Foods rich in Vitamin E
can help combat chronic diseases 
 
Yes, the population is getting older, and we’re increasingly searching for strategies to maintain good health and enjoy an active lifestyle.

The overwhelming majority of us, about 80 percent, has one chronic disease; 50 percent, two or more. But on the positive side, health professionals agree that thoughtful nutrition intervention can help prevent and manage chronic diseases.

This means that nine out of 10 people with chronic diseases have a condition that could be improved with nutrition intervention.

Since studies indicate that Vitamin E may help reduce risk of some of the most common ailments, particularly heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, it’s worth paying attention to.

 Foods rich in Vitamin E are almonds, hazelnuts, canola oil, broccoli, olive oil, wheat germ, red bell peppers, kiwifruit, spinach, avocados, brown rice, apples, bananas, sesame seeds and Romaine lettuce.

To get your share of Vitamin E, keep these foods on hand and enjoy some each day. When you’re making a rice dish, have the patience (we’re talking close to an hour) to cook some brown rice, which is much more nutritious than that precooked white variety.

For a delicious main course, here is a pasta dish that uses roasted broccoli, a technique that intensifies the Vitamin E-rich vegetable’s flavor.

Roasted Broccoli Spaghettini
1 head broccoli (about 1 pound)

2 cloves garlic (or more to taste),
smashed and peeled

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
plus extra for the pasta water

Ground black pepper to taste

1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice

1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
plus 2 tablespoons for the pasta

1 pound spaghettini

1⁄2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
or to taste (optional)

Strip broccoli stem with vegetable peeler. Cut head of broccoli lengthwise into about 10 pieces (each piece should have about a one-inch floret). Cut each stem crosswise, so you have about one-inch of stem from each floret. Place oven rack on lowest level and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Arrange broccoli pieces in a 14 x 12 x 2 inch roasting pan. On cutting board, or in mortar with pestle, mash garlic with salt and pepper. Put lemon juice in small bowl and whisk in garlic paste. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in 1⁄4 cup of olive oil until mixture is completely incorporated into smooth paste. Pour mixture evenly and turn broccoli in mixture until all sides are coated.

Roast 7 minutes. Turn and roast 8 minutes longer. Broccoli is done when the stalk is easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. (Florets with thinner stalks will cook quickly and should be removed while the rest continue cooking.) When done, remove and set aside.

While broccoli is roasting, bring large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 4 tablespoons of cooking water in bottom of pot. Toss reserved water with cheese so it melts slightly. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scrape roasted broccoli into the pot. Add pasta back into pot and toss with broccoli over low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes, if using.

Makes six or more first course servings or four main course servings.

(Adapted from Roasting — A Simple Art [Morrow; 1995] by Barbara Kafka.)