Health Benefits of Strawberries

Here is the season of strawberry, the king of fruits! It is a super food!

Strawberry (genus Fragaria) genus of more than 20 species of flowering plants in the rose (Rosaceae) family.

Strawberries are packed with nutrients. They are excellent source of vitamins: A, C, E, K , niacin B3, pantothenic acid B5, folate B9, pyridoxine B6, and riboflavin B2.  They also contain minerals: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc. They deliver beta- carotene and lutein- zeaxanthin.

As you can see they contain significant amounts of phytonutrients and flavanoids which makes strawberries bright red.

Strawberries enhance cognitive function, memory and may help to prevent Altzheimer’s disease.

The significant amount of polyphenols found in strawberry reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, lowers blood pressure preventing heart condition. It helps to improve eye health. Strawberries are packed with antioxidant that neutralises free radicals strengthens your immune system’s respond against infections such as the common cold.

Flavonoids in strawberry offer antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic qualities that connected with drastic reduction in metastasis of cancel cells.

Strawberries have anti-inflammatory properties that help alleviate pain associate with arthritis.  

Their fibre and fructose content may help regulate blood sugar levels by slowing digestion and the fibre is thought to have a satiating effect. Strawberry has low glycemic index and high fibre, which makes it a smart choice of fruit. Leaves can be eaten raw, cooked or used to make tea.

You have to learn that strawberries are a common allergen. If you have allergies to birch pollen you are more likely to develop as a secondary food allergy to strawberries. Most common symptoms are experienced in the mouth and throat tingling, itching, watery eyes and runny nose.

If you are not allergic to strawberry it will make a valuable contribution to a healthy balanced diet.

Health Benefits of Pears

Late summer garden delivers its wonderful fruits for your table. Now pears, these delicious and sweet pomaceous fruits, are ripening. Pears have been a part of many diets for thousands of years. Besides their flavour they also have huge health benefits.

An average pear provides around 100 Kcal energy which are derived from its natural sugar content. Pears hold essential vitamins; vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, B complex vitamins, folate and phenolic compounds. Their mineral content; potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, calcium and copper are equally important. They improve your bone health.

Like many other fruits, pears are a wealth of antioxidants that combat various diseases within the body. Pears provide fibre, which can improve your digestion and stimulate secretion of gastronomic and digestive juices.

Antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin A,  beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin found in pears can help combat free radicals. They have been connected to prevent of a number of different cancers including breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer. The antioxidant and vitamin C substances in pears are also beneficial for your immune system as they stimulate white blood cell production, helping to eliminate condition like common cold and flu. Vitamin C keeps your metabolism running smoothly and ensures that all the functions work right too. Antioxidant and flavonoid component in pears can also induce anti-inflammatory effects in the body, reducing the pain associated with inflammation. Pears are a wonderful source of potassium, which means that they can have a significant impact on heart health lowering blood pressure and reducing your chance of cardiovascular diseases.

It is a high-energy and high-nutrition food with low impact on weight gain and obesity. Its antioxidants are primarily praised for their anti-carcinogenic activities.

Pear Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cut medium ripen pears

1 cm length of grated ginger

1 freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp of cinnamon

250 ml water 

Health Benefits of Cucumber

To stay hydrated and fresh during hot summer days you should eat more cucumber.  Its 95% is water and its vitamin C content has its refreshing effect. It provides water and fibre; two basic elements for your digestive system. Cucumbers contain numerous antioxidants, including the well-known vitamin C, beta-carotene. flavonoids, such as quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, and kaempferol.

For instance, quercetin is an antioxidant that many believe prevents histamine release and Kaempferol  may help fight cancer and lower your risk of chronic diseases including heart disease. Cucumber contains potassium, which is associated with lower blood pressure levels. A proper balance of potassium both inside and outside your cells is crucial for your body to function properly. It also holds phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which also have anti-cancer properties. Cucumber also has its anti-inflammatory effect. Cucumber encloses multiple B vitamins, including vitamin B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin B7 (biotin). B vitamins are known to help ease feelings of anxiety and buffer some of the damaging effects of stress. This vegetable contains an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin that appears to play an important role in brain health. In addition fisetin benefits in improving memory and protecting nerve cells from age-related decline.¹ This healthy vegetable can play an important role in your daily raw food diet as juice, smoothy, soup or salad.

Health Benefits of Asparagus

Ms H

In this sunny warm May one of the seasonal vegetables is asparagus. You can get fresh asparagus from the local market or it can be picked from the local farm. In either ways you can provide fresh healthy organic vegetables on your plate. Asparagus officially a flowering perennial plant is a spring vegetable.

Nutritional values of asparagus:

It is a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, minerals: potassium, zinc, iron, vitamins: vitamin K, vitamin B3, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E and pantothenic acid.

Health benefits:

It is a rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps to break down carcinogens and free radicals, so it may help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as breast, larynx, bone and lung cancers.

Its antioxidants help to slow the ageing process and to neutralise cell damaging free- radicals. Asparagus may help our brains to fight cognitive decline. It holds amino-acid asparagine, which serves as a natural diuretic.

Recommendation for the Last Day of Winter

Tomorrow spring will start officially.  In this part of Middle- Europe the weather  has  turned wintery; it is cold and snowing all day.  Superfoods are loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and immune-boosting powers that your body needs to power itself through cold weather.

Adding a little dark chocolate to your diet is a great health booster. The sweet contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that helps to fight against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The thermogenic property of ginger in your ginger tea keeps you warm. Hot soups containing pumpkin or sweet potatoes or squash seasoned with hot chilli heat you up when things get cold. These vegetables contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. Chilli pepper in your soup holds a compound called capsaicin, which gives to it a spicy kick. It also boosts metabolism and fights the build up of fat.

Eating Brussels sprouts may just help you fight a cold. In addition to being packed with fibre, cancer-fighting phytonutrients and they are also high in vitamin C. Roasted apples with walnuts and cinnamon is good healthy snack any time of year, that provides fibre, antioxidant, vitamin C, water and omega 3 fatty acids.