What is manganese and how does it help regulate blood sugar levels?

[World's Healthiest Foods]() Healthy Food Tip & Recipe July 21, 2017 The George Mateljan Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation with no commercial interests or advertising. Our mission is to help you eat and cook the healthiest way for optimal health. Summer Squash is Our Food of the Week [Summer Squash: best way to select, store, prepare and cook]( Â Healthy Food Tip What is manganese and how does it help regulate blood sugar levels? When you think of dietary minerals, you probably think first of calcium or iron. If you spend a lot of time thinking about nutrition, you may also think about zinc or magnesium. But there are a whole group of trace minerals, which are not generally as well known, that we derive from our diets in very small amounts that are just as critical to healthy lifestyles. One of these is manganese. In the 1930s, researchers discovered that our bodies require small amounts of dietary manganese each day. [Read More]( Healthy Breakfast Recipe from Day 4 of the WHFoods 7-Day Meal Plan Enjoy this recipe from Day 4 of our upcoming WHFoods 7-Day Meal Plan. We encourage you to sample the recipes that we have been (and will be) previewing over the next several weeks. They are packed with nutrition from the nutrient-rich foods found in each recipe. Each day we will share with you a special tip about the foods included in this week's recipe: Romaine Lettuce: Romaine's vitamin C and beta-carotene content make it a heart-healthy green. Vitamin C and beta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. When cholesterol becomes oxidized, it becomes sticky and starts to build up in the artery walls forming plaques. If these plaques become too large, they can block off blood flow or break, causing a clot that triggers a heart attack or stroke. The fiber in Romaine lettuce adds another plus in its column of heart-healthy effects. In the colon, fiber binds to bile salts and removes them from the body. This forces the body to make more bile, which is helpful because it must break down cholesterol to do so. This is just one way in which fiber is able to lower high cholesterol levels. Chopped Chicken and Avocado Salad with Chile Garlic Dressing Zesty jalapenos, cumin and garlic kick up the flavor in this hearty lunch salad. Since all ingredients are selected from our list of World's Healthiest Foods you are ensured to receive an abundance of health-protective nutrients. When we evaluated this recipe against our WHFoods recommended daily amounts it provided 95% vitamin C to help protect against excess free radical production and maintain brain health, 90% folate to help sustain brain and nervous system activity, 81% phosphorus to enable basic cell function, 77% protein to help support proper body composition, 64% manganese to support bone production and skin integrity, 54% selenium for antioxidant protection, 46% fiber to help improve cardiovascular function including cholesterol metabolism, 45% magnesium to help maintain bone integrity and energy production, 34% vitamin E to help protect against free radical damage and against heart disease, 26% vitamin K to promote healthy blood clotting, 22% biotin to help maintain blood sugar balance and promote skin health, and much more! Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: - 4 cups romaine lettuce or mixed salad greens, thinly sliced - 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced - 1/4 cup celery diced - 1/2 cup avocado, cubed - 3 oz cooked chicken breast, diced - 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese - 2 TBS pumpkin seeds - 2 TBS cilantro, chopped - Garlic Chile Dressing - 1 small clove garlic - 1 tsp fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (use gloves) OR 1 tsp pickled jalapeno, finely chopped - 1 tsp Dijon mustard - 1 tsp apple cider vinegar - 2 tsp fresh lemon juice - 1/4 tsp ground cumin - 1/8 tsp sea salt - 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil - Black pepper to taste Directions: - Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. - Chop or press garlic and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add dressing to the salad, toss gently and serve. Serves 1 We would love to hear from you. Please e-mail us your rave reviews, comments, or any suggestions you might have after having tried the recipes from our powerful WHFoods 7-Day Menu, gmf@mauigateway.com. [WHFoods Book 2nd Edition] The World's Healthiest Foods, 2nd Edition is complete and ready to order with 2 free gifts valued at $51.95. All international orders (including Canada) must be placed through Amazon.com. From a happy book owner: I ordered your second book awhile back and just love it. I garden and preserve so we eat all of our own foods. It is so exciting to see that you have done the research & are willing to share all of the benefits of foods so we can do our very best to prepare & eat in the healthiest way. Our kids looked at my book and were encouraged to work at their own family's menu so I ordered 6 more books; one for each family and one for my sister-in-law. They too love their book. - Elaine [Read more about our book]( $39.95 [buy now]( visit our homepage at Newsletter circulation: over 120,000 Copyright © 2017 The George Mateljan Foundation, All Rights Reserved George Mateljan Foundation, PO Box 25801, Seattle, Washington 98165 [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](