healthy yet stinky asparagus
I love asparagus, steamed, grilled or raw it’s all good. Asparagus is low in calories – 1 cup (and that’s a lot) has only 24 calories! Check this out… Low in carbs, rich in protein compared to other vegetables, it’s also loaded with fiber, potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C. Because of all these properties, asparagus has been used to treat arthritis and rheumatism because of its antioxidants and it’s good with inflammation. It has also been used as a diuretic so guys, if you’re feeling a little puffy… you know, playoff time of the month when you’re consuming too many salty chips and pretzels… have some asparagus and enjoy one of those really long pees that you think might actually break your urinal stand record, and make you wish you had sat down.
Okay, funny story. When I was dating my nutritionist, she would make home cooked meals and sometimes steam asparagus… you know, cooking them just enough so they stay a little crunchy. Growing up I avoided asparagus because my mother always overcooked canned asparagus until it was some sort of alien turd mush Now, every time I was over my nutritionist’s place and ate asparagus, my pee would stink so bad it would almost make my eyes water. I’m not kidding you, I would almost pass out. Not being an asparagus eater, I assumed I was coming down with some sort of gastric disease that would only erupt at her place. You know, a reaction to being away from the man cave too long. Okay, so one day I finally revealed my stinky pee condition and let’s just say my nutritionist laughed her ass off. She explained that fifty percent of the population gets stinky pee from eating asparagus, which contains a sulfur compound called methyl mercaptan. It’s a colorless gas also found in garlic, eggs, and cheese. Asparagus also contains something called asparagine, found in seafood, poultry fish and nuts, and has a smell when heated. Scientists can’t say exactly why stinky pee only affects half the world’s population, but they agree on one thing…the smell is actually considered to be a good thing since it proves that the asparagus eater’s kidneys are functioning correctly. Go figure.
Lastly, when you go to buy asparagus, assuming you’re not getting canned or frozen, buy fresh, dark, green asparagus with the tips tightly closed and the bottom stalks not so dried out. This insures you get the most nutrients. If you’re not planning to cook them that day, wrap the tips with a damp paper towel to keep them freshness. It’s best to cook them within 2-3 days.
And that’s the scoop on asparagus from Healthy Spouse. Now go get stinky.
blogger bio
You may recognize the name, Karen Roth, the holistic nutritionist who posts on Scene In SCV. Well, I’m her husband, the benefactor of Karen’s amazing insight on health and nutrition. My goal for writing this blog is to share with you guys (and women too!) valuable information I’ve learned from my live-in nutritionist about food and nutrition which may not only improve your overall health, but keep you out of the doctor’s office, perhaps off unnecessary meds, and out of the hospital. Being a former TV comedy writer, you can count on my post to not only be informative, but entertaining as well. In addition to this blog you can also follow me at:
Healthy Spouse
www.imarriedanutritionist.com
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