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 an attractive fruit, hanging on its vine, like purple and green decorations.  The various colors bring appetizing appeal as one chooses which to buy. – Green, light purple, dark purple, small, larger?

Since antiquity grapes have been known to have therapeutic virtues.  They were eaten to fight against various illnesses like gout and obesity, and they aid in digestion because of the fiber found in the seeds. Many people do a grape cure to clean out the body.  Rich in minerals, grapes have a good amount of iron and potassium as well as vitamins A, B and C.

Grapes should be stored in a cool place like the refrigerator or cellar if not eaten right away.

As sugar is an important part of the fruit, grapes are utilized as an anti-fatigue cure as well.  They bring a lot of energy to the body at a time when one might be feeling lethargic.

Then, of course, there is wine, beneficial for cardio-vascular conditions, which is produced from grapes.  Furthermore, as a food, stuffed vine leaves are a delicacy.  Picked from the vine, the leaves are prepared by boiling and then can be stuffed with whatever one chooses.

Now that you know their benefits, add grapes to your shopping list and feel invigorated.

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

It would be interesting to know the origin of the expression, “He’s driving me nuts”.  Nuts do not make you crazy!  On the contrary, they are very, very good for you.

There are many kinds of nuts-cashew, almond, walnut, Brazil nut, hazelnut, etc. and each has its own beneficial property for the body.  This is of special interest as we age.

Of all nuts, cashews have the highest rate of magnesium, which is very efficient in controlling cramps, especially leg cramps.

Pistachio nuts are used in baking and in mediterranean dishes.  They are very rich in vitamin B which is so valuable for the nervous system.

Walnuts are known to be very healthy for the heart, with their antioxidant properties.

Almonds play an important role in containing and even decreasing bad cholesterol levels while enhancing the good cholesterol.

Almonds and Brazil nuts are the only nuts that are alkaline in the acidic-alkaline chart.  Most of the food we eat is acidic, and it is this acidity in the body which promotes cancer and rheumatism among other ailments.

Judging from what is known about them, it is better to pick up a bag of nuts at the grocery store than potato chips or other starchy foods.  The choice of nuts is there, and they are all healthy.

Grandma Nature

What came first – the chicken or the egg?  This question can be debated again and again but one thing is for certain.

According to the most recent research, eggs are very good for you.  Yes, eggs are healthy for you and more can be eaten than previously recommended as they are not linked to bad cholesterol.   There is no danger for most people to eat even two per day, according to one study, but even three or four per week would be beneficial.  This amount will not increase cholesterol levels or the risk of heart disease.

It is shown in several studies that eggs protect against the health risks which come with aging.

Eggs are rich in vitamin D, so needed for strong bones.  Two other substances, lutein and zeaxanthin, are found in them which help prevent macular degeneration and loss of eyesight as one ages, and control the development of cataracts.

Being very rich in protein with few calories, eggs are a valuable substitute for meat.  Memory is enhanced by eating eggs as well.  Finally, when you do eat eggs, you will feel full and thus eat less and thus lose weight!  Of course, they are beneficial when incorporated with other ingredients as well such as quiches or soufflés.

So, have eggs on hand all the time.  Eat eggs for healthy aging!

Grandma Nature

Beans, beans, the magical food; the more you eat the better your mood…

…. for your body will profit in many ways and you will feel great.  There are various types of beans – red kidney beans, white navy beans, green lima beans, brown lentils – and all are available in all parts of the world.  The beans, as opposed to string beans, are dried and have to be soaked before cooking, usually overnight.

They contain many nutrients and they have very little fat and thus no cholesterol.  Dried beans contain a lot of protein and can be substituted for meat or other high protein foods.  They regulate sugar in the blood and are important in controlling cardio-vascular conditions such as high blood pressure.   As they are very inexpensive, they can be eaten often and can be prepared in many different ways to vary meals.

Grandma Nature