Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - June 1, 2008
This week's features include:
Food - Apricot
Recipe - Fresh apricot bites
Activity - Water skiing
History
The apricot is a stone fruit that belongs to the Rosaceae family along with apple, pear, peach and others. It is also found in the Prunophora subgenus within Prunus together with plums. The fruit originates from China, from where it was spread west through central Asia to Europe in 70-60 BC. The American history of apricots is uncertain, however it is believed to originate from the Columbus era. In the United States, apricots were grown in California and Washington. Today, California accounts for 94% and Washington accounts for 6% of the apricot production. Although a commonly consumed fruit, the production in the United States comprises only 3% of the world's production. Turkey is the leading country in apricot production followed by Iran, Italy , France, Pakistan, Spain, Syria, Morocco, China, and the United States.
Apricots are grown on trees that reach heights of 12 to 45 feet and carry white flowers. The fruit is 1.5” to 2.5” wide and require 3 to 6 months to develop and ripe. Fruits for raw consumption are hand picked due to its susceptibility to damage. However, most fruits are canned and dried, thus can be harvested by trunk shaking. After harvest, the apricots have extremely short shelf life and need to be consumed within 1 to 2 weeks.
The bark, leaves, flowers, and seeds of apricots contain toxic substances, which generate cyanide. Cyanide is lethal in large doses, but is believed to have therapeutic effects in small doses. Therefore, apricot tissues and oils, which contain small doses, were used to treat tumors and ulcers in the 25 BC up until the 17 th century. However, in more resent years, scientific research reports no beneficial effect of these compounds on tumor cells.
Nutrition information
Apricots are good sources of vitamin A and vitamin C. In addition, they are low in calories, low in fat, and high in fiber.
Nutrient analysis for 1 cup of apricots: calories: 74, carbohydrates: 17 g, protein: 2 g, fat: 1 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium: 2 mg, fiber: 3 g
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
- 12 fresh apricots, halved
- 1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Stir cream cheese until smooth.
- Pipe or spoon into apricot halves.
- Sprinkle tops with pistachios.
- Serve as an appetizer, snack, or dessert.
Nutrition Information: 40 calories, 2 grams total fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, 2 gram protein, 1 grams fiber, 50 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.
One of the greatest things about summer is being able to enjoy nearby lakes, streams, and rivers. If you are lucky enough to own a boat or know someone who does, then perhaps you can try some water-skiing!
Water-skiing is a great calorie-burning activity. A 150 lb person can burn approximately 125 calories in only 15 minutes of skiing. This is because water-skiing takes a lot of physical endurance, coordination, and muscle power. Practically every muscle in your body is used to keep you upright and balanced on the water – especially if you ride over some waves! Your biceps, triceps, laterals, abdominals, obliques, quadriceps, hamstrings, and many other muscles are working to keep you upright. Because so many muscles are at work, you do not want to over do it to the point where you get extremely exhausted. Remember to water-ski in short bursts to give your body time to recuperate.
Safety
- Always wear a life jacket.
- Have another person besides the driver of the boat act as a spotter.
- The driver should always have his/her eyes on the water, watching for other boats and skiers.
- Check the tow line before skiing.
- The boat should always be traveling at a safe speed.
Adapted from: http://www.sacdelta.com/safety/waterskiing.html
Note: always consult with a physician before starting a new exercise program.