Category — Fruit

I have almost all the risk factors for contracting skin cancer: pale skin, blue eyes, freckles, an immediate relative who has been diagnosed with skin cancer and a history of being burned several times over.  To add fuel to the fire, I live between Southern Cali and Australia, I love the outdoors and I hate putting on sun block!  All this considered, I still have a fantasy that I can not only eat to protect my skin, but also perhaps, ingest my way to reversing the skin damage I already have!  Here’s what the experts say I’ll have to eat if there’s any chance of making my dreams reality.

• Vitamin A - Found in carrots and low-fat dairy products such as yogurt.  A vitamin A supplement is also recommended for it’s dramatic benefits to the skin, however use caution in taking it if you’re pregnant - it can harm the baby in large doses.
• Antioxidants - The best sources are berries: blueberries, strawberries and blackberries.  These protect skin cells from DNA damage.
• Essential Fatty Acids - Found in salmon, walnuts and flax oil.  Some women prefer to take fat from their butt and shoot it into their face to look younger.  I think I’ll try eating more salmon first.
• Oils - Make sure it’s cold-pressed, expeller processed or is extra virgin.  Commercial oils are full of crap and heated when processed which ruins the good stuff.  Oil is high in calories however so you only need two tablespoons per day.
• Selenium - has been proven in some studies to prevent skin damage.  Brazil nuts are a high in selenium.
• Green Tea - can be useful if put on the skin as well as digested.  Green tea has been proven to prevent and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
• Water - An oldie but a goodie.  Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses per day.  Your skin will thank you!

Check ou WebMD for a full report on healthy foods for skin.

Here’s an easy Halloween recipe that kids love and actually involves real, live fruit!  To make five Caramel Covered Apples you will need:

• 40 caramel cubes
• 5 apples
• 1 tablespoon water
• 5 wooden sticks
• wax paper

Wash and dry the apples.  Remove the stems and insert the wooden sticks in the stem holes until about half the stick is in the apple.  In a small double boiler over medium low, heat the caramel and water until thoroughly smooth, stirring continuously.  Dip the apples into the hot caramel sauce, coating them completely.  Set aside on greased wax paper.  You can store the apples in the frig but allow them to set at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

There are tons of ways you can cool off during the summer, but there’s nothing better than relaxing in the shade with a bowl of healthy homemade ice cream. It’s very easy once you know the steps and if done right, you would never notice the difference. One of my favorite ice cream flavors is strawberry, so here is an easy recipe.
First, you will need:

• A quart of fresh strawberries (hulled)
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• ½ cup of half & half
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste
• ¾ cup of white sugar
• 3 egg yolks

After you have these items, you begin by placing 1/3 of the strawberries into a blender (or a food processor), and blend them until the contents are completely smooth. You then add the remaining strawberries to the mix and turn on the blender for just a little while. Then pour the strawberry mix into a large bowl.

Next you will need to mix the heavy cream with the half & half you bought. Take a saucepan and pour in only 1 ¼ cup of the cream you mixed and heat it on medium; stop when it begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan. Now, take a large bowl and put in the egg yolks, sugar, corn syrup and the remaining contents of the cream mixture. Stir it up as you slowly pour in the heated cream from the saucepan. Add the vanilla, then pour everything into the saucepan and heat until the sauce becomes thick (you will know this when the mixture is able to coat the back of your metal mixing spoon), which usually takes about five minutes. The mixture shouldn’t come to a boil this time around.

You can then squeeze strained (use a sieve) custard into the berry mix in your blender, mix it up and then place in the fridge until it has chilled. Use an ice cream maker to place the cream mixture in and freeze it (follow the instructions of the manufacturer).

Once frozen, you can pour on the strawberry toppings and enjoy!

Want to know my vote for the most healthy and refreshing drink ever?

A chilled, fresh coconut. If you’ve never tried one, you’ve got to experience the bliss. They are so sweet and delicious you can’t believe it’s pure nature. And whatever you’ve heard about coconut being fattening or bad for you in anyway is completely wrong. I’ve read so much about coconut water, it’s meat and oils that it’s got me believing it’s a super food. I’ve heard testamonies from people that claim that eating a spoonful of cocnut oil every day has not only improved the look and feel of their skin and hair, but also helped them lose weight! These were not quacks or salesmen, but real live friends standing in front of me with glowing skin and svelt bodies. For a full list of the benefits of coconut check out the coconut research center.

Coconuts can be found at health food and grocery stores. They are also popular at Thai restaurants. You should be able to buy them for $1-4. If you can have them pre-cut, I recommend you do. If you don’t have them prepared in advance, you’re going to need a butcher knife to hack into it. Once you drink the juice, the meat can be scooped out and eaten. Make sure you serve them chilled.

Imagine a Tiki-style party this summer. Or just enjoy the benefits yourself after a long day’s work. The coconuts can be a fun drink for kids and adults alike, so get one for each member of the family.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neloqua/328041456/

If there’s one thing a chef doesn’t like, it’s a picky eater. It seems like a battle that just can’t be won and many moms have already tried. Having picky children can leave you a bit worried about your kid’s health, but studies have shown that the diets of picky children weren’t too different from healthy-eating children – besides the fact that the picky eaters didn’t consume as much fiber and calcium.

