Callaloo: more than just iron

Marsha N. Woolery, Healthy Eating & Diet

Callaloo is a dark-green leafy vegetable that is usually steamed, and is most times overcooked with salted fish, salted mackerel or with beans. In recent times, there has been a new trend, 'green juice', with callaloo as one of the main ingredients.

Callaloo has many nutrients and the nutritive value varies, depending on the state in which it is eaten, whether raw or cooked.

According to the Food Composition Tables for the Caribbean (1998 and 2000), about half cup of raw callaloo provides:
26 kilocalories
2.3 milligrams of iron
611 milligrams of potassium
215 milligrams of calcium
1 gram of fibre
20 milligrams of sodium
43 milligrams of vitamin C
2.5 grams of protein

To get half-cup of cooked callaloo, one cup of raw callaloo must be used. When heat is applied to callaloo and most leafy vegetables they shrink and lose water. When callaloo, and other fibrous vegetables, are cooked, some of the fibre is converted to starch and provides energy. Cooked callaloo provides more nutrients than raw callaloo.

Half-cup cooked callaloo provides:
45 kilocalories
3.45 milligrams of iron
537 milligrams of potassium
301 milligrams of calcium
6.5 milligrams of fibre
242 milligrams of sodium
3.6 grams of protein

Recently, at the end of a nutrition talk at a church, an elderly lady asked me, 'How do you steam vegetables at home?' Intrigued by the question, I answered:

Place sauce pan with 2-3 tablespoons of water with a pinch of salt, one clove of chopped garlic,one small onion, one sprig thyme, quarter hot pepper on medium flames and heat for 1-2 minutes (look for small bubbles)
Place 1.5-2 cups of raw chopped callaloo in seasoned water and cover
Stir contents after 1.5-2 minutes on heat.
Add tomato wedges and diced carrots and cover pot for an additional two minutes
Remove from heat to prevent overcooking and serve

The participants, with a look of approval clapped. At that point, I realised it was a trap or a test, and I smiled.

How do you cook your callaloo?

Here are some tips for cooking callaloo:

Add a small amount of water to pot, because water in the cells of the leaves and stalk is removed and helps in the cooking process. Hence the phrase, 'Callaloo spring water'
Add a small amount of table salt, processed meats or fish. Persons with high blood pressure should avoid processed meats and fish and powdered seasonings.
Avoid or limit the amount of oil, margarine or butter
Cook on low flame in a covered pot.

Callaloo, the nutrients and your health

The potassium helps to lower or maintain blood pressure and regulate heartbeat. Persons with kidney disease should not eat raw or cooked callaloo because it is a potassium-rich food.

The calcium makes strong bones and teeth and aids in the clotting of blood. After seven months of age, callaloo should be a part of the infant's diet.

The fibre in callaloo helps to form bulk in the faeces, makes a person feel less hungry after eating, slows the absorption of glucose in the cells, traps excess fat in the intestines and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol. These functions of fibre in callaloo helps to reduce the risk of obesity, controls blood-sugar levels and lowers the risk of heart disease.

Raw callaloo is an excellent source of vitamin C and should not be overcooked so that this delicate vitamin can be retained.

The protein content is higher in cooked callaloo, but is not a high quality protein. Therefore, callaloo should be added to peas, beans, fish, chicken or meat to improve the protein quality of a meal.

Cooked callaloo provides more iron than raw callaloo. However, to get the iron in the blood, callaloo should be consumed with fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C, such, tomato, oranges or West Indian cherries. The vitamin C helps to pull the iron from the callaloo into the blood to prevent anaemia (weak blood). Callaloo should not be consumed with milk or dairy products because the calcium in the milk prevents the iron from getting in the blood and increases the risk of anaemia.

Does callaloo increase blood pressure?

This is a myth! Callaloo, by itself, does not increase blood pressure. It has to do with the salt, powdered seasonings, butter, oil or margarine, and the salted/smoked/cured or processed meats and fish that callaloo is usually cooked with. Eating high-fat and high-sodium foods have been found to increase blood pressure.

