Got grapes?

Grapes are such an easy fruit to eat. Wash them thoroughly and pop a few into your mouth. If you are choosing between green or purple grapes, go for the ones with the darkest color. Flavonoids are what cause the purple color in grapes. Dark purple means a higher concentration of flavonoids. What do flavonoids do you ask? They act as antioxidants in the body to help reduce the damage that free radicals cause and also can help to reduce effects of aging. Wow! That's a lot from a little morsel.

If you are looking for natural sources of phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium, selenium and magnesium the grape has them all. In addition, they also contain Vitamins A, C B6 and folate. Some of the benefits that come from eating grapes are lowering cholesterol levels, curing indigestion and irritation of the stomach. If you suffer from migraines, drinking ripe grape juice in the morning is a home remedy. Next time you are shopping for fruit, make sure to put grapes on your list. And if organic is available, pick them!

Onions, they may make you cry but they are so good for you!

Did you know that you have a powerful antibiotic in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator? If you guessed the onion you would be correct. Onions can help reduce reduce food borne illnesses caused by microbial contamination. Whether red, yellow, or white, onions are best eaten raw to get the health benefits they provide from the naturally-occurring compound that helps protect nerves and the cardiovascular system. Eating raw onions also enhances immune function, fights the growth of many types of tumors and also helps to promote healthy hormone function.

Need some ideas for how to use onions? If you feel like you can barely tolerate them, mince them really fine and start with just a sprinkle on a salad, a bowl of chili or your veggie burger. If you are eating other veggies with them you will hardly notice the pungent taste. If I haven't managed to convince you that onions are good for you check this out. The French people almost aways include onions in their recipes. The French also have a lower incidence of coronary heart disease despite the butter and milk that is common in French cooking. Why might this be? Lowering cholesterol and preventing hardening of the arteries can be attributed to the lowly onion. Eating this lovely bulb helps to maintain  healthy blood pressure and also enhances elasticity of blood vessels.

I would love to hear any ideas you have for using this natural remedy for a lot of what ails us. What's a little bad breath compared to all the benefits of the onion?

Beets are a memory food.

Think that you don't like beets? If you ever try them juiced you will fall in love with them. You get the full sweetness of the sugar that beets contain when you drink them. Juicing them along with carrots and you have nectar of the gods. Beets can be streamed, baked, or grated and eaten raw in a salad. The greens are edible too; steam them or put young beet greens in a salad. I recently made a quiche like dish with the greens. Instead of a piecrust I chopped the greens and layered the bottom of a pie pan with them, then poured my egg mixture on top and put it all in the oven. It was delicious.

Beets contain potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B, C, beta-carotene, and folic acid. Beets are a great tonic for the liver, a blood purifier, and can lower blood pressure. Beets also contain betaine, a substance that is used to treat depression. And if you don't like chocolate, though who can imagine that, beets also contain trytophan, the ingredient in chocolate that makes one feel good.

 If you have a bumper crop of beets, try making a soup called borscht. It can be served hot or cold with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Add a hearty rye bread and it is a perfect meal. If I still haven't convinced you to add beets to your diet maybe knowing that the ancient Romans used beets as an aphrodisiac will.

What the heck is an aubergine?

If you were of French origin you would know this vegetable by the name aubergine. However if you live in the US you would call it this nutritious member of the night shade family an eggplant. Whatever you choose to call it, it is a vegetable full of phytochemicals, the nutrients that come from plants. If you like Indian curries and Middle Eastern foods, chances are that you have eaten this versatile food. Purple fruits like grapes and blueberries, and vegetables such as eggplants contain anthocyanin which is what colors the foods purple and is also good for the brain. Eggplant also contains an antioxidant called nasunin that protects the lipids in brain cell membranes. Another simple reason to eat eggplant is that it is delicious.

There are many ways to prepare this versatile vegetable. One of the most well known is eggplant parmesan. A cup of eggplant with the skin, only contains 35 calories. If you make your eggplant with low fat ricotta cheese and mozzarella you have a healthy entree to serve over whole wheat pasta. Have you tried whole wheat pasta lately? It has come a long way from the varieties that were thick, pasty, and not very tasty.

If you really want to be adventurous, try baba ghanoush the next time you frequent a Middle Eastern restaurant. The eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame and then mashed and mixed with olive oil and various seasonings. It can be served as a dip, spread on pita chips or served with roti (a grilled  flatbread). The Turks were onto something when they came up with this dish as it can also help to lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels.

Cruciferous veggies anyone?

Did you know that broccoli shares its cancer fighting properties with other vegetables such as cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. These vegetables are high in antioxidants and share immune boosting properties. I hated brussel sprouts when I was a kid but now I have to say that they rank very high as one of my favorite vegetables. You can throw any of these vegetables into a stir fry for a quick and nutritious meal. Brussel sprouts are great roasted in the oven. Just cut them in half, drizzle some olive oil on top and they are done in 15 to 20 minutes.

Broccoli contains quercetin, an antioxidant that is thought to protect against Alzheimer's Disease. Broccoli is good in quiche or if you have leftover steamed broccoli, chop it up fine and mix it in with your scrambled eggs. It's great eaten raw too, it's fiber is soluble and draws cholesterol out of the body. Broccoli is high on the list of wonder food, also having vitamins K, C, and calcium.  If you have any other great ideas for broccoli, I would love to hear them.

Got spinach?

Spinach has a lot of things going for it. While it can be eaten raw or cooked, cooked spinach has a higher iron content. Spinach is also high in folic acid, a half cup a day will give you 2/3 of your daily intake of this B complex vitamin. Folic acid is also believed to prevent Alzheimer's disease and related memory loss. Folic acid is also important for red blood cells and many other cells in the body.

Spinach contains the vitamins K, C, A and is rich in the antioxidants lutein and glutathione.  There are so many things that one can do with this versatile leafy green. Throw it raw into a salad, saute with olive oil and garlic, add to a quiche recipe, or use on a sandwich instead of lettuce. The ideas are endless. It is very easy to grow but it doesn't care for hot weather so you should get the seeds into the ground early in the season. If you have some ideas for spinach share them in the comment section. I would love to hear how your get your daily serving of spinach!

Blueberries and memory!

You might not know that blueberries are considered a memory food. They contain a phytochemical that is important in reversing the age-related decline of memory as well as having a positive effect on spatial working memory. Who doesn't want that kind of help? There are many ways to get blueberries into one's diet. Throw frozen blueberries into a smoothie or put fresh berries in pancakes. If you like toast in the morning, slather some blueberry jam on top (if it is store bought jam make sure it doesn't have corn syrup). Blueberry pie is great, just make sure the crust does not contain hydrogenated oil. Making your own pies or jams ensures that you know what just what's inside. Blueberries are great eaten just as they are or on top of plain yogurt, with a little honey to sweeten the yogurt. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where blueberries grow, find out when harvest time is so that you can pick your own. And you might consider freezing some of the berries as freezing retains the vitamins that  get lost when produce is shipped great distances. The possibilities for adding blueberries to your diet is endless. Blueberry sauce on cheesecake anyone?