Autumn Zeals

Please do not glimmer your eyes like that. We are not talking about the diamond store®. However! Let us look at what will be coming soon as Summer waves goodbye and allows us to welcome Autumn and her lot of seasonal prize. Below you will find a precious fruit and a sweet vegetable that will surely bring a marvelous delight to your taste buds and to your health.

Share the Pears

The Greek poet Homer described pears in his epic, “The Odyssey”, as a gift of the gods. And what a gift you’ll find the moment you bite into their yielding yet minor coarse texture and take in the distinct sweetness that only pears offer. Produced for the entire world mostly in Washington and Oregon, the season for pears runs from August through October although there are over 3000 varieties of pears that make them available year round.

Pears provide 6g of dietary fiber which equates to 24% of the recommended daily intake which plays a crucial role to protect you from chronic diseases along with aiding glucose metabolism and managing diabetes. They are a good source of vitamin C and copper which are antioxidants necessary to slow or prevent oxidative damage to the cells that over time may lead to onset of chronic diseases; antioxidants may also improve immune function and lower your risk for infection and cancer. Consumption of each pear will net you 100 calories, an easy and attractive number which may aid those striving for weight loss and weight management.

You Say Potato, I Say Sweet Potato

Only decades ago were orange-fleshed sweet potatoes introduced in the southern United States—now mostly all of the sweet potatoes and yams found in the US are really all sweet potatoes; they are in season in November and December.

A medium size sweet potato provides twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene (Necessary for strong immune functions, healthy eyes/skin, strong bones/teeth, and helps prevent cancer through its antioxidant effects) more than a third of the requirements for vitamin C. With skin, the dietary fiber count is 4 g (almost a fifth of the recommended daily intake). The sweet potato also provides vital vitamins and minerals needed to ensure proper bodily functions (% daily value): vitamin B6 (12.5%), folate (5%), calcium (3%), manganese (26%), copper (13%), potassium (10%), and even iron (8%). As you can see, it is clear that a sweet potato is a nutrient-jamboree that can find its place easily in a healthy diet. Sweet potatoes can be used in almost all recipes that call for regular potatoes. What’s more is that one medium sweet potato only contains 100-150 calories. Please, no need for applause.

For more nutritional information:

http://www.eatright.org/public/

http://whfoods.org/foodstoc.php

UB Healthy~

Ton, Nutrition Intern