Raw or Cooked Veggies: The Best Way to Unlock Nutrients

Biggest Bang for Your Produce Buck

If you’re trying to work more fruits and vegetables into your diet, make sure you get the most out of them. How they’re prepared can make a big difference in the nutritional punch they pack. The right type of heat can bring out the nutrients in some, but you’ll need to eat others raw to get the biggest benefit. 

Raw Garlic

This is one powerful plant. It’s rich in selenium, an antioxidant that may help control high blood pressure and possibly lower your chances of some cancers. You can mix it into veggie stir-fries, casseroles, or tomato sauce for pasta, but you’ll get more nutrients if you eat it raw or add it just before the dish is finished cooking.  

Fresh Fruit

This is a healthy snack that's rich in fiber, low in fat and calories, and packed with vitamins. Some types may even make you less likely to get type 2 diabetes. The best choices are blueberries, grapes, and apples. But the same can’t be said for fruit juice from the grocery store. It lacks the fiber of whole fruit and has a lot of added sugar.

Make Tomato Sauce

Pasta tossed with rich tomato sauce is an easy classic that’s good and good for you. Cooking fresh, diced tomatoes helps your body take in and use lycopene, a natural chemical that may make you less likely to have heart disease and some types of cancer.

Cook Carrots

These popular veggies have natural chemicals, too, called carotenoids. They’re what make carrots orange, and they may help protect your eyes and possibly lower your chances of some cancers. Like lycopene, heat makes carotenoids easier for your body to use, so steam or lightly roast fresh carrots to get the most out of them.

Steam Broccoli

If you think raw broccoli is tough or tasteless, a quick steam can soften it up without killing off many of its nutrients. Unlike boiling or stir-frying in oil, steaming lets it hold onto most of a healthy compound called glucosinolate. That gives it its distinct odor and may help prevent certain types of cancer

Use Pressure With Mushrooms

These fungi are very low in calories and offer a unique flavor along with fiber and antioxidants. You can slice them raw to add to a salad, but if you prefer the texture of cooked mushrooms, steam them or heat them in a pressure cooker. Quick cooking can raise the amount of antioxidants in some types of mushrooms.

Bake Sweet Potatoes

These are rich in fiber, vitamins A and C, and calcium and magnesium that help you build strong, healthy bones. But how you cook your sweet potato can change the amount of starch and sugar in it. The best way to prepare one of these filling, naturally sweet gems is to bake it and serve it up with the skin in place. But skip the butter.

How You Cook Matters

When you boil vegetables, both the water and high heat can drain some nutrients. But stir-frying or sautéing can preserve more of those. And a quick zap in the microwave lets the veggie hold on to even more vitamins.

What About Steaming?

This can be a good way to keep the nutrients in fresh produce without adding any fat from oil or butter. And as a bonus, you can enjoy the steaming liquid as a veggie broth that’s full of all the nutrients from the veggies you cooked. But steam’s intense heat can destroy some nutrients in certain veggies, like kale, bell peppers, and Brussels sprouts. You might use these in a crunchy, healthy salad instead.

Watch the Timing

When you use heat on any fresh vegetable, you want to keep as much of the flavor, look, texture, and nutrients as you can. Cook them only until they’re tender but still crisp, not mushy. If you’re making a lot, it can be a good idea to whip up small batches instead of big piles. That helps make sure they’re all cooked over the same amount of heat.

Be Careful With Juicing

Juicing raw fruit is a trendy way to get tons of different nutrients in one glass, and there are plenty of places to buy one when you’re on the go. But use caution with that fresh, frothy treat. Fruit skins that haven’t been washed well can have bacteria that cause diarrhea. It’s best to carefully clean, cut, and squeeze your own juices.

Kids & Technology: Are We Changing Their Brains?

