Oranges are like having instant access to the sun. Not only is their bright orange color and ball-shape reminiscent of our life-giving star, but they also burst onto the taste bud scene with light, crisp brightness – much like the sun does in the morning!

As the seasons turn and our bodies adjust, keeping ourselves healthy is the number one priority. No one likes a cold and no one wants the change-of-season-sniffles to keep them from enjoying autumn and winter beauty.

Luckily, we have oranges. Prime season for this sunny fruit is from winter to spring. Obviously, oranges are Mother Nature’s way to bring us sunshine all year round. Conveniently packaged for portability, an orange is a bright way to liven up your day in the colder months.

Nutritional and health benefits of oranges

Check out the Immune Boosting and Cancer Preventing Benefits of one of the most popular fruits in the world:

Oranges deliver the sunshine as Vitamin C. One orange contains over 116% of the daily value required for our bodies. Of course, large doses of Vitamin C are known to be beneficial over the short and long-term. If you’re feeling peaked, power-packing some Vitamin C can give you a grand pick-me-up and even help prevent seasonal colds. Vitamin C may also be helpful in preventing ear infections, especially if you’re prone to them.

Vitamin C’s antioxidant power is well documented. Eating an orange or fresh juicing one is the first stop in cell protection against free radicals. An orange a day will keep damage to DNA (and the resulting cancer) away. For cells that turn rapidly, such as our digestive tract, it is thought that regular consumption of Vitamin C is especially helpful in the prevention of cancer.

Citrus seems to offer the most protection against digestive tract cancers, including those of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and colon. Orange juice (and other citrus like grapefruit juice) has been shown to reduce the risk of kidney stones. And citrus, especially orange juice, may reduce the risk of stomach ulcers.

Drinking orange juice is good for you – all the way through.

History of this delightful little sun fruit

Oranges are Asian in origin – from an area in South China and Indonesia, in fact. They spread to the Middle East in the 9^th century and onto Europe in the 15^th century through trade routes.

Oranges came to the Americas via Columbus in the 15^th century. First, he brought them to the Caribbean, and then Spanish explorers were responsible for bringing oranges to The Sunshine State of Florida in the 16^th century.

Oranges weren’t commonplace prior to the 20^th century due to the expense of production and transportation. As a result, they weren’t widely consumed by the masses. A person might be given an orange once a year during the holidays, for example. It was a staple of my childhood to have an orange in the toe of my stocking each year.

Tidbits about oranges

Oranges come in two varieties (more like tastes): sweet and bitter. Most common for eating are the sweet orange including Valencia, Navel, and Jaffa, and the lovely blood orange. Bitter oranges are typically used for jams and jellies. The zest of bitter oranges are used as liqueur flavorings like those found in Gran Marnier.

Selection of oranges

Choose organic, as non-organic oranges may have been injected with a Citrus Red Number 2 dye. Organic oranges, as a result, typically aren’t as “orange-y” in color. Oranges that are partially green or have a brown russeting are fine to choose.

Steer clear of oranges that have soft spots or any mold. Their appearance should be smooth textured skin that is firm. The orange should feel heavy for its size, which means they’ll be juicier.

Another reason to choose organic is that oranges are in the list of top 20 foods where pesticide residues lurk.

Bodacious Booster Shot

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1″ or 2” piece of ginger

Juice everything together and supply your immune system with a jet pack. The immune booster will keep you healthy and strong when you’re feeling a bit run down or that scratchy throat.  And remember to relax and take it easy too!

Garlic is the cat’s meow of aromatic herbs. Garlic is a member of the lily (or Allium) family. It’s also related to the onion and the leek. On its own, it is known as “the stinking rose”, a reflection of its strong odor, but honoring its therapeutic benefits.

Nutritional Benefits of Garlic

Garlic’s powerbase comes from its sulfur compounds. These compounds are not only responsible for its pungent smell, but are the source for garlic’s myriad of health benefits.

Garlic is also a fantastic source of manganese (which feeds our mitochondria – the energy production factories of our bodies). Garlic also offers vitamin B6,  vitamin C and selenium; all are working hard as antioxidants to provide health benefits.