For the moms who have a picky eater at home, there are some things you can do to ensure your kid eats. First off, when doing business with children, you need to learn some psychology. Make them feel like they’re getting their way when in reality you’re getting yours. A great example is serving them dessert for breakfast. The idea is to make them feel like they’re getting something yummy – this can be from fresh fruits, cottage cheese or even eggs and plain yogurt.

Then you can try sneaking in some healthy foods. For protein, you can serve peanut butter, nuts, egg salad, boiled eggs, rice pudding or chicken salad. Then for veggies you can give your kid a V8 Splash fruit juice, veggie lasagna or some carrots and cheese in tortilla bread. Other ideas include granola and yogurt (like the parfait) or veggies with ranch dip. If you have a blender, fruit smoothies are fun to make and drink. You can even get creative and let them create their own pizza.

Recipe for fruit smoothie (get creative with the fruits!):

1 banana, cut into chunks
4 strawberries, stemmed and cut into chunks
8 oz. milk
1 TBSP almond butter
2 tsp. maple syrup

Pour the fruits into the blender, pour in the milk, then add the almond butter and syrup. Turn on the blender until the contents are smooth.

Speaking of blenders, you can also try the smother attack; this is when you puree all types of foods with a food processor (the idea is to place veggies, fruits and other healthy foods into nonsuspecting items). You could blend veggies in foods like brownies and cakes or grind up broccoli and zucchinis in pasta or pizza. Get creative with your cooking skills!

Red wine has been credited with health attributes from slimming down to lowering cholesterol. Imagine my surprise when I read in an article in Mother Earth News that it may also fight cancer. That’s because the most powerful cancer-fighting compound we can get from food is resveratrol, found in the skin and seeds of red grapes. Apparently, resveratrol not only protects the heart but also has been proven to help fight cancer in it’s early reversible stage by preventing cancer cells from developing and growing.

Red wine might be the most fun way to get these amazing benefits, but eating the grapes or drinking plain grape juice is just as good. A tip when buying grapes is to choose the seeded variety for maximum health benefit. If you chew and swallow the seeds as well as the skin and pulp you get the added plus of an antioxident called oligomeric proanthocyanidin which researchers claim slows the aging process and protects the skin and internal organs from the bad effects of stress and toxins.

I love when my evening relaxation habits turn out to have proven health benefits. We can all rest assured that there are some things that are fun and taste good that are also good for you!

As if I haven’t given you enough reasons to get out to your local farmer’s market and take advantage of all the fruits and vegetables that are in season right now, here’s another one.  It’s been scientifically proven that they help prevent and fight cancer.
These are the health-promoting compounds that occur naturally in foods:

• Anthocyanidins - Antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties.  Think purple: beets, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, red grapes and purple cabbage.

• Carotenoids - protect vital fatty acids and enhance immune response.  Good sources: apricots, carrots, dark leafy greens, yams, squash, and tomatoes.

• Lutein - an antioxidant that helps protect cells and maintains health of eyes, heart, skin, and breasts and cervix in women.  Go green: spinach, collard greens, kale, leeks, peas and romaine lettuce

• Lycopene - reduces risk of prostate cancer in men.  Overall, it’s also a potent antioxidant and prevents damage to DNA.  Tomatoes have the highest percentage of lycopene; other food sources include watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava juice.

• Sulfer compounds - may help remove cancer -causing agents from your body as well as improve estrogen balance.  Mr. Mustard Family: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, radishes, and turnips

The easiest way to make sure you’re selecting a good mix of cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables is by observing the colors: purple, orange, dark green and pink/red.  A mix like this is not only pleasing to your body but also to your eye.

Rotisserie chicken and salad is one of the easiest and most satisfying meals you can make, or not make, since you can buy the chickens at almost any grocery store these days.  This meal will still satisfy and take advantage of all the fresh bounty summer has to offer.

Consider the recipe from Real Simple for chicken with grape and blue cheese salad.  Just looking at the picture is all the inspiration you’ll need to jump off you tail and whip that one up.  Or try roast chicken with The Rosenthal salad.  This gets the “tried and true” stamp from our household.  You could serve the chicken with fresh corn on the cob and sliced heirloom tomatoes.  It dosn’t get easier than that nor is there a better time of year to get the delicious produce!

I’ve always had this idea that I could hook a stationary bike to my home electricity to create some of my own power. I’m no engineer, but it looks like I’m also not the only one who’s had this type of crazy idea.

Want an alternative to a basic blender? Check out the B3 Blenders. They connect to your outdoor peddler to make your favorite ice cold drink. Imagine if you had a smoothies or better yet, a Margarita waiting for you after that summer work out? I’d be cycling all the way to Kansas!

When we get together on the farm one of everybody’s favorite homemade delights is my mom’s strawberry preserves.

The secret according to her is not the recipe. She uses Sure Gel and follows their instructions. The Indiana-know-how tip on it is to freeze it in plastic containers rather than put the wax on top and can it. This is because, for some reason, the consistency and flavor changes with the preserves when waxed. If it’s frozen and thawed it tastes the same as it did when it was freshly made and that’s freakin’ sweet!