Eat & Thrive: Spotlight: Mushrooms

HEY! Sorry for the big chunk of nothing for the past few weeks. R and I did a woppin' road-trip across the country and have moved to the East Coast to Baltimore, Maryland. Adjusting has been difficult, but I'm stepping into my groove alas. I can't wait to get the ball rolling on my teaching career. All I have to do is WAIT for my certification to arrive (which I should have received eons ago, but anywho...) and then apply apply apply for my dream elementary position.

Now that we've caught up, Let's Talk Food :)

After my run around Patterson Park with R, we stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some veggies. I was just about starving, so I grabbed some spinach mushroom quinoa from the hot-bar. TOTALLY hit the spot. Mushrooms have this amazing meat-like quality and I love loading up with them on salads, pasta, pizza...and my new favorite way to eat them up: risotto OR couscous-stuffed mushrooms. Simply amazing. Go ahead and wow your friends or just your taste-buds. The best part? It takes very little effort to make.

Reap the Benefits

> mushrooms are 80-90% water (VERY low calorie...so go ahead and go nuts...err mushrooms?)

> good source of B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid)

> excellent source of copper (cardioprotective properties)

> excellent source of potassium (helps lower blood pressure)

> excellent source of selenium (hey guys -- MEN, that is -- getting lots of selenium will decrease your chances of getting prostate cancer)

Fact: 1 portabella mushroom has MORE potassium than a BANANA

Mushrooms: A History

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for food as well as medicinal purposes. There are over 14,000 types of mushrooms (3,000 edible, 700 used for medicine). This special fungi was considered a delicacy by the Pharaohs and believed by the Greeks to give the warriors extra-strength in battle. The Romans treasured mushrooms, as they believed they were a gift from God, while the Chinese treated them as a health food.

Eat Up!