An Apple A Day

 “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.  How often we have heard these words and yet probably never asked why.

The apple is a powerhouse of health benefits.  It overcomes fatigue and brightens the skin and makes it look healthy.  In ancient times it was used as a beauty product.

The Mayo Clinic in the U.S. has decreed apples as a positive anti-cholesterol fruit.  It is full of anti-oxidants which are essential for good heart health.

Its sugar content is such that it is assimilated in the body and not used up all at once, such as chocolate is for example, which makes one less hungry over a period of time. Thus hunger is controlled and weight can be lost. One feels less full.

There are many varieties and colors such as red, green and yellow. Some are sour, some are sweet and some are crunchy.  One can never get tired of eating an apple a day with such a choice.

Good health is key to our happiness and age esteem.  So, stock up on apples to maintain and improve good health!

Grandma Nature

Cruciferous Vegetables For Healthy Aging

What are cruciferous vegetables?  Well, actually, there are many.  Broccoli, cauliflower, red and green cabbage, radishes, watercress, Brussels sprouts and turnips are all cruciferous vegetables.

What is so special about them?  They are potent vegetables in what they do for your body and for your health at all ages.

Individually, they have their own valuable substances, but as a group they are full of minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin C in many.  The good news is that because of certain components in these vegetables, when broken down, they are very successful in reducing the risk of various cancers such as lung, breast, prostate and pancreatic.

In cuisine there is so much that can be done with cruciferous vegetables.  Used in salads, or added to other dishes like casseroles, as well as eating them cooked on their own, they will provide colorful, healthy meals.

The value that they bring to your body as you age is immeasurable.

Grandma Nature

Have you ever smelled a tomato on the vine? It is such a delectable scent, so earthy-beautiful.

Tomatoes are varied in color, size and shape. There are small tomatoes, very large tomatoes, oblong tomatoes, and round tomatoes.  They are often sold now on the vine.  There are green tomatoes, yellow tomatoes and, of course, red tomatoes.

What do they all have in common?  They are a miracle for your health.  Antioxidants which play a leading role in maintaining good heart health are abundant in tomatoes.

They also contain lycopene, a substance thought to be effective in cancer prevention.

So versatile in their culinary capacity, they are a must in Italian cuisine with the delicious tomato sauce so often used in Italy.  Served with slices of mozzarella cheese and basil, they make a wonderful and healthy summer salad.  Remember to use olive oil.  In addition to the usual cocktail fare, cherry tomatoes make a wonderful addition to hors-d’oeuvre while bringing health benefits to the body.

Enjoy!!

Grandma Nature

The sweet potato, this wonderful elongated orange vegetable, is such a treat to eat.  It is not necessary, as the custom dictates, to add even more sweet ingredients like marshmallows, maple syrup and brown sugar.

Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of healthy eating just consumed on their own.  The orange color, of course, indicates that the sweet potato is full of beta-carotene.  This nutrient with its antioxidant properties is converted into vitamin A, so important in linking it to a lower risk of cancer, especially lung cancer.

Cardio-vascular disease is also improved when eating this food. The sweet potato is also beneficial for the eyes, helping to improve eye disease such as macular degeneration because of the lutin that it contains.  In addition, it is loaded with cholesterol-lowering fiber and has a lot of potassium as well, so necessary in lowering blood pressure.

Sweet potatoes are only distantly related to the white potato but they are just as easy to prepare and bring so much more to the body.

Add sweet potatoes around a roast to add taste and nutrition to your meal.  Use your imagination and prepare them in the same way as you would white potatoes. – Remembering that the health benefits are much greater.

Grandma Nature

Spices are treasures.  That is why explorers sailed around the world in search of them, and under very dangerous conditions at times.  They have been used for thousands of years, and at the beginning their value was for taste and medicine.  There is a large choice of spices as well, and many different colors, aromas and tastes.

Recently studies have shown that spices are valuable in other ways as well.  Adding spices to your cuisine reduces the risks that fatty foods bring to the body.   One study showed that spices such as cinnamon, black pepper, paprika and garlic lowered harmful fats in the blood.  Another gift of spices is that they aid in unclogging bronchial tubes or the chest when asthma or bronchitis is present.

Of course, there are recipes with spices such as curry, chili con carne and pasta arrabiata but in actual fact, they can be added to any food to give flavor.  And remember, they bring precious health benefits as well!

Grandma Nature

It seems that often when there is a special occasion or fancy event smoked salmon will be on the menu.  It could be called the caviar of today.

How healthy salmon is! It is a delight for us as we age.  For once, fat is good. (The right kind, that is.) We have been hearing so much about the omega-3 fatty foods, and salmon is one of them.  It is a wonder drug for cardio-vascular health, keeping the heart in tip-top shape, raising good cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.

Being a fatty fish, salmon is helpful in easing inflammation and curing arthritis.  Alzheimer’s is also a disease where the fatty fish may be effective.

Salmon may be eaten in many different ways, smoked, baked, cold, and hot.  Enjoying oily fish once or twice a week is a beneficial way to improve your health.

It is true, however, that on some fish farms dyes are used along with antibiotics to help raise the fish, so wild salmon is the healthiest.

In any event, you cannot go wrong by enjoying salmon – the fatty fish!

Grandma Nature