Mediterranean Paleo Stuffed Artichokes –
Artichokes are a wonderful low carb food, yet many people neglect or forget about them. They are simple to cook and are a great excuse to eat lemon butter. Artichoke hearts are especially tender — worth the effort!
Check out my guest post recipe (Mediterranean Paleo Stuffed Artichokes) over on Carbsmart.com for my grass fed beef stuffed artichokes
Artichokes have many little known health benefits. The are high in anti-oxidants that fight damage from free radicals to keep us looking and feeling young. Polyphenols such as quercetin and rutin are abundant in artichoke leaves. These have anti-proliferative effects, inducing apoptosis – cellular suicide – in cancer cells.
Artichokes are rich in vitamin C, for a healthy immune system and sturdy gums.
Artichokes have plenty of blood pressure regulating potassium.
They are also rich in trace minerals, important for building muscle and promoting a healthy metabolism.
Several studies have shown that artichokes are anti-inflammatory, and help moderate cholesterol levels.
Artichokes supply a special fiber called inulin that promotes intestinal health by feeding beneficial bacteria in the colon. Inulin also helps diabetics control blood sugar.
One medium artichoke contains about 40% of the daily recommended fiber intake. They are a rich source of soluble fiber, which can be harder to come by than insoluble fibers on a low carb diet.
Artichoke leaves can ease gastrointestinal symptoms such as IBS, heartburn and constipation/diarrhea.
Compounds in artichokes stimulate bile, which helps us to break down the fat we eat, which is very helpful for low carbers. Good bile flow also helps the liver get rid of toxins, aiding weight loss. An antioxidant in artichokes called silymarin is very beneficial for optimal liver function. A strong liver is crucial for balancing hormones, including insulin and thyroid hormones.
Get the Mediterranean Paleo Stuffed Artichokes Recipe here
Make sure you use grass fed beef in your recipe!
This is similar to a recipe in my new upcoming book Mediterranean Paleo Cooking
Want more simple healthy food with a Mediterranean flair?
Does this sound like you?
Do you have allergies/sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and soy? Do you want to get healthy but think you have to eat boring, tasteless food to achieve your goals? Do you worry that you are feeding your family too much processed and chemical-laden junk food?Has your doctor told you to follow an anti-inflammatory diet? Do ethnic recipes and exotic spices intimidate you? Have you heard about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet or Paleo diet but don’t know where to start? Are you always hungry but “balanced” meals and snacks never seem to fill you up? Are you missing some of your favorite foods from your pre-Paleo diet?
If so, our new Mediterranean Paleo Cookbook is for you!
- Nutritionist Caitlin offers a shopping list, meal plans, healthy food buying guide and nutrition tips throughout the book!
- Plus, Chef Nabil teaches the reader how to make signature dishes from North Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe such as Tajines and french sauces. His chef tips throughout, teach people the best technique.
This book will spice up your Paleo/Low Carb Diet/ Real Food diet!
It will let you:
- Make authentic Moroccan slow-cooked Tajine’s
- Make your own healing broths including: chicken, beef and fish.
- Make many of your own French sauces: Bearnaise, Hollandaise, Aoili, Beurre Blanc, mushroom reduction and more.
- Learn how to use authentic Mediterranean spices such as cinnamon, cumin and cilantro, paprika, ginger, and saffron.
- Learn to make simple dishes to wow your family and friends at dinner parties.
- Eat like you went on a vacation without leaving home.
- Learn how to make crispy pizza and chewy pasta with easy to find ingredients.
- Stay on your gluten, dairy, soy, corn free diet but feel like you are cheating!
- Have your cake and eat it too with 18 guilt free desserts free of processed ingredients.
Pre-order this book here!
While there is nothing wrong with eating canned, pickled or frozen artichokes, remember that you are only getting the artichoke hearts. Most of the research into artichoke’s health benefits has been conducted on the artichoke leaves. When you buy a fresh artichoke you are also getting all of the nutritional benefits that come from both the heart and the leaves.
There are numerous varieties of cholesterol lowering pharmaceutical drugs available, which are the primary choice of therapy for many adults. Unfortunately, many of these drugs can have very serious side effects prompting further therapeutic treatment. Recently in the news, Baycol (Lipobay) was recalled after it played a role in at least 100 deaths. Baycol has been linked to numerous cases involving an adverse muscle reaction known as rhabdomyolysis, a life threatening condition in which muscle cells are broken down and the contents released into the blood stream. It was estimated that approximately 700,000 people had been taking Baycol. Standardized pharmaceutical grade artichoke leaf extract has been proven as a safe, non-toxic, natural way to prevent and treat high cholesterol. It accomplishes this in two different ways. Artichoke leaf extract increases the breakdown of cholesterol to bile salts, thus increasing bile production and flow, and regulates the internal production of cholesterol in the liver. In one very interesting study done on rat hepatocytes, a high concentration-dependent inhibition of cholesterol synthesis was found. The 1997 study indicates that artichoke leaf extract reduces the formation of cholesterol and continues to persist for hours after ingestion. This study also indicates that artichoke leaf extract may work through indirect inhibition of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase similar to “statins” effect. This finding was supported by the fact that artichoke leaf extract blocked insulin-dependent stimulation of HMG-CoA reductase without affecting insulin in general. HMG-CoA reductase is a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis and generally reduces total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Gebhardt’s study also demonstrated that the extract did not interfere with other pathways leading to cholesterol synthesis, which is why adverse effects due to sterol precursor accumulation are not to be expected.
My friend Valerie, a California native, first taught me to eat artichokes, to steam them to tenderness and draw the leaves between my teeth for that subtle deliciousness I learned to love. It’s an appetizer that feels like a project — first the anticipation of an hour or so of steaming, then eating leaf by leaf, then scraping away the thistle-like choke to reveal the tender heart. A project, yes, but one well worth the effort.