Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 5-21-21

Health
Walnuts
Mushrooms
Lentils
Oatmeal (Steel-Cut or Old-Fashioned)
Holds cholesterol in check, helps fight against heart disease, and keeps you full until lunch, thanks to its soluble fiber.
What To Try: Drizzle date syrup, agave nectar, or buckwheat honey for a more nuanced sweet- ness than straight-up sugar.
Surprisingly good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the fats that lower the bad-for- you cholesterol (LDL) and raise the good-for-you kind (HDL).
What To Try: For a healthy on-the-go snack, pack a handful of walnuts with some dried figs and a few anise seeds (as the in- gredients sit together, the anise releases flavor).
Whole-Grain Pasta
Contains three times the amount of fiber per serving as the typical semolina variety. Skip pasta labeled “multigrain”: It may be made with a number of grains, but they aren’t neces- sarily whole ones.
What To Try: Toss whole- grain pasta with pesto, chopped arugula, and grated lemon zest.
Meaty and filling, as a stand- in for beef they can slash up to 400 calories from a meal. They may also protect against breast cancer by helping to regulate a woman’s estrogen levels.
What to Try: Sauté sliced mushrooms and shallots until ten- der. Add a splash of white wine and cook until evaporated. Serve over roasted fish or chicken.
Quinoa
It may cook like a grain, but quinoa is actually an herbaceous plant. It’s a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine es- sential amino acids, and offers the same energy and satiety you would get from meat, all without the fat or cholesterol.
What To Try: Stir fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh dill into cooked quinoa.
A protein powerhouse, these are flush with folate, a nutrient that may prevent certain birth defects.
What To Try: Toss cooked lentils with extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, chopped cel- ery, and fresh thyme. Serve over salad greens.
Blueberries
Packed with fiber, this su- perfruit was one of the top an- tioxidant-rich picks in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study. Blueberries have been shown to protect against heart disease and cancer, and can also help maintain bone strength, mental health, and healthful blood pressure.
What To Try: Serve over vanilla frozen yogurt with a pinch of ground cardamom.
Thank You For The Health Section
I want to thank you for the “Health” section that you publish each week. It has re- ally been helpful; I have saved many articles. This section has made changing eating habits a lot easier.
One especially notewor- thy article published in the October 2020 circulation talked about the benefits of beets and berries. It’s inter- esting they are now market- ing “beet” products and berries!
I hope others who have benefited from these articles will respond also.
NORMA ROBINSON Tampa, Florida
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021