The A - Z of Amazing Fruits..... F is for FIG!

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People often get dates and figs mixed up which is quite odd as they do not look nor taste anything alike. They do however share some like nutritional properties, all of which are fantastic. Like the date, figs are extremely nutritious and contain many anti-cancer  enzymes and lots of immune boosting goodness. 

Figs are often associated with men’s health for their distinct look and they have been known for hundreds of years as a remedy for sexual weakness or dysfunction. What a lot of people do not know is how beneficial they are for women. Seriously high in B6 levels they are considered a mood food as they help to boost the production of serotonin which makes us feel great. Also aiding to lower cholesterol levels and reduce water retention, figs are a PMS fighting power fruit. 

From my previous blogs you should know by now that most fruits are nice and high in dietary fibre which creates a healthy digestion and helps to ward off things like bowel and colon cancer. Figs are no different and are often recommended by nutritionists to nourish and tone the colon and intestines. What makes fresh figs an amazing super power fruit is that they are one of the most alkaline fruits. Disease thrives when our bodies are in a highly acidic state, alkalizing foods balance our body’s pH and help to fight off foreign and bacterial nasties and figs do an amazing job at this. In fact studies have shown that fig leaves actually inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells and dramatically lower triglyceride levels (nasty fats). 

Vegans, vegos and those with signs of osteo-arthritis should definitely incorporate figs into their diet as they have a very high calcium content and as it comes from a vegetable source it is very readily absorbed into the body. It’s other mineral highs are manganese and potassium. If you are a morning exerciser, through a fig into your morning smoothie or chop one up and add it to your cereal to replenish your potassium levels and prevent cramping through the day. 

If you’ve never eaten a fresh fig, you are in for a real treat. They are sweet, luscious and nutrient dense and just lovely to eat by themselves. They breath fresh air into a mundane salad, go amazing with rocket and grilled mushrooms on ciabatta with olive oil. Delicate and light, they are a taste sensation when combined with the strong flavours of haloumi or prosciutto. My all time favourite thing on a cheese platter is quince and fig jam or paste (and that’s not just because I don’t eat cheese!) Team it with a good glass of wine and you have Sunday arvo perfection!

The wholesome quality of this fruit alone should be enough to have you running to the fruit market. Be it sweet or savoury, fresh, dried or poached I urge you try this amazing fruit today!

A- Z of Amazing Fruits... E is for Elderberry

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E... Is for Elderberry.

Well, this is the first time I am writing about something I know absolutely nothing about. But I’ve done some extensive reading about the elderberry, its uses and benefits and hopefully have picked out the best bits of info for your reading. If you have used elderberries, please feel free to add info and especially recipes in the comments section below. One thing that was surprising while I was researching was the amount of sites dedicated solely to the Elderberry. For a little berry that I knew almost nothing about, there is a lot of love across this great planet and the info below will explain why. 

Like all fruits that have a dark reddish-purple colour, elderberries are a great source of anthocyanins which are powerful anti-oxidants (see my article on blueberries for further reference). It is this high level of anthocyanins that has a dramatic effect on a person’s immune system, boosting it to levels that quickly help to heal damaged cell tissues and reduce the symptoms of the flu and other diseases and illnesses. In 1995 the juice of elderberries was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama and in Israel, they use elderberries to treat cancer and aids patients as it has such a strong and positive effect on boosting the immune system. It has also been used to lower cholesterol, improve vision, improve heart health, fight coughs and colds as well as bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. It is not just the anthocyanin properties that have such a great medicinal effect but the fact that elderberries increase inflammatory cytokine production, hence the reason it has such a substantial effect on symptoms. They are also high in potassium and contain large amounts of vitamin C.

Be warned however, you can’t just eat these little berries by the handful like you can blueberries. Elderberries actually contain poisonous toxins that can make you quit ill and need to be cooked before eating. The berry and flower both have medically beneficial properties but all must be cooked however steer clear of the roots, stems and twigs as well as unripe berries. 

