Advertisement The other day, our new director of nutrition services walked into my office. He challenged me to come up with a column using lycopenes as the subject. I came to the conclusion that if I’m going to better myself, this is as good of a time as any to start. I hope to share my new knowledge with you as I kick and scream my way to better health.
Lycopenes are present in red-pigmented food and may be one of the best free radical scavengers among carotenes. They are an effective anti-oxidant and may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. It also helps the skin by blocking a certain amount of visible and UV-light. As much time as I spend in the sun, I found this fact most interesting. Tomatoes automatically come to mind. As it turns out, processed tomato products are a powerhouse source of lycopenes versus raw tomatoes. All you need to do is eat 31/2 ounces of tomato paste, oh boy, every day for maximum benefit. A better way is to use more processed tomato products throughout your diet.
Today, I have a simple tomato-based beverage recipe that can get us all out of the starting blocks and can be enjoyed any day, any time.
Spicy Tomato Chiller
6 ounces V-8 Juice, ice cold
2/3 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 pinch celery salt
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Chipotle Tabasco Sauce
1 twist fresh cracked black pepper
Put all of the ingredients into a shaker or blender to mix well. Drink it up straight or pour over ice and enjoy. Garnish with a celery stick, dill pickle spear or olives for a no-alcohol Bloody Mary.
John Haverty, a certified executive chef at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, writes a column every other week for the Food section. He can be reached at chefhaverty@yahoo.com.