Callaloo is naturally high in potassium, which helps to control blood pressure.

Callaloo is no magic food, but should be a part of our diet on a regular basis.

Grow and eat ,or buy, callaloo from a safe source to boost our health and Jamaica's economy!

Marsha N. Woolery is a registered dietitian/nutritionist at Fairview Medical and Dental Center, Montego Bay and adjunct lecturer at Northern Caribbean University; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com

The Sanctuary and Justice

(This reading is based on Psalm 98, read in accordance with the Revived by His Word initiative of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists)
"For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity." Ps. 98: 9

Justice is Coming

It is common to our experience that whenever we're taken before a judge it is that we're in some sort of trouble. Hence the coming of "the judge" rather than making for gleeful anticipation, it rather brings trepidation. But that's with this current system where justice often eludes us. But then there's yet another "Big But;" Jesus Christ, the righteous judge is coming, and He's going to reverse every injustice ever done.

The Sanctuary

Psalm 73: 17 says, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." The final act on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest exists the Most Holy place and then places his hand on the scape goat tells me that the culpable one (Satan) will be brought to book finally (Lev 16: 21).



I am not only intrigued by this promise of justice (Rev. 22: 12), but that what seemed like a twisted mode of justice will be straightened out in this act. If there were a family with a number of brothers of varying characteristics. Among the lot is a committed Christian on the one hand, but there's also another who is a seasoned criminal, on the other hand. In a case where the criminal was seen in flight from a scene where he committed a most heinous crime, the community in pursuit of jungle justice caught the Christian brother and pounded out their anger on him; he didn't survive the ordeal. Upon hearing about it you are dismayed (it was your little daughter that was raped and murdered). The Christian brother had come to visit with you and to promise full support and cooperation in securing justice, and to also bring you relief. But now he's dead and the criminal is still at large. It's not even as if you believe in mob justice, but if you're going to do it, then at least do it right. Your emotions are now compounded, and you are without a sense that justice has been served. 

                                                                    

One does get a lingering sense that justice seems hardly served by Jesus (the innocent one) dying for our sins. The good news is though - His death isn't the last thing that will happen. The last thing that will happen is that Satan (the originator of sin) will be punished for every confessed sin that Christ has atoned for (Rev. 20). After his execution sin and sorrow will be no more (Rev 21: 4).

To read and/or listen to Psalm 98 and to read other related blogs, please click here.

Wow... Deep!

(This reading is based on Psalm 92, read in accordance with the Revived by His Word initiative of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.)

"O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep." Ps 92: 5

Daily at work Ketisha walks into my office and empties my bin into a big garbage bag she walks around with through the building as she does her daily cleaning. In addition to the garbage bag, she walks with a smile too. Her greetings are heart-warming. "Good morning!" she'll say. "Good morning," I'll respond. But as quickly as she is in, she is out. As I reflected on how pleasant she is and the joy she radiates as she goes about her work I thought one day to reassure her, "You're not measured by what you do you know." That was like he right side of my brain talking. So the 'left' side retorted, "Oh but she is."  "Huh?" The right side became puzzled, so the left expanded:

You see Ketisha is a student worker, who is in the Medical Technology programme. Her long-term goal is to become a medical doctor. What she does now are but stepping stones to a grand vision. So when I look at her I don't see poverty as I see purpose; I don't see a victim, as I see a visionary. If ever I am privileged to share anything with her it's not me giving, as it is me investing. Who knows, maybe one day I'll end up in an emergency room... and who'll be the doctor on duty... Ketisha! Is she to be measured by what she's doing (cleaning my office)? A thousand times yes!

As I read this Psalm, and especially verse five, it reminds me of the passage that says, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead."  God IS measured by what He does, because what He does is a reflection of who He is; an insight into the heart and mind of an awesome Creator, Provider, Sustainer, Redeemer, Guide and Friend.  So the Psalmist in reflecting on the works of God confidently concludes, "Your thoughts (mind) are deep.

To read and/or listen to Psalm 92 and to read other related blogs please click here.