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

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

When looking at radishes we might think of lovely little rosebuds.

Radishes have existed for centuries though radishes then were not exactly the same as those we have today. They were used over 3000 years ago by the Chinese and later by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for medicinal purposes.  Coughs and hemorrhages were the main conditions that were treated. They are very low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals, iron and iodine.

To complement their spicy taste, eat them with butter or salt.  They make a delicious and nutritious snack, as an appetizer or in a mixed salad.

Grandma Nature

When shopping in the grocery store from September to January you will probably see round red items in the fruit department.  They look like miniature pumpkins except for the color.  The skin is very hard and should you not be familiar with them, they are pomegranates.

When cut in half, they offer a lovely surprise!  The fruit is brimming with many beautiful shiny little dark red seeds.  Do not throw these seeds away!  This is the fruit, and what a fruit it is for good health.  The pomegranate is the oldest cultivated fruit and was thought to have healing powers. Today these healing powers have been proven, through many studies, to be correct.

Pomegranates are so rich in antioxidants that they surmount red wine and green tea.  Known as having anti-inflammatory properties, they are one of the most valuable foods for preventing heart disease.

Studies have shown as well that pomegranate juice helps to prevent or contain cancer, especially prostate cancer, but could be beneficial for other types as well.  As if these attributes were not enough this amazing fruit is saturated with vitamins A, C and E as well as potassium, making it important in lowering blood pressure.

Apart from juice, the seeds can be put on a green salad, for example, to accompany a festive meal.  They may also be added to rice to give a zesty flavor.  Chefs are finding more and more ways to use the pomegranate in their cuisine.  Why don’t you try the pomegranate as well and reward your body?

Grandma Nature

Mussels give you muscles!

This lovely little seafood is delicious, very healthy and so easy to prepare.

Containing very little fat, mussels bring a good quantity of protein to the body.

Their real value, however, comes in the form of zinc and iron of which there is a great quantity.  Zinc especially is vital in the development of the body as well as in the immune and neurological systems.

Mussels are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.  They are very important in maintaining the aquatic eco-systems as each mussel filters about 25 liters of water each day.

Mussels are delicious steamed with a bit of garlic, parsley and wine.  They are best consumed fresh and have to be eaten quickly. – The same day, if possible.

Grandma Nature

What could be more beautiful than flowers?  Their colors, their perfume, their shapes: everything regarding flowers is a true gift of nature.  They provide decorations in a home, color in a garden, gifts for people when happy, sad, healthy or sick.  What would we do without flowers?

And yet, as if this gift were not enough, they can be used in cooking as well.  Many chefs, famous and not so famous, have begun adding flowers to their meals.  Not all flowers are edible.  In fact, some are poisonous but the following ones may be eaten without fear:  nasturtiums, pansies, bachelor buttons, violets, freesias, marigold, roses and snap dragons.

For a long time cooks would add a flower or two on a plate for decoration. Today they are added in the actual food giving not only color but taste.  Arugula flowers are very popular for this because of their peppery and spicy taste.

Lavender flowers are a delight when incorporated in a cake or lemonade, emitting a delectable scent and flowery taste.  Red rose petals in a green salad delight the eyes.  The stems of hostas are consumed steamed or raw in Japan where they are sold at markets.

So to beautify your cuisine and have unusual tastes, add edible flowers, and you will feel as though you are dining in heaven!

Grandma Nature

Celery is a versatile vegetable, which has green stalks and white bulbs.   Both varieties are very nutritious and can be prepared in various ways, either cooked or raw. The bulb is consumed most often in wintertime with other cooked vegetables.  Green celery stalks are added to salads, stuffed as an appetizer or cooked in small pieces to make a decorative vegetable accompaniment to a meal.

Celery is a very ancient vegetable and was highly respected in antiquity because of its virtues.  These virtues are especially interesting to us as we age.  Celery is known to be a diuretic as well as a stimulant and anti-rhumatismal food.  It is rich in potassium, good for lowering blood pressure, and is rich in fibers, vitamins and minerals, all essential for a healthy body.  Studies have shown that celery has various anti-cancer compounds as well.

In addition it is one of the vegetables that is very low in calories.

Always available in food shops, celery is convenient to have on hand in order to enrich your meals and enhance your health.

Grandma Nature

We all know about calcium, how good and necessary it is for strong bones and teeth.  We all probably know as well in what foods high quantities of calcium are found such as milk, cheese and yogurt among others.

Latest studies show that calcium is also helpful in maintaining the arteries and a healthy heart.  It is the only natural nutrient which plays this double role. In fact, it is known to lower blood pressure.  This wonder mineral also aids in weight loss, eliminating bad fat.

However, most recent research in various countries and through many tests show that in  order for calcium to be assimilated in the body and deposited where it should be, in the bones and the blood, and perform its miracles, vitamin K2 is needed.  Where is vitamin K2 found?

For many years the Japanese have known the benefits of menaquinones which is found in vitamin K2. The highest amount is in a food called natto (fermented soja) which they eat in abundance.  In other parts of the world where this food is not consumed one can get vitamin K2 in the following foods: dark green vegetables, meat, eggs and high fat dairy products.

A balanced diet, by eating a variety of food, will supply enough vitamin K2 so that one will feel healthy and strong because of the assimilation of calcium in the body.

Grandma Nature

When you see a banana do you think of a monkey?  It so happens that bananas are the most purchased fruit in supermarkets.  So, there is at least one similarity between man and monkeys!

Bananas are good for you.  They are full of potassium and magnesium.  Both are important as we age.  Potassium is very important in controlling blood pressure and stimulates enzymes and regulates metabolism.  Magnesium keeps the nerves solid and is efficient in preventing leg cramps. A combination of sugar and amino acids found in bananas enables the brain to synthesize serotonin, “the happiness hormone”.

Bananas are very low in calories and very inexpensive.  They can, of course, be eaten on their own but are delicious in baked goods and as an accompaniment to cereals as well.

Nurture your body by eating bananas. – One could even say that a banana a day keeps the doctor away.

Grandma Nature