STRAWBERRIES

We have a little strawberry farm going on in our garden at the moment, and my five year old, Nat, is well in charge of it. Every morning he's out there in his pyjamas with a great big bowl picking the most beautifully sweet, red, strawberries before the birds pinch them.

We're giving them away to family and friends because we can't eat them quick enough!

So, today's blog is about how nutritious these fruits are and how we could all do with including them in our diets (unless you have an allergy to them - apparently it's the protein that forms the structure of the plant that could be responsible).

The ancient Greeks called strawberries 'komaros' meaning 'a mouthful' and they are a perfect size - particularly for children, and so sweet and succulent, what's not to love about them?

The best news in, they are really, really good for us; a true superfood:

Medicinally they are considered to have cleansing properties, due to a combination of their laxative and diuretic actions, and they can be very calming on the skin so useful for treating sunburn and insect bites.

They're rich in the minerals iron,magnesium,potassium and calcium, and are also rich in vitamins A and C. They actually contain more vitamin C per weight than citrus fruit helping the iron in them to be more readily absorbed.

They are extremely low in calories (if this is your thing!) and are also a low GL food meaning they will not spike your blood sugar levels shortly after eating. In fact I recommend strawberries and a few nuts as a mid morning or afternoon snack to clients - a whole punnet of them is the equivalent in GL points to a few dates!

Antioxidant vitamins A and C can help in the mopping up of free radicals, so strawberries can be a good anti cancer food. They are also rich in the soluble fibre, pectin, which can help with cholesterol. This makes them effective against heart and circulatory disease.

One little tip that I learnt just the other day ; when you pick them ,leave the green 'caps' on, as when they are removed an enzyme is activated that destroys vitamin C.

So enjoy them as part of your healthy nutrituous diet, safe in the knowledge that your body will thank you, and if you're a protein type feel free to add some good quality double cream too. I have mine with coconut milk, toasted dessicated coconut, a few nuts and some cinnamon sprinkled on the top. Lovely!

Enjoy. RX