Ian McAllister

Don't Let Tradition Rob You Of Health Foods

Would you choose to die of cancer because tradition tells you to throw away the most powerful cancer fighters in your food?

Don't Let Tradition Rob You Of Health Foods

Famine victims refused to eat bags of wheat because they had never eaten it before. Are you letting tradition dictate what you eat? You may be wasting the best part.

Apples

In the past, apple skins were discarded in food products such as juices because the flavanoids in the skin caused cloudiness in the juice. Now it is known that the flavanoids are powerful cancer fighters and support the heart and liver

Blueberries

The skin of berries removed during home-made juice preparation should also be used in cooking or better still, blended with the juice raw. There are considerable amounts of healthy phenolic compounds in the skin of the berries. Some people think you should throw away the juice and use the skins that are left, but beware of agricultural poisons.

Bran

Bran is removed from the outside of grains and then sold back to us for the fibre.

Burdock

Since many nutrients are in the skin, don't peel before using. You can use in broths or in stir-fries. Burdock has also traditionally been used as a health-supportive herb.

Carrot

Do not peel them if you want to maintain their spectacular color; and many nutritionists claim much nutrition is contained in the skin. Beta-carotene present in the skin is a natural protector for the common skin cancer, melanoma.  Also, the slight yellowing of the skin can make a tan look deeper.

Fruit And Vegetable Juices

There is very little if any fibre in juice. A lot of the minerals and phytonutrients are found in the skins and pulp of the fruit, which are usually left behind when juice is made.

Grapes

Eating grapes, drinking dark grape juice that is made with skins, or eating raisins may be just as heart-healthy as drinking wine, without the health hazards of alcohol.

Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)

Sunchokes contain the prebiotic, inulin, which provides food for the good intestinal bacteria. Look for clean, firm tubers with unblemished skin, which may be glossy and tan or a matte brown. They should not show a greenish tinge or any sign of sprouting or mold. Scrub instead of peel to retain the most nutrients in the fragile skin.

Lemons

The yellow part of the skin (zest) of lemons has most of the limonoids in the fruit.

Nectarines

Much of the fibre in fruit is in the skin of nectarines. To get the full benefit of fibre, wash the fruit well and then eat the whole fruit - with the skin.

Oranges

In laboratory tests with animals and with human cells, citrus limonoids from the skins have been shown to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.

Also, the highest concentration of flavour is in the outermost, colour layer of the skin.

Peach

Today's peaches need not be peeled, especially when served fresh for fruit plates and salads. This is because most peaches are de-fuzzed by machinery soon after picking. Leaving the skin means less work for the cook and is a smart choice from a nutritional point of view. Much of the full, deep flavor and nutrients in peaches are found in the skin.

Pears

Most of the vitamin C in pears is concentrated in the skin, as is some of the fibre, so peeled, canned pears are less nutritious than fresh. The peel of a pear is edible skin and is an additional source of fibre. A medium sized pear provides 4 grams of fibre, half of which is pectin (a carbohydrate found in the skin and seeds). Pectin has been found to reduce cholesterol levels, which in turn may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Persimmon

Persimmons have very high concentrations of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the skin. 'Fuyu' peel, for example, has more than four times the already excellent amount in the flesh.

Plums

Plums have only moderate amounts of soluble gums and pectins in the flesh, as well as small amounts of cellulose and the non-carbohydrate food fibre lignin in the skin.

Potatoes

The greatest concentration of antioxidants in the potato was in the skin, Howard noted. Preliminary studies by Miller and Howard point to patatin, the major water-soluble protein in potatoes, as being the possible source of the antioxidant activity.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain significant amounts a number of different antioxidants, including: lycopene (a carotenoid), phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). As these antioxidants are found mostly in the skin it is important to eat the skin as well as the flesh of the skin.

Here is one case where a juicer is helpful because it breaks open the plant cells releasing the lycopene. Blend the juice and the pulp with some coconut oil for best results.

Rice

Brown rice takes longer to cook than polished white rice, but most of the goodness is in the brown stuff that is removed.

Wheat

There are three parts to the wheat grain - starch, germ, and bran. Although the latter two parts make up only 15-17% of the grain's weight, they contain 83% of its phenolics.

Taste of Skins

If you can't stand the taste of the skins use dried fruit as excellent flavouring devices. Peanut paste is another, which can hide even the taste of medicine, but make sure that you're not allergic to it.

Warning

Non-organically grown apples and soft fruits are heavily sprayed. If organic alternatives are not available you are better off peeling them even though vital nutrients in the skin will be lost.

If you can't buy organic produce you can buy special surfactants intended for washing your fruit and vegetables. Most of the chemicals don't wash off in plain hot water.

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