shriveled or shiny. If whole make sure the shells are not cracked or discolored.

When storing unshelled walnuts refrigerate them or keep them in a cool dark place, if refrigerated they will keep for about six months. Shelled walnuts should be placed in an airtight container and can be kept in the frig for about six months. If you put them in the freezer they can last one year.

Here is nutritional information on walnuts for 1/4 cup,

• Calories 164
• Calories from fat 147
• Protein 4 grams
• Carbohydrates 4 grams
• Fiber 2 grams
• Sugar less than 1 gram
• Total fat 16 grams
• Saturated fats 2 grams
  
• Mono fats 2 grams
  
• Poly fats 12 grams
• No trans fats
• No cholesterol

Walnuts can help lower blood pressure, help prevent cancer, reduce some skin conditions, aid in the minor relief of arthritis, and also seems to have calming effects so we can sleep easier.

BROCCOLI

Broccoli tests on mice have shown that it offers huge protection against stomach cancer and peptic ulcers. The way it works is that a compound found in broccoli stimulates the body to produce another compound called sulforaphane which can make the body produce phase 2 enzymes. Those enzymes can detoxify cancer causing chemicals and are an extremely strong anti cancer agent.

It also lowers the risk of coronary heart disease in women after menopause, and can also reduce the risk of lung cancer. The sulforaphane and indoles in broccoli help reduce tumors in breast cancer and help to stop the cells from metastasising throughout the body.

Broccoli is a member of the crucifers family along with cabbage and cauliflower. Crucifers have been shown to reduce the risk of bladder cancer also.

Two of the flavonoids found in broccoli, kaempferol and luteolin reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 25 to 40%.

Broccoli when eaten with tomatoes are a powerful team to fight prostate cancer. The suggested serving for a middle aged man would be about 2 1/2 cups of tomatoes and 1 1/4 cups broccoli each day. You can also substitute tomato sauce ( 1 cup ), or tomato paste ( 1/2 cup ), for the whole fresh tomatoes.

From various studies over the years broccoli has shown to also be beneficial in restoring skin from sun damage, prevent cataracts, help build strong bones, boost your immune system, and help to prevent birth defects because of the folic acid that aids in the division of cells.

Tomatoes should be cut and cooked to make them even better nutritionally, but broccoli should only be steamed less than 5 minutes, otherwise it starts losing it's benefits.

Broccoli sprouts when about 3 days old have between 20 to 50 times the amount of the cancer compound as does mature broccoli.

Broccoli should not have any yellowing in the florets or be slimy on the stalks when purchasing. Store it in the frig unwashed and in a container or bag where it can get some air. I should keep for about 1 week.

Cutting and chewing broccoli helps to release the good enzymes, but remember not to over steam. Cook the stalks first, the florets need less cooking time. If you're eating broccoli for its health benefits, do not ever microwave it!. Tests have shown that of the 3 main antioxidants contained in it, they lose from 74 to 97% of their potency, whereas steaming the loss is only from 0 to 11%. If you blanch broccoli before freezing it you will lose up to 1/3 of the antioxidants. Boiling it will result in a loss of 56% of those antioxidants. The less water used the better, so steaming is the best way.

You can also lightly stir fry the broccoli in either a tiny bit of broth or if you want to use oil, your best choice is extra virgin olive oil, using as little as possible.

One word of caution about broccoli is that it does contain a compound that can interfere with thyroid function. So if you have a thyroid condition you may want to steer clear of this vegetable.

Here is some nutritional information for 1 cup of steamed broccoli,

• Calories - 44
• Calories from fat - 5
• Protein - 5 grams
• Carbohydrates - 8 grams
• Fiber - 5 grams
• Sugar - 3 grams
• Fats - less than 1 gram and no trans fats
• No cholesterol
  

OLIVE OIL

Olive Oil has the greatest amount of monounsaturated fat. It is the only vegetable oil that can be eaten straight from the olive without any processing and has been around and used for thousands of years.

It also has a high percentage of antioxidants which are good for the heart because they lower the LDL (bad cholesterol), and raise the HDL ( good cholesterol ).

Olive Oil also is gentle on the stomach and is good for ulcers. It also can slow down gallstone formations.

The recommended amount is about 2 tablespoons a day. People who have taken this amount show that they have a higher amount of antioxidants in their blood and a lowering of LDL.

Olive Oil can also help lower the risk of colon cancer second only to Fish Oil.

When shopping for an olive oil here are things to remember. Try to purchase olive oil that is in a dark colored bottle. Heat, light, and air, destroy the oil, and air in particular will cause it to go rancid.

Olive Oil comes from pressing or crushing fresh olives, and the oil that comes from that first pressing is called Extra Virgin Olive Oil and is the best choice for your health.

A second pressing of the olive will give you Virgin Olive Oil which is second in quality.

Pure Olive Oil is when some extra virgin oil is combined with refined and processed olive oil. It is low in quality and in the United States it's just called Olive Oil.

Extra Light Olive Oil is very processed and has little olive flavor. It is also sometimes combined with other vegetable oils.

Here is the nutritional information for 1 tablespoon or 13 grams of olive oil.

• Calories 119
• Calories from fat 119
• Total fat 14 grams
• Saturated fat 2 grams
• No transfat
• No cholesterol, carbohydrates, sodium, sugar, fiber, or proteins.
• Glycemic Load is 0

Heating and cooking with olive oil will not diminish it's health benefits only it flavor. Olive oil has a high smoke temperature of 400 degrees and therefore can be used for frying which is around 356 degrees. Lower temperatures are better for the quality of taste in the oil.


I use olive oil with red wine vinegar as a delicious salad dressing. Just put 2 parts oil per 1 part vinegar, or to taste. I would recommend mixing the salad with the dressing just prior to serving. I believe that is a good way to use less dressing but have it evenly distributed. We tend to use too much dressing by just pouring it on top of the salad.

FLAX SEED

Flax seed contains alpha linolenic acids which our bodies convert into the elements that make the Omega 3 fatty acids beneficial to us. Flax seed lowers our total cholesterol and the bad cholesterol LDL, while at the same time it helps raise the HDL the good cholesterol. It can also lower blood pressure and blood triglycerides, and can keep platelets from being sticky and adding to the causes of heart attacks.

Flax seed also contains an abundance of lignan, which is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are important because when our cells use oxygen they produce a waste product called free radicals which can cause disease. Antioxidants help prevent and fix damage that is done by the free radicals. This can also reduce the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer that is caused by estrogen.

Flax seed also has a lot of fiber and that's important because it lowers LDL and makes us feel fuller after eating it. Fiber is carbohydrates that are indigestible. Flax seed oil helps with the healing of intestines that are inflamed. It should be used in moderation and previous studies have shown a possible connection to prostate cancer.

You shouldn't cook flax seed oil because heat breaks it down. Use milled flax seeds instead of whole because our bodies cannot break down the outer surface of the seed. Milled or ground enables us to use the important interior of the seed that is so beneficial to us.

The seeds are very small and resemble cinnamon. You can sprinkle them into soups, on salads, or just about anything else you eat. They can also be used as an egg substitute in recipes, and were used in the past instead of oil.

The recommended daily amount varies, so a good rule of thumb might be to have about 2 to 5 tablespoons. A tablespoonful of milled flax seed is equal to about 7 grams. When you approach 45 grams or so there is a possibility for diarrhea.

Nutritional information for 1 tablespoon of milled flax seed is

• Calories 37
• Calories from fat 25
• Total fat 3 grams
• No transfat
• No cholesterol
• Sodium 2 mg.
• Carbohydrates 2 grams
• Fiber 2 grams
• No sugars
• Protein 1 gram