Eat Eggplant - The Purple Powerhouse!

For a mere 20 calories in an entire cup, it doesn’t get any better than eggplant for “beefing up” your Italian dinner—the heart-healthy way. The rich meaty taste of eggplant is why vegetarians love this purple wonder food. Just like tomatoes and peppers, eggplant falls under the nightshade family of vegetables, which technically (botanically speaking) are really fruits because they are seed-bearing structures. Eggplants are simply perfect for whipping up simple, healthy and creative dishes. They contain loads of fiber as well as numerous vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (antioxidants helpful in warding off disease). A one-cup serving of eggplant provides 2.8 g of fiber, 189 mg of potassium and 18 mcg of folic acid to name but a few. Plus, the skin contains resveratrol—the same antioxidant found in red wine! To sum it all up, dig into eggplant whenever you can for a low-calorie fiber-boosting meal staple.

Recipe: Eggplant Puttanesca with Whole Wheat Pasta

It's still eggplant season (July to October) so make sure to tap into this low-calorie, fiber packed purple wonder food!
Food weight: 3.5

IngredientsYield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/6 of recipe, ~ 1 cup pasta)
-1 large eggplant, cubed
-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-½ cup red wine
-1 pinch of salt
-One 28 ounce can coarse ground tomatoes
-2 Tbsp capers (drained)
-8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
-1 Tbsp sugar
-¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
-1 box whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente (I like farfalle)
-Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add cubed eggplant and cook until soft. Add red wine and salt and simmer a few more minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, capers and sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add basil. Spoon puttanesca sauce over one cup cooked pasta. Top with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Food weight: 3.5, Calories: 350, Fat: 10 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 270 mg, Carbohydrate: 56 g, Dietary Fiber: 12 g, Sugars: 11 g, Protein: 11 g

Krazy for Kale

Few foods on earth can compare, nutrition-wise, to this leafy green—a true superfood. The dark green hue is a giveaway that kale is packed with vitamins, minerals and health-enhancing antioxidants such as beta-carotene. What’s more, kale's filling fiber, bone-building calcium and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help support the body's ability to fight off disease.

Plus, kale is easy to prepare. You can buy it pre-bagged, washed and de-stemmed. Or you can buy it in bunches. Simply remove the center ribs of its leaves, rinse well and then slice it into thin ribbons. Add this healthful pick to soups and stews in the last 20 minutes of cooking, coat lightly with olive oil, season and roast in a hot oven to make yummy kale chips, or sauté it with a splash of olive oil for a delicious side dish. Here is a delicious, heart-healthy, fiber-packed seasonal soup recipe to help you get some kale into your day!

Recipe: Pasta Fagioli with Kale

Food weight: 3.0

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
•3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•1 onion, diced
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•1 (14.5) ounce can of diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano
•1 (48 ounce) box of reduced sodium chicken broth
•2 cups water
•2 cups uncooked whole wheat small elbow pasta
•1 large bunch (or bag) fresh kale (stems removed and cut into small pieces)
•2 cans cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
•1 tablespoon tomato paste
•¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
•Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and stir, cook another 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add pasta, cook 5 more minutes then stir in kale. Lower heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste and pepper. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm sprinkled with Parmesan.

Nutrition per serving (~ 1 ½ cups):

Food weight: 3.0, calories: 280, fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 810 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Carbohydrate: 42 g, Sugar 4g, Protein: 14 g

Fishing for a Longer Life

Fatty fish that swim in the deep cold waters of the sea-such as salmon, halibut, tuna and sardines-contain a large amount of the ultra-heart-healthy omega-3 marine fats, DHA and EPA. Fish oil stabilizes plaque, reduces risk of sudden death, lowers triglyceride level and reduces inflammation. Fish oil has been shown to rev up the body's ability to dissolve blood clots that can precipitate a heart attack by sealing off plaque-filled arteries. Aim for at least two fatty fish meals per week and avoid fish high on the mercury scale: swordfish, marlin, shark and tilefish. (Note: albacore or "white" tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your meals of fish and shellfish, aim for eating up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.) 

Recipe: Quick n’ Healthy Tuna Salad

This easy-to-make salad is a tasty way to get in your daily serving of beans (chickpeas) and garlic. Plus you’ll get a nice dose of heart-healthy omega-3’s from the tuna!

Food weight: 3.5 

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: ¼ of the recipe, 346 grams)

 Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped into small pieces

 For the dressing: In a bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk until blended. Place in large salad bowl.

 Salad:

• 1 small red onion, halved and sliced thinly
• 1 red pepper, sliced thinly
• 1 (12 ounce) can of white tuna in water, drained and flaked
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• 1 cup chick peas, rinsed and drained
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
• 2 bags (4 ounces each) of organic mixed baby greens

 Directions

For the salad: Add onion, pepper, tuna, olives, chick peas, parsley and salt and pepper to the salad bowl containing the dressing. Toss until mixed thoroughly. Place greens on a serving plate, dish out tuna salad onto greens and serve.
 

Nutritional Information (¼ of the recipe, 346 grams or ~ 1 ½ cups salad):
Food weight: 3.5, Calories: 348, Fat: 18 g, Cholesterol: 26 mg, Sodium: 682 mg,
Carbohydrate: 21 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 2 g, Protein: 27 g

Thinking of running a marathon?

Having trained for and completed four marathons, Dr. Janet must say that the experience of crossing the finish line of a marathon is well worth the grueling training and personal sacrifice involved in preparing both mind and body for this extraordinary accomplishment. Kudos to you for even having the courage to consider making this commitment!

The best place to start training for a marathon is a year away from the date of the race. Start training the body with short runs, on an almost daily basis. Six months out from race day you should be able to log in at least 25 miles of running in a week, comfortably. At this point (6 months from race day), I would highly encourage you to join a running club or a charity organization that trains its runners to complete marathons such as Team In Training, the organization that raises funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma andmyeloma. A set training program with knowledgeable leaders will help you to safely and gradually increase your endurance and give you lots of training and nutrition tips that should make your first marathon an event that you will forever cherish. Good luck and best wishes . . . and remember, the goal is to cross that finish line with a smile on your face, regardless of your finish time. 

Recipe: Garlicky Bean Dip

Serve as an appetizer with crudites or eat as a snack with baked tortilla chips or whole wheat pita crisps.  Either way this is a quick and tasty way to get in three of my top ten super foods:  garlic, extra virgin olive oil and beans.

Food Weight: 1.0

Ingredients
Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1/10 of recipe, 54 grams or ~1/4 cup)

1 (15.5 ounce) can of cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
In a food processor, add beans, olive oil and chopped garlic.  Process until smooth.  Season with salt, lemon juice and pepper, blend and transfer mixture to a serving dish.  Serve as a dip for fresh vegetables or as a spread on baked tortilla or whole wheat pita chips.

Nutritional Information per Serving (54 grams or ~1/4 cup):
Food weight: 1.0, Calories:97, Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 275mg, Carbohydrate: 7g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 0g, Protein: 3g