Popcorn is healthy – urban myth or fact? Just ask Terrell Owens.

“Getcha popcorn ready,” according to the Urban Dictionary is a phrase coined by Terrell Owens to signify that one is about to put on a show – a great performance.  There is a “Getcha Popcorn Ready” YouTube video (a hip hop mix) with over a half million views.  But, is that popcorn that TO is munching in the beginning of the video going to make him sleek and fast or slow and fat?

Popcorn is one of those foods that seems to have a ton of conflicting health statements out there.  Is it as healthy as some fruits and vegetables or is it packed with fat and harmful chemicals?  Well, really, there is evidence for both – but it all depends on how you cook it and what you put on it.  You are in the driver’s seat and can make it a great, healthy snack, or something you should run screaming from. 

Here are some things to love about popcorn.  It is a whole grain and is naturally high in dietary fiber.  It low calorie and low fat.  Recently, researchers found that popcorn contains more healthy antioxidants (called polyphenols) than some fruits and veggies (but fruits and veggies are still healthier due to all the other essential vitamins and nutrients).  Polyphenols have been shown to boost heart health and protect against chronic diseases.  Popcorn contains no sodium and is sugar free.  What’s not to love?!!

Well, just like you can make a salad unhealthy by globbing on high calorie dressing, bacon, and croutons, you can make popcorn unhealthy too.  REALLY unhealthy.  Take for example many microwave popcorns and movie theater popcorn.  In the mid-1990s, the Center for Science in the Public Interest did a report that showed a medium sized bag of buttered, movie theater popcorn contained more fat than a breakfast of bacon and eggs, a Big Mac and fries, and steak dinner combined! 

But that was the 1990s and things are drastically different today, right?  Not so fast.  According to DietFacts.com, a large buttered popcorn has 73 grams of saturated fat (about nine Big Macs) and 1,640 calories.  That certainly falls in the Fantasy Healthball “run away FAST” category.   Buttered microwave popcorn can be as bad if eaten in the same quantities.    And there can be some potential nasty negatives like chemical coatings (PFCs) on bags. 

So what popcorn should you reach for?  The best is air popped made with a hot air popper.  It is great plain or you can add some of these ideas from Today nutrition expert Joy Bauer: 

• Lightly mist with olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper
• Sprinkle with chili powder and a dash of coarse sea salt
• Top with nutritional yeast, a vegan source of vitamin B-12, for a cheese-like flavor
• Make traditional air-popped corn into a modest-calorie sweet treat by mixing one cup of popcorn with dark chocolate shavings and a dusting of cinnamon

Bauer also suggests some microwavable brands like Skinny Pop, 365 Everyday Value Organic Popcorn Reduced Fat and Low Sodium, Good Health Half Naked Popcorn, and others here.  The COOLEST idea from Bauer is simply to pour 3-4 tablespoons of plain kernels into a brown paper lunch bag, fold over the top of the bag twice to seal it closed, and microwave for about two minutes or until the popping slows to about 2 seconds in between pops.  I just did this and it worked great – the kids gobbled it all up with just the smallest hint of salt added. 

So go ahead, take TO’s advice, and Getcha Popcorn Ready!  It is a great healthy snack – in its natural form.  – Jim Ballard (the book)

Fantasy Healthball Recipes – Viking Cabbage

I was skeptical at first when this recipe was recently submitted to Fantasy Healthball, but now I’ve seen the [purple] light.  I admit I’ve thought of cabbage as kind of a harder, rubbery lettuce with a purple sheen but then I started learning about it.  It has been cultivated for thousands of years and is now, worldwide, one of earth’s most popular vegetables.  Though there are hundreds of varieties, this recipe calls for red cabbage.  According to George Mateljan at ”The World’s Healthiest Foods,” red cabbage has a “deep hearty flavor” and is packed with Vitamin C and powerful antioxidants that have been shown to protect against free-radical [Raiders] damage to cell structures and DNA.  

Best for:  Calling all Minnesota Viking or Baltimore Ravens fans – this hearty purple veggie packed with power is right up your alley!  Sure Baltimore, you can call yours ”Raven Cabbage” if you want to.  This recipe is great for those of you in Minnesota or Baltimore or anyone who wants a very healthy, nutritious, veggie side dish.  If you tried our veggie bake or red victory soup, or healthy french fries, try this one!
 
Where to eat it:  Right out of the pan if watching the game at home, or cook at home and warm up on the grill if tailgating.
 
