Berries are Coming into Season

I get so excited when I start to see organic berries in the store. I know summer is on its way and that means time to enjoy a whole new season of organic fruits and vegetables. I have been a bit on berry overload the past few weeks but hey, that isn't a bad thing. Most of us know that berries are power houses of nutrition and antioxidants. Berries do a body good! Right?? I have been incorporating berries into a ton of recipes these past few weeks and will be sharing many of them with you. Two stars shine in this raw soup, dandelion greens and organic blueberries.

Dandelion Soup

 

For this raw soup the star green was dandelion. Dandelion is probably one of the first greens, next to kale that I added to my diet the moment I went raw. Star quality this green has (note the Vitamin K content below). Have you ever researched the nutritional content of your food? Once you begin it can become a habit. Knowing the nutritional content of what you are eating is very empowering. As I'm eating now I tend to think about all of the benefits the foods have and how they will be working in my body to nourish, detox and heal. It has made eating a joy for me where years ago it was more of a chore. I didn't enjoy preparing cooked foods very much, it seemed like a ton of work. Preparing raw, whole foods is so simple and quick that I now have the time to actually enjoy my food and focus on the nutritional benefits. Take a look at this chart listing the nutrition facts in just one cup of dandelion greens. Remember that my smoothie and soup recipes usually contain 3 cups of greens, so you will actually be getting 3x this much nutrition.

Source: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-facts-compare.php

 

Nutrition Facts Dandelion Greens Raw Serving Size 55g Calories 25 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0.39g 1%     Saturated Fat 0.094g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 42mg 2% Total Carbohydrate 5.1g 2%     Dietary Fiber 1.9g 8%     Sugar 0.4g ~ Protein 1.5g ~ Vitamin A 112% • Vitamin C 32% Calcium 10% • Iron 10% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Vitamins   %DV Vitamin A 5588.55IU 112%     Retinol equivalents 279.4μg ~     Retinol 0μg ~     Alpha-carotene 199.65μg ~     Beta-carotene 3219.7μg ~     Beta-cryptoxanthin 66.55μg ~ Vitamin C 19.25mg 32% Vitamin E 1.89mg 9% Vitamin K 428.12μg 535% Vitamin B12 0μg 0% Thiamin 0.105mg 7% Riboflavin 0.143mg 8% Niacin 0.443mg 2% Pantothenic acid 0.046mg 0% Vitamin B6 0.138mg 7% Folate 14.85μg 4%     Folic Acid 0μg ~     Food Folate 14.85μg ~     Dietary Folate Equivalents 14.85μg ~ Choline 19.42mg ~ Lycopene 0μg ~ Lutein+zeazanthin 7485.5μg ~ Minerals   %DV Calcium 102.85mg 10% Iron 1.71mg 10% Magnesium 19.8mg 5% Phosphorus 36.3mg 4% Sodium 42mg 2% Potassium 218.35mg 6% Zinc 0.23mg 2% Copper 0.094mg 5% Manganese 0.188mg 9% Selenium 0.28μg 0% Water 47.08g ~ Ash 0.99g ~ Stats Percent of Daily Calorie Target (2000 calories) 1.25% Percent Water Composition 85.6% Protein to Carb Ratio (g/g) 0.29g

* Percent Daily Values are for adults or children aged 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie reference diet.
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20.
Each "~" denotes a missing value.

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-facts-compare.php#voUAlIVC8XKeCss1.99

Dandelion Soup

Serves 3 or 1 hungry foodie (I eat the whole batch)
by Elizabeth @ rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com

3 organic bananas
1/4 oz frozen mango
1 T freshly ground flax seeds
3 C dandelion greens
a few drops of vanilla
water for blending, adjust for your desired consistency
Garnish: 6 oz fresh, organic blueberries
Directions:
In a blender, blend all of the ingredients, except the blueberries. Pour into a bowl and garnish with the fresh blueberries. Enjoy!

You can be thinking of these positive benefits while munching on the garnish for this yummy soup:
(source: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/blueberry.php )

Health Benefits of Blueberries:

• Increased Immune Function
• Protection Against Heart Disease
• Alzheimer's Protection
• Osteoporosis Protection
• Antioxidant Protection
• Prevention of Epileptic Seizures
• Prevention of Alopecia (Spot Baldness)
Packed with antioxidants, blueberries have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, alleviate the effects of Alzheimer's, and may help prevent urinary tract infections. Furthermore, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, and tannins found in blueberries have been shown to inhibit cancer cell development.
*Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Blueberries, and may not necessarily be related to Blueberries.

 
Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/blueberry.php#HAx3AhWveQo3CJXB.99

Also wanted to share this juicer giveaway contest. Click this link to enter!!
http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/bella-nutripro-cold-press-juicer-review-and-giveaway


+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for AMAZINGLY good news from my Mom ;)