Can I have a promotion? Well, then, can kale have one? While we are talking about extraordinary food, we might as well talk about kale. I know the first question that is coming to your mind after the last post is whether I put dandelions in my smoothie. Oh well, I am going to tell you anyway. No, unfortunately I did not put dandelions in my smoothie, but, but, but!, I did put kale in my smoothie, and more than once to boot.

One of the things that is nice about kale is that it is not really bitter at all. It blends in a smoothie just fine and you hardly notice the tiny green chopped up flecks, especially among the blueberries, bananas, strawberries, and cocoa. But, but but!, what I like even better about kale is its power-packed nutritional profile. I mean, can I even list all of the good stuff in kale? It is like, in the hall of fame of nutrition density.

Kale is versatile! You can use it in salads, smoothies, soups, sandwiches, soap, salted chips, and something else that starts with S. Actually, I don’t know about the soap, but why not? Because kale is not bitter, it is much easier to work into your diet, at least that is my opinion, and I think it will be your opinion too, if you let it. Then we will be of the same opinion and our opinions will sway other people’s opinions. Yes, we are still talking about kale.

If you have any kale recipes that are to die for, please shamelessly promote them here. I mean, it’s kale!

Vitamins: A, C, K, B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate
Minerals: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, sodium, zinc
Amino Acids: cystine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine
Omega-3 fatty acids: Yessss.

But, but, but!, I am still going to try dandelions in my smoothie. Lose the butt.

I like extraordinary foods. Dandelions are pretty extraordinary. Yet, they are common. Try that on for size.

Thankfully, I grew up eating dandelions every now and then. My grandpa would pick them (from areas that had not been sprayed with pesticides or who knows what), and we would have them in salads or soups or sauteed. They definitely take some getting to know. You may not be the biggest fan right from the start. You may have to acquire a taste for them. You may have to work at including them in dishes and disguising their pungent bitterness. BUT, all your hard work will be rewarded. First, your work at liking dandelions will be rewarded with you becoming a fan of dandelions. Second, your body will be rewarded with numerous health benefits.

Dandelions contain:
-Vitamins – A, C, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B6, Choline. Of those it has, most notably, loads of Vitamin K and tons of Vitamin A. Is a load more than a ton? Well, for this article it is.
-Minerals – calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, copper, managanese. Of those, most notably, calcium and iron.

Aside from the nutritional goodness, what I find fascinating about dandelions is their long history of use in the body to promote healing and healthy functioning. It has commonly been used to heal and effectively treat liver disorders (jaundice, hepatitis) and promote liver health and detoxification. It is a diuretic and disinfectant, that is, it cleans you out and helps prevent harmful microbial growth in the urinary system.

Also, interestingly enough, the scientific name for dandelion is: Taraxacum officinale, which basically means The Official Remedy for Disorders or Pharmacy Remedy for Disorders. Because it can cause changes in the liver and flow of bile, it is good to start introducing dandelions slowly into your diet, especially if A) you are not used to eating them, and B) you have liver, stomach, bowel problems. So try some in a mixed salad or added to a soup. I wonder what they would be like in a smoothie? Hmmm. Bitter smoothie? Hmmm. I may have to try that.

I would highly recommend checking them out and doing some reading about them if you are interested in restoring vitality to your body. Yes, I said vitality. Good word, good word.

This morning, I said out loud, “I really like grapefruit”. Have you ever noticed how different it is to say things out loud, as opposed to just thinking them? It is as if there is greater conviction when things get said out loud. They reverberate through the universe, echoing into outer-space. They are set in stone… or air, in this case.

I am kind of surprised that I have never talked about grapefruit on this blog. When I like something so much and I do not even mention it, it seems steeerange to me. Although, some things need time to come to a fullness within us. Other things grow on us over time. Also, to me, some things seem so good that I don’t want to share them with anyone else, yeah, selfish of me, I know.

My favorite way to enjoy grapefruit is to ensure that I get whole pieces, so that, with each bite, the juicy bits of pulp burst in your mouth. That’s how I like it. It takes mucho mucho time to peel back the skin in order to keep the pieces as whole as possible, but it’s worth it. Using a grapefruit knife and spoon is another enjoyable method. I typically only slice and gnaw when I am in a rush. That is the first time I have ever said ‘gnaw’ on a blog. I think I only said it because Kate said it in the comments on the last post and now it is in my head… still… echoing.

Grapefruit is really a powerhouse of excellent goodness… nutritionally speaking. It is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and also contains vitamin A, vitamin B5, folate, and potassium. If you are enjoying pink or red grapefruit, the color is due to lycopene. Yes, that is the same phtyonutrient/antioxidant found in tomatoes and watermelon. There are so many interesting things in grapefruit (like limonoids and naringenin), that there tis not the time to tell thee of them. Tetall.

Well, hopefully I didn’t bore you to death. I didn’t bore myself, since I wanted to take a picture of fruit with my new phone. Hellooo grapefruit. Goodbye blog world.

Well, it’s Monday, and I hope that today is being wonderful for all of you so far.

There are certain times in our household when we have an abundance of fruit available. These are good times. Pears, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, apples, blueberries, and mangoes remind me how blessed I am.

So without further ado. I present the champagne mango:

Did you know that Ataulfo mangoes, which is the variety from which champagne mangoes come, have almost 5 times as much vitamin C as other popular mango varieties? All mangoes are packed with good stuff like vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Magnesium, Potassium, and more! And more! It is nice that a food that looks so good, and tastes so good, can have so many good things in it for you.

