Green Tea Experiment

I'm not a big coffee drinker - I usually only have one cup a day - but I've decided to try replacing my morning cup of Joe with green tea.

Why, you ask? Well, I just finished reading The Jungle Effect by Daphne Miller, MD. As Miller traveled the globe researching the indigenous diets of chronic disease "cold spots," one of the foods/drinks that kept popping up was tea. She learned that although people in Iceland (where there's a surprisingly low incidence of depression) don't eat a lot of vegetables, they still get plenty of antioxidants from drinking black tea.

Miller also found that Okinawans - who are known for being healthy and active well into their golden years and have one of the lowest rates of breast and prostate cancer in the world - drink at least three cups of straight green tea (which contains EGCG, a flavonoid and powerful antioxidant) daily.

In addition to it's high antioxidant levels, which protect against cancer, green tea also "promotes healthy cholesterol levels, increases metabolism, improves mental performance, inhibits plaque buildup on teeth ... and helps the body deal with stress" (from Whole Foods).

Green tea regularly appears on lists of so-called "superfoods." According to Whole Foods, you should "drink three 8-ounce cups daily – this will match the amounts consumed in Asian countries."

So I'm switching out coffee for green tea (which contains caffeine) in the mornings, and the last few evenings I've ended the day with a cup of ginger tea, which prevents colds and aids in digestion.

Superfoods: Salmon, Broccoli, & Sweet Potato

Technically there's no such thing as a "superfood." Scientists and dietitians have never agreed on a list of such foods, and some even claim that the designation is just a marketing ploy. The British have gone so far as to actually ban the term.

But there are a few foods that often get nominated as superfoods, such as blueberries, spinach, carrots, brown rice, yogurt, olive oil, green tea, and avocados. And there are some that seem to make everybody's list of the best foods to eat or foods to eat most frequently, such as salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, all three of which I happen to love.

This past winter, during a week that my husband Topher was traveling for work, I decided to see if I could find a recipe that incorporated all three ingredients. Sure enough, Real Simple has a recipe for Salmon, Sweet Potato, and Broccoli Chowder. I won't copy the recipe here, but I will say that it was delicious. The only step that took a little time was getting the skin off the salmon (since I didn't buy a skinless fillet). It's good right after you make it, but I think it might be even better the second day, after the flavors have had some time to meld.

Last night I decided to go back to the basics and made baked salmon, baked sweet potatoes (served with butter & brown sugar), and steamed broccoli. A colorful plate that goes well with a glass of white wine.