It’s Salad for this weeks topic: In the psychiatric world salad may be the patient with multiple personalities! Salad takes on so any forms: a vegetable salad, pasta salads, egg salads, potato salads, grain salads, meat/fish or chicken salads and even fruit salads. Did I forget any? Probable so! First we will start with the health benefits of a traditional green salad. Tuesday – Friday will be fun recipes and the health pros of a particular element of the dish. If we go down the road of an ingredient(s) you do not eat, or like, not to worry, remember that Salad almost means – “hey you can sub or omit as you please” – it is very much like vegetable soup in that way!
Lets start with good old lettuce! Did you know arugula, watercress and mizuna are not technically lettuce but are indeed vegetables? These greens are often used interchangeably with lettuces in salads, and we will mix them into our salad/lettuce bowl as well!
A little History of lettuce (who knew!?)
Native to the eastern Mediterranean region and western Asia, lettuce has a long and distinguished history. With depictions appearing in ancient Egyptian tombs, the cultivation of lettuce is thought to date back to at least 4500 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans held lettuce in high regard both as a food and for its therapeutic medicinal properties. (Can be a Diuretic, good for the digestive tract, improves circulation in that it can help to diminish cholesterol, and as a Sedative – lettuce has a tranquilizing effect. It helps to calm the nerves, to control palpitations and to sleep better at nights – all according to http://www.botanical-online.com/medicinalslactucasativasangles.htm)
In China, where lettuce has been growing since the 5th century, lettuce represents good luck. It is served on birthdays, New Year’s Day and other special occasions. Christopher Columbus introduced varieties of lettuce to North America during his second voyage in 1493. Lettuce was first planted in California, the lettuce capital of the United States, by the Spanish missionaries in the 17th century. Its popularity across the US did not become widespread until centuries later with the development of refrigeration and railway transport.” (www.whfoods.com)
A little Health knowledge about lettuce.
As a general rule, the darker the color, the higher the nutrients. Darker leaves contain vitamin C (ascorbic acid), iron, beta-carotene, calcium and fiber. Do you wonder what Vitamin C, Iron, beta-carotene, calcium and fiber do for you? Well read on and you shall know.
| Vitamin C: An. Antioxidants Vitamin C and beta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. We all know Rich sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, and potatoes….But did you know, Fresh, green, leafy vegetables (that would be lettuce folks) , as broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, turnip greens, parsley, sweet peppers, and cabbage also contain high amounts of vitamin C. Iron: Iron is an essential component of hundreds of proteins and enzymes in your body. It aids in oxygen transport and energy metabolism and plays a role in DNA synthesis. And… Iron is a vital nutrient. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. A low iron intake can lead to iron deficiency anemia. This condition can cause mental and physical impairment, especially in teenagers. There are two forms of iron: heme and non-heme. The heme iron comes from animal sources, and is more readily absorbed by the body than the non-heme iron in vegetables. (Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/374512-nutrition-iron-rich-foods-meats-vegetables/#ixzz1Rl1FWdVw and http://www.livestrong.com/article/437749-list-of-iron-rich-foods-vegetables/#ixzz1Rl0HblBD Beta-carotens: Beta carotene, which is a powerful phytonutrient that boosts the immune system’s production of infection-fighting natural killer cells and T cells. These cells are healthy and attack and kill off disease-ridden microbes. http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_150/159_eating_well.html Best sources of beta carotene Dark-colored produce, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, broccoli and spinach. ( http://www.shape.com/beauty-and-style/skincare/skincare-basics/skin-solutions/healthy-foods-and-the-good-skin-diet) Calcium – Well, need I say more than BONES. Fiber: Need I say it – you all know about fiber but just in case… In the colon, fiber binds to bile salts and removes them from the body. This forces the body to make more bile, which is helpful because it must break down cholesterol to do so. This is just one way in which fiber is able to lower high cholesterol levels. |
Lettuce can be classified into various categories with the most common being:
Romaine: Also known as Cos, this variety of head forming lettuce has deep green, long leaves with a crisp texture and deep taste.
Crisphead: With green leaves on the outside and whitish ones on the inside, this variety of head lettuce has a crisp texture and a watery, mild taste. The best known variety of crisphead lettuce is iceberg.
Butterhead: These types of lettuce feature tender large leaves that form a loosely arranged head that is easily separated from the stem, a sweet flavor and a soft texture. The best known varieties of Butterhead lettuce include Boston and Bibb.
Leaf: Featuring broad, curly leaf varieties that are green and/or red, the leaf lettuces offer a delicate taste and a mildly crispy texture. Best known varieties of leaf lettuce include green leaf and red leaf.
Ok – so straightaway you are hopefully psyched to eat tons of salad, it’s so easy to do in the summer. You are now “in the know” for lettuce/salad and we will get on with recipes starting tomorrow! In the meantime, how about a nice clean wedge if lettuce with a few cherry tomatoes to go with tonight’s dinner? Can it get any easier to eat salad? I don’t think so!
