I know it sounds like these items have nothing in common… except for the fact that they are all raw and all made my stomach very happy. No, not at the same time : ), but I did much on all delightfully. With raspberry season almost over, at least in our neck of the woods, I ate up as much of these delightful droplets as possible. My Mom picked and froze tons of them for the months to come.
Raspberries are full of antioxidant and are anti-inflammatory by nature. They are loaded with manganese and vitamin C. They even have vitamins B2 and B3 AND Omega 3 fatty acids.
Yams are one of the best kept secrets. Full of potassium, manganese, vitamin C and B6. B6 helps our bodies to break down homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls. Potassium helps to control blood pressure. When cooked, yams are not my favorite food to eat, however, when dehydrated into raw chips—it’s a different story. I slice yams with a potato peeler, to make long strips, toss with garlic, lemon juice and a wee-bit of oil (your choice), lightly salting with Himalayan salt, and dehydrate at 115 F until crisp and crunchy.I had previously mentioned Zucchini Noodles (a time or two). Zucchini is now in season, and, as I found out, comes in many different sizes. If you find them at your local super market, you most likely will see the smaller kind. I recently made a dishful of this scrumptious pasta with ONE zucchini that came from our local CSA.
The list of nutrients and vitamins found in zucchs is too long to list, but I will mention a few: manganese, vitamin C, magnesium, Vitamin A, potassium, copper, folate, vitamin K, B1, B6, Omega 3 fatty acids, and the list can go on.
Zucchs have anti-cancer effects, provides cardiovascular protection and extracts from squash have also been found to help reduce symptoms of a condition occurring in men called benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH. In this condition, the prostate gland becomes problematically enlarged, which can cause difficulty with urinary and sexual function.While summer is still ablaze and there are plenty of seasonal foods available at your local farmer’s market, get out there and load up on the life-saving, disease-preventing, vitamin and mineral loaded produce. Consume as much raw produce as you can to get the greatest benefit.
Until next time, live an UNPROCESSED LIFE and PROSPER!
