Apricots For Healthy Aging

Apricots are loaded with vitamins A, B3, B5, C, and K. Beta carotene, so necessary for control of cataracts and macular degeneration, is also a component of this versatile little fruit. Minerals found in apricots are copper, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous.

Used to make tarts and jams, they are also delicious when eaten raw. When fresh apricots are not in season, dried apricots provide a powerhouse of healthy ingredients.

Grandma Nature

Mother Nature entices us to try all of her fruits and vegetables with their bright and various colors when we see them displayed at outdoor markets and food shops. Their beautiful colors mingled together remind us of a secret garden, all in bloom.

Today it is known that these colors, phytonutrients, are beneficial in preventing heart disease and cancer, among other illnesses.  The darker the color the more important they are to the body. Yellow and orange vegetables are full of vitamin A and beta-carotene, a wonder drug in preventing cataracts and retina problems. Vitamin A is known to help control lung cancer.

What is even more important is to combine them together and eat various colors at the same time.  This is easily done, for example, with a mixed salad of dark red tomatoes, bright orange carrots and bell peppers, dark green lettuce and white onions and garlic which enhance the immune system and increase memory capacity.

Dark blueberries and blackberries are full of a nutrient effective in helping to offset the anti-aging process as well as circulatory problems.  And these precious little berries can be mixed with other fruits of a different color.

A couple of dishes consisting of several different colored vegetables are ratatouille and a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad. Just use your imagination when shopping and pick up whatever you find in season. Your body will then be filled with valuable nutrients to keep you fit.

Grandma Nature

As we enter into this glorious Spring season with trees and flowers blooming, we surely must also think of asparagus.  This versatile vegetable is at its peak in the springtime. When we see it in the open markets or food stores we think of Mother’s Day or May Day or other festive occasions during this time of year.

Asparagus is a member of the lily family.

It is another of Mother Nature’s gifts as it is very important to our health as we age.

• It is full of antioxidants and one of them, glutathione, is known to prevent cataracts.
• This same antioxidant is also a cancer-prevention food.
• A unique phytochemical in asparagus that produces an anti-inflammatory effect helps relieve arthritis and rheumatism.
• Vitamins A and C are found in asparagus as well.

Of course, asparagus can be found all year round in tins and in the frozen food compartment but there is nothing more delightful than choosing a bunch of asparagus in season. They are green, white and purple and are eaten simply with a mayonnaise or vinaigrette. Asparagus is even found in fancy pasta creations such as ravioli or tortellini. They can be boiled, steamed, microwaved or grilled.

Why not pick up a bunch now and prepare a favorite meal?  At the same time you will bring valuable nutrients to your body.

Grandma Nature