As a pediatrician, my job is to help guide parents on keeping their kids healthy. This includes everything from recommending vaccinations to guard against disease, to putting a baby on their back to sleep to prevent SIDS, to recommending seat belts to prevent accidental death from a car accident.
But what if we were starting to see a glimpse of potential hazards with something relatively new? A “something” that penetrates almost every waking moment of you and your child’s life? Should we sound the alarm bells?
Early results from a multi-center study funded by the National Institute of Health are showing that there are brain changes in 9-10 year olds who are using screens for more than 7 hours a day. We don’t know for sure if these structural effects are negative but, unfortunately, there are other studies that are already pointing to potential harm.
A study that looked at more than 900 toddlers aged 6 to 24 months found that language delays happened in kids who spent more time on screens. This isn’t surprising as kids learn how to talk by listening and conversing. In older kids, it seems that too much time on screens can impact their abilities to recognize emotions. And this study from UCLA found that if the screens were taken away for 5 days from preteens, it actually brought back their ability to understand emotions. We know as adults how important it is to be able to perceive what someone is feeling or thinking in personal and professional relationships. And then there are other effects: The blue light from screens affect melatonin and sleep, and social media can create teen anxiety and depression.
Now, don’t get me wrong. As a physician who always wants to improve health and healthcare, I am truly a proponent of technology, when used the right way. Smart devices have enabled us to not only save time but also to stay in touch with people from around the world and even from the good old days.
I just found an old middle school friend from decades ago on a social media account — it was quite amazing! And then there are the incredible health innovations that devices have opened the door to: retinal scans for diabetic retinopathy, monitoring of blood sugars, heart rates, and oxygen levels, to even triggering EMS if you fall; every day there are more ways that technology can help us.
But, just like with cars, which have given us the capability to travel across the nation to our family and friends, we still need to have guardrails, especially with young growing minds. And honestly, would we just throw the car keys to our preteen or teen and say ‘have fun, see you later,’ with no driving lessons or understanding of rules and guardrails?
As a parent of twin preteens, I struggle with this myself. As working parents, we are constantly in a tug of war with time, and sometimes it seems we just don’t have enough to monitor our kids use of devices. It is not easy, but here’s the thing — with the science just beginning to show effects, such as language delays, sleep problems and emotional health issues on the developing brain, it is key that we hold the line. Here are some things that I suggest to parents, and that I do in my own home.
1. Set priorities. Screens should be last in how kids spend their time. The first priorities in our home are academics, exercise, sleep and family time. These are ALWAYS before screen time happens on any type of device. The AAP Family Media Use Plan can help you put those rules down with your kids.
2. Look in the mirror. Yes, I’m talking about us as parents. A recent study showed that half of parents were using their phone in the car, and a third were texting while driving their kids around. Obviously one problem is safety but the other is that kids DO what you do, not what you say you do. It’s important to follow the same rules that we set down for kids, ourselves.
3. Take every opportunity to talk and converse instead of looking at screens. Lately, everywhere we go, restaurants, in car pools, and in waiting rooms, all of us are staring at devices. We aren’t talking and looking at each other. Talking to each other builds relationships and can be the foundation and buffer for when kids go thru the turbulent teen years. Family time has been shown to help reduce risk of using drugs, having early sex, and depression — and it helps build connections and roots for kids. Hang out and chat with them often – it’s great for them, and your lifelong relationship with them.
4. Use the good side of innovations to help you. There are apps to gauge screen time, and recently Apple integrated a screen time tool onto smartphones.
The truth is we are living through a revolution of technology. It is rapidly changing and innovation is coming at us seemingly at the speed of light. It is hard for the scientific studies and laws to even keep up with this exponential change. So, as we wait for those guardrails to come down on the world around us, let’s continue to do what we’ve always done — hold the line for our kids and guide them to health and happiness, no matter how hard it sometimes is.

Contributors

• Michael Smith, MD, CPT

Michael Smith, MD, CPT, is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and WebMD’s Chief Medical Editor. He is also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer with a passion for helping people live a healthy, active lifestyle. He appears regularly as an expert on national and local broadcast media.

• Neha Pathak, MD

Neha Pathak, MD, is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and part of WebMD's team of medical editors responsible for ensuring the accuracy of health information on the site. Before joining WebMD, Pathak worked as a primary care physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs and was an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta.

• John Whyte, MD, MPH

John Whyte, MD, MPH, is a board-certified internist and the Chief Medical Officer at WebMD, where he leads efforts to develop and expand strategic partnerships that create meaningful change around important and timely public health issues. As a popular health writer, he has been published extensively both in medical and mainstream publications.

• Hansa Bhargava, MD

Hansa Bhargava, MD, is a medical editor and WebMD's expert pediatrician. She oversees the team of medical experts responsible for ensuring the accuracy and credibility of the pediatric content on the site.

• Brunilda Nazario, MD

Brunilda Nazario, MD, is the Associate Medical Director at WebMD and is responsible for reviewing WebMD content and ensuring its accuracy, timeliness, and credibility. She is a board certified Internist and Endocrinologist, she is also certified in Advanced Diabetes Management. Upon completion of a certification in bariatric medicine, Dr Nazario is now a Diplomate for the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

• Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH

Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and a WebMD Medical Editor. She is on the team that makes sure all WebMD content is medically correct, current and understandable. She sees patients at the Women’s Wellness Clinic at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

How to Improve Your Circulation

Why You Need Good Blood Flow

It’s hard to believe, but your body holds about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Along with your heart and other muscles, they make up your circulatory system. This network of roadways carries blood to every corner of your body. But when your circulation is poor, it slows or blocks the blood flow. That means the cells in your body can’t get all the oxygen and nutrients they need.