Garlic Rocks for Heart Health

Garlic is a protector of our cardio system. It can lower cholesterol, but more importantly, garlic’s key nutrients protect our blood cell and blood vessels. This keeps our hearth healthy and the blood flowing. Garlic helps to reduce plaque formation and clogging.

Part of these benefits are attributable to garlic’s ability to lower blood pressure. Garlic is an important addition to our daily diet for keeping our heart and blood pressure in top working order.

It’s an Anti-Inflammatory

Garlic brings the pain when it comes to reducing inflammation. From our muscular, skeletal, and our respiratory system, garlic is an all around tonic. Garlic is thought to also combat obesity, which is believed to be in many ways just another form of inflammation. If you’re trying to reduce your weight, eat more raw garlic!

Garlic is an Antibacterial and Antiviral

Garlic’s super claim to fame is its antibacterial and antiviral properties. Garlic is proven to control infection from bacteria and viruses. It also controls infection from yeasts, fungus, and worms. Garlic is an overall cleanser of our body’s system and can assist us in maintaining optimum overall health.

Iron Metabolism Done Right

It’s also thought that garlic is key in helping our bodies properly metabolize iron. Iron is an important nutrient for our blood and cells. Garlic helps the transportation of a protein called ferroportin, which helps keep the iron moving through our bodies as it’s needed.

Raw vs. Cooked Garlic

It is generally recommended to include one clove of garlic in your diet at least once a day. To obtain the best that garlic has to offer, eat the clove raw.

Here’s some general tips for easy handling of your garlic:

• To use garlic, separate a clove from what’s called the “bulb”. To remove the skin easily, place the clove on a hard surface and then gently apply pressure with the palm of your hand at an angle. The skin will separate and you then can peel it away.
• To give the garlic’s enzymes a chance to activate, peel your clove at least 5 minutes before adding it to your juice. This method lets the garlic reach its peak proficiency before combining it with other ingredients.
• If raw garlic simply doesn’t do it for you, consider adding it to just about any dish you ever cooking.  Add it a few minutes before the end of cooking time will help it retain its verve. Cooking garlic too long reduces its health-promoting ability and brings forth a bitter flavor.

Garlic Yum!

• 2 tomatoes - Click here to learn more about how tomatoes keep you in tip-top shape
• 2 apples - Click here to find out more about apples
• 1 clove of garlic (prepare your clove 5 minutes before juicing)
• 1 sprig of parsley

Juice them, mix them, and enjoy them!

A little more about garlic

Garlic is native to central Asia. It has been grown for over 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world.

But it was ancient Egyptians (Khemet) that first began to cultivate garlic. They held it as sacred and the garlic clove was often placed in the tombs of Pharoahs.

Also in Egypt, garlic was held as the pinnacle of the food pyramid (quite literally in fact, as it was given to the slaves that built the Pyramids to enhance their strength and endurance!)

In ancient Greece and Rome, athletes partook of garlic prior to competition and soldiers consumed it before battle. Garlic’s ‘power’ was held in high esteem.

Garlic traveled the world with migrating tribes and adventurers. It was found in India and China by the 6^th century BC.

In garlic’s long and distinguished history, it’s been used as a sacrament, for culinary endeavors, and for medicinal purposes. With current scientific research touting garlic’s healthful power, this little bulb continues to be as popular as ever.

Selection and storage of garlic

Choose fresh garlic whenever possible for your cooking or medicinal needs. Garlic’s greatness is found in its freshness.

Choose cloves that are plump and have an unbroken skin. Garlic should feel firm and not squishy. Steer clear of garlic that has begun to sprout or looks shriveled. The older the garlic, the less flavor and nutritional benefits it will provide. The size of the garlic bulb or cloves give little indication as to the quality.

Store garlic in a bowl or covered container in a cool and dark place. Avoid placing garlic in direct sun or near a heat source. Freezing or refrigerating garlic reduces both its flavor and nutritional value.

