Red cabbage is a member of the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables. Other members of the brassica family include green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower and broccoli, among others. The name cruciferous comes from the thought that the flowers with four petals are in a cross shape.
Though it has the same cancer fighting properties and antioxidants and vitamins, the anthocyanin polyphenols that give red cabbage its color also give additional health benefits. In addition to the whopping extra helping of Vitamin A, higher in any vegetables and fruits in the red and yellow color range, it is also higher in calcium and iron. Vitamin A is beneficial for eyes and skin. The additional iron is great for everyone, though women need more iron than men. Red cabbage also contributes a large portion of the Vitamin C needed daily. There are many more wonderful health benefits in red cabbage, but how do we incorporate it into the diet.
Quick and Simple Uses
Red cabbage has similar taste to green cabbage and can be used similarly. Grate red cabbage and add to green cabbage when making your favorite cole slaw. Slice it finely and mix it with thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers with an Asian dressing for a great treat. Cabbage of either color can easily be roasted. Cut the heads in half or quarters, depending on their size and roast in the center of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until done as desired. Mix together some balsamic or apple cider vinegar and honey and drizzle over the roasted cabbage.
Cooked Red Cabbage Loses its Color
Know that when cooking red cabbage the lovely purple red color goes a dull blue gray. To rectify this, vinegar or lemon juice is often added, reviving the color to a beautiful and more palatable looking magenta. There are many wonderful recipes for cooked red cabbage, but this is my particular favorite. It is an amalgamation of many recipe ideas, made into my own delicious dish. Red Zinfandel wine is the best choice because of its fruitiness, but another red wine will work, also.
Red Cabbage with Bacon and Apple
3 slices bacon, in 1/2 inch cubes
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup red zinfandel wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
In a large fry pan, deep enough to accommodate the cabbage when raw, fry the bacon. When nearly brown, add onion and fry until onion begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add cabbage and saute, tossing with tongs until it has collapsed slightly and is no longer stiff, about 2 to 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir to coat with the spices. Add apple slices and wine, cover the pan and reduce heat to medium low and cook till almost tender, about 40 minutes. If the wine has not cooked out, remove cover and boil to reduce to a sheen on bottom of the pan.
Raise heat to medium and add the vinegar, stirring to deglaze the pan, and then add the brown sugar. Stir and cover again, reducing heat to medium low. Continue to cook until liquid is absorbed and cabbage is very tender - about 30 minutes. If cabbage is done, but still has liquid in the pan, raise heat and cook uncovered until liquid has reduced to a glaze.
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Peas are not a poor man's meat or a cheap restaurant side-dish that puts 'green' on your plate! Peas not only add flavour to food but are also used in various dishes and salads. Actually these are little powerhouses of nutrition and a boon to your health. It's a starchy vegetable, which is a good source of energy, protein, essential vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Including peas as one of your vegetable choices adds a number of benefits. Let's have a look.
Good for your eyes
Lutein and Vitamin A present in peas protect your eyes. Lutein is a natural plant pigment that's concentrated in the eye, and its antioxidant activity protects you from both cataracts and macular degeneration by preventing oxidation. Vitamin A helps to keep the surface of your eyes healthy.
Prevents heart disease
The formation of plaque along your blood vessel walls starts with chronic, excessive oxidative stress and inflammation. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds support healthy blood vessels. The generous amounts of vitamin B1 and folate, B2, B3, and B6 reduce homocysteine levels which are the risk factors for heart disease.
Prevents stomach cancer
Peas contain high amounts of a polyphenol called coumestrol. A study says that consuming 2 milligrams per day of this phytonutrient prevents stomach cancer and a cup of peas has at least 10. So, you see how healthy it is!
Avert constipation and bad cholesterol
The high fibre content in peas improves bowel health and peristalsis. The niacin in peas helps to reduce the production of triglycerides and VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein, which results in less bad cholesterol, increased HDL ("good") cholesterol, and lowered triglycerides.
