Healing foods

Although the taste of food is a major attraction, the main purpose of eating is to fuel the body and enhance the body's immune systems. That is why it is so important to make wise food choices when planning your meals. One thing's for sure, a well-balanced diet should include a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, lean protein and plenty of water. Vegetables and fruits are key because they contain thousands of substances that are disease-fighting phytochemicals. Therefore, when planning your meals, think color, and try to include fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals daily. The following is a color wheel and recipes to show you a few of the fruits and vegetables believed to have the greatest potential to keep you healthy.

Tomatoes--and other red fruits like red grapefruit, watermelon and guava--contain lycopene, a carotenoid linked to decreased risk of breast, cervical and prostate cancers.

Watermelon contains glutathione, another potential cancer fighter.

Blueberries, Strawberries and Raspberries are among the fruits and vegetables with the highest antioxidant capacity.

Carrots: Are rich in alpha and beta carotene, two potent antioxidants, which slow damage to cells.

Papaya and Mango: Contain beta-crptoxanthin, a carotenoid thought to defend against lung cancer.

Pineapple: Has anti-inflammatory properties and contains the enzyme bromelain, which aids digestion. It is a source of manganese, a mineral that contributes to bone health.

Green Beans: Reported to have an antioxidant capacity that's almost as high as that in carrots.

Dark Green Vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli and collard and mustard greens are rich in vitamins, carotenoids and other phytochemicals, so they are prime health promoters.

Scallions, Onions, Shallots, Leeks, Chives and other members of the onion family contain phytochemicals, which are linked to decreased risk of stomach and colon cancer.

Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Leafy Vegetables are cruciferous vegetables that contain carotenoids, isothiocyanates, magnesium, calcium, iron and fiber. They are believed to neutralize free radicals and stimulate anticancer enzymes.

Fresh Tomato Salad With Dill

  2 red tomatoes, thickly sliced
  2 yellow tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  1 tablespoon snipped, fresh dill weed
    Salt and pepper

Arrange tomato slices (alternate red and yellow tomato
slices) on serving platter. Combine remaining ingredients in
tightly covered container and shake until ingredients are
mixed well. Spoon the dressing over tomatoes. Garnish with
fresh dill if desired. Serve at once.

Yields 6 servings

Calories 100, Total Fat 9G, Cholesterol 0MG, Carbohydrate 46,
Protein 1G, Sodium 20MG.

Penne, Broccoli And Chicken Salad

    3 cups broccoli flowerets
    1 pound penne pasta
  1/4 cup olive oil
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into strips
    3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
      Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling over high heat.
Cook the broccoli in salted water until firm, but tender, about
3 to 5 minutes. Remove broccoli with slotted spoon to large
bowl; set aside. Bring water to boil, add penne pasta and
cook as directed on package, and drain pasta. Place the pasta
in bowl with broccoli. Heat a large skillet with olive oil
over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook and stir
until onion and garlic are tender. Pour over broccoli and pasta.
Add the chicken. Gently toss ingredients to coat with oil
Season the pasta mixture with salt and pepper. Serve with
Parmesan cheese.

Yields 6 servings

Calories 477, Total Fat 15G, Cholesterol 61G, Carbohdyrate 61G,
Protein 22G, Sodium 398MG,

Shrimp And Mango Salad

    1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
  1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
      Salt to taste
    1 large ripe mango, peeled and seed removed, diced
  1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
    4 cups torn salad greens
  1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Heat a large saucepan with
salted water until boiling. Add the shrimp and cook until
shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes. Drain and plunge the shrimp
into the iced water to cooL Drain and pat dry. In a large bowl,
whisk the olive oil with orange juice, orange rind, crushed red
pepper, and salt to taste. Add the mango, onion, lettuce,
cilantro and shrimp, and gently toss. Serve immediately.

Yields 4 servings

Calories 236, Total Fat 9G, Cholesterol 173MG, Carbohydrate 14G,
Protein 24G Sodium 499MG.

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

  1 medium yellow squash,
  1 medium zucchini
  1 medium red bell pepper
  1 medium yellow bell pepper
  1 medium red onion
  1 medium eggplant
  4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut vegetables into small pieces
and arrange in large roasting pan with garlic. Drizzle with
olive oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss to coat. Roast vegetables, turning often, until edges are
browned and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Yields 6 servings

Calories 95, Total Fat 5G, Cholesterol 0MG, Carbohydrate 13G, Protein
2G, Sodium 411 MG.

Marinated Summer Fruit Salad

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coconut rum
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  6 cups of assorted fruits cut into bite-size pieces (strawberries,
    peaches, plums, kiwi, pineapple)

Combine orange juice, coconut rum and ginger in large
glass bowl or zipper plastic bag. Add the fruits and toss gently
to coat the fruits. Let the fruit marinate for 2 hours in the
refrigerator. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Yields 4 servings

Calories 188, Total Fat 0.96, Cholesterol 0MG, Carbohydrate 30.0G,
Protein 1.8G, Sodium 4MG.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning