 All last month I was swamped (but very happily swamped) with work for National Nutrition Month. On top of the full-time job at the hospital, I was creating and presenting lectures to students ranging from kindergartners to high school seniors and teaching them about healthy eating habits and the importance of starting now.
I LOVE teaching! Opening minds to new ideas and getting people to really think about how ‘you are what you eat’ is very rewarding and also hopeful that the newer and current generations will start making smarter choices and rates of obesity and related health conditions will start to decline.
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 February is American Heart Month, raising awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and woman: 1 out of 4 deaths (1)! Heart disease includes conditions such as atherosclerosis (when arteries become clogged due to plaque build-up) that can result in coronary artery disease and ultimately cause heart attacks, heart failure and strokes by obstructing the flow of oxygen and blood to the rest of your body (1,2).
What causes plaque build up? It’s mainly low-density lipoprotein (aka LDL aka ‘bad’ cholesterol) mixed with fat, calcium and other miscellaneous materials found in your blood (1,3,4).  My wonderful Aunt and Uncle from LaLaLand gifted me some lychees from Chinatown, so I decided to do some research into these juicy sweet treats. This fiber filled heart healthy nature's candy contains B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, copper, and more, and helps the immune system with antioxidant and anti-flu actions! Just in time for this bitter cold season!
 This month my friends and I went apple and pumpkin picking at Riamede Farms in New Jersey. I made loads of treats with the pumpkin meat, but what did I do with all the pumpkin seeds? I certainly wouldn’t discard those little nutrition packed crunchy bites containing phytosterols to help reduce your ‘bad’ cholesterol, protein such as the amino acid tryptophan that will help you get a good night’s rest, and many other vitamins and minerals (vitamin E, vitamin K, B-complex vitamins, potassium, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, copper and manganese) that act as antioxidants, build up your immune system, produce energy, maintain the nervous system, brain, heart and cells, and promote teeth and bone health!
Check out my recipes for Roasted & Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds. These are just a few ways to prepare them. Toss onto your salads, soups, pastas, yogurt, porridge...basically anything and enjoy! |
Maxine Yeung
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