Green peas are bursting with nutrients. They provide very good amounts vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin A vitamin B6, B3, and B2 and lots if dietary fiber, manganese, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and potassium. Green peas are that little food that is supercharged with nutritional and can supercharge your health.

Green peas are one of the important foods to include in your diet if you oftentimes feel fatigued and sluggish. That is because they provide nutrients that help support the energy-producing cells and systems of the body. They provide nutrients that are important for maintaining bone health. With its great source for iron green peas build normal blood cell formation and function. Low amounts of iron can result in anemia, fatigue, decreased immune function, and learning problems.

Vicki's Green Pea Salad
2 cups fresh green peas. (You can substitute with a 16 ounce package of frozen green peas. Rinse and thaw them for use in the salad.)
1 cup chopped fresh cauliflower ( make sure pieces are chopped about the same size as the peas.)
1 - 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts (drain and rinse thoroughly and cut into strips)
1 - 8 ounce container sweet grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1/2 onion minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry dill

Whisk together the lemon juice, dill, and mayonnaise.
In large bowl mix all of the vegetables. Pour in the mayo and dill dressing and toss.

Beets are so healthy for you. But did you know that beets beat cancer? Beets are not only rich in calcium, but recent research has shown that they are also extremely rich in cancer-fighting flavenoids. They are also high in magnesium, folate, potassium, fiber, vitamin C and iron. Here is one of my favorite ways to eat beets in a healthy salad. Arugula and pine nuts give this salad an extra nutty and peppery flavor and make it even more healthy.

Vicki's Arugula & Beet Salad
4 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
1 jar or can sweet pickled beets rinsed and drained
(reserve the beet juice in a bowl)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 Bay leaf
2 cloves

In a medium saucepan, combine the reserved beet juice and bring to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaf, and onion, and return to a boil. Remove from heat, strain and chill for one hour. Be sure to take out the bay leaf so you don't eat it. Mix the cooked onions and beets together and stir. Divide arugula into four bowls and divide beet/onion mixture on top of each bowl. Divide pine nuts between the bowls.

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to foods.

The latest research has shown that the risk of developing colon cancer is linked to a diet low in folate. Study authors report that this is the first study to directly connect the two. The research was done on mice. Investigators report none of the mice fed a control diet developed cancer, but one in four mice on the folate-deficient diet developed tumors. The study reveals this may happen because a low level of folate may cause an increase in DNA damage. Study authors caution that while these results are encouraging, more research is needed on humans to know for sure the protective effect of folate for colorectal cancer.

Researchers point out they don't think its necessary to eat excessive amounts of folate, but they do recommend using diet supplements to meet the daily recommended amount. You can find folate in leafy green vegetables, like spinach and turnip greens, fruits such as citrus fruits and juices. Dried beans and peas are all natural sources of folate.

Celebrities have a way of motivating the public to take action. They help dictate fashion trends and set standards for mostly unattainable body shapes and sizes. They add hype to political views and philosophies and make influential statements about all sorts of issues. Like breast cancer. With its backing from celebrities like Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow and Kylie Minogue -- all breast cancer survivors who are speaking out and raising awareness -- breast cancer has burst onto the media scene and is receiving powerful, positive attention. Kylie Minogue's public diagnosis spurred so many women into getting their breasts checked that the Medical Journal of Australia reports a 40 percent increase in bookings for mammograms. But sometimes, celebrity diagnoses don't elicit a response at all.

Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month -- yet the announcement barely registered on the public's radar. Perhaps he does not command the same kind of reaction as pop singers do. Or perhaps it's the type of cancer that keeps his public battle on the sidelines.

The breasts are a visible icon of femininity -- out in the forefront for all to see. And so the issue of breast cancer is in the forefront. The pancreas, on the other hand, are hidden behind the stomach and are out of sight -- and out of mind. When Apple chief executive Steve Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, he didn't even know where to find his pancreas. And so this organ does not attract much fanfare -- and therefore does not attract the funding and research that breast cancer does. Which is sad because this cancer is not just hidden inside the body. It's also a hidden killer. It can't be felt like breasts can be felt. And there is no easy way to detect it, like with mammogram and other imaging techniques. Often a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer -- the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Western societies -- comes with a death sentence. And more and more, breast cancer diagnoses come with promising expectations of survival.

We may not know as much as about pancreatic cancer as we do breast cancer. But there are some behaviors that may contribute to this deadly disease. So in the spirit of prevention, consider this:

• If nobody smoked, 25 percent of pancreatic cancer cases wouldn't happen.
• Alcohol consumption can increase the risk by 15 times.
• Some studies link high meat consumption and low vegetable consumption to incidences of pancreatic cancer.
• Folate, the B vitamin in green leafy vegetables, oranges, legumes, and whole grains seem to reduce the risk. But folate supplements don't seem to have the same healthy effect.

Past research has shown that folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, might be beneficial in protecting against the development of a number of cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancers. New research is offering more in the way of substantial study results that show folic acid might be essential in preventing the progression of all cancers. And what an easy fix folate, or folic acid is, since it can be found in a number of whole foods or simply taken as a daily vitamin supplement.

According to nutritional experts, folate deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the United States. Researchers continue to discover evidence of the link between folate deficiency, serum homocysteine elevations, and a number of cancers.

Folate is found in dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, citrus juices, fortified breakfast cereals and grain products. The highest concentration of folate is found in black-eyed peas, spinach, great northern beans, asparagus and broccoli. Research found folic acid in supplements is better absorbed by the body than the folate naturally occurring in foods.

I am well aware that the artichoke is a cancer prevention food -- rich in cancer-fighting nutrients like vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. That it is virtually fat-free and offers plenty of fiber. And that the artichoke leaves contain cynarin, a compound proving to be beneficial for liver health, and silymarin, a compound with powerful anitoxidant properties.

But the artichoke intimidates me with its pointy-tipped leaves and fuzzy middle. It has always been, in my mind, a strange and exotic multi-layered green orb. While I have a fondness for artichoke, I have given into my fears and purchased the trusted marinated artichoke hearts prepared by somebody else and sold at the grocers for any artichoke in my diet.

Sarah J. Gim, of our sister blog Slashfood, has taken the fear out of artichoke preparation. In fact, it is so simple I now feel profoundly silly about avoiding the artichoke in its most natural form. In Spring in season: roasted artichokes, Sarah explains step-by-step how to prepare and roast an artichoke. She calls it the slaying of the spiny dragon. If you have been secretly, or not so secretly, intimidated by a vegetable that has been revered since ancient times for its many wonderful properties, Sarah can show you how easy it is to prepare an artichoke properly and with confidence.

According to former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., "Currently, about 95 percent of health care dollars in the United States are spent on treating diseases, with relatively little attention paid to preventing diseases, which should be a national priority."

As a result, Partnership for Prevention has released a report, Priorities for America's Health, that ranks the top 25 preventive health services that are most effective. Of the top 25, ten are related to cancer. Following is a list of the top ten ways to practice cancer prevention.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University and co-author of the New York Times bestseller YOU: The Owner's Manual offers a simple to understand explanation of how the immune system works and how food can influence it. "Nutrient-rich foods strengthen the immune system and unhealthy foods weaken it by causing inflammation. That's why it is important to choose healthy foods -- doing so yields short-term benefits, including helping the body fight colds and flu, and long-term benefits, potentially helping in the fight against diseases like cancer." Inflammation can be an indicator of cancer in the body. The immune system is our defense against the development of disease. Oranges provide us with nutrients that make it a cancer prevention food.

Dr. Oz suggests nutritional reasons for drinking orange juice in supporting a healthy immune system. Drinking one glass of 100 percent orange juice provides several important nutrients including folate, flavonoids, vitamin C and B6.

• Folate: Lack of folate is the most common vitamin deficiency for adults and it is essential for a healthy immune system. Lower intake of folate as an adult has been associated with certain types of cancer.
• Flavonoids: Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances that occur in certain plant foods. Flavonoids help in the fight against cancer.
• Vitamin C: One of the most powerful antioxidants. Vitamin C helps neutralize free radicals that can cause cell and tissue damage that could lead to cancer. Dr. Gladys Block, Ph.D., reports that people with low vitamin C intake appeared to have approximately twice the cancer risk, compared to people with higher vitamin C intake.
• Vitamin B6: The immune system needs vitamin B6 to function effectively. It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs that make white blood cells, which fight infections. Studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease antibody production and suppress immune response.
  

In addition, Dr. Oz recommends staying active with daily walks and strength training; creating a strong social network -- a strong social network has been shown to strengthen the immune system; manage and reduce stress with relaxation techniques; and get annual screenings for disease because cancer detected early leads to a greater chance of cancer survivorship.

According to the University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, folate, also known as folic acid, may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. In one study involving more than 25,000 adults, those who ate diets high in folate had fewer precancerous polyps, which are associated with the eventual development of colorectal cancer. Folate is found in dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, citrus juices, fortified breakfast cereals and grain products. The highest concentration of folate is found in black-eyed peas, spinach, great northern beans, asparagus and broccoli. Research found folic acid in supplements is better absorbed by the body than the folate naturally occurring in foods. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements. Folate, or folic acid, helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer.

From 1980 to 1994, the Nurses Health Study tracked over 88,000 women who were cancer-free at the beginning of the study. Researchers found that women ages 55 to 69 years in this study, who took multivitamins containing folic acid for more than 15 years, had a markedly lower risk of developing colon cancer.