Want to stay healthy? It’s not just Vermont Maple Syrup...

 

 

Cook with Shellfish, the Most Sustainable Seafood

Yoga Journal Food & Diet

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By Karen Asp  |  Mar 16, 2016

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In search of sustainable seafood options? Farmed mollusks like clams, mussels, and oysters are your best bet. Not only do they minimize impact on local ecosystems’ natural biodiversity, they also clean the water in which they grow, thanks to their filter-feeding ways. These tips from Matthew Beaudin, executive chef at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, will help ensure you get the best taste and texture from the sea. See also 6 Sustainable Seafood Recipes Clams For a protein boost, enjoy mild-flavored clams, the most protein-loaded mollusk among this trio. Three ounces of shelled clams (about 12 ounces in the shell) supply 22 grams protein—44 percent of your daily needs. All that protein will keep you full and will repair muscles post-practice. Good for Sautéing or steaming Try it In a pot over medium heat, sauté ¼ cup diced fennel in 4 tbsp butter. Add 2 cups canned chickpeas (drained), 2 cups red wine, zest of 1 orange, and 1 tsp dried chile flakes; cook until wine reduces by half, 5–7 minutes. Add 2 lbs clams and 2 cups water. Cover and steam until clams open. See also 3 Simple Seafood Shopping Strategies Mussels Sweet and creamy, mussels pack a punch when it comes to vitamin B12, which your body needs to keep nerves and blood cells healthy. Just 3 ounces of shelled mussels (about 12 ounces in the shell) deliver 20 micrograms of B12, which is about 300 percent of your daily goal. Good for Sautéing or steaming Try it In a large pan over medium heat, sauté 2 lbs mussels, ½ cup artichoke hearts, 2 sliced roasted red peppers, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 4 tbsp olive oil. When mussels open (3–5 minutes), add 1 cup white wine, juice of 2 lemons, and 8 basil leaves. Cook until wine is reduced by half, 3–5 minutes. Oysters Considered a culinary delicacy, oysters taste briny and are a rich source of zinc, a mineral that helps strengthen your immune system. Belly up to the oyster bar for 67 milligrams of zinc—more than 400 percent of your daily needs—per 3 ounces of shelled oysters (about 12 ounces in the shell). Good for Baking or eating raw Try it On a sheet pan, top 12 shucked oysters with 1 cup caramelized onions and 4 tbsp minced jalapeño. In a bowl, toss 2 cups panko, 2 cups shredded Gruyère, ¼ cup parsley, 2 tbsp olive oil, and zest of 2 limes; sprinkle over oysters. Bake at 350° until oysters are hot and panko is light brown, 5–10 minutes. See also Good Catch: How to Find the Healthiest Eco-friendly Fish Shellfish Smarts Buying Shellfish Purchase fresh, live mollusks with shells that are tightly closed—opened shells can indicate mollusks that are already dead and starting to spoil. Select the most sustainable choices by using Monterey Bay Aquarium’s free Seafood Watch app (seafoodwatch.org) Prepping Shellfish Shellfish are filter feeders and easily pick up sand and tiny gravel from their marine environment. To remove particulate matter, soak shellfish in saltwater (about 3 parts cold water to 1 part salt)—it needs to be salted to keep them alive while prepping. Cooking Shellfish People commonly overcook mollusks, which results in a rubbery texture. To keep them tender and plump, cook only until they open. Eating Bad Shellfish To check for freshness, take a quick sniff. If the mollusk smells like the sea, you’re in the clear. But if it smells the least bit unpleasant, it’s likely beginning to decay, so toss the entire batch. See also Food App: Eat at Sustainable Restaurants with Edible Credits Sources: Alexandra Miller, RDN; Randy Hartnell, founder of Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics get our Newsletters

The Sweet Perks of Maple Syrup

Pick it pure 

There’s nothing sappy about syrup. It can boost your immune system, age-proof your skin, calm tummy troubles, and more.

Cancer fighter

 Drizzling maple syrup on your oatmeal may help prevent inflammatory diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s, a University of Rhode Island study found.
The sweet stuff is loaded with polyphenols, plant-based compounds that work as antioxidants, says study co-author Navindra P. Seeram, PhD. Add some blueberries to your maple-drizzled oatmeal to up its antioxidant power!

Youth booster 

Maple syrup’s antioxidants are also natural anti-agers. "Syrup works on the skin like any topical antioxidant, repairing environmental and free radical damage," explains June Jacobs, founder and chief executive officer of June Jacobs Spa Collection.

Try Jacobs’s at-home facial scrub to fight fine lines: Stir together 1 tablespoon warm milk and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Add 3 tablespoons finely ground oats; stir again. Massage gently onto your face, leave on for up to 20 minutes, rinse off, and follow with a moisturizer.

Bloat beater

Next time you whip up baked goods, consider swapping in maple syrup for sugar. "It’s less likely to cause indigestion, gas, and bloating, compared with processed sweeteners," says Andrew Gaeddert, author of Healing Digestive Disorders. The woodsy flavor works particularly well in pound cakes, butter cookies, and coffee cakes, notes Ellen Sandbeck, author of Green Housekeeping.
Replace the sugar with the same amount of maple syrup, and reduce the amount of liquid the recipe calls for by about a half-cup.

Cold stopper

Syrup contains essential nutrients like zinc and manganese, which can help you ward off illness, a study conducted at Wayne State University in Detroit found.

Zinc keeps your level of white blood cells up, which is crucial for increasing your resistance to sickness, says naturopathic doctor Michael Murray, co-author of the Encyclopedia on Healing Foods. And manganese protects immune cells from inflammation and damage. Translation: No more sniffling!