Nature's miracle foods

Dear Betsy,

I really like your column each weekend and never miss it. My favourite things are when you tell us about foods and how good they can be for us. I liked last week's article about the melon.

This week can you tell us what you think are the top five things we should be eating or drinking and maybe your favourite easy recipe.

Leena George.

Dear Leena,

This is a very difficult one Leena, as there are so many things I could choose.

Here are three of my favourites and I will feature more in future columns.

Blueberries

They are one of nature's little miracle foods in my opinion. They are packed full of vitamins A, C and E and beta-carotene and manganese, magnesium and potassium. Fibre rich, they are an ideal snack food or to be added to your breakfast cereal.

They have been identified as being rich in several important phenols including heart-protecting resveratrol, that miracle anti-ageing and cancer fighting ingredient that red wine and grapes are famous for.

Pterostilbene, another phenol, is said to help control blood sugar. The myriad of potent ingredients in blueberries is thought to work synergistically to reduce your risk of disease and improve brain function and cancer prevention.

It can be difficult to find fresh blueberries in Bahrain, so opt instead for frozen berries which are to be found in the freezers of many of Bahrain's supermarkets. Adding a generous handful to your breakfast cereal is the simplest way to go, but it can be hard to beat a home-made blueberry muffin which can be nutritionally enhanced by adding an ounce of flaxseeds to the recipe.

If you are gluten intolerant then use spelt flour or another similar gluten-free alternative. In the heat of summer, a handful of frozen blueberries is a great way to cool down and, unlike high fat, calorie-laden ice cream, it is sin-free.

Turmeric

This bitter-tasting, inexpensive spice is often used in recipes as a 'colour' substitute for the more expensive saffron. It's main active ingredient, Curcumin, has been shown to have a powerful anti-inflammatory action, helping to relieve arthritis but also shows promise against ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

It has also been tagged as an anti-cancer agent but more importantly, it can help your immune system to ward off colds and flu and in these days of swine flu, I would recommend that a cup of hot water with a pinch of turmeric added can be drunk every morning as a protection.

Add some turmeric to your foods when cooking recipes that call for curry or chilli as ingredients, and I sometimes add it to recipes that include tomato juice or tomato paste such as chili con carne or bolognaise sauce. In the Gulf, it fits nicely into most Arabic and Asian recipes.

Experiment with it in your own cooking, but keep the quantities small to counteract it's bitterness.

Pomegranate

I love this 'Garden of Eden' apple. I like to think of it as nature's HRT (hormone replacement therapy) in a fruit, as it contains 12 oestrogenic compounds and researchers claim it has been shown to neutralise cancerous cells in breast and prostrate cancer.

It is high in potassium, boosts the immune system and tastes quite delicious. Adding a generous handful to a fruit salad or juicing the fruit with some blueberries makes a delicious mega potent thirst quencher.

There is a caution here for those who take medications for certain medical conditions such as cholesterol and high blood pressure, as compounds in pomegranate (and to a greater extent, grapefruit) can interfere with these medications, so if you are in doubt, check with your doctor before indulging in either of these fruits.

Hope you enjoy the simple summer recipe with this article.