The Elderberry flower is actually very pretty and can be used by pressing into tonics and is a very popular wine and champagne brew. Like the zucchini flower it can be lightly battered and made into fritters or used as a sweetener in muffin and cake recipes. The berry itself is often made into jellies, jams, pies, baking, extracts and syrups. It’s strong colour can also be used as a dye or coloured flavouring. 

This recipe has been taken from - http://www.justberryrecipes.com/ber-elder009.html 

Again, I’ve never used the elderberry so am unsure as to how this will work out but from its popularity on the web, I’d say it will be a hit. Now I just need to find some to try it out!

Elderberry Grape Jelly 3 lb Elderberries 3 lb Half-ripe grapes Sugar Wash elderberries. Remove stems. Cover with water. Cook until soft. Drain through jelly bag. Wash grapes. Remove stems. Cover with water, cook until soft. Drain through jelly bag. Combine elderberry and grape juice in equal proportions. Add 3/4 cup sugar to each cup juice. Boil rapidly until jelly sheets from spoon. (3lb is just under 1.5kg)

A - Z of Amazing Fruits - D is for Date...

I’ve been eating dates for years. I love them and especially since becoming vegan - they are apart of my daily diet. A natural sweetener, dates are widely used to replace sugar in cooking and in raw vegan dishes, they act as a wonderful sweetener and binder. Although always a strong advocate, I never the knew how astoundingly nutrient dense this fruit is until now. If you didn’t eat dates before, you had better start!

Cholesterol free and loaded natural fibre, dates are like a digestive miracle pill. They aid in the relief of many intestinal disorders, help to build up healthy gut flora and can easily relieve constipation. Because they are very easily digestible, their absorption rate is under 30 minutes (as opposed to minimum 45 minutes for a banana) and therefore you feel the benefits of dates quite quickly. Also, as they are nutrient power poppers your body will let you know when you are full a lot sooner than many other foods which decreases your chance of over eating. 

Rich in iron, they can aid in problems with anemia; as well as being high in calcium and potassium. Potassium helps to maintain a healthy nervous system and naturally lower your blood pressure as well as alleviate diarrhea. But didn’t I just say it helps with constipation? Yes indeed but as I also wrote it helps with almost all digestive ails. So basically, you eat the date and your body will figure out what you need to take from it and make it work! How good is that?

If you are worried about the sugar content and what effect it may have on your teeth, don’t. Dates are also teeming with fluorine which actually slows down the process of tooth decay, so they are great for the kids too. Not only good for the teeth, but the eyes as well. According to www.organicfacts.net, the American Cancer Society claims that the consumption of 1 date per day will ‘help you maintain your healthy eyes for your lifetime’. 

Mums-to-be as well as breast feeding mothers should stock up on these sticky globs of wholesomeness. Eating in abundance towards the end of your pregnancy helps to strengthen the uterine walls which enables a smoother delivery. (Don’t quote me on that one but heaven knows I’ll be trying it when my time comes!) Their super digestibility comes into play again when mothers eat them during breastfeeding as all the nutrients can be readily absorbed and transferred directly to their baby. 

And last, but certainly not least; one of the number one reason we should be eating dates is because for hundreds of years they have been used a super tonic for enhancing sexual endurance. By soaking them overnight in goat’s milk then grinding with honey and a dash of cardamon powder, you can deftly make yourself a sweet little love potion without the scary side affects of that little blue pill. (Gives a new meaning to D is for Date!) This tonic has also been known to aid with sterility due to functional disorders.  

As mentioned earlier, dates are great in desserts and you will find numerous recipes with a simple google search. Check out my website www.youonyget1.com for a bunch of great recipes and I will leave you now wit one of my favourites.

PINEAPPLE-POPPERS!

1 fresh medjool date

1 chunk of fresh sweet pineapple (about a 1 inch square)

raw cacao powder

Take one fresh medjool date and wash it well. Split it in half and remove the seed. Place the pineapple in the middle and sandwich with the date. Dip into cacao powder (as much or as little as you like) and POP straight into your mouth! Instant pineapple lump but wayyyyyyy better! Your only problem will be stopping at just one! xx