5 minute read
Nutrition with Irene
Irene Ní Fhlannúra
Advertisement
Originally, Black Friday referred to a financial crash back in 1869, more recently it is synonymous with a huge surge in online deals and sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Although, Thanksgiving is not a big deal here in Ireland, the trend of spending big on the day after has certainly caught on. With so much retail having to pivot to online selling due to Covid-19, perhaps this year, will not be such a great deal after all! Do not be too disappointed, you probably didn’t need a 70-inch TV anyway but there is still unbelievable value in switching your Black Friday Deals to Black Friday Meals! Walking around the shops this week, keep your eyes peeled for some black foods to add to your cooking – not only are they good value, but they also pack a mighty punch when it comes to your nutrition and health!
The notion that we should be eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day falls short of the minimum amount of plant foods needed for optimum health. The Japanese believe that we should include at least seven to ten plant foods from at least five colour categories every day. There are thousands of studies that back this theory up, and diversity of plant food is as important, if not more, than the quantity of plant foods we eat. The menacing plea to “eat your greens” conjures up images of weary mothers and wailing children around the dinner table – maybe it is time to change tack and make eating a rainbow everyday the new challenge for diversity and creativity in our meals. The black pigment found in many plant foods comes from a deep blue/ purple colour. This category of foods is rich in polyphenols, anthocyanidins, resveratrol – all of which are powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and anti-cancer nutrients. Receptors for these plant chemicals are concentrated along nerve cells and pathways suggesting that black foods support cognitive health, nerve health and mood. Black beans, for example, have twice as much calcium and folate than their white counterparts – two vital nutrients for our nerves! Here are some more black beauties to add to your plate: Black Sesame Seeds: Open Sesame heralds a wealth of nutrients particularly good for stress and anxiety. Just two tablespoons of these little seeds provide 15% of both calcium and magnesium, two minerals that work in tandem for the constriction and relaxation of nerve pathways and blood vessels. Try them sprinkled over cooked vegetables or in salads, easy peasy! Black Lentils: Often called Black Beluga Lentils, getting their name from the famous caviar but the flavour is full-bodied and earthy like a black bean. They take approximately 25 minutes to cook and are the most nutritious variety of lentils. One half cup of uncooked black lentils provides 26g protein, 18g fibre, 100mg calcium, 8mg iron, and 960mg potassium, as well as the anthocyanins noted for anti-cancer activity. Pair them with carrots or butternut squash for a super fancy colourful plate. Black Rice: In ancient China, it is said that black rice was considered so unique and nutritious that it was forbidden for all but royalty. Someone, somewhere made a show and now we all can enjoy this nutritious grain no matter of our social standing! The pigment, again, comes from anthocyanins but it also contains over twenty other types of antioxidants and has the highest antioxidant activity of all rice varieties. It is one of the few grains known to contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two major players protecting our eyes from Age Related Macular Disease. Black Cumin Seeds: Botanically known as Nigella Sativa, this seed is revered in many cultures all over the world. So far, numerous studies demonstrated its main active constituent, thymoquinone, to be medicinally very effective against various illnesses including different neurological and mental illness, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, inflammatory conditions, and infertility as well as infectious diseases due to bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral infections. Now, who wouldn’t want a bit of that with the dinner!
Black Pepper: This one is so common, it hardly gets a mention, but it is worth knowing that black pepper is a great digestif, helping the digestive system absorb and assimilate all kinds of nutrients in our food. Piperine, the active ingredient stimulates appetite, relieves gas, can help clear congestion and proven to be a natural antidepressant! Nice one, pepper! Black Mushrooms: Not talking about white mushrooms gone black in the back of the fridge but Shiitake mushrooms prized for their rich, savoury flavour described as umami. Black mushrooms are high in protein, vitamin B2, which maintain the body's energy, and B12, which keeps cells and nerves healthy. Shiitakes contain beta glucans support immune health and good for lowering cholesterol. These mushrooms include all nine essential amino acids, crucial to our immunity and building muscle. There are one of the few plant foods to contain Vitamin D. Traditionally, they have been used in medicine to treat parasites, heart problems and exhaustion. These are delicious added to soups and risotto for a real mushroomy taste! Black Olives: A true hero for heart health, black olives are rich in Vitamin E, iron and healthy monounsaturated fats. These too, get their colour from anthocyanin, making them the perfect tonic for the heart and mind! We still have blackberries, black garlic, black squid ink, black sea spaghetti, black grapes and black plums but no more space here to write about them! For those who missed out on the big spend for Black Friday, you can always splash out on caviar and black truffles washed down with a nice cup of black tea! Irene Ní Fhlannúra, Nutritional Therapist at Ré Nua Natural Health, Dingle 086 1662562 - Website: www.renuanaturalhealth.com
Live Virtual Cooking Class for Winter Wellness (29th Nov) book online.
In-person/online consultations, food testing and Body Composition analysis
