Eat to live. Eat G-bombs. According to Doctor Joel Fuhrman, we must eat G-bombs to have super immunities. The Question is – what are G-bombs? G-stands for greens, B-stands for beans, O-stands for onions, M-stands for mushrooms, B-stands for berries and S-stands for seeds. More importantly, what are the benefits of eating G-bombs?
G-Greens
Greens are plants leaves ateen as a vegetable. Greens are also called leafy greens, salad greens, vegetables greens, leaf vegetables, green leafy vegetables. They are the number one food we can eat regularly to help improve our health.
Leaf vegetables are low in calorie and fat, high in protein, dietary fiber, iron and calcium. Leafy vegetables are very high in phytochemicals such as vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein, folate, potassium, magnesium and vitamin K. They also have vitamin E, many of the B vitamins and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age -related problem, among many other effects. Greens even contain small amounts of omega-3 fats.
Greens leafy vegetables are the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They have very little carbohydrates in them. Greens can help protect us from heart disease, diabetes and sometimes even cancer. However, users of vitamin K antagonist medications such as warfarin must take special care to avoid or eat carefully monitored and constant amount of greens because of their high content of vitamin K.
Leafy vegetables may be stir-fried, stewed, steamed or consumed raw as salad and in sandwiches. Leafy greens can be used to wrap other ingredients like a tortilla. They can also be used to make green smoothies. The top ten greens are kale, collard greens, turnip greens, swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, red and green leaf and romaine lettuce, cabbage and iceberg lettuce.
B-Beans
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds used for human food. Currently, there are about 40,000 bean varieties although only, a fraction is mass-produced for regular consumption.
Beans have significant amount of dietary fiber which can help to lower blood cholesterol. They are also high in protein, complex carbohydrates, folate and iron. Beans are comparable to meat when it comes to calories. They are digested slowly, keeping you satisfied longer. Additionally, they are low in sugar, which prevent insulin spike in the bloodstream.
More importantly, beans have phytochemical compounds found only in plants. They are high in antioxidants, a class of phytochemicals that incapacitate cell-damaging free radicals in the body. Small red beans, red kidney beans and pinto beans made the top four in a US study measuring the antioxidants capacities of more than 100 common foods.
Just a word of caution- some kinds of raw beans especially red and kidney beans, contain a harmful toxin that must be removed by cooking. Also, beans digestion can produce flatulence because humans do not have the enzyme to digest a type of sugar molecules found in many edible beans. They are there before digested in the large intestine. However, beano and gas-x prevention can be added to food or consumed separately to prevent this problem.
Beans can also be cooked with natural carminatives such as anise seeds, coriander seeds and cumin. They can also be soaked in alkaline (baking soda) water overnight before rinsing thoroughly or vinegar can be added after the beans are cooked.
Beans may be eaten fresh or dried but cooked. They can be boiled, stewed or steamed. Beans can be used to make salads, dips, hummus and soups. They can be fermented which improve the nutritional value of beans by removing toxins. Beans are considered as super foods.
O-Onions
The onion, also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is used as a vegetable. Onions vary from sweet to spicy, small to large and come in different colors, yellow, white, green, and red or purple.
Onions are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol free. They are great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folic acid, chromium and dietary fiber and low in sodium. They have organosulfur compounds which are naturally occurring chemicals. These chemical compounds have antimicrobial properties and are effective against bacteria.
Quercetin, an antioxidant compound belonging to the category flavonoid is found inions. Additionally, onions have anti-cholesterol, anticancer and antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are known to help to slow damage to cells or tissues in the body. Shallots have the highest level of antioxidants.
Onions are used to treat poor appetite, preventing atherosclerosis, coughs, colds, asthma and bronchitis. They are also good source of oligomers which help the growth of bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of bad bacteria in the colon.
Chopped episodes are used as an ingredient in several warm dishes and also as the main ingredient in french onion soup or onion chutney. Because of their versatility, they can be baked, boiled, braised, fried, roasted, sautéed or ateen raw in salads. Onions can also be used as a thickening agent for curries. They can be pickled in vinegar and eaten as a snack. Onions can also be sliced, battered and deep fried and served as onion rings.
Furthermore, onions extract has been advocated as a means of promoting the healing of wounds after surgery and reducing scarring. Caution- cut onions produce a gas which irritates the eyes. This can be avoided by cutting under under running water or submerged in a basin of water. Also, episodes are deadly for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, monkey and other animals because they can not digest the sulfoxides present in cooked and raw onions.
M-Mushrooms
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshhy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source.
Mushrooms are low-calorie food that can be eaten cooked or raw and as garnish to a meal. Dietary mushrooms are good source of B vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, and the essential minerals, selenium, copper and potassium. Fat, carbohydrates and calorie content are low, with absence of vitamin C and sodium.
Mushrooms are used extensively in cooking in many cuisines (notably Chinese, Korean, European, and Japanese). They are known as the “meat” of the vegetable world. Mushrooms can be baked, broiled, fried, grilled, pureed, sautéed and steamed. Some of the most popular mushrooms sold in supermarkets are white, crimini, portobello, shitake, maitake, hen-of-the-woods, oyster and enoki.
B-Berries
Berries are fruits that tend to be small, sweet, juicy and bright in color, with seeds. They are low in calories, high in fiber and contain vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function normally. Berries contain phytochemicals and flavonoids that help to prevent some forms of cancer. Cranberries and blueberries contain substance that may prevent bladder infections.
Eating a diet rich in blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries and strawberries may help reduce our risk of several types of cancers. Blueberries and raspberries also contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision.
Fresh berries are easy to eat and they do not require much preparation. Most berries are naturally sweet so you do not need to add sugar or toppings. Just rinse them under water and serve for a nutritious snack or dessert. Canned, without added sugar or syrup, and frozen berries can be used when fresh ones are not available. Dried berries can be used in recipes that call for raisins.
Additionally, berries are used in cereal, yogurts, fruit smoothies, sorbets, jams, and jellies, baked goods, such as muffins and pies, and other desserts or french toast, pancakes, waffles and salads. Other berries include lingonberries, loganberries, gooseberries, bilberries, barberries, elderberries and huckleberries.
S-Seeds
Edible seeds are seeds that are directly foodstuffs, and not yielding derivatives. Seeds can be eaten in their raw state. Edible seeds should be part of a raw food diet because of the essential fatty acids they contain. Humans can not produce this polyunsaturated fat; therefore, it must be obtained from our diets. There are two groups of EFA’s, omega 3’s and omega 6’s.
The essential fatty acids perform several important functions in the body. They help in the regulation and balancing of hormones, inflammation, and production of energy. Also, they help our bodies to recover from exercise. Edible seeds also balance and regulate immune function and cell growth.
Edible seeds also help to improve our brain function and development. They also help to elevate our mood and to help with blood circulation. Nuts are a particular kind of seeds. Edible seeds should be soaked before eating because most of them have enzyme inhibitors.
Edible seeds can be added to smoothies, yogurts, and cereal. Ground seeds can be added to salads, they can be eaten as snacks, and they can be used in raw recipes. They can also be used to make healthy salad dressing by blending them with citrus juices. They can also make trail mix.
These are some examples of seeds- chia seeds, flax seeds (linseed), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds. Some examples of nuts are walnuts, peanuts, almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnut, cashews macadamia and pine nuts.