Nutritional Data site is Awesome

Recently, I've been eating a lot of blueberries because they are in season right now (from what I've been reading, seasonal eating is more sustainable and is often healthier because the nutritional value of the food is better)... Anyway, I was curious about nutritional value of raw v. frozen blueberries and stumbled on this nutritional data site that I LOVE. It has great data displayed in an organized and beautiful way. I'm telling you - the site is addictive and fun.

Yesterday I had a smoothie with organic green tea (1 c), lime juice (1/4 c) and organic raw blueberries (1.5 c). The nutritional value of my smoothie is pretty good, all things considered. I got many of my necessary minerals (notably potassium, magnesium, and manganese), all of my vitamin C reqs, some significant vitamin K, decent fiber, some omega 3s, quite a few antioxidants, no fat. :) Overall, I'm feeling pretty happy about it.

I can definitely say that in the past month of dietary changes, I'm feeling better physically and mentally. I still need to add more exercise to my overall regimen - but I'm quite happy about my progress...

lovin' lime

I have decided that lime goes with just about anything - especially in the summer. Earlier today, I made a green tea, lime, and raspberry smoothie (with a hint of coconut water). Very, very refreshing in the mildly hot/sticky day that we were experiencing here in Huntsville. According to Dr. Decuypere's nutrition chart, limes have the following healthy benefits so not only can I feel refreshed, but I can feel healthier too!

Lime

One lime without peel contains .4 grams of protein and 1.8 grams of dietary fiber.

Potassium - 68 mg Calcium - 22 mg Phosphorus - 12 mg Magnesium - 4 mg Iron - .4 mg Also contains trace amounts of selenium, zinc,manganese and copper.

Vitamin A - 6.7 IU Vitamin C - 19 mg Folate (important during pregnancy) - 5.5 mcg

the bell pepper

I love bell peppers and, lately, I've been eating a lot of them. So, I decided to do a little research. As it turns out, they are quite good for your health! But, first, a little background:

Bell peppers are in same family as chile pepper, potato, tomato, and eggplant - all in the nightshade family. They come in a variety of colors including green, red, orange, yellow, white, blue, purple, brown, and black. Green is the unripened color while the other colors are the ripe versions of different cultivars of the pepper.

While many cultures around the world use peppers in their cuisines, the bell pepper originated in the Americas. Apparently in a stroke of marketing genius, good 'ole C. Columbus decided to call them peppers to capitalize on the then very popular black peppercorn. Regardless of the veracity of that story, the bell pepper became quite popular throughout the world.

The beautiful bell pepper has some great health benefits for us. The red, yellow, and orange versions have more vitamin C than citrus and the red peppers contain Lycopene (thought to aid in fight against cancer). They also, of course, have Vitamin A, beta carotene, and fiber.

I love the taste of the yellow and orange peppers, but also enjoy the red and green. I put all of them on my salads several times a week. The crunchy sweetness of the yellow and orange is especially enticing. Plus, they make my salads look positively festive! My most recent salad was red-leaf lettuce and arugula with purple cabbage, and red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. It was beatiful and tasty.