Pom Power

If you haven't seen, right now is pomegranate season.  The pomegranates are so juicy, so sweet, ruby red, and plump.  The fruit is shiny and, in many ways, just tantalizing.  I know that many western books depict the apple as the fruit of temptation in the Garden of Eden.  But, seriously, I think it was the pomegranate.  Have you ever eaten one that is in season?  It's ruby red, jewel-like parcels contain 100% juice.  They burst in your mouth with their refreshing sweet flavor, and the seeds have fiber.

I have been eating so many of these delicious fruits, that the other fruits can't keep my attention like a perfectly ripe pomegranate.  If it were really the pomegranate in the Garden, Eve, I don't blame you.

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants.  "Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine, and green tea," said Professor Michael Aviram at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.  There was one study presented in San Antonio at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting in which 48 men who had been treated for prostate cancer drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily.  Drinking the juice lengthened the time it took for the disease to develop.  Doesn't stop disease, but the results indicated there may be chemicals in the juice that have cancer-fighting benefits.

Pomegranate juice also has been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).  And at least five studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of pomegranate juice on cardiovascular health.

A study published in the Journal of Urology examined the long-term intake of pomegranate juice on erectile dysfunction (in an animal model).  Results suggest that free radicals (oxidative stress) are a contribution factor in erectile dysfunction.  In response, antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, and is an important part of the daily diet.  It may be time to get your pomegranate on!

Our collection of pomegranates:

Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Blueberries, Plump and Sweet

If you haven't realized yet, it is blueberry season for US consumers!  The blueberries are large, plump and sweet.  When they are this good, they should be consumed by the handfuls, not picked at, one-by-one.  If you need a cheaper source that enables you to consume by the handfuls, check out Costco.  Here's a picture!

Blueberries are not just really yummy, they have a reputation of protecting your memory, in other words, brain food (I hope you hare convinced at the end, if this is new to you)!  Put simply, if blueberries can improve my brain health, and I admit that I could use more brain cells :) , why not consume daily and in handfuls!  In a series of tests conducted by Dr. James Joseph, middle aged rats (I know, rats get old too) who were fed blueberry extracts behaved like their younger counterparts.  No mental deterioration, no loss of coordination or balance.  Tests of motor function and memory function came out so positive, that the conclusion was that blueberries make a difference.

Blueberries are found on the superfood list.  They help the neurons in your brain, contain antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory.  Said to help fight Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease and even arthritis.

Best if fresh, but frozen is a good alternative when not in season.  Great as is, in oatmeal, in yogurt, and in smoothies.

Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden

I Love Peanut Butter

I cannot even begin to express just how much peanut butter I have eaten over my lifetime thus far.  I think enough jars to fill a middle sized suitcase, for sure!  There is something about peanuts in their creamy state that just want me to get up right now from my typing and eat a spoonful with some puffed wheat, a piece of bread, or a cracker.  Speaking of which, I just did right before I started writing this blog post (many spoonfuls with the puffed wheat, just to be clear).  haha

I still remember growing up, how my Dad would tell me you will get fat by eating all that peanut butter.  Interestingly, he was right, depending on the peanut butter you eat.

In order to IMMENSELY enjoy the nutty, crunchy, creamy peanut butter that drips onto the bread and then straight into your drooling mouth, and yet not really gain weight, one must read labels (and still practice some degree of moderation).  The label is what it comes down to.  Or you make your own (or at Whole Foods).  Your peanut butter label should have only one of these combination of ingredients:
1) Dry roasted peanuts.
2) Dry roasted peanuts and salt.
3) Maybe they forgot the roasted part, so still one of the above sans roasted.

That's it.  Skippy, Jiffy or perhaps other brands ending in -y usually do not abide.  They add sugar.  And, sugar makes you fat!!  My Dad was right, eating that kind of peanut butter will go straight to the waistline.  In addition, these brands add other things you cannot pronounce (to make it shelf stable).  An opened jar of peanut butter should be refrigerated.  If your peanut butter doesn't require you to, then check the label.  It might have a lot more than you thought.

Other notes on peanuts?  "Peanuts rank as high as strawberries in antioxidants." (1).  The Journal of Food Chemistry had an article where researchers at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences found that peanuts rivaled many fruits for their antioxidant content.  They were a little shocked.  Peanuts also increase magnesium, folate, fiber, copper, vitamin E and arginine consumption, which all contribute to prevention of heart disease.  As with all things, peanut butter should be eaten in moderation compared to the rest of your diet.  Please don't cut off all other food, especially superfoods, just to eat peanut butter 24/7.  If you do that, then I cannot vouch for the no gain weight scenario.

My most favorite peanut butter--ever--is Trader Joe's Crunchy, Salted Peanut Butter.  Just got the flier today (Culinary Compendium).  Right on the front page is my beloved peanut butter.  Only $1.79.  Can't beat the price or the taste.  I wish I were paid for this commercial!  That's alright, so long as they don't take away my peanut butter!


(1) Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden
www.traderjoes.com
Picture: www.guidespot.com/guides/best_thing_at_trader