Fresh garlic of superior quality will keep for up to a month if stored well. However, once you break a garlic bulb open, the shelf life reduces dramatically to just a few days.

Zucchini is one of the most popular varieties of squash. It’s also quite versatile.  From sautéing and steaming, to baking to juicing, zucchini adds a delicate flavor to any dish.

One of my favorite parts of late summer and early fall was my mom’s zucchini bread. Coming home after school, you would see me chowing down with a hunk of her zucchini bread fresh from the oven with melting butter. Yum!

I’ve altered her recipe a bit for more healthy eating (Mom didn’t know of spelt flour or alternative sweeteners), but the feeling is the same.

Enjoy!

Zucchiini Orange Loaf

• 4 eggs or egg substitute
• 1 ¾ cups honey or agave nectar
• ¾ cup applesauce* or canola oil
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 cups zucchini pulp
• 3 ¼ cups spelt, quinoa, or whole grain flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cloves
• 2 tsp grated orange peel**
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

*applesauce is a great way to lower the calories and fat of traditional bread and muffin recipes calling for oil. Choose an unsweetened or low sweetened apple sauce (or better yet, make your own!).

**use fresh orange peel from the oranges you’re using to juice! Use eith
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add honey, orange juice, applesauce (or oil), and the zucchini pulp, and continue to beat until well-blended. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Bake 45-55 minutes in a non-stick (slightly greased) loaf pan.er organic oranges or wash the rind well. Create orange peel by using a rinder, a veggie peeler, or a grater.

Nutritional Benefits

Get some Antioxidant Super Powers! Zucchini provides 20% of your daily value of manganese and 17% of your daily value of Vitamin C.  Manganese feeds your mitochondria, which are your cellular energy centers. And Vitamin C brings all around health goodness.

Zucchini also contains beta-carotene and zinc. Alongside are some less common antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxantin, both of which are known to support strong, healthy eyes and prevent macular degeneration.

Zucchini provides a vast array of B-vitamins including folate, B1, B2, B3, B6, and choline. This spectrum of B vitamins provides support to blood sugar metabolism. The aforementioned manganese and zinc also add a boost. Extra support arrives with magnesium (10% of the daily value), and omega 3s (8% of the daily value).

Zucchini is a good source of fiber and of pectin, which helps maintain sugar balances and prevent type 2 diabetes.

Squash seeds have anti-microbial properties. This feature is great for digestive tract health and wellness. Squash seeds have a long history of being used against intestinal tapeworms and parasites.

About Zucchini

Zucchini (and squash in general) has a long and distinguished history. Scientists have found squash seeds in Mexico caves that have been preserved for over 10,000 years. Cultivation of this summer/late summer veggie began in Mexico and Central America and spread rapidly throughout the Western hemisphere.

For many Native American tribes, squash was considered to be a staple.  Along with corn (maize) and beans, the trio was called the “Three Sisters.”

Christopher Columbus brought squash to Spain, while other explorers of Portuguese and Spanish descent introduced the vegetable around the world.

Today, zucchini is cultivated worldwide. Top squash-growing states are California, Georgia, New York, and Florida, though Mexico tops the bill of squash production and exportation as 95% of all U.S. imported squash is of Mexican origin.

Selection and Storage

Look for zucchini that feel heavy for their size. Choose ones with dark green skins that are not overly hard. Note that the skin may naturally be striped or speckled.  Choose skins that are unblemished as zucchini are tender. Medium-size zucchini have the best consistency and flavor.  If growing your own zucchini, you can eat the squash blossoms.

Store the zucchini in the refrigerator.  Keep it unwashed and in a container with a lid. The squash will last for up to 7 days.

Adding an apple to any of your juice combinations is a win-win. Apples add a subtle, yet joyfully sweetness to any juice combo. Apples yield an amazing array of health benefits from deep inside their unassuming, yet lovely and vibrant skin.

Fresh juice or blend your apples to get the most in nutritional benefits. Or alternatively, just eat an apple whole.

