Brainy Guys Love Buckwheat ~ Why?

I was first introduced to buckwheat by my wife the Brainy Gourmet who spent years on the steppes of Eastern Europe where it is cultivated. The fields are like a bride's bouquet when in bloom and afire when its the harvest.

Buckwheat is energizing and nutritious, buckwheat is available throughout the year and can be served as an alternative to rice or made into porridge. While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein gluten. Buckwheat flowers are very fragrant and are attractive to bees that use them to produce a special, strongly flavored, dark honey.


Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The Yi people of China consume a diet high in buckwheat (100 grams per day, about 3.5 ounces). When researchers tested blood lipids of 805 Yi Chinese, they found that buckwheat intake was associated with lower total serum cholesterol, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, the form linked to cardiovascular disease), and a high ratio of HDL (health-promoting cholesterol) to total cholesterol.

Buckwheat's beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants.
 Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease.

So, guys... load up on the Buckwheat. It makes me feel - robust!




~ Source -  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11

Brainy Guys Love Gazpacho!

Gazpacho!

I did not know that gazpacho was actually Spanish and I think pretty much resembles salsa.


Here is an excerpt from an expert ~ "Gazpacho" is cool, refreshing and flavorful start to a meal on a hot summer day. This soup is eaten often in the southern part of Spain called Andalusia, the region from which is originates. Eat gazpacho from a soup bowl, or drink it from a glass. Either way, it is tasty, refreshing and very healthy, since it is made from nothing but fresh vegetables and a bit of oil and vinegar. During the hot weather, do what the Spaniards do - Make a batch of gazpacho and keep it in a glass pitcher in the refrigerator for whenever you need a cool drink.

I like the last part, keep it in a glass pitcher for whenever you need a cool drink, and the best part... its pretty much a health food.  Follow the recipe which can be done in a blender on coarse setting for soup and liquid if you want smoothie.

• 3 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded - coarsely chopped
• 2 green or red peppers, seeded- coarsely chopped
• 1 small red or white onion - coarsely chopped
• Washed and chopped fresh green (curly) parsley
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic 
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•  3 cloves of garlic - minced
•  1 squeeze of fresh lime juice
• salt to taste

 *Try it topped with croutons or as a side any toasted bread.






Source ~  http://spanishfood.about.com/od/soupssalads/r/gazpacho.htm