Food of the Week: Carrots
We all know that carrots are good for our eyes, but they've got a lot more going on than that. Carrots can do a lot of the things those of us with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) need.
Carrots contain substances called carotenoids -- in fact, they're the single best source of them. Carotenoids fight cancer and reduce your risk of heart disease, and while this is controversial, some doctors believe ME/CFS increases your risk of both. It's also worth noting that XMRV, the retrovirus tentatively linked to ME/CFS, may be tied to a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer.
In addition, carrots contain antioxidants, which some doctors recommend for treating FMS and ME/CFS. Antioxidants protect cellular health, and emerging research suggests that the root of our problems is inside our cells, in the mitochondria.
Carotenoids may also help regulate blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance -- something many of us with FMS and ME/CFS have problems with.
Carrots are an especially important source of carotenoids for us, because many other foods that contain them may be on your "do not eat" list. They include:
- Tomatoes and peppers, which are in the nightshade family and cause pain in some;
- Raw spinach and kale, which are goitrogens and may interfere with thyroid treatment.
We can get a lot of nutrients through supplements, and probably should if we're looking for a consistent therapeutic amount, but some things you can only get from food. Some of the health benefits of carrots only come from the unique mixture of things they contain, and you can't get that in pill form.
Carrots are probably one of the most popular vegetables to just munch on, which makes them easy to add to your diet. However, it's actually good to cook them -- it makes beta-carotene (one of the carotenoids) more easily available to your body. (Don't cook them until they're mushy, though, or you'll start losing nutrients.)
How do you get carrots in your diet? Have you eaten them specifically for the health benefit? How do you like them best? Leave your comments below!
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About the carrots – I never liked them (cooked) or prepar-ing them – until I found a good dill dip. Now I buy the miniature ones that are already peeled, wash them well, and eat them with raw broccoli florets and one Roma tomato. I eat these every day – with that good dip. Also eat dried prunes and a banana every day. I’d heard about the benefits of cooking the carrots but know if I cooked them I wouldn’t eat them. Think better raw than nothing! The tomato doesn’t bother my pain that I can tell. All the fiber I’m getting from the fruits and vegetables has allowed me to stop taking my fiber supplement, too.
I love to juice carrots, with a blend mix of apples, beets, and ginger as well. I will buy a bag of carrots and keep them in the fridge to make my juice mixes anytime I feel like I need a boost.
Here’s a tasty way to have your carrots- make a tin foil ‘bag’ and in it place your chopped carrots, sliced garlic, finely chopped rosemary and thyme, orange zest and a tablespoon of fresh orange juice. Seal the tin foil bag and place in a hot oven and cook for about an hour. Delicious!