I’ve been making a concerted effort to eat more vegetables, and not just a bigger salad for lunch. Spinach in my eggs for breakfast, peppers and hummus for snacks and a side of veggies with dinner. Recently my go-to, in season veggie, has been asparagus. Why do I chose this fine vegetable?
- It’s convenient – run under water to clean, cut the hard ends off with one chop while the bunch is still rubber banded, and then throw on the grill or in the oven with a little olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt & pepper, or whatever is within reach. In less than 10 minutes I’m enjoying these tall, green and handsome stalks of goodness.
- It’s loaded with healthy stuff – excellent source of fiber, potassium (good for blood pressure), and one cup packs 4g of protein (something I also need more of in my diet).
- It can help fight cancer – similar to avocado, kale and Brussels sprouts (all Coach Flawesome favs), asparagus is rich in detoxifying powers that help break down substances that can lead to cancer. They’re like a vegetable superhero.
- It can make me look young again – packed with antioxidants, asparagus is one of top ranking vegetables for it’s ability to neutralize the aging process that comes from cell-damaging free radicals. While free radicals sound fun, carefree and youthful, interestingly enough, their impact is quite the opposite. The more radicals you have roaming freely in your system, the quicker you can expect your skin to age.
- It separates the haves and the have nots – every time I eat asparagus my pee immediately gets this very distinct, sulfurous, overwhelming, scent. As it turns out, the fact that I can smell it makes me special (hey, we all have to be good at something). This aroma is caused by “asparagus metabolites” being produced and expelled in my urine. Funny thing is, apparently this odor phenomenon doesn’t happen to everyone. For some people (women more than men), they can’t smell a thing. Not saying the smell isn’t there, just that their nose doesn’t pick it up due to genetics. And even more interesting is that being noseblind is so common (and enough people care about this subject) that their “condition” actually has a name – asparagus anosmia.
But please don’t let the possibility that the person following you in the bathroom gets a whiff of your side-dish, discourage you from incorporating these tall tasty stalks of healthy goodness into your diet.
Be Healthy & Enjoy!