News: Study Finds Spicy Food to Have Health Benefits

According to a recent study, eating spicy food may help you to live longer as well as lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease.  So how often do you need to spice up your meals in order to see any change?  Eating the hot stuff once or twice a week results in a 10% reduction of overall risk of death, and eating spicy foods up to seven times a week reduces your risk by up to 14%. 

For the study, 485,000 participants were charted from 2004 – 2008 in a large Chinese health study.  Researchers found that participants who ate hot food- mainly chili peppers- once or twice a week (compared with participants who ate hot food less than once a week) were able to lower their overall risk of death by 10%.  Results were found after adjusting for family medical history, age, education, diabetes, smoking as well as other variables.   

What better way to celebrate than with a spicy recipe?

Spicy Harissa Yogurt Sauce

1 C Yogurt

2 Tbsp. Harissa

2 Cloves Garlic, mashed

2 C Fresh mint, minced

To Taste Kosher salt & Fresh ground black pepper

Whisk to combine and season to taste.

Trend: Eating Seasonally

Eating seasonally is a great way to save money, eat healthy and benefit your local farmers.  We hear more and more about eating foods that are in season as people try to become more aware of where their food is coming from, but the movement is more than a trend.

First of all, eating seasonally can save you and your family a lot of money.  If you buy foods that are in season, you are buying them at their greatest production level. The overhead costs for farmers and distributers are less, meaning the prices in your grocery store will be less.

Buying seasonally also means that you are eating food at its peak.  Taste, nutrition and availability are all in their prime when food is in season.  When foods are grown and harvested out of season, you have to wait for them to be shipped from around the world, often meaning that produce has been harvested too soon in order to make the trip without spoiling.  This leads to a sacrifice in taste and cost.

By eating seasonally, you also expose your palate to a broader variety of produce.  When shopping only for what is seasonally available, you may find that there are many fruits and vegetables that are new to you.

An easy way to spot seasonal foods in your grocery store is looking at price trends.  If berries are particularly expensive, or if an abundance of potatoes are on sale, that is an indicator of being in-season.  You can also check out this excellent guide from The Cleveland Clinic or this interactive peak-season map from Epicurious to help you eat fresh.

Ohio seasonal foods for the month of July

Black-eyed peas

Blueberries

Corn

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Nectarines

Okra

Peaches

Raspberries

Tomatoes