Nutritional benefits of apples

Antioxidant Power: the apples primary claim to fame is its excellent antioxidant function. This superpower provides solid support for our cardiovascular systems, blood sugar levels, and respiratory system.

Cardiovascular Power: apples provide pectin as water-soluble fiber and a mix of nutrients called polyphenols. By consuming an apple a day, you’ll help to reduce your total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. Overall, that will help to reduce blood fats, a fantastic move your heart will appreciate!

Blood Sugar Power: Apples contain nutrients that help regular blood sugar. Not only does eating an apple prevent spikes in blood sugar, but it’s also shown to lessen the absorption of glucose from the digestive tract. Apple nutrients also stimulate the pancreas’s insulin secretion while increasing the uptake of glucose from the blood.  All of these mechanisms keeps blood sugar regulated.

Lung Power: In short, apples are good food for your lungs. Apples help prevent many types of cancers (such as colon and breast), but stands out in regards to lung cancer. Research shows that apples are specifically focused on preventing lung disease, but scientists are unsure why.

Associated with apples is a supreme antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power. Turns out it has a direct impact on asthma sufferers, whereby reducing the risk of an attack and/or preventing one.

All about apples

Apples belong to the Rose family. Joining apples in this auspicious family are apricots, cherries, plums, pears, peaches, raspberries, and almonds. Apples are part of a distinguished line of nutritionally dense and beautiful plants and foods.

The apple tree, originated in Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia, has spread to temperate regions throughout the world.  There are over 7,000 varieties of apples today.

Apples have a strong mythology. They are often considered to be the fruit that Adam and Eve ate. The Norse believed that a magic apple could keep people young forever. The golden apples of Greek myth played a pivotal role in tales of love, sex, bribery, and temptation (isn’t the “forbidden fruit” depicted as an apple?)

In American folklore, John Appleseed was said to have walked 100,000 square miles planting apple trees, all in an effort to provide food and sustenance for future settlers.

Click here for an interesting timeline on the Apple from Purdue University.

Selection and storage of apples

Choose organic fruits that are firm with rich colors. Choose a yellow/green apple with a slight blush. Choose the variety based on whatever flavor you like: sweet or tart.

Red and Golden Delicious are the sweetest of apples, while Braeburn and Fuji are slightly tart. Pippin and Granny Smith are the most tart.

Apples store extremely well at cold temperatures (35-40F/2-4C) for up to 3-4 months. Cold storage can be assisted by placing a damp muslin or cheesecloth in the crisper bin of your fridge.

Apples retain most of their nutrient density even after long storage times.

Take stock of your apple storage over time as an apple that has been bruised or damaged will indeed place other apples at risk.  Any bad apples should be removed immediately.

With each new season, enjoying a colon cleanse is a great way to maintain good health.

Cleansing the colon is a fantastic way to purge toxins from the body.  The cleansing also provides us with increased energy, a boosted immune system, and keeps us going strong as the weather changes.

The big three of colon cleansing fruits and veggies are carrots, apples, and cucumbers.  Add a lemon for a liver tonic and you’re in cleansing and health business.

All Season Colon Cleanser

• 1 red apple
• 1 medium size carrot
• ½ medium size cucumber
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 8oz glass of cold purified water
• 1 tbs of honey or agave or 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• Juice from one lemon

Juice the apple, carrot, celery, cucumber and lemon in the juicer. Slurry them together with the cold water.  Add honey or agave to taste.  Drink immediately, and preferably, do it first thing in the morning.  Or alternatively, dice the veggies and fruits and mix this all up in your blender.

Veggie and Fruit Cleansing Benefits

Apple: The apple’s skin contains pectin which assists in the removal of toxin.  Pectin also prohibits the protein matter in your G.I. tract from putrefying.  Apples also help regulate blood sugar levels.

Carrot: Ease inflammation of the colon. Carrots contain beta-carotene, a great nutrient for the eyes.

Cucumber: Contains an enzyme called erepsin which digests protein. Cucumbers have a high water content which soothes and eases the digestive tract and colon.

Celery: Flushes the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.

