Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - January 18, 2009
This week's features include:
Food - Collard greens
Recipe - Soulful greens
Activity - Water exercise
History
Collard greens are thought to be relatives of the ancient vegetable, wild cabbage, which was consumed in prehistoric times. Originating in Asia Minor, collard greens spread to Europe and then to the United States. Collard greens were first talked about in the U.S. back in the 17th century. Since then the vegetable has become particularly popular in the southern states. When cooked, collard greens have a smoke-like flavor and can be a tasty addition to a meal as a side dish, or in soups and salads. Collards belong to the Brassica family, which include other members such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
The best time to buy collard greens at the grocery store is between the months of January through April because they taste the best after they experience a winter frost. However, collards are widely available throughout most of the year.
Nutrition
Perhaps the best quality of collard greens is that they contain rich amounts of nutrients such as vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, which are all powerful antioxidants. Studies have shown that a diet rich in antioxidants can help fight off diseases such as atherosclerosis, colon cancer, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, only 1 cup of collards provides 46.1% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin E, and a whopping 148.6% of the DV for vitamin A! One cup of collards also provides 22.6% of the DV for calcium, which is important in building and maintaining strong bones. Collards are also an excellent source of folate and vitamin B6. These vitamins help keep blood homocysteine levels low. Studies have shown that high levels of homocysteine can damage blood vessel walls, leading to increased risk of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke.
Selection & Storage
When buying collard greens, you want to look for firm, unwilted leaves. The color of the leaves should be deep green and free of any brown or yellow spots. The smaller the leaves, the less bitter-tasting they will be. The best way to store collard leaves is in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag. Store the bag of collards in a cool and enclosed environment, such as your refrigerator crisper for no more than 3-5 days. This will prevent the vegetable from forming a bitter flavor. The quicker you eat collard greens, the less bitter they will taste.
Nutrient Analysis of 1 cup collards, boiled and drained: calories: 48, fat: <1g, cholesterol: 0mg, protein: 4g, carbohydrates: 9g, sodium: 17mg, fiber: 5g, vitamin A: 5945 IU, vitamin C: 35mg, folate: 177mg, calcium: 226mg
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 pounds of collard greens, washed and stems removed
- 1 1/2 cups sliced red onions
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- Heat chicken broth and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
Add collards and cook for 10 minutes.
- Sauté garlic and onions for 5 minutes in a skillet. Add orange juice and wilted greens. Stir until well coated.
- Simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve.
Nutrition Information: 100 calories, 1 gram total fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams protein, 8 grams fiber, 55 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.
Being physically active during the winter months can be difficult. Cold temperatures and snow can keep one from enjoying outdoor activities like walking or riding bikes. Thus, the winter months are a good time to head to the pool. The indoor pool, that is. Water exercise is one of the best forms of low impact fitness activities around. In fact, water exercise is recommended for pregnant women, the elderly and overweight, those with arthritis, and individuals recovering from injury.
The buoyancy of the water reduces the “weight” of a person by as much as 90 percent. Thus, the stress on joints, bones, and muscles is also reduced. As a result, getting injured during water exercise is unlikely as is the likelihood that one will feel sore after a water workout. This, however, does not meet water exercise is not a good workout. In fact, water exercise encompasses all components of fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
Aerobic workouts in the water are a good option for those who find land activities too painful. Running, jumping, and kicking are not as jarring as they are on land. When determining the intensity of a workout in the water, keep in mind the fact that heart rate can be reduced by as much as 17 heart beats per minutes when compared to land exercise.
Water is great for strength training. Instead of weights, the water provides the needed resistance. Pushing and pulling the water away from the body with cupped hands, creates a strength training effect. Hand-held paddles and gloves can increase the resistance.
One of the best advantages of the water is its effect on flexibility. Water, especially warm water, allows for ease of movements that may be difficult to do on land. And with lessened effects of gravity a fuller range of motion can be achieved in the water, which is good for long-term flexibility.
Whether one chooses to join a water aerobics class or swim laps, the activity should include a warm-up period followed by a period of increased heart rate and finished with a cool-down.
A 150-pound person can burn approximately 272 calories doing water aerobics for 1-hour. The same amount of calories can be burned in 30 minutes if swimming the crawl stroke at a moderate pace.
Always be sure to consult a physician before beginning any new form of physically activity.
For more information on swimming and other cardiovascular activities, go to www.acefitness.org