Posts Tagged ‘potassium’

Honey is a Health & Fitness Queen

With a lot of great health and fitness benefits, honey should be a common staple in people’s daily diets. Other than its great taste, it has numerous benefits for our bodies, immune systems, weight, and energy which you may not be aware of.

Honey is a source of a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The main vitamins it provides are niacin, riboflavin and pantothetic acid, and the main minerals are calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Importantly, the amount of these substances in honey varies depending on its floral source, just as its color and taste vary.

On top of this, what are the main health benefits of honey?

The Healing Dish: Organic Red New Potatoes

Organic red potatoes are in season and make a delightful accompaniment to any meal. Their bite size is great for all sorts of side dishes. These little lovelies taste good boiled and mashed, baked and browned, tossed in a summer salad or simply enjoyed on their own. Red potatoes are just as healthy as they are delectable. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods:

“Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds’ phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers.”

Organic Oven Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

image.jpgMy six-year-old daughter loves oven roasted Jerusalem artichokes, and that’s a good thing, since they have taken over our garden. I call Jerusalem artichokes our survival food, as they grow so easily, spread like wildfire, and are ready for eating throughout the winter and early spring.  Sure, they are a pain to clean, but that is a small price to pay for a homegrown meal in the winter.  My family will never starve, as we always have Jerusalem artichokes.

Jerusalem artichokes are not artichokes, and they do not come from Jerusalem.   They are often called sunchokes, as the plant grows very tall in the summer and blooms a golden flower.  Sunchokes are native to the eastern US and were first cultivated by Native Americans, although they don’t take much cultivation, in my experience.  According to Wikipedia, “Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg. potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.”  Jerusalem artichokes offer an important source of potassium for those trying to follow the 100 Mile Diet and thus avoiding bananas.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes 

Wash and cut the tubers into about 1/2-1 inch pieces, the more uniform, the better.  Place the cut sunchokes in a glass baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add crushed garlic (2-3 cloves for a 9″  x  13″ pan).

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