Sister Rasela getting fresh with you today by bringing you the seasonal monthly report to let you know the best produce this Earth has to offer right now.
Vegetables and fruits are grown throughout the year at precisely the times we need them most and an in depth look at them will reveal exactly what they do for your body.
Here we touch on a few select vegetables:
Jerusalem Artichoke: “Sunchoke”
Nourishes the lungs. It’s sunflower related tubers are indigenous to North America and were a staple in the Native American diet. Excellent raw or lightly cooked. *Rubbery if cooked more than 10-15 mins.
Avocado:
Natural source of Lecithin which protects cells from oxidation and largely comprises the protective sheaths surrounding the brain. Also an arterial cleanser as it is an emulsifier. More than 80% of an avocado’s caloric content is easily digestible fat. It is rich in copper which aids red blood cell formation.
Beetroot: This silicon rich vegetable promotes strength in connective tissue = skin. Strengthens the heart, improves circulation, purifies the blood. *The greens on top contain abundant oxalic acid which if eaten excessively, inhibit calcium metabolism.
Broccoli and Cabbage: Both contain more Vitamin C than citrus!
Garlic: Promotes circulation, inhibits common cold virus. A degree of potency is lost with any kind of cooking but due to it’s fiery nature it can be difficult to eat raw. Try placing it between 2 apple slices to eat. *Extremely warming and not for the already hot (ruddy complexion, night sweats)
Ginger: Combines well with bean dishes to diminish problems of flatulence. Cleansing as a tea in the morning. Simply add a few slices to boiling water.
Kale: Warming. Exceptional source of chlorophyll, calcium, iron, vitamin A