Lemon: A natural antiseptic, the acidity of lemon juice destroys harmful bacteria

Apple Cider Vinegar: Prevents the formation of kidney and gall bladder stones.

Honey: Anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. Boosts the immune system and provides increased energy.

How Much to Drink

The beauty about this colon cleanse is how simple and direct it is.  This juice recipe can be taken daily if you want a deep cleanse or once a week to maintain good health.  Add this cocktail of health to your daily regime and feel the benefits:

• Clearer skin and a natural, healthy glow
• Bright eyes with stronger eyesight
• Easier and smoother digestion
• Regular and productive bowel movements
• Increased energy levels
• Eases frequency of headaches for headache sufferers
• Reduction in allergy attacks

Salsa is an everyday vegetable favorite.  It’s low in calorie, high in fiber and nutrients, and easy on the G.I. tract with no preservatives or complexities to bog you down.

Healthly Ingredients

Lycopene:

Basic salsa is rich in lycopene as its primary ingredient is tomatoes. Lycopenes are carotenoids that are good for the heart.  They may also have a direct role in preventing cancer, particularly prostate cancer.  Lycopenes are found in both raw and cooked tomatoes, though cooked or heated tomatoes make the nutrient easier to absorb.

Chili Peppers:

Whether you like them mild, medium, or super hot, adding some chili peppers to your salsa brings a world of health goodness.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which is known to be anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, and anti-bacterial.  Peppers are also known to stimulate the blood flow to the stomach lining and increase mucous content, aiding in the digestive process.

The main benefit of chilies are its anti-inflammatory properties. Chili peppers can be beneficial for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Moderation is always key with chili peppers, as it’s best to have just enough of a good thing!

Low in Calories

Salsa is great for those watching their calories.  Throw some atop your salad, burger or omelets to liven up the flavor and keep the calorie count low.

You can also substitute salsa for ketchup and therefor avoid the extra sugar. Salsa has no added sugar, keeping it fresh, light, and delightful.

Also, the active ingredient in peppers, capsaicin, has also been shown to decrease appetite and increase calorie burn.  Salsa is a simply superb addition for dieters.

Vitamin and Mineral Powerhouse:

Salsa has loads of vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.  It also brings iron, magnesium, and potassium to the table.  The last two are vital to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Salsa is by far one of the healthiest condiments around. Make yours fresh with juicing pulp and get the benefits of concentrated fiber and nutrients all in one shot!

Simple Salsa

• 2 cups tomato pulp
• ¼ cup onion pulp
• 1 tsp cilantro, chopped (or pulp)
• 1-2 jalapeño or other chili pepper, chopped (or pulp)

Mix well.  Serve with baked tortilla chips, sliced veggies, or over any dish as a sauce or condiment.

Groovin’ on the Wheatgrass Super Food Channel is a great way to increase your energy and vitality.  As with anything labeled ‘super’, it’s important to know what the benefits and considerations are.  You can click here to find out the super-duper benefits of wheatgrass.

Wheatgrass Considerations

The  considerations are simply ways you can better use wheatgrass to get the most benefit for your body.

Drink First. Wheatgrass juice should be taken alone or with other juices only.  Combining wheatgrass juice with other solid foods may cause nausea.  Always take the juice/juice combo on an empty stomach.  First thing in the morning is best.  Don’t eat solid foods for about an hour after consuming the juice.

Detoxification. It’s what wheatgrass does best as a super food.  Because it removes bad fats, heavy metals, carcinogens, and metabolic waste from the human body, there can be uncomfortable side effects.  Expect that you might have a headache, a bit of nausea or G.I. upset.  Once the toxins are removed, the side-effects should no longer occur, while energy and vitality levels will increase.

Wheatgrass and Mold. There are a few varieties of mold that can grow on wheat grass.  The most common is what looks like ‘blue fuzz’ which is a non-pathogenic mold.  It isn’t harmful to the body and does not penetrate the plant.  Simply cut this blue fuzz off and rinse the grass off before juicing.