Signs of Poor Circulation

When your limbs can’t get enough blood, your hands or feet may feel cold or numb. If you’re light-skinned, your legs might get a blue tinge. Poor circulation also can dry your skin, turn your nails brittle, and make your hair fall out, especially on your feet and legs. Some men may have trouble getting or keeping an erection. And if you have diabetes, your scrapes, sores, or wounds tend to heal slower.

Snuff Out Tobacco

Nicotine is the active ingredient in cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. It harms the walls of your arteries and thickens your blood so much, it can’t get through. If you smoke, quit. It can be hard to stick with it, but your pharmacy or doctor’s office can help.

Control Your Blood Pressure

If it’s too high, it can cause arteriosclerosis, a condition that hardens your arteries and can help choke off blood flow. Aim for 120 over 80 or less, but ask your doctor about the best numbers for your age and health. Check your reading at least once a month. You can buy a home blood pressure monitor or use a kiosk at your pharmacy.

Gulp It Down

Blood is about half water. So you need to stay hydrated to keep it moving. Aim for 8 glasses of water a day. You’ll need to drink more if you exercise or if it’s hot outside

Stand Up at Your Desk

Sitting for hours at a time isn’t great for your circulation or your back. It weakens leg muscles and slows the blood flow in your legs, which could cause a clot. If you’re a desk jockey at work, consider a standing desk instead. It may take a little while to get used to, but getting on your feet works the valves in your leg veins, sending blood up to your heart. 

Relax and Twist

Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can jump-start your blood flow. When you move, it brings oxygen to your cells. When you twist, it sends blood to your organs. And upside-down positions shift blood from the bottom half of your body up to your heart and brain. 

Hit the Wall (in a Good Way)

Not a yogi? When your ankles or feet swell, try the legs-up-the-wall yoga pose. Also called viparita karani, it’s an easy way to send your blood in the other direction. Lie on the floor or on a yoga mat, with your left or right shoulder close to the wall. Turn your body so you can put your feet up, and scooch your bottom against the wall. Stretch your arms out on the floor with palms down for balance.

Pump It Up

Aerobic means “with oxygen.” So when you run, bike, walk, swim, and do similar exercises, you take in more oxygen and move it to your muscles. This gets your blood pumping, makes your heart stronger, and lowers your blood pressure. Set a goal to exercise for 30 minutes, 5 to 7 days a week. Break it up into small chunks if needed. If you walk, know that moderate to intense speeds -- at least 3 miles an hour -- offer the best health benefits.

Cop A Squat

This form of strength training not only gets your blood pumping, it also helps lower your blood sugar and helps with back pain. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Now slowly bend at your hips and knees, but keep your back straight, like you’re sitting in a chair. As you return to the starting position, bend your arms for balance.

Compress Your Socks

Put your wardrobe to work. Compression socks put a bit of squeeze on your legs so your blood doesn’t hang around too long. Instead, it’ll move back up to your heart. Ask your doctor which length and amount of pressure are best for you.

Eat More Plants and Less Meat

Let’s face it: There’s no downside to a balanced diet. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Stay away from saturated fats that can be found in red meat, chicken, cheese, and other animal sources. Steer clear of too much salt. That will help keep your weight in a healthy range and your cholesterol and blood pressure in check -- and your arteries clear. 

Brush Your Body, Not Just Your Hair

Sweep your blood in the right direction. Take a body brush with stiff, flat bristles and stroke on your dry skin. Start with your feet and work your way up, using long motions on your legs and arms. Make circles on your belly and lower back. Dry brushing also gets rid of dry skin. Do it every day, right before your shower.

Sip or Soak

It’s a temporary fix, but a bath is a great way to kick-start your circulation. Warm water makes your arteries and veins open a bit wider, letting more blood through. Hot water or tea does the trick as well.

Healthy Ways to Cook at Home

Braise

The first step:  Brown your food in a pan for a few minutes to seal in juices.  You might also hear this called searing.  Then add water or broth to the pan, and finish off the cooking process by simmering in a wet heat.  You can use the leftover liquid to make a sauce that’s full of flavor and nutrients.  Most people cook meat this way, but it works on veggies, too.

Stew

Cover uncooked food in broth, wine, water, juice, or stock, put a tight lid on the pot, and cook over low heat.  Veggies, meats, or a mix of both are great in stews.

