20 Life-Saving Pieces of Produce

Reposting GREAT TIPS from READER'S DIGEST Newsletter:

20 Life-Saving Pieces of Produce

Unless you’ve purposely ignored reading anything about nutrition for the past 30 years, you know that message Number One is that eating lots fresh produce—including both fruits and vegetables—can substantially lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and many other diseases. And if you have a chronic  health issue like high blood pressure or diabetes, regular consumption of green, red, blue, orange, and purple produce can help you reverse the condition.

We encourage you to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want—provided they’re as close to their natural state as possible. That means fresh fruit and minimally cooked vegetables. It also means limiting canned produce (which is often packed minus the skin, an important source of fiber) and opting for either fresh or frozen to get the most fiber and nutrients.

The best way to approach produce is to eat as many different kinds as often as possible. Don’t think of that as a chore. Many people tend to reach for the same produce, shopping trip after shopping trip, and then complain that fruits and vegetables are boring or unsatisfying. Cut out the monomania. Diversify your shopping cart. It just might save your life!

Below are the top twenty pieces of produce that pack the most antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent and slow down oxidative damage to our body—a chemical reaction you want to avoid as much as possible. Why? When our body cells use oxygen, they produce free radicals that can cause damage to our internal organs. Antioxidants act as free-radical scavengers and snuff them out, preventing and repairing damage done by these evil-little free radicals. Health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, macular degeneration, and cancer are all linked to the oxidation process and free radicals.

Try a different piece of produce each week. We promise you’ll never get bored and you’ll be getting a ton of nutrients that stabilize your blood sugar and fight off a host of long term diseases. Here are our top twenty, life-saving, fruit and vegetable picks.

Fruit
1. Prunes
2. Raisins
3. Berries
4. Plums
5. Apples
6. Oranges
7. Red grapes
8. Cherries
9. Kiwi fruit
10. Grapefruit

Vegetables
1. Kale
2. Spinach
3. Brussels sprouts
4. Alfalfa sprouts
5. Broccoli
6. Beets
7. Red bell peppers
8. Onions
9. Corn
10. Eggplant

Shrimp Bisque

Bisques are often prepared with pureed seafood and heavy cream. In this healthy version, a flavorful seafood stock is prepared with a fat-free base. Fennel, shallots, and chopped red bell pepper add flavor, texture, and vitamins.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp, heads removed

4 tablespoons dry white wine

4 slices lemon

4 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Cooking spray

1 fennel bulb, finely sliced (reserve the leaves)

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Pinch paprika

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 

Salt and pepper

Chopped fennel leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1    Peel the shrimp and set them aside. Place the shells in a large saucepan. Add 6 cups cold water, wine, lemon slices, peppercorns, and parsley to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface during cooking.

2    Meanwhile, under running water, use a small, sharp knife to make a shallow slit along the curved back of each shrimp. With the tip of the knife, remove the black vein and discard it. Cover and chill the shrimp until needed.

3    Allow the shrimp-shell broth to cool slightly and then strain through a fine sieve into a large bowl.

4    Heat the same saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the fennel and the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs, paprika, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer. Add the shrimp and continue simmering for 3 minutes.

5    Use a slotted spoon to remove 6 shrimp for garnishing the soup. Set them aside. Lightly season the soup with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

6    Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return it to the pan and add the red bell pepper. Reheat the soup until piping hot. Serve garnished with the reserved shrimp and chopped fennel leaves.

Per cookie: 79 cal, 1 g fat (0 g sat), 6 g carbs, 11 g protein, 2 g fiber, 97 mg chol, 143 mg sodium

Try This Healthy-Portion Trick

Having a hard time managing your portion sizes at meals? Take a photo of your loaded-up plate before eating. Thanks to smart phones, most of us have a pretty decent quality camera at our disposal at all times. Use it to help keep your diabetes in check. Snapping a pic before digging into your meal can help you become more conscious of portion sizes. You can even refer to the photo later when you want to write down what you ate and how much. And if looking at the photo makes you change your mind about indulging, good for you! Then use the erase button to remove the photo—not to mention the extra calories.