Care should be taken if the wheatgrass has a white or brown coloring to it.  Both of these are types of mold are harmful to both the plant and the body.  These molds effectively spoil wheatgrass, just like any other food.

Enjoy a one-shot of wheatgrass in any of your smoothie or juice recipes.  Take care to notice how it is affecting you and go with the flow until you feel as if you are on top of the world!

Wheatgrass Juice Recipes

Hula Grass

• 2 cups fresh pineapple (peeled)
• 1 orange  (peeled)
• 1 papaya  (peeled and seeded)
• 2-3 inch round of wheatgrass or 1 oz shot

Citrus-Berry Wheatgrass

• 2 oranges
• 1 banana
• ½ cup fresh blueberries
• 2-inch round wheatgrass
• 1-2 cups ice cubes

Juice the orange and the wheatgrass and then place the juice and other ingredients in a blend till smoothie-like

Click here for additional wheatgrass recipes

Don’t see the one recipe you love? Share your wehatgrass recipes with us in the comments below!

Eating whole, natural foods is always our first and best resource for healing.  In particular arthritis, a.k.a. inflammation of the joints and joint tissue, can be alleviated by choosing the right foods. Foods with nutrients are known to reduce inflammation, ease pain, increase mobility and even slow the progression of the disease.

The key is to avoid inflammatory foods such as:

• red meat
• wheat
• foods high in saturated fats
• artificial coloring and preservatives
• nightshade vegetables:  eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, white potatoes
• caffeinated teas

While increasing the consumption of anti-inflammatory energy foods like:

• fruits such as cherries, kiwis, apples, and blackberries
• vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, kale

Juicing the right combination of fruits and veggies is a fantastic way to get the concentrated anti-inflammation nutrients into your diet.  Juicing allows you to extract high doses of the vitamins and mineral needed to soothe arthritic conditions.  Juicing also allows for easier assimilation and digestibility of said nutrients.

Anti-Oxidants = Anti-Inflammatory

It’s thought that free-radicals, a body damaging phenomena that attacks cells, abound from pollution, toxins, processed foods, and smoking.  These radicals also occur naturally from the energy release from food and exposure to sunlight.  Unchecked free radicals are a primary factor in aging and disease.

Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E can assist in disarming free radicals.  They also happen to have great anti-inflammatory properties.  Studies on arthritis include both of these vitamins as relief-packs for pain and slowing the disease.

Selenium is the booster pack that works in conjunction with Vitamins C and E.  Once C and E disarm a free radical, they become inert.  They need selenium to come along and re-energize them.

Vitamin A and Zinc also bring antioxidant mojo to the battle.  These two nutrients in particular support the production and maintenance of our synovial membranes.  The synovial membrane lines our joints and creates the lubricating juice, synovial fluid, which lets our joints move about freely.

And though not an antioxidant, calcium is important for building and maintaining strong bones (along with Vitamin D) and has a direct correlation with the health of our joints.

Juice Recipes to Ease Arthritis

There are a few fruits and veggies that contain either all of these nutrients or contain them all in combination with each other.  Here are a few arthritis relieving juice recipes:

Blackberry Kiwi Sensation

• 3 kiwis (peeled)
• 3 cups of blackberries

Apple a Day

• 4 carrots
• 1 apple

The Alkalizer

• ½ – 1 cucumber
• 2 carrots
• 1 handful of kale
• 1 handful of parsley
• ½ apple

Cherry Cherry

2-3 cups of pitted cherries to yield 4 oz of juice
4 oz of filtered water

Juice the cherries and add an even amount of water.  Drink two 8 oz glasses daily until symptoms subside.

If you suffer from arthritic pain, consider adding these juices to your daily diet and enjoy easier, more pain-free movements.

We all know that broccoli is a healthy addition to our diets, but do you know just how healthy? The nutritional benefits of broccoli abound. From fiber to all of the vitamins and minerals, broccoli is indeed a tasty treat and a winner.