Boil

When you boil food, you cook it in water that’s hot enough for lots of bubbles to rise to the top and break.  It’s common to cook pasta this way, but you can boil almost anything, from eggs to veggies to meats.

Poach

It’s likely you’ve heard of poached eggs, but you can cook other foods this way, too, like chicken or fish.  Heat the liquid you’re using to a temperature just below boiling.  Cook your food gently, either directly in the liquid or in a special spoon or cup meant for poaching.

Bake

Hot air inside your oven does the job here.  Baking is good for more than just cakes, pies, and cookies.  It’s also an option for preparing seafood, poultry, lean meat, vegetables, and fruits.

Broil

You typically broil food on a rack under high direct heat, like an oven or toaster oven on the broil setting.  Direct heat turns the outside of your food, especially meats, crispy and brown.

Grill

The heat comes from below the food, which is on a rack.  An outdoor grill uses wood, charcoal, or gas-heated rocks, but there are indoor options, too.  This method lets fat drip off food as it cooks.

Stir-Fry

You’ll need a large pan or wok for this method, which cooks food in oil or other liquid over high heat.  Chop veggies, meat, or even tofu into pieces of roughly the same size so they heat evenly.  Stir or toss as you cook so they don’t stick to the pan.

Saute

This technique is a good option for veggies like mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, or zucchini that have a lot of moisture in them.  Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a pan and cook at a high temperature until food is soft and tender.

Steam

This method uses the steam from heated liquid to cook foods.  Fill a pan with liquid and heat it to boiling.  Place your food in a steaming basket or other container with holes over the water.  Add flavor to the liquid to help give food more taste as it steams.

Pan Broil

You’ll use a hot frying pan to cook over high heat.  It’s different than frying because it’s done dry – you don’t put oil or fat in the pan.  When you pan broil meat, pour off any fat that pools during cooking.

Roast

Like baking, this method uses hot air inside the oven to cook food.  But the temperature is higher when you roast.  Use a baking sheet or roasting pan.  If your food is fatty, put a rack inside a pan to catch the drippings.

Simmer

It’s a lot like boiling.  Both involve cooking food in liquid that’s hot enough to bubble.  But when you simmer, you keep the boil tamer, so it only bubbles gently.  To get liquid to a simmer, bring it to a full boil, then turn down the heat.  You want the food to cook at a lower temperature.

Sous Vide

Your veggies may keep more of their nutrients if you cook them sous vide.  The term means “under vacuum” in French.  Food in vacuum-sealed pouches is cooked in water at a specific temperature.  You can get a device made for sous vide cooking to do it at home, or you can use a rice-cooker, slow cooker, or countertop roaster.

Blanch

You may hear this method called parboiling.  It’s best for vegetables.  You boil the food in water for a short amount of time, usually about 30 seconds.  After you take it out, you quickly put it in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Do These Foods Cause Migraines

Food Diary

The best way to figure out what foods cause your migraines is to keep careful track of what you eat. Just because you eat a food right before a migraine doesn’t necessarily mean it was the cause. It’s important to see patterns.

Chocolate

It’s often thought of as a trigger, but some studies suggest chocolate may not cause migraines and may even help prevent them. It might be that people crave chocolate just before getting a migraine, and that’s what gives it a bad rap.

Coffee

Java can be both good and bad. An occasional cup -- once or twice a week -- may help prevent migraines. But if you have a daily caffeine habit, it may not be as helpful. In fact, skipping your morning coffee could become a trigger.

MSG: Monosodium Glutamate

This staple of so much Asian cooking bestows a certain savory flavor foodies call “umami.” Some people blame it for their migraines. There are some studies that back this up, but others do not.

Beer

Beer on tap has about 25 times the migraine-inducing tyramine as beer in bottles. So if you really want a cold one, ask for a bottle. Or change it up and order a bourbon. It doesn’t have any of the stuff. But know that any kind of alcohol can be a trigger for some people.

Red Wine

This is widely thought to be a trigger, but an Italian study involving more than 300 people found no connection between migraines and red wine. So it may not be the vino. Unless you drink the whole bottle -- then a headache might be the least of your problems.

Cheese

Do you like that eye-tearing sharp cheddar or stinky aged brie? Both are likely to have high levels of tyramine, a substance linked to migraines. Milder cheeses, like mozzarella and ricotta, are fine, though.

Salami

Cured meats are also high in migraine-linked tyramine, so if you crave a hunk of red meat, go for a burger or steak instead. Not everyone is sensitive to tyramine, so if you know it doesn’t affect you, go ahead and order that salami sandwich!