Tag Archives: Vegetables

The Ultimate Avocado

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Feast your eyes on this beauty!

It’s a Reed avocado, a gigantic variety grown by a very generous friend. I’ve tried to grow avos but don’t seem to have the green thumb it takes to be successful.

It’s more than twice the size of a regular Fuerte avocado; about six inches long and weighs approximately two pounds.

I LOVE avocado in its purest form; split open and scooped out of the shell; beautifully green, rich, smooth, and creamy. Guacamole is my second favorite way to eat avos–what I don’t really care for is the trendy avocado toast, it tastes weird to me.

Did you know that the seed is edible too?

Practically everyone knows how good avocados are for health, but the nutrient contents of the seed itself might just surprise you. The seed contains about 70 percent of the total nutrients in the whole avocado. For its antioxidants and soluble fiber count alone, the avocado seed single-handedly beats any other fruit and vegetable available on the market. To include the seed in your diet also means to benefit from more potassium, copper and vitamins B, C, E and K than if you simply relied on the pulp.

The Avocado Pharmacy

From an even greater health standpoint, the seed is antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory. Simply because of its profoundly high antioxidant count, it helps to reduce free radical damage inside and out. This has the benefit of reducing cholesterol levels, boosting immunity and protecting the skin from wrinkles or even sun damage.

Preparing The Seed From Scratch

To enjoy the wonderful benefits of the avocado seed, simply crush or grate the seed and blend it into a smoothie. It can also be juiced or turned into tea by steeping it in hot water. If you’re not going to use it right away, it can be dried and stored for later. The avocado seed has a bitterness quite unlike the pulp, but it is nonetheless enjoyable once you get accustomed to it.

Imagine how many people simply trash the seeds after they eat the “good” part of the avocado. This often neglected part of this super food is just one more bonus that adds to the legendary status of the avocado. Learn more at: https://www.avoseedo.com/

Have you ever tried to eat an avocado seed?

Winter Veggie Garden

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Today’s temperature hovered around eighty degrees and we’re in the middle of a Santa Ana heat wave. I’ve known a few January days that have been this warm, so I’m not exactly sure if it’s climate change related or if it’s simply because it’s Southern California.

It’s the perfect time to pick fresh garden veggies and make a salad.

My lettuce crop is thriving; so are the ruby red radishes.

I also started growing celery from the base of the stalks. It’s really easy. One method is to cut off the base and place in a cup with water to watch it sprout, or you can do it my way, plant it directly in the ground. The ribs aren’t as fat and wide as the original, but it’s super fresh and tasty and the leaves are deliciously herby. They’re surrounding by protective spicy mustard green leaves.

These pepper plants are two years old and still producing. There were almost completely destroyed by squirrels when they were in another location, but I rescued and replanted them in a safe location that was critter-free, and they’ve thanked me by continually producing tasty little green peppery jewels.

How does YOUR garden grow?

Veggie Power! Keep it simple. Keep it clean. Keep it GREEN. *

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As in the green of wheatgrass.

Now don’t scrunch your face at me or say YUCK.

Just give it a chance.

For some of us, the fresh and refreshing flavor of wheatgrass was an instant hit with our palates, but I do realize that for a lot of you, it might take a bit of effort to enjoy.

I’ve been an advocate of wheatgrass since 2000, when a friend started carrying around a water bottle filled with a jade-colored beverage, and said it was the single best thing she’s done for her health and well-being since becoming a vegan.

What’s the best time of day (and method) to take your greens?

I like to add them to smoothies or drop a tablespoon to the water I bring to the gym and drink it during class.

Here’s what Pines suggests: Take with a good amount of water or other liquid. This helps your body take full advantage of the nutrients without competing with other foods, and may also take the edge off your hunger so you don’t eat as much at meals. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are great times for a green energy pick-me-up.

(There are tablets, if you just CAN’T.)

The health benefits are HUGE. 

According to the Pines International Wheat Grass (the wheat grass people since 1976) website…

1) PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM CANCER
There is significant scientific evidence that eating certain green, leafy vegetables can help prevent cancer.  The American Institute of Cancer Research states:

Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, chicory and Swiss chard are excellent sources of fiber, folate and a wide range of carotenoids that can inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, skin cancer cells, lung cancer and stomach cancer .

2) A RICH SOURCE OF VITAMINS & MINERALS
Greens represent a convenient, essentially non-caloric, nutrient-dense source of otherwise hard to obtain minerals, like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese .

3) LOWER THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables contain fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and help to temper blood-sugar swings by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream after meals. This lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes .

4) BOOST YOUR MOOD
Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and collards contain folate and vitamin B12. According to WebMD, there is a correlation between the consumption of these vitamins and rates of depression. “These veggies contain lots of the B-complex vitamins, which are needed to make serotonin, a mood-boosting chemical” .

5) IMPROVE BREATH
Green leafy vegetable like spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, and lettuce, kale and salad greens contains the highest amount of chlorophyll (the green pigment) which is an excellent deodorizer. The green vegetables help balance the pH level of the body and thus prevent the occurrence of dry mouth which is one of the root causes of bad breath. A diet which is comprised of loads of green leafy vegetables will not only eliminate offensive odor but it will also boost the production of digestive enzymes .

6) SLOW THE AGING PROCESS
In addition to playing a key role in helping blood to clot, vitamin K is critical in preventing certain age-related conditions. Researchers in California found inadequate K can lead to cardiovascular disease, bone fragility, and arterial and kidney calcification.

Pines grows the only sold anywhere that is Non-GMO Project Verified.

Try it!

No, really. TRY IT!

PINES International offers a line of the purest, freshest and nutrient-rich wheatgrass, barley grass, alfalfa and beet juice powder that can be added to your shaker bottle for some instant Green Energy®. PINES also offers veggie power in tablets and capsules. Just one teaspoonful of PINES Wheat Grass powder, mixed in water or juice, provides the same amount of nutrition as a serving of deep-green, leafy vegetables. Seven wheat grass tablets will do the same.

Pound for pound, PINES Wheat Grass products are many times richer in chlorophyll and iron than spinach. Protein levels average 25 percent and contain virtually every vitamin known, along with 20 amino acids, including the eight that are considered essential for human health.

*The Pines slogan

I was provided product to sample and review; the opinions are my own.