Eating For Health

Who doesn’t enjoy some fresh watermelon?   So juicy and naturally sweet.   We have some sliced watermelon in our fridge as my husband went to the farmer’s market this week. Many people enjoy watermelon and don’t realize how healthy it is.   Cleveland Clinic says, “watermelon should be part of your diet”.   Why?   Watermelon is “packed with vitamins and minerals and can be enjoyed all year ‘round”.   We hear a lot about superfoods like blueberries but we don’t hear much about other fruits like watermelon.      Watermelon packs a big nutritious punch. One reason why watermelon is so good for your health is that it is loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.            Vitamins : watermelon is a good source of vitamins A, C and many B vitamins.   One cup of watermelon balls provides 12.5 mg of vitamin C, almost 25% of daily needs.   One cup also provides 876 IU of vita...

Who doesn’t like some fresh fruit?   This week my husband stopped at the farmer’s market and brought home fresh raspberries, fresh yellow plums, peaches, and fresh corn in the husk.   He also brought home a fresh watermelon. The fruit and especially the watermelon were summer sweet.   Our neighbor just rang our doorbell and gave us some home-grown tomatoes.   All kinds of fruit will be coming your way during the summer months:   strawberries ripened on the vine, cherries from Washington, blueberries from Michigan.   Not only is fruit delicious, it is super healthy, low in fat and low in calories.   A few years back, Consumer Reports had an excellent article on 100 calorie summer fruits (June 2018) and 100 calorie picnic foods .    If you are going on summer picnics or barbeques this summer, read what a 100-calorie serving of barbeque foods look like.   Enjoy some 100-calorie fruit :   What about the “sugar” in fruit? Most fr...

So many options for buying organic food.   Everyone knows you pay more for organic food.   Why?   Is buying organic really better for your health?   Consumer Reports has some interesting information in their article, Organic Food on a Budget . With food prices increasing many people who bought organic food before are now cutting back.   How can you enjoy organic food on a budget?  What does organic mean?   The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency that regulates organic food.   To be labeled “organic” food must be grown and processed according to federal guidelines.   Or, animals must be raised according to federal guidelines.   These guidelines cover soil quality, pest and weed control, and how additives are used. Produce – organic produce is grown free of synthetic fertilizers, free of pesticide use. In grocery stores, the organic produce is kept separate from regular produce.   I had a student who w...