Go Meatless and Choose Carotenoid-Rich Fruits and Veggies This Monday

Eat more veggies and live longer. Now a new study demonstrates this fact. The Archives of Internal Medicine reported "that people with high blood levels of the antioxidant alpha-carotene — found in a variety of vegetables — were less likely to die during a 14-year longitudinal study, compared with people with low levels of the carotenoid."

Meatlessmonday.com reported on the study, which also found that a major contributor to the big chronic killers like cancer and heart disease may be oxygen-related damage of DNA, protein and fat cells. That damage can be mitigated by the antioxidant action of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lycopene. Most people get these nutrients through foods that are loaded with them, such as, guess which? Yellow-orange fruits and veggies and dark leafy greens.

Indeed, the authors of this study noted that alpha-carotene, which is found in carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, kale, broccoli, spinach and collard greens, may be particularly effective in inhibiting the growth of certain cancers.

Despite the 5-A-Day campaign, which is now Fruits and Veggies Matter, Americans are still not eating enough vegetables for optimum health. In a recent survey, the CDC found that less than a third of adults eat even two servings of fruit each day and only a quarter eat three servings of vegetables. Hopefully the new evidence will remind some people to up their intake.

So try a warming carotenoid-rich soup such as the orange bisque below. Brrrrr, it's been cold in upper Puna lately where I dwell.

Beta "Carrotene" Bisque

This is a recipe from 150 Vegan Favorites. This recipe combines carrots & sweet potatoes, two carotene-rich vegetables, into a delicious (and nutritious) soup.

Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp. organic canola oil or safflower oil (as most canola oil is GMO)
• 1 med. yellow onion, diced *
• 1 large stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 C. water or vegetable broth
• 2 C. peeled, diced sweet potatoes
• 1 C. diced carrots
• 1 tsp. each ground coriander and cumin
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. each curry powder and ground turmeric
• 1 C. soy milk
* As always, you can replace the passion-inducing garlic and onions with ½ - ¾ tsp. hing, or asafetida for more mellow noshing. Although not a flavor duplicate, you'll get used to it and perhaps prefer it, as I do, with time.

Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the soy milk and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until sweet potatoes and carrots are tender, 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth, 5-10 seconds.
4. Return soup to the pan and stir in the soy milk. Gently reheat over low heat if necessary.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and serve at once.

Today's Veggie Quote:

"One farmer says to me, ‘You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make the bones with;’ and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying himself with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle."

Henry David Thoreau

Happy Monday! As always, find great meat alternatives on sale for 20% off at Down to Earth every Monday.