Antioxidants work like magic
As mentioned earlier, peas contain high levels of anti-oxidants. They include flavonoids like catechin and epicatechin, carotenoids like alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, phenolic acids like ferulic and caffeic acid, and polyphenols like coumestrol. These boost your energy level and immunity and also helps to fight ageing signs.
Needed for healthy bones
One cup of peas contains 44% of Vitamin K which helps to anchor calcium inside the bones. Its B vitamins also help to prevent osteoporosis and promote healthy bones.
Benefits of anti-inflammatory elements
Peas have strong anti-inflammatory properties. These properties include anti-inflammatory phytonutrients like Pisumsaponins I and II and pisomosides A and B, Vitamins C and E, zinc and omega-3 fat in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). These prevent wrinkles, arthritis, bronchitis, candida, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's.
Manage your weight
A cup of peas has less than 100 calories but lots of protein, fibre and micronutrients. This keeps you full for a longer time and helps you to manage your weight.
Peas provide you iron
The iron you consume can be found in haemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen throughout your body. Inadequate intakes of iron decrease oxygen delivery, which makes you feel tired, decreases your ability to concentrate and increases your risk of infection. A 1/2-cup serving of peas contains 1.2 milligrams of iron which can solve the problem of iron deficiency.
Regulates blood sugar
All carbohydrates are natural sugars and starches with no white sugars or chemicals to worry about. High fibre and protein slow down the digestion of sugars. The anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties prevent or reverse insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes).
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People tell me that they know that sweet potatoes are healthier than white potatoes as if it's an accepted fact. Whenever I'm not aware of something that's apparently an established fact, I feel the need to either get caught up on this obvious information or else to find out why this commonly held belief is actually not true.
In order to do this, I decided to do some research.
I needed to find out which potato was actually healthier.
It seemed the easiest way to compare the two types of potatoes was to make a chart to compare them side by side; so here's a handy chart I made to compare the two:
Nutrients... White Potatoes... Sweet Potatoes
Calories... 94... 90
Protein... 2.1g... 2.01g
Carbs... 21.08g... 20.71g
Fiber... 2.1g... 3.3g
Iron... 0.64mg... 0.69mg
Potassium... 544mg... 475mg
Vitamin C... 12.6mg... 19.6mg
Vitamin A... 10 IU... 19,218 IU
Oh, by the way, this is comparing a 100 gram serving of white baked potato with its skin on, to a 100 gram serving of baked sweet potato with its skin on. This information is from the USDA website (Basic Report, Potatoes, white), (Basic Report, Sweet).
You have to be really careful if you're trying to compare these two types of potatoes by the size of the actual whole potato because a medium sized sweet potato weighs 114 grams and a medium sized white potato weights 173 grams. Instead of using size to compare, it's better to use weight.
Breaking it down:
Let's start with the two numbers people want to know first: calories and carbs. As you can see, the calories are almost identical. There are about 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat so a difference of 4 calories isn't going to matter much either way. How about carbs? One gram of carbohydrates equals about 4 calories, so again, either potato will give you about the same amount.
Now here are the two biggest differences. The first is potassium. If you think of potassium, you probably think of bananas. Well, get this: 100 grams of banana has 358 mg of potassium. Sweet potatoes top bananas with 475 mg of potassium and white potatoes go a step higher with 544 mg! However, most people get enough potassium just from eating a variety of healthy foods so you'll probably get enough of this vital mineral without having to rely on eating potatoes all the time.
And now for the biggie! Vitamin A! What an incredible difference between white potato's 10 IU of vitamin A and sweet potato's 19,218 IU of vitamin A! What does vitamin A do, exactly? It supports your growth and development, helps your immune system, and aids your eye health/night vision. You know how you're supposed to eat carrots for night vision? Well, 100 grams of boiled carrots has 17,033 IU of vitamin A, so it actually has less than sweet potatoes. But before you put them on your list of foods to eat every day, here's something you should know. Most people already get enough vitamin A just from eating a variety of healthy foods. So, with both potassium and vitamin A, if you eat healthy foods, you should be getting all the nutrients you need without having to resort to eating huge amounts of either type of potato. (Vitamin A and Bone Health, 2012).
