Cleaning fruits and vegetables

The fruits and vegetables you buy may look clean when you pick them at the grocery store but it is not the case. Have you ever wondered where these fruits and vegetables were before your bought them? They were handled by so many different hands all the way from the farm to the supermarket store. Some products are covered with wax like lemon and apple or treated with ethene like banana. To extend the self-life of cucumber it is covered with chemicals and packed in PVC foil. The not organic vegetables and fruits were treated with pesticides and herbicides during their life on the farm, which are recorded and safe by the time when a costumer picks them up. The organic grocery has lot of bacteria and unregistered chemicals on them, which are potential risk to your health. Cleaning your fruits and vegetables is very important especially when you plan to eat them raw. Using water to clean to remove the surface bacteria and chemicals may not be of great help.

·      Wash your hands with soap before preparing food

·      Do not wash fruit and vegetable with detergents

·      Wash thick skin vegetables using brush to remove microbes before peeling and wash them after with cold water.

·      Cauliflowers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables should be soaked for 2-3 minutes in cold water with cider vinegar.

·      Fruits with wax and cucumber should be washed with warm water and cider vinegar.

Autumn and Healthy Live Style

Autumn gardens, local farms and markets offer you wealthy dishes of colourful fruits and vegetables for your table. These seasonal fruits and vegetables provide the daily vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential carbohydrates and fibres for your healthy diet. Eating seasonal field grown local products is sustainable, environment friendly, supports the local economy without any transport and with less carbon footprint.

These colourful fruits and vegetables contain essential phytonutrients, compounds may help prevent diseases and keep your body working properly.

They have beneficial effects working with other essential nutrients to promote good health.

•       Stop viruses adhering to cells walls.

•       Antioxidant

•       Stimulate or suppress enzymes

•       Stops abnormal DNA replication

Yellow vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkins all contain the phytochemical; beta carotene. Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease. In addition, it helps maintain good eyesight and helps your body fight colds and flu by enhancing your immune system.

Purple vegetables and fruits; blueberries, plums, purple grapes, red onion and red cabbage contain disease-fighting phytochemicals, including anthocyanins and phenolics. Anthocyanins  are found in berries, dried plums (prunes), and raisins. These powerful antioxidants help reduce the risk of diseases including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's, and may even slow down the aging process.

White vegetables from the onion family, which include garlic, leeks, and any variety of onions, share a group of phytochemicals that are very important to good health. The most common member of this phytochemical group is allicin, with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and increase the body's ability to fight infections. 

Deep red or bright pink fruits and vegetables should be eaten every day. They contain phytochemicals, such as lycopene and anthocyanins. Phytochemicals, substances found only in plants, help your body fight disease and promote good health. Lycopene helps reduce the risk of several types of cancer, defends against heart disease and urinary track infection. Anthocyanins reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and improve the memory.

Green autumn vegetables cabbage, savoy cabbage and Brussels sprouts contain phytochemicals, which provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Broccoli also contains antioxidants. Researchers identified 45 different flavonoids in kale. Green leafy vegetables lower the risk of cancer and increase the strength of bones and teeth.

So you are provided with these beautiful and healthy goods, so it is your turn to serve tasty dishes for your table. Do not forget 75% of your healthy diet should be raw; prepare salad or smoothie.  Your other options are; steam and roast these bright vegetables or cook some delicious soups.

Being in the beautiful, colourful autumn nature, breathing the fresh air help to maintain an emotional well-being. Outdoor activities rejuvenate people. Your body is able to absorb the sunlight, which generates vitamin D.  Vitamin D is necessary for brain, bones, muscle and cognitive functions. Physical exercise gets the blood moving, the brain stimulated, and the heart going all of which are good for your cognitive functions. Walking is the best form of physical exercise for all age groups. It also gives an opportunity to meet other people.

Autumn, Harvest, Healthy Lifestyle

Autumn is here in the Northern Hemisphere, the countryside has dressed in shiny, vibrant colour and the trees are proudly holding their ripe, yellow, red fruits. It is time for harvesting, removing fruits, vegetables from their growing places and moving them to another location for consumption or storage. So this time of the year the nature appetisingly offers its wealthy plate of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can collect fruits and veggies from the nearest organic farm and consume them without cooking.  Raw food, consist of enzymes, phytonutrients are enzymes, so the digestion of raw foods are easier then cooked foods. Raw food has high efficiency, the energy from food goes to every cells because does not contain any toxins. They reinforce immune system. Balances the sugar level, control weight.  Raw foods make the pH of the blood higher, slightly alkaline, helping to prevent disease.  Raw foods also enhance oxygenation. They have anti- ageing effect. They improve mental health. This diet may include a selection of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat and dairy products. Do not forget that organic farmers use animal manure as the major source of fertilizer for their food crops.  Animal manure is the biggest reservoir of nasty bacteria, so use a water –and- vinegar solution to wash fresh veggies and fruits. If the days are getting colder you want to consume warm, cooked food. Using these fresh ingredients you can make wide variety of soups and roasted fruits and veggies. Keep this in your mind; your daily diet should consist of minimum 75% of raw fruit and vegetables.

The autumn scenery invites you for walk or cycling. Walking is the best form of physical exercise for all age groups. Being in nature and breathing fresh air helps maintain an emotional well- being. It also gives an opportunity to meet other people. The main benefit of doing outdoor activities, even for a short period of time is being able to absorb the sunlight, which generates vitamin D.  Vitamin D is necessary for brain, bones, muscle and cognitive functions.

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