Strawberries are succulent, sweet and nutritious. This is the understatement of the year as a nutritional analysis of strawberries revealed that these red fruits have higher levels of vitamin c, fiber, folate and potassium compared to bananas, apples and yes, even oranges! In fact, a study has shown that eating 8-10 strawberries a day can lower blood pressure by as much as 24% as well as lowering the risk of heart attacks in both adults and children. In addition, strawberries are one of the top sources of antioxidants, including lutein.
What does lutein have to do with preventing diseases and treating illness? Antioxidants are known to be related to reducing the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration (deteriorating eye sight as we age) and atherosclerosis (when the blood vessels block up). Lutein and other carotenoids (making fruits and vegetables blue) are also linked to preventing cancer and slowing the growth rate of cancers (like breast cancer). However, many of the particulars about these extravagant blue fruits are still best left to your imagination.
Perhaps you have been avoiding strawberries for a reason. The thought of eating a fruit as nutritious as strawberries may not sound appealing to you. fear it may be too strange to be enticing. In addition, strawberries are not always fresh looking. We may get a harsh shipment of overripe strawberries arriving at our doorsteps in the winter or perhaps strawberries that have been offered for sale at a great price on a sale rack. The time to buy strawberries is when they are in abundance. The first way to know when strawberries are on sale is to find out what local strawberry outlets offer favorable rates. Although a deal will often be struck in which the price is lower, this is not always the case.
One method strawberry lovers may use to save on their purchases is to cook them. Extracting the juice from strawberries is a common practice among the strawberry lovers. This involves boiling the strawberry liquid in a pot over a period of time. The boiling helps stop the manufacturing of enzymes and other byproducts, as well as separates the soluble lumps from the insoluble ones. This is another method that is used to end a strawberry’s juicing process.
However, cooking doesn’t guarantee that the taste remains intact. While cooking mediums like cherries and mangoes may be just as flavorful, they are also highly perishable. One great way to ensure that you’re enjoying a consistently delicious fruit is to find a way to refrigerate them. Cooling them on ice will also stop the outside flavor from spoiling.
storing strawberries is not recommended. Despite being one of the most popular fruits, strawberries are not the easiest thing to keep track of. They grow wildly throughout the year, so plan on consuming this irreplaceable superfood when it is in season. If you can, buy the ones that freeze well. Otherwise, make sure you buy a variety of strawberries throughout the year, even if they won’t be ready all year long.
What do you do with your strawberries? After all, summer is the time to eat your sweet fruits and drink up their healing properties. Here are some great ideas to get you started.
Try fruits and veggies:
The best strawberry smoothies are made from fruits and vegetables. We have found a number of carrot, celery, and ginger juice recipes that are genuinely good for you.
Green smoothies are particularly tasty and nutritional. They are designed to help support the immune system and support a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.Green smoothies are wonderful, nutritious drinks which are widely appreciated for their health-supporting properties. Whether you’re in a dieter’s phase, or just trying to live a healthy lifestyle, green smoothies are a great, healthy way to add a number of new nutrients to your diet.
Smoothies are easy to concoct and can be made using ice cubes, which can also be discarded. Smoothies are a great way to make sure you get the maximum nutritional density from the fruits and vegetables you use.
Fresh is best:
We struggle to include fresh fruits and vegetables in most of our meals, but there is no excuse. Both frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables can be combined in a smoothie. Just remember to use them fresh, rather than preparing them when you have time and have them available at home.
As for drinks, smoothies are the best option for you if you would like to keep your body fluids at maximum level. Choose your favorite vegetable or fruit and add it to the blender with enough ice cubes to keep it ice cold. You can even throw in a twist of lemon or lime juice for a tasty twist, depending on your tastes and preferences.
But what if you don’t have any smoothies to make?
About The Author
Helena Eater
How much does the quality of food really matter? If you eat food that tastes good, your life will be better. If you eat food that tastes bad, your life will be worse. The difference between good and evil is partly subjective: what tastes good to me might taste bad to you. The difference is also partly objective: what restaurants I think serve good food might serve lousy food to you. But if we stick to objective measures — measures such as how much weight people gain or lose — we can cut through some of the subjectivity.