The Bottom Line:
The calorie, carb, and protein amounts are almost the same in both potatoes. While white potatoes have more potassium and sweet potatoes have more vitamin A, you can get sufficient amounts of these nutrients from eating other healthy foods too. So, don't worry about which one to choose. Both of these potatoes are healthy! Enjoy them both.
References:
NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases. (2012, January). Vitamin A and Bone Health. Retrieved from http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/vitamin_a.asp
USDA. Basic Report: 11357, Potatoes, white, flesh and skin, baked. Retrieved from http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3132?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=25&sort=&qlookup=potatoes
USDA. Basic Report: 11508, Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt. Retrieved from ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3255?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=75&sort=&qlookup=potatoes
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Cellulitis is an infection of the skin that has been caused by Staphylococcus bacteria. The infection may have varying degrees of consequence to the skin and neighbor organs. There are cellulitis symptoms that are common like the swelling, redness, fever, chills and the softness of the skin tissues. Yet when one closely examines each type, varying consequences and treatment for cellulitis can also be considered. Knowing the types of cellulitis will help you and your doctor decide the appropriate treatment for cellulitis. Cellulitis facts will help you understand important terms during a doctor's consultation and will elucidate some important concepts.
Leg Cellulitis
This is widely-known as cellulitis of the extremities. Symptoms of this kind of cellulitis like extreme pain, tenderness of muscles due to enzymes produced by the Staphyloccocus bacteria and swelling can be seen in the person's legs. Symptoms may be distributed to the arms and hands. Among adults, leg cellulitis is caused by S. aureus, found in the person's skin and mouth. Doctors identify certain factors contributing leg cellulitis such as pregnancy among women, radiation therapy and surgery that may produce wounds and trauma. This may also be a side-effect when chemotherapy is done among cancer patients.
Orbital Cellulitis
The same symptoms of cellulitis can be found in the eye sockets of the infected person and is usually associated by Haemophilus influenzae type B bacterium. Usually, children are affected in orbital cellulitis especially when previous infections of the teeth, middle ear or face occurred. Infection of the sinuses is the usual culprit because of its proximity to the eyes. This is a serious infection and may affect visual acuity and eye movement of the individual.
Periorbital Cellulitis
The eyelids and other external eye areas have been attacked by this type of cellulitis infection. This may also be associated with other symptoms like swelling of the eye whites and eyeballs. Again, it is more common among children. Upper respiratory infection, eye wounds or trauma and insect bites have been associated with the development of periorbital cellulitis. Antibiotics that are taken orally and intravenously are the immediate treatment options.
Facial Cellulitis
If your cheeks are swollen, painful, red and tender and itching, then maybe you have facial cellulitis. Fever is also a sign that the ailment has already aggravated. The person's mood is also affected with the presence of this infection. Your doctor may give you antibiotics or let you stay in the hospital for a couple of days depending on the level of progress of the ailment.
Perianal Cellulitis
If cellulitis symptoms are found in the anal orifice, then it is called perianal cellulitis. The same cellulitis symptoms may be associated with itching in the anal area, blood on stool and painful bowel movement. Persons affected with perianal cellulitis may or may not have fever and chills.
Breast Cellulitis
Streptococcus bacteria may affect the breast skin area causing it to be tender and inflamed. Breast cellulitis is associated with breast cancer and surgical breast operations like lumpectomy.
Cellulitis may have varying degrees of consequence to the skin and neighbor organs. There are cellulitis symptoms that are common like the swelling, redness, fever, chills and the softness of the skin tissues. Yet when one closely examines each type, varying consequences and treatment for cellulitis can also be considered.
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