Recipe 8: Asparagus and Almonds. The cancer fighting side dish.

Recipe 8: Asparagus and Almond side dish

This dish is simple, taste awesome, and fights cancer. What more could you want from a side dish?

Serves 2 (60 calories per serving) which makes this an awesome side dish to anyone dieting. Make sure that if you are dieting that you take in as many vitamin rich foods as possible. Plus the fiber in this dish will keep you full!

Ingredients:

Fresh Asparagus spears

¼ cup Sliced almonds

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1 tablespoon Minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a skillet. Preheat on medium. Add rinsed asparagus. Make sure to remove the bottom inch or two of each spear. They are often tough and dry. Add garlic and asparagus to skillet. Lightly salt and pepper. Allow to cook on low for about 10 minutes with the lid on. Plate and add almonds on top.

(all recipes are originals created by Brittney Owens and are not to be reproduced)

What will you gain by eating this meal? (sources http://www.webmd.com   and    www.livestrong.com) and “99  Superfoods” by Carrie May

Asparagus: Contains Vitamins A, C, and K. It is full of folate and antioxidants. Vitamin A aids in vision and healthy teeth, skin, and tissue. People who have difficulty seeing in dim light are likely to have a deficiency in vitamin A. People with a deficiency may also experience dry eyes, blindness, diarrhea, poor skeletal growth, and infections.

Olive oil: Omega-9 fatty acid which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and promote heart health by reducing cholesterol levels. Omega-9s also improve the immune system and can protect against certain cancers.

Almonds: almonds contain calcium and magnesium which help strengthen bones and teeth. The also contain the cancer fighting vitamin E. They contain unsaturated fats which have no cholesterol.

Garlic: Source of selenium, manganese, vitamin c, B6. Selenium is thought to protect cells from damage. Manganese is important for bone formation, connective tissue, and blood clotting. Manganese deficiency is linked to infertility, weakness, seizures, and bone malformation. B6 helps to realease energy your body stores. This is just a portion of an article l read that explains how garlic can protect your heart muscles during a heart attack and prevent cancer. It is easy to add garlic to almost any meal, and with health benefits like these I would say it is worth it. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/

“The power to boost hydrogen sulfide production may help explain why a garlic-rich diet appears to protect against various cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancer, say the study authors. Higher hydrogen sulfide might also protect the heart, according to other experts. Although garlic has not consistently been shown to lower cholesterol levels, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine earlier this year found that injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice almost completely prevented the damage to heart muscle caused by a heart attack.”