(Photo taken from www.freedigitalphotos.net)
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!
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