Food, Recipe, and Activity of the Week - August 2, 2009
This week's features include:
Food - Raspberries
Recipe - Berry blast smoothie
Activity - Baseball
Native to North America, the Rubus spp., or more commonly, the raspberry is a woody perennial that belongs to the rose family. Raspberries are related to strawberries and exist in various colors including red, black, yellow, and purple. The most common type is the red raspberry, which can be found in most grocery stores. The black raspberry, which tends to have more seeds than the red, is a popular item in jams and ice cream.
Raspberries are grown from May to November in various locations but are imported during the colder from Chile and New Zealand.
Raspberries are extremely perishable and should be used shortly after purchased. Once harvested the berry does not continue to ripen. Therefore, preserving the flavor is very important and could be achieved by storing the berries in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days, avoiding soaking them in water, and gently drying them before consumption.
Nutrition
Research has identified phytochemicals in fruits, including raspberries, as being high in nutraceuticals bringing them into the medical spotlight. Nutraceuticals are substances that provide medical or health benefit and are believed to help fighting some cancers. In addition to nutraceuticals, raspberries contain antioxidants, which are compounds or groups of compounds that neutralize unstable molecules in humans. Examples of antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E, lycopene and ellagic acid. National independent research suggests that consumption of fruits containing these compounds may slow the aging process in both the body and the brain. Black Raspberries have especially high levels of these compounds and the Caroline red raspberry has the highest levels of any red raspberry tested.
Raspberries are rich in vitamin C, folate, iron, and potassium. The seeds also provide high amounts of fiber, which helps in regulating cholesterol levels. Fresh raspberries provide the greatest health benefits, but since cooking does not destroy the antioxidants ellagic acid, raspberry jam may also be beneficial.
Nutrient content per 1 cup of raw raspberries: Calories: 60 kcal, Carbohydrate: 14 g, Fiber: 8 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 g, Sodium: 0 mg, Potassium: 187 mg, Vitamin C: 31 mg, Vitamin A: 16 RE
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 cups raspberries
- 2 cups strawberries
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1 cup 100% cran-raspberry juice
- 1 cup low fat blueberry yogurt
- 2 cups ice
Instructions:
- Place all items into blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information: 100 calories, 1 grams total fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, 20 milligrams sodium, 0 milligrams cholesterol.
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more recipes and access to the recipe’s full nutritional profile, visit www.cdc.gov.
“Let's play ball!” Since the 1860's baseball has been known as America 's “national pastime.” And it's no surprise, with teams ranging from the major leagues to Little League to town leagues, everyone's playing baseball.
Americans began playing baseball on informal teams as early as the 1800's. In 1845 Alexander Joy Cartwright of New York invented the modern baseball field. Cartwright and the members of his New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, devised the first rules and regulations for the modern game of baseball. The game is based on the English game of rounders.
The first recorded game was in 1846 when Cartwright's Knickerbockers lost to the New York Baseball Club. In 1858, the National Association of Base Ball Players, the first organized baseball league was formed. In 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first openly salaried team and are thus considered the first professional team.
The World Series began in 1903 after a simple question was asked, “Who's better the National League or the American League?” The owners of the Pittsburgh 's NL club and Boston 's AL club agreed to play a series of games to decide true superiority. Today the tradition continues with the top two teams playing the best of seven games to decide the best team in the nation.
You need not make it to the big leagues to enjoy playing baseball though. As soon as a child can hold a bat they can enjoy hitting the ball off a tee. And as one gets older there is the opportunity to play on Little League teams and then on high school teams. Gaining in popularity are town leagues with friends and co-workers coming together to battle the opposing team. Baseball can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. To make the most of the game be sure to warm-up with a light jog and stretch both the arms and legs. Baseball is an enjoyable way of getting physical activity and builds strength in both the arms and legs. A 137-pound person can burn approximately 228 calories playing an hour long baseball game.