Month: April 2025

The Nutritional Benefits of Swiss Chard

April 14, 2025

What Is Swiss Chard?

Swiss Chard is a leafy green vegetable with highly nutritious leaves. The plant is a good source of vitamins A, C and K, and minerals including magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, iron and dietary fiber.

Rainbow Chard leaves and stems

Chard has shiny, ribbed leaves, is low in calories and has a low glycemic index of 32. Varieties include red, green and rainbow. Swiss Chard is considered a superfood because it’s rich in antioxidants including beta carotene and flavonoids.

How To Prepare Swiss Chard

Fresh chard can be used raw or cooked in salads, stir-fries, soups and omelets. The entire plant is edible, so nothing goes to waste. Boiling, sauteing, baking, frying and steaming are methods of cooking chard.

Understanding the Burden of Alzheimer’s Caregivers

April 10, 2025

The Institute On Aging featured a recent article about the emotional and physical challenges facing Alzheimer’s caregivers. Click the link below to read the article.

Gene Hackman’s passing sheds light on the often-overlooked struggles of caregivers, who dedicate themselves to the relentless demands of supporting loved ones with dementia.

Caregiving

The article covers the Emotional and Physical Toll of Caregiving, Raising Awareness: The Role of Public Figures, and Finding Support: The Importance of Resources.

Read the full article here: The Hidden Toll of Caregiving

Delicious Okra Shrimp Gumbo Recipe

April 8, 2025
Okra Shrimp Gumbo

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Okra Shrimp Gumbo Recipe

INGREDIENTS

SHRIMP OKRA GUMBO INGREDIENTS
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups finely chopped onion
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped celery
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 (16-oz.) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
  • 1 (32-oz.) container chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 pounds unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon filé powder
  • Hot cooked rice

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium; add onion and next 3 ingredients, and sauté 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, okra, broth, and bay leaves.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add shrimp, hot sauce, and filé powder. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source: SouthernLiving.com

Discover the Health Benefits of Okra

April 7, 2025
Okra On A Cutting Board

What Is Okra?

Okra Shrimp Gumbo

Okra is a green vegetable native to Africa. Botanically okra is classified as a fruit. For
culinary purposes it’s considered a vegetable. Okra grows best in hot, humid climates with India
being the leading okra producer. Okra is also grown in the southern United States, and in Hawaii.

Okra is low in calories and has a Glycemic Index of 17. A natural thickener, Okra is used in recipes to add body to any dish. Preparation includes steaming, roasting, frying, grilling, and sauteing.

Typical Okra Recipes

Okra is used in soups, stews, vegetable dishes and gumbos.

Why Should You Include Okra In Your Diet?

Okra is one of the healthiest vegetables. Eating it regularly helps to regulate blood pressure and manage cholesterol levels. Okra improves cardiovascular health and helps to prevent diabetes. Skin, hair and eye health are also benefits of eating okra.

Okra Nutritional Benefits

Okra is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

  • Vitamins A
  • Vitamin B
  • Vitamin B6 (Folate)
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Magnesium
  • Antioxidants
  • Fiber
  • Protein: Lectin
  • Low Calories