Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Get Healthy with the Maker's Superfoods: Part 3

How about some antioxidants with breakfast? Or cancer-fighting properties with your dessert? It's easy to get these life-giving substances when you choose some of the Maker's true superfoods: figs, grapes, and berries. Here's how Jordan Rubin explains it on p.149 of the Maker's Diet:

Superfood/Healing Food #3: Small fruit (figs, grapes, and berries)
(from p. 149 of the Maker's Diet, by Jordan Rubin)

Figs are mentioned more than fifty times in the Bible and are the first fruit specifically named in Scripture. (Gen. 3:7) Whether fresh or dried, figs have been prized since ancient times for their sweetness and nutritional value.

Grapes were the first crop Noah planted after the flood. (Gen.9:20) They were made into wine and vinegar or eaten fresh or dried. We know now that grapes fight tooth decay, stop viruses in their tracks, and are rich in other ingredients that many researchers believe may lower risk of cancer.

Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, while not mentioned explicitly in the Bible, are super foods containing some of the highest levels of antioxidants known to man. Blueberries contain antioxidant compounds that show promise in reversing some of the effects of aging, especially cognitive function. Raspberries contain notable anticarcinogenic compounds, are low in calories, and are high in fiber. They make a great addition to the diet."

I have to add, however, that you will not be treating your family to health unless you buy these foods certified organic. That's because berries are some of the most heavily sprayed foods in conventional produce. (With pesticides.) Strawberries, especially, are doused repeatedly with these toxic chemicals. You won't fight cancer when you're eating chemicals that cause cancer! In addition, try to buy them locally and organically grown. Many berries are imported from far away places. Search out your local farmer's markets, or at least buy ones that are organically grown in the U.S.

Or, better yet, grow your own! Here's a fun family project: start a strawberry patch in your own backyard. It doesn't take much, and they're so pretty. They even do great in containers. We have two blueberry bushes, 6 strawberry plants, a grape plant, and a raspberry plant in our backyard. Now that sounds like a good fruit salad! Add some raw milk whipped cream, and you've got a disease- fighting, tasty, true summer treat! Sound too good to be true? It's not, it's just another example of some of the Maker's superfoods!

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