Spinach and sweet potato salad with orange dressing

One of my favorite salads is a colorful mix of dark green spinach, bright orange sweet potato, red tomatoes, purplish blueberries, and golden toasted almonds. I love the colors in this salad and it tastes fantastic. Not only is this salad pretty, it is also high in nutrients.

Calorie for calorie, leafy green vegetables like spinach provide more nutrients than any other vegetable. Spinach is rich in a number of essential nutrients, including calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin A. Each of these nutrients plays a crucial role in our bodies health, from maintaining bone structure, preventing neural tube defects, assisting in red blood cell production, regulating our heartbeat, fighting free radicals and nourishing good eyesight. Thirteen different flavonoid compounds, which act as antioxidants and impressive anti-cancer agents, have been found in spinach.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and a very good source of vitamin C. Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals. They are a natural and excellent source of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, protein, iron and calcium.

Lycopene, a phytonutrient found in tomatoes, has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. Lycopene helps protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage, which has been linked to the protection of DNA. Lycopene from tomatoes has been found to protect against a growing list of cancers, including colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. In addition to lycopene, tomatoes are a very good source of potassium and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, and folate. These nutrients lower blood pressure and cholesterol, making tomatoes a heart-healthy food.

Blueberries are packed with antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins; this is the blue-red pigment that gives blueberries their color. Anthocyanidins have been shown to improve eyesight and short term memory. Blueberries are also high in fiber, iron, and very high in vitamin C.

The almond that we think of as a nut is actually the seed of the fruit of the almond tree (a relative of the peach, cherry and apricot trees). The tree bears fruits with seeds (or pits), these seeds are what we call the almond nut. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Almonds are also a good source of vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

But enough chit-chat...here's the recipe.

Ingredients
For the salad:
1 bunch organic spinach, rinsed and dried
1 sweet potato
1 container organic cherry tomatoes
1 container blueberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the dressing:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
half fresh orange
mixed dried salad herbs

Directions
For the salad:
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Wash the sweet potato well and dry. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and add to the saucepan. Allow sweet potato cubes to cook on high. Once they become bright orange (or even a bit golden), remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a small saucepan, toast slivered almonds for two to three minutes, until they are golden. Allow to cool.

Chop spinach and add to salad bowl. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves (or quarters if they are very large) and add to salad bowl. Add washed and dried blueberries to salad bowl. Add cooled sweet potato cubes and toasted almonds to salad bowl.

For the dressing:
Pour olive oil in small bowl. Add sherry vinegar. Squeeze in juice of orange and add orange zest (from skin). Whisk together. Add herbs and mix well. Pour over salad and serve.

- The Grazer

Monday Bites

Sometimes, Mondays simply bite. You're tired from the weekend, angry to be back at work, or feeling guilty about midnight pizza...To lift your spirits, I'm going to post a nutrition tip every Monday. I'll give you advice on superfoods, vitamins and minerals, or the new fad diet. So here goes...

Açai (ah-sigh-ee) berry is quickly being recognized as nature's most powerful "superfood". A superfood is a food with high phytonutrient content, typically thought to provide major health benefits. It is a Brazilian berry harvested in the Amazon Region. Caboclo populations in the Amazon describe the açai palm as its most important plant species, because it makes up 42% of their diet. It is loaded with antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids, fibers and protein. A recent study of açai pulp and skin powder detected high contents of anthocyanins (the compound that makes red wine so heart-healthy) and over twelve other flavonoid-like compounds (flavonoids are known for their antioxidant, as well as anti-viral, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities). The study also found açai pulp to have inhibitory effects on the human enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, which play roles in acute and chronic inflammation, and to have stimulatory effects on macrophages, white blood cells that are important for immune function.

Açai can also help to reduce cholesterol because of its high content of phytosterols and dietary fiber. In fact, 25% of açai's dry weight is attributed to fiber. Another 50% is attributed to fat - but not the bad kind! Rather, açai has polyunsaturated linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids) and monounsaturated oleic acid. Both forms of fatty acids, the "good fats," lower LDL (harmful cholesterol) while maintaining HDL (good cholesterol). They support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and nervous systems, and are specifically known to protect against cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.

Almost 8% of the weight of an açai berry is made up of amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein, accounting for açai's high protein content). This taken together with it's concentration of trace minerals (iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, manganese, zinc and boron), makes the berry important for cell regeneration and muscle health.

But enough of the scientific-babble. I'll break it down for you. Açai is tremendously antioxidant-rich, meaning it helps to clean the body of toxins. It's synergy of healthy fats, dietary fiber, and phytosterols promote cardiovascular and digestive health. Its amino acid and trace mineral complex make it a restorative metabolism booster. So don't let Monday bite, rather pick up some açai juice and see for yourself.