Servings: 4-5 fans who want to enjoy a tasty veggie dish that packs a healthy punch. 
 
What’s in it: Cabbage, baby, cabbage.  But also onion and dill and maybe some extras:

• 1 small head of cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tbsp. dill weed seasoning
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

How to do it: Place the oil in a larger size non-stick fry pan.  Cook onion until translucent. Remove outer leaves of cabbage head.  Cut cabbage in half (marvel at the cool patterns inside!), then in quarters and cut out the core.  Slice cabbage into 1/4-inch slices and let sit for 5 minutes (according to George, the latest studies show cutting the cabbage into thin slices breaks down the cell walls and activates an enzyme that converts the plant nutrients to active forms to boost health-promoting properties – wow).  Next, add the cabbage to the onions.  Cover and cook until cabbage is al dente (tender outside but still retaining some crunch). Sprinkle with dill weed before serving.

We mentioned some extras.  Try adding a clove of garlic, some chopped up mushrooms, a tbsp. of lemon juice, or a dash of sea salt and pepper when you add the cabbage to the onions.  The lemon juice will help it to retain its purple color.  Oh, and I personally can’t resist adding a touch of Sriracha sauce!

Serve it:  Hot, with some brown rice or some grilled chicken or fish.  

Health Thoughts:  Cabbage is loaded with Vitamins C and K and is also a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids.  It falls into the Linebackers category of our Fantasy Healthball Food Formation.  It is great for you!  Enjoy!  — Jim Ballard

Stop Food Racism Now! Vote Yes on A!

ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli wrote this about the NFL’s diversity:

“Consider the most memorable moment of Super Bowl XL [in 2006]: On the touchdown play that secured a fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a white quarterback born and raised in Middle America and drafted in the first round (Ben Roethlisberger) handed off to a black tailback from a small town in North Carolina who made the roster as a free agent (Willie Parker). He reversed the ball to a player with a Muslim-sounding surname but who was raised in the Pentecostal faith (Antwaan Randle El), who then threw it to a wide receiver born in Seoul, South Korea, (Hines Ward) to parents of mixed races, for a game-clinching 43-yard hookup.”

NFL teams are stronger when made up of players from all parts of the earth.  And at Fantasy Healthball, life imitates the NFL far more than the NFL imitates life.  In other words, your body is stronger when you fuel it with healthy foods from all parts of the earth, made up of all colors.  The more colors the better.  You need diversity for great health.

Carotenes are what give foods their vivid colors – think carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes.  Carotenes are the natural plant forms of Vitamin A.  You need both Vitamin A and carotene.  You may remember that Vitamin A is fat soluble, so it can store in your body.  Vitamin A helps fight infections and illness.  It helps your body’s defenses grow and repair themselves.  It is good for healthy eyes and cell growth.  You will find a load of Vitamin A in liver.  But if that is not your thang, you can also find it in American, Swiss, or cheddar cheese; eggs; skim milk; yogurt; swordfish; salmon; and many other foods.

You can also get your A through plant foods with carotenes.  Beta carotene is the majority leader of the carotenes.  You body converts beta carotene in your small intestine into Vitamin A.  If you have had plenty of Vitamin A, your body can regulate and store the beta carotene for use later.  The leftovers help fight off those nasty Free Radical Raiders.  That’s right, Vitamin A is an antioxidant.

 Where do you get ‘em?  Carotenes are found in most every fruit and vegetable.  Eat those, and you will be golden (no, not literally).  They’ll give you all the Vitamin A you need.  Vitamin A from animal sources include eggs, liver, poultry, milk, and dairy.  But those can be high in calories and cholesterol too, so the best way is fruits and veggies.  If you are a male over 14 years old, you need about 3,000 IU of Vitamin A a day.  In really large doses (over 25,000 IU daily), Vitamin A can be toxic so don’t go way overboard.  Beta carotene doesn’t have a recommended allowance but the suggested range by nutritionists seem to be in the 6mg to 15 mg range.  Just stick to eating it in your healthy foods and in your daily vitamin and you don’t have to worry about these ranges.  Wanna know how many fruits and vegetables to have in a day?  Check out this nifty on-line calculator. 

Here are some foods very high in beta carotene:  raw carrots, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked collard greens, apricots, cantaloupe, cooked kale, peaches, red peppers, cooked spinach, winter squash, watermelon, oranges, and tomatoes. 

So embrace diversity.  Eat your colors.  Vote Yes on A!  — Jim Ballard