I must give my brother credit for introducing me to the champagne mango, just like I must give him credit for taking the above photo with his iphone before we both ate that mango. The champagne mango is smaller, more oblong, typically sweeter, smoother, and turns a nice golden yellow when ripe. I have had other mangoes that are just as sweet, but, what I think sets the champagne mango apart is the smoothness over other mangoes as it has less fibrous strings… less stringiness.

Mango salsa sounds good. Any of you ladies make a mean mango salsa?

Yeah, yeah, yeah… the title, I know.

What is good for you in cucumbers? Hmmm. I don’t know.

I was just asked that recently, so I thought I would learn. Sure, I know that they are used in salons and day spa’s… something about being good for your skin.

Well, well, what do you know, cucumbers are good for your skin due to the silica content, vitamin C, and high water content. Cucumbers also contain caffeic acid which helps to soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Now it all makes sense.

Cucumbers are not really chocked full of vitamins and minerals. Sure, they are good for you, and have vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, manganese, folate, molybdenum, and tryptophan (really, like in turkey), but they are not as nutrient dense as many other fruits and vegetables. Also, the skin is what is rich in fiber and most of the minerals, therefore it is best to get non-treated or waxed cucumbers and eat the skin. Personally, sometimes I like the skin and sometimes I don’t want it.

One of the main benefits I see about cucumbers is that they have lots of water in them, and are hydrating, cool, and refreshing. I like cucumbers with salt, in salad (tomato and cucumber salad, yum!), in tsatziki, and my favorite way: lacto-fermented, of that I am sure.

Are you sure?

Haven’t you wondered about oxidation? Like when your guacamole is starting to look like bean dip or your freshly sliced apples are turning brown? Or maybe you wondered why some dried fruits are brightly colored and others are not. Well, I wonder about those things.

Oxidation in fruit is just like rust on metal. Basically, there is an enzyme (polyphenol oxidase) present in the fruit that reacts with oxygen and browns the surface of the fruit. While oxidation can be unpleasant to eat (who wants to eat brown guacamole), and there may be some loss in nutrients, most nutritional value is not lost.

Several years ago I started to wonder about the dried fruits I was eating, I could taste something I didn’t like in them. I noticed that there were packages, both of bright orange apricots, and brown ones too. The difference: sulfur dioxide.

Many dried fruits have sulfur dioxide, potassium sorbate, or sodium benzoate added to prevent oxidation and help preserve the color and nutritional value. While there are many opinions, and “science”, some saying the preservatives are good and fine and others saying they cause long term side effects, for me, it just came down to taste. It was really that simple. I would rather deal with the oxidation than with the sulfur dioxide.

If you have ever had a dehydrator you learn ways to help preserve color and nutrients without the use of preservatives. For example, soaking fruits in a lemon or lime juice solution, blanching (which destroys the enzymes though), or limiting the exposure to oxygen. Certain fruits are excellent for drying as the nature of the fruit allows it to be protected by the skin and allow the nutritional value to stay intact… like grapes, plums or berries.

For guacamole, I like to wait till the end of preparing it and then seal the top with a thin layer of lime juice (instead of mixing in right away). Not only is the lime key in the taste, it also helps to prevent oxidation by reducing the ph on the surface of the fruit and inactivating the enzyme, and by sealing the top so it prevents air from touching the guacamole… it’s a double whammy. Usually I will then mix the guac right before it gets served.

Just like anything, I try to do my best to look at what I am buying. Especially since so many crops are sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. Also, like in this post, many dried products had additives like artificial sweeteners added. Why? Why do that? It is fruit. Of course, that was in Taiwan, but nonetheless, it is good to be aware of where your food is coming from and the practices used in growing it and preserving it. (I definitely do not always know).

So, while oxidation is inevitable and fine in many respects, such as in dried fruit, there are also times when you should be wary. I am soon going to wonder aloud, or maybe in print, about oxidation in fats and oils.

On a side note, saying dried plums sounds so much better than saying prunes, don’t you think? When you say prunes, it makes one think of nursing homes and bowel movements, but when you say dried plums it makes you think of Christmastime… or something like that. I like dried plums.

It sounds silly to say that there is a special place in my heart for avocados… so I won’t say that. While growing up, I never ate avocados. I don’t know why that was the case considering we ate fruits and vegetables all the time. Just as often as there are times when something I eat (or make) brings me back to something my family would make, I seem to do things now that make me think ‘I am changing the course of my future and those who are around me and the things they will remember eating and making with me’. I like that thought.

I do not know exactly what is so satisfying to me about something so simple as an avocado on toast. I am sure it has something to do with the tang of toasted sourdough combined with the smooth richness of avocado. And don’t forget the sea salt… salt brings out the flavors, of course. It is opulent. Yes, food can be described as opulent. I did not want to say luscious because that seems effeminate coming from me… although, now that I say it, let’s be honest, avocados are kind of sexy.

Another reason I think it is so satisfying to me is because of all of its health benefits. Avocados contain vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, H, K, minerals like folate, magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, potassium, and all of the essential amino acids that our body needs. They are also rich in beta-sitosterol, which is used in treating prostate cancer (and other cancers and conditions as well, although it is important to stick to whole food forms like in avocados). Now now, all you ladies, don’t turn and run because I mentioned prostate cancer. In fact, I am sure you will want to know especially since the chances of the men in your life developing prostate cancer are extremely high. It is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in men (JAMA).

I always enjoy eating avocados plain with salt, making guacamole, putting them in a smoothie, or slicing them on a sandwich. I am always curious about new recipes involving them though, so I will most likely be scouring blogs looking for an avocado to catch my eye.

Avocados, what a nice small step in fighting cancer. Now I can understand why Dr. Asa Andrews says “An avocado a day keeps prostate problems away.”