Fiber-licious

Hey ya'll!  Ok, "where have I been?" you ask.  Besides being swept away in The Bachelor obsession, my thesis got the best of me!  Just 2.5 weeks until my defense and then The Blue Placemat will be back in full force.  Until then and as I stall to make dinner... let's talk fiber!

Ok- we hear it everywhere.  Fiber is so great and so grand, but what is so good about it?!

We'll talk about the different types of fiber later.  For now, we'll just get the tummy uh-grumblin'.

FIBER can...
1. Lower your cholesterol
2. Keep you full longer
3. Help prevent against cancers (i.e. intestinal)
4. Help maintain steady blood sugars
5. Help promote good colonic bacteria

Ok, now where can we find fiber?  YOU KNOW!  It's basically added in everything now- probably even water for all I know!  (Just kidding... sort of.)

Fiber is naturally (not natural like bags of potato chips are labeled "natural", but like mother nature natural) found in four of the five food groups (excluding dairy): grains, fruits, vegetables, protein

Fiber is...

• most often associated with grains foods- look for whole wheat/oat/corn/etc. on the ingredient list of grain foods (preferably listed first)
• found in abundance in fruits and vegetables (think of gas-causing fruits/vegetables, they're loaded with fiber)
• also found in the protein group.  Not those meats that we tend to picture when we think about protein, but those other protein-rich foods like beans and nuts!

Now that you're a fiber expert, go throw a pot of whole wheat spaghetti on the stove.  Try it!  You'll like it!  See you at the table soon!

Perfect Pomegranates

Pomegranates are certainly gaining publicity and popularity!  They're loaded with folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and copper.  What will all of these great nutrients do for you?

Folate is an extremely important nutrient, especially for pregnant women.  Recommendations encourage women before and during pregnancy to have 400 mcg daily to prevent neural tube defects.

Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the complications and severities of colds, as well as improve immune function, skin health, and fetal development.  Vitamin C also aids in the absorption of iron, so for those iron-deficient folks, including vitamin C at meals when you're consuming iron helps to make sure your body will absorb iron more efficiently!
     Ex: Have a cup of vitamin-C rich, 100% orange juice in the morning with your iron-fortified cereal.  OR Stir-fry iron-rich white beans with vitamin C-loaded red bell peppers (which actually have twice as much vitamin C as an orange).

Vitamin K is the imporant vitamin that helps our blood clot.  We typically think of "clotting" as a bad thing (especially internally), but our bodies need to clot especially if we experience a cut or scrape.  When you hear vitamin K think Clot.

Copper is found in many foods such as seafood, nuts, cocoa, and organ meats.  This nutrient has been linked to proper bone health and a decrease in bone loss as we age.  Most of us don't have to worry about having a copper deficiency since our bodies need very little of this nutrient, so supplementation is not recommended

This video gives you a great step-by-step guide on how to keep your kitchen and clothes clean while getting those pesky little pomegranate seeds out:

You can find pomegranates for about 2 for $3 during this time of year.  Enjoy them on a salad, as a snack with nuts and seeds, sautéed in some whole grain rice, or sprinkled over some yogurt.  Let me know what you think!