A Guide to Whole Grains

Okra I'm  loving Okra this week. I remember a neighbor, from an apartment I rented a long time ago in Brooklyn , who put okra in her rice whenever she cooked it, just regular white rice. It was the first time I ate okra and enjoyed it. She was an African woman who could probably cook anything and it would taste incredible. Anyway, with her in mind I picked up a bag of frozen okra from the supermarket and cooked it up with some short grain brown rice, along with a few other frozen vegetables I had in the freezer. It made for a very delightful meal.   Ingredients: (4 servings of vegetables)   2 cups brown rice ( I prefer short grain) 1 glove garlic 1/2  red onion 2 tbl spoons of olive oil about 2 1/2 cups filtered water 1 cup spinach 1 cup okra 4 1/2 cups each fresh or frozen veggies (sweet corn, green peas, lima beans, green beans, black beans, tomatoes, etc). salt, pepper, favorite seasonings to taste. Cook onion olive oil over low heat, stir in rice for a quick toasting, add water, turn heat on high till water begins rapid boil. Cover pot, lower heat to simmer, cook about 10 minutes,. add frozen vegetables, cook 15 minutes if using fresh vegetables. Serve with healthy raised meat or wild caught fish if desired, but can stands as meal on its own.

Okra Health Benefits Courtesy Natural Health Ezine It’s important to get several servings of vegetables in our diet each day. There are so many types of vegetables available that it can be hard to keep track of them all. There are some vegetables that we rarely think about. People usually go for the more common vegetables like green beans, broccoli, carrots, and potatoes. But there are so many more options. One popular vegetable in Cajun cooking is okra. Okra, otherwise known as gumbo or lady’s fingers, is part of the mallow family of flowering plants.  The okra plant is known for the edible green fruits that they produce. Okra is not only used in Cajun cooking, it can be used in every day meals, such as salads and soups. Okra health benefits include aspects such as being low in calories, being a great vegetable for people trying to lose weight, and being good for the digestive system. Aids in Weight Loss Okra is very low in calories. One half cup of okra has just 25 calories, making is great for people who are looking to lose weight. Okra contains no cholesterol or saturated fat, which are two components that should be avoided when losing weight. The fiber content in okra is high. You can get nine percent of the your daily recommended amount of fiber in one half cup of okra. Fiber helps to maintain the digestive system by allowing food to pass through the intestines easier. Contains Necessary Vitamins Along with containing high amounts of fiber, okra also contains high amounts of vitamins A, C, and B6. Large amounts of calcium, zinc, riboflavin, folic acid, and iron are also present in this vegetable. Women who are pregnant are urged to incorporate okra into their diets due to the high content of folic acid. Folic acid is essential for the healthy growth of a fetus especially during the fourth week through the twelfth week of pregnancy. Absorbs Water This vegetable is great at being able to reabsorb water. By being able to absorb so much water, okra can trap excess cholesterol, excess bile, and certain toxins. By trapping these substances, it makes it easier to eliminate them from the body through the stool. Because okra absorbs so much water, eating this vegetable can prevent constipation, bloating, and gas. Get Great Hair One of the more unique okra health benefits is that it can add bounce and volume to your hair. All you need to do is boil okra that has been sliced horizontally until the contents become slimy. Let it cool and then add a couple of drops of lemon to it. Wash your hair like you normally would, and then use this mixture as a last rinse. Cover all of your hair and then rinse it off with water. You hair should have more volume and have a little more bounce to it. Lowers Cholesterol & Reduces Cancer Risk The fiber and mucilage (a thick, gluey substance the plant produces) that is found in okra can help maintain blood sugar levels. These components can also regulate the body’s absorption rate in the small intestine. Okra also contains healthy bacteria known as probiotics. These probiotics helps the natural production of the vitamin B complex. Okra has soluble fiber that helps to lower serum cholesterol. When this type of cholesterol is lowered, the risk of heart disease is lowered. On the other hand, the insoluble fiber found in okra is what keeps the intestinal tract in good shape. This type of fiber helps to decrease the risk of certain cancers, in particular colon cancer. The seeds of okra contain oil and protein that are very rich in amino acids. The body needs certain amino acids such as cystine, tryptophan, and some sulfur amino acids. More okra health benefits include the following. It can help prevent diabetes. It’s excellent for people who have atherosclerosis. It’s good for people who have asthma. It is a good laxative and can help irritable bowel syndrome, can sooth the gastrointestinal track, and can help to heal ulcers. It’s great to eat during the heat of summer as it helps to treat sun stroke. As you can see, okra health benefits are many. It may have an unusual name, and you may be tempted to pass it by for a more common vegetable, but, give okra a try. It has many benefits and can be added easily to any meal.

By The LifeScript Editorial Staff Selection, Storage & Cooking When selecting okra, you’ll likely find fresh, frozen and canned okra in your local grocery store. If selecting fresh okra, pay attention to the length of the pod. Okra varies in length from two to seven inches long. The shorter the pod, the younger it is, and the more tender it will be. Longer, more mature pods will be stringy and lacking flavor. Also pay attention to crispness and color – pods should snap in half easily and should have an even green color, lacking in dry, brown spots.   Once you have your okra home, don’t wash it, otherwise you’ll end up with a slimy mess. Instead, store it as is in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to get cooking, you can give it a brief washing, but be sure to dry it really well right away. Since okra is so temperamental, there are a few important things to keep in mind. Cooked okra exudes a thick, slimy liquid that is great for thickening soups and stews, but not so great if you want to eat it sautéed, fried or steamed. So, unless you’re popping that okra into some gumbo, be sure to keep the cooking time short. Also, cutting into the okra will allow the slimy liquid out, so just trim up the ends without cutting into the inner chamber and cook the okra whole to keep it crisp.   Okra is great breaded and fried, sautéed with onions and garlic, pickled, or even steamed with a variety of veggies. Okra’s flavor is somewhere between asparagus and eggplant, so it pairs easily with most other foods. If you’d like to try your hand at a wonderful okra dish, try out our Spicy Gumbo tonight and have a Mardi Gras night at your house. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can join the few, but proud, who toast okra seeds and then grind them into coffee-like grounds and use them in place of the traditional coffee bean. Tasty? We’ll let you decide.   Nutritional Benefits Surprisingly, okra is rich in a number of essential nutrients. In just one serving, which is equal to half a cup of okra, you’ll find more than 20% of your daily value for vitamin C and calcium. Okra is also a good source of magnesium, vitamin B6, potassium and more. Full Article URL: http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Food/Good-foods/Okra.aspx?p=1