Recipe for Health: Freekeh-Stuffed Peppers

When it comes to grains in our diet, we now have more proof that whole is a whole lot better. In a study published last October in Gut, a team of Danish researchers assigned 50 adults to follow one of two diets for 2 months—one where all grains consumed were unrefined varieties, like brown rice and oats, and one where most grains were refined options, such as white rice and white pasta.
The outcome? Eating the whole-grain diet produced a greater drop in body weight and less inflammation in the body, potentially lowering the risk for certain ailments, including heart disease. Most likely, whole grains trimmed those extra pounds by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing calorie intake.
But adding more whole grains to your diet shouldn’t just mean slapping turkey and cheese between slices of whole-grain bread. Curious cooks can choose from a bounty of exciting whole grains from around the world. And how better to stamp your passport to flavor than with freekeh? Hailing from the Middle East, freekeh (FREAK-eh) is immature green wheat roasted over fire to impregnate it with nutty, smoky flavor. Think of it as the bacon of the whole-grain world. Nutritionally, it has even more protein and fiber than much-hyped quinoa, which makes this vegetarian main dish even easier to swallow.
2 t grapeseed oil or canola oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/4 t salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 C low-sodium vegetable broth
1/3 C cracked freekeh, such as Bob’s Red Mill
1/2 C canned chickpeas
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 C chopped dried apricots
1/4 C chopped pistachios
2 large red bell peppers
1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
1 t za’atar spice mixture
1/2 t paprika
2 t lemon zest
1/4 C chopped parsley
Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt; heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and heat 1 minute. Place broth and freekeh in pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer covered until freekeh is tender and broth has absorbed, about 16 minutes. Set aside covered for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Add chickpeas, carrot, apricots and pistachios to pot, and stir everything together.
Halve each bell pepper lengthwise, from stem to base, removing white veins and seeds. Place peppers in a microwave-safe dish, cut sides up, cover with paper towel and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir together yogurt, za’atar, paprika and lemon zest.
Stuff peppers with freekeh mixture and serve topped with yogurt and parsley. Serves 2.

4,000 Steps a Day for Brain Fitness

By walking more than 4,000 steps a day, adults aged 60 and older can improve both attention and mental skills, according to a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (2017; doi:10.3233/JAD-170586).
University of California, Los Angeles, researchers examined the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in nondemented older adults with memory issues. For 2 years, researchers tracked the number of daily steps taken by 26 older adults and conducted neuropsychological tests and MRI scans to measure thickness of brain ­structures.
Data analysis revealed that those who walked more than 4,000 steps per day had a thicker hippocampus and surrounding regions and had higher performance in attention and information-processing speed and executive function. The hippocampus region of the brain is primarily associated with memory and spatial navigation. Prabha Siddarth, PhD, lead study author and biostatistician at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, said, “Brain thickness, a more sensitive measure than volume, can track subtle changes in the brain earlier than volume and can independently predict cognition.” People who walked less than 4,000 steps per day had thinner brain structures and lower cognitive functioning.