Nutritional Benefits of Broccoli

Detox: broccoli helps the body detoxify with a special combination of 3 phytonutrients: glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin. These goodies support the detoxification process from activation, to neutralization and elimination. Broccoli helps to control the detoxification process at a genetic level.

Vitamin A and K for Vitamin D: this green goddess of a food has more than ample amounts of both of these vitamins. At over 194% of the daily value of K and 45% of A, the combination of these two help the metabolism balance of Vitamin D. For those with a Vitamin D deficiency (which research finds is just about everyone), including broccoli in your diet will help you retain this vital vitamin.

Anti-Allergen / Anti-Inflammatory: as a rich source of kaempferol (a flavanoid), broccoli assists in reducing the impact of allergens on the body. This in turn gives broccoli unique anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidant: broccoli is a leader in amongst cruciferous vegetables for its concentration of Vitamin C. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C provides long-term support of oxygen metabolism when accompanied by recycler flavanoids – which of course are also contained in this vibrant green package. Other antioxidants that broccoli provides are Vitamin E, manganese, and zinc.

Heart Health: the spectrum of B vitamins in broccoli contributes to a healthy heart. Broccoli’s concentration of folate, B6, and the other B-complex vitamins fights the formation of homocysteines which increases our risk of atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack.

Stomach Health: eating raw broccoli and broccoli sprouts is a great treat for your stomach and stomach lining. Broccoli assists in the reduction of a bacterium called heliobacter pylori. When this bacterium overgrows it causes G.I. upset. Broccoli (especially raw broccoli) helps to keep this bacterium in check. This is due to broccoli’s high glucosinolate content which focuses directly on the stomach lining cells.

Low in Calories: 1 cup of broccoli is only 44 calories while the health benefits are endless.

How did broccoli come to be?

Broccoli was developed from a wild cabbage in ancient Rome. In Italian, broccolo, means “cabbage sprout.” This green goodness traveled to the Near East and then back to Italy for further cultivation. Italian immigrants brought broccoli to the New World.

Selection and Storage of broccoli

Choose broccoli with florets in tight, compact clusters. The floret clusters should have a uniform color ranging from dark green, sage, or purple-green. If the floret clusters are yellow or if there are any yellow flowers blossoming, the broccoli is overripe. Stalks and stems should be firm.

Store in a refrigerated plastic bag with as much air removed as possible. Broccoli will keep for about 10 days. It’s best not to precut nor wash broccoli before storage, as it causes the Vitamin C will degrade.

Green Broccoli Machine Smoothie

• 1 cucumber
• 3 -5 broccoli florets
• 1 kiwi (peeled and frozen)
• 1 bunch of green grapes (frozen)
• Ice and water

Click here for the health benefits and additional recipes for cucumbers.

Juice the cucumber and broccoli. Place in a blender, add the fruit, ice, and water. Enjoy!

Late summer and early fall is Prickly Pear season here in the Southwest. This magenta fruit that replaces the yellow blooms of the cactus’ green nopales offer desert dwellers a treat packed with a unique assortment of nourishment and medicine.

Nutritional Info about the Prickly Pear

The prickly pear fruit is a fine source of magnesium and the amino acid taurine.  Both nutrients are cited as vital to brain and heart health.

The fruit is also rich in arterial health, promoting antioxidants and flavanoids. The flavanoids are the secret superhero power of the prickly pear.  This purple fruit contains at least 10 flavanoids including: kaempferol, puercetin, kaempferol 3-methyl ether, quercetin 3-methyl ether, narcissin, dihykrokaempferol (aromadendrin, 6), dihydroquercetin and eriodictyol. The prickly pear excels in fighting free radicals that can destroy cell structure.

Prickly pear pads or nopales can be eaten like a vegetable.  This part of the fruit is said to level out glucose levels and it’s great for the diabetic diet.  The fruit and nopales are a good source of fiber, as well as a great addition to a gentle and effective colon cleansing program.

The prickly pear is low-calorie while offering high levels of Vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Some cultures have used poultices made from the cactus to fight infection and speed the healing process of wounds.

Finally, the juice of the prickly pear is said to ease muscle pain after your work out.