• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • All Articles
  • Arts & Culture
  • Health
  • News
    • News
    • Announcements
    • Obituaries
    • The Official Dish
  • Opinions
  • Horoscopes
  • PODCAST
  • Subscribe

Ambush Magazine

The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™

  • Read All Articles
  • Print Archive
  • Old Archived Site
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

How About a Little Color in Your Life

May 4, 2020 By Catherine Roland

There is a lot now that challenges us every day. Here are a few suggestions that could be enjoyable and helpful, such as cooking and, of course, eating!

A podcast I like is What’s Cookin’, that highlights favorite easy recipes. Here’s a recipe from herbalist Cathy McNease that only takes about 15 minutes and is a great addition to something more substantial, or as a stand-alone. McNease is a nationally certified herbalist with a diploma in Chinese Herbology, and a B.S. in Biology/Psychology from Western Michigan University.

As McNease says, “This is my go-to when I am tired and want a healthy meal quickly. Start to finish is about 10-15 minutes.”

Advertisement
  • Gather vegetables of your choice – broccoli, potato, zucchini, onion – all work well, singly or together. Then steam the veggies.
  • Place veggies and steam water in the blender along with 1 can of coconut milk, 1-3 Tbsp. of miso paste (depending on how salty you like it), and seasonings you like – I use cumin powder, oregano, and basil. Blend together.
  •  Top with chopped cilantro. Serve with crackers, chips or buttered toast.

Have a favorite recipe? Send it to: recipes@lgbtsr.com and share it with readers.

Another article that can be accessed as a podcast, includes a discussion on the vast rainbow of foods available to us. According to McNease, in Staying Healthy with a Rainbow of Foods, a healthier life may be possible through eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. I liked the explanation of how each color vegetable provides a set of unique nutrients to ward off diseases and promote energy. Below are excerpts from McNease’s work. If you know about nutrition already, this will be a pertinent reminder.

Red fruits and vegetables are colored by plant pigments called lycopene (in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit) or anthocyanins (in strawberries, cherries, raspberries, red grapes). They protect our hearts, improve brain function, and reduce risk of osteoporosis and diabetes. And ketchup counts!

Advertisement

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are colored by plant pigments called carotenoids, which help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and can improve immune system function. Beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, persimmons, papaya, peaches, and carrots, is converted to vitamin A. Orange and yellow foods are also rich in vitamin C. Yellow and green fruits and vegetables contain another group of carotenoids that are also important in preventing macular degeneration. You may choose spinach, broccoli, green beans, cabbage, and corn for these nutrients.

Green fruits and vegetables are rich in folic acid and chlorophyll. Folic acid protects us from cancer, high levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol), regulates digestion and improves immune system function. All green foods also contain chlorophyll, nature’s blood builder and detoxifier. In addition to all the leafy green vegetables, zucchini, peas and seaweeds, there are also a few green fruits: avocados, grapes, kiwis, limes and green apples.

Blue and purple foods contain a pigment called anthocyanins, the same pigment in some red foods. Grapes, eggplant, plums, blueberries, red cabbage, and beets are examples. This nutrient benefits the cardiovascular system, lowering cholesterol, helping maintain the flexibility of blood vessels, and supporting blood flow, perhaps contributing to better visual acuity and reduction of glaucoma, as well as a reduced risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

Advertisement

White fruits and vegetables contain allicin, known to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) as well as blood pressure and boost the immune. Examples are potatoes, onions, mushrooms, turnips, bananas, white peaches, and pears. These white foods also help reduce the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. Bananas and potatoes are good sources of the mineral potassium. People who eat generous amounts of fruits and vegetables are likely to reduce their risk of many chronic diseases.  

If you’d like to access other articles/podcasts from LGBTSR-2, check out: https://lgbtsr.com/about-lgbtsr-2/

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is continuing her quest to raise healthy food consciousness in the world. If you would like to see a visual of her plan of what a plate with appropriate portions looks like, access the link below. A simple plan and brilliant illustration. (Go to www.choosemyplate.gov). 

Advertisement

These times may seem as though we have no power and control over things. The power and control we DO have right now is to take good care of ourselves and those we love and care for. Please stay safe, stay home, and try to be patient.

Filed Under: The Here and the Now

Related Posts

Eating Disorders and Body Image: How to Help Fight the Epidemic
Fight or Flight: The Impact of Chaos
Survival of the Fittest: Staying Solid through the Holiday Season

Primary Sidebar

Connect & Join the Conversation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Recent Print Editions

  • Volume 38 Issue 17
  • Volume 38 Issue 16
  • Volume 38 Issue 15
  • Volume 38 Issue 14
  • Volume 38 Issue 13
  • Volume 38 Issue 12
  • Volume 38 Issue 11
  • Volume 38 Issue 10
  • Volume 38 Issue 05
  • Volume 38 Issue 04

Recent Articles

  • Trodding the Boards January 24, 2023
  • Under the Gaydar (February Event Calendar)
  • The 71st Miss Universe Pageant
  • Trodding the Boards January 10, 2023
  • Bartender Spotlight

Experience Gay New Orleans

  • Gay New Orleans
  • Gay Mardi Gras
  • Gay Easter Parade
  • New Orleans Pride
  • Gay Appreciation Awards
  • Southern Decadence
  • Gay Halloween

Categories

  • A Community within Communities
  • Announcements
  • Arts & Culture
  • Bartender of the Month
  • Book Review
  • Business
  • Chop Chop
  • Commentary
  • Drag Queen Profile
  • Featured
  • Film Review
  • Financial
  • Geo Doing Geo Things
  • Health
  • Horoscopes
  • Interviews from Key West
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Moments in Queer New Orleans History
  • Museum Spotlights
  • Music
  • Musings by Catherine
  • New to New Orleans
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Opinions
  • Pride Spotlight
  • Profiles & Spotlights
  • Sports
  • The Here and the Now
  • The Official Dish
  • The Real Cheese
  • The Rockford Files
  • Trodding the Boards
  • Uncategorized
  • Under The Gaydar

Footer

Ambush Magazine Logo

Ambush Magazine is New Orleans' and the Gulf Coast's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer entertainment, news, and travel guide since 1982.

Publisher TJ Acosta
Editor-In-Chief Reed Wendorf
Founding Publisher/Editor Rip Naquin-Delain
Senior Editor Brian Sands
Distribution George Bevan Jr

Email info@ambushpublishing.com
Phone (504) 522-8049

Recent Posts

  • Trodding the Boards January 24, 2023
  • Under the Gaydar (February Event Calendar)
  • The 71st Miss Universe Pageant
  • Trodding the Boards January 10, 2023
  • Bartender Spotlight

Proud Member

Gulf South LGBT Chamber Logo

Let’s Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · Ambush Publishing LLC All Rights Reserved · Website Built by Reed Wendorf · Log in