Magic Mushrooms

I am not talking about the kind back from the '60's. I'm talking about the kind you buy in the grocery store.
You don't have to have a lot of knowledge about cooking to know the benefit's of mushrooms in addition to their lush, earthy flavor. But whether you go for the exotic like smoky morels to the familiar like buttons, you'll get some newly discovered health benefits.
* They safeguard against cancer. Mushrooms are rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals, and eating them regularly has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in studies of Chinese and Korean women. Mushrooms also prevent prostate cancer cells from multiplying in mice - and might do the same in men.
*They supply hard-to-get nutrients. One medium portobello mushroom supplies 21 percent of the recommended daily intake of selenium and one third your need of copper; it also has as much potassium as a medium-sized banana. Other varieties are just as rich in minerals, recent analysis has found. What's more, mushrooms retain their nutrients when stir-fried, grilled, or microwaved.
* They help you cut calories. When ground beef was swapped out for mushrooms in lasagna, sloppy joes, and chili, adults consumed 400 fewer calories per day, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. Researchers estimate that if you sub mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year. Just don't sabotage this fringe benefit by preparing mushrooms with loads of butter. Instead, toss them into a nonstick pan that's been lightly sprayed with oil, then saute' on low heat until they soften.

"The journey of life is taken one step at a time... none of them should be painful." G.M. Barclay, DPM, AACFAS