Sticky Melons, Sticky Plaque

Photo Title: Where’s the Melon?

I have something very simple and exciting to talk about today. Before I get started though, I want to tell you about something I learned in the produce section of my grocery store. If you ask someone who works in produce about a particular fruit or vegetable, they usually seem pleased you asked. I saw a large pile of honeydew melons which looked out of place to me because they are summer fruits.  I just can’t stand a bland or mealy melon, so I asked a young woman I saw organizing the plums if she could vouch for the melons because I didn’t want to buy one and then throw it all to the chickens. “You have to find one that has a light yellow color and a slightly tacky feel when you run your fingers across the surface,” she said, and then she whipped out a pocket knife and we had a melon tasting party right there along with another employee who was walking by. It was delicious, so I thanked her, found another tacky one and took it home.

KNOWLEDGE BENEFITS LIFE
Life is always benefitted by true knowledge, isn’t it? I’ve been disappointed so many times by honeydew melons that looked perfect but had no taste at all, and had a I known about the “tacky feel” thing, life would have been better (for me, not the chickens).  This is why I am passionate about what I do here at Orange Tree Lane. I believe that being informed and purposeful eaters now will have a direct and positive affect on our health in the future, and the present.

WHAT KILLS MOST AMERICANS?
You’ve probably heard somewhere along the line that coronary heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. If you also believe that what we eat has a direct bearing on our health, then this should be very interesting to you. Like me you should be asking yourself, “Is there anything I can do now to avoid or delay this?” I want to see my grandchildren!

PLAQUE IN ARTERIES
Plaque is a “combination of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood.” (1) It travels through the arteries with your blood, and over time it can get stuck there in the arterial wall. It can either harden and narrow the passageway, or rupture causing a blood clot to form on its surface.  Either scenario reduces the oxygen flow, which can lead to a heart attack, or it harms the heart muscles and weakens their ability to pump a sufficient amount of blood. (2)

GOOD NEWS
The GOOD news is that fiber in your diet can help keep plaque out of your arteries!  “Younger (20 to 39 years) and middle-aged (40 to 59 years) adults with the highest fiber intake, compared to those with the lowest fiber intake, showed a statistically significant lower lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease”, according to a recent study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. (3)

EXCELLENT BEANS AND OATS
Aren’t you motivated just by knowing this?  Protect your heart by eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans (which are some of the best sources of fiber in this group.) The American Heart Association lists these foods as excellent sources of soluble fiber:  oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp.  One apple or cup of oatmeal has 3 grams of fiber, an orange 4.3, a pear 6.5, and if you can find guava, 1 c. gives 8.9 grams. And for the heavy hitter, 1 c. of baked beans provides 10 grams, or almost half of your daily need. (4) 

So the theme today is “sticky”...sticky feeling honeydew melons are ripe, and fiber helps keep the plaque from sticking to your arteries. See what good a little knowledge can do?  Now let’s use it!

Until next week,

Molly
Test Cook and Researcher for Orange Tree Lane

PS- Fiber focus in this week’s menu is the beans in Spontaneous Black Bean Burritos and apples in Fresh Apple Cake. And don’t forget to have oatmeal for breakfast!

Want to understand even better?
(1) & (2)  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/ 
(3) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110322172225.htm 
(4) http://dietaryfiberguide.com/high-fiber-foods/best-dietary-fiber-sources-vegetables/

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither Orange Tree Lane or any of its affiliates take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Molly