Fabulous Figs

Today I'm celebrating the humble fig. I've always loved figs, my mum taught me from an early age how versatile, tasty and nutritious they are.. I remember eating them fresh with a little bit of cream. Years later they became a regular for me in the Flying Pizza in Leeds; they used to serve them as a dessert with a wonderful syrup, and some double cream. Fantastic!

So today's blog is all about how great they are for us, and why we should include them in our diets.

First of all they are a fruit so you can include one serving in your five (or ten) a day.

Secondly, how great do they taste! The textures are great, the combination of the soft inside with the tougher, chewy skin is wonderful. And pretty unique too.

They are so full of goodness; antioxidants ; Vitamin C , B Vits, Vitmamin A and Vitamin K , calcium and potassium, and others to a lesser degree.

They can help with weight management; they are great for constipation for starters!! They are also full of dietary fibre, which makes us feel fuller faster and so we don't need to eat as much; that sounds good doesn't it?! 

Apparently I found out recently the leaves can also be used ; for diabetics to help reduce the amount of insulin they use naturally.

They can be used in sweet and savoury dishes; I've started using them more in my RAW desserts and sweets as they are great as a base, mixed with ground nuts and coconut oil ie. cheesecake or with raw chocolate  or ganache on top . They help with moistness in any recipe, and are really pliable too.

They also make a great snack as they're very transportable both fresh and dried. Eat alongside a few nuts or seeds for a great mid morning or afternoon snack.

So if you haven't eat figs for a while, why not try them again. It's good to shake things up once in a while. Apparently most of us rotate just twelve foods in our diets! Given how many million there are to choose from that's a little pathetic isn't it. How about this week introducing a new food each day. You may be amazed at how great they taste. 

Happy Monday and here's to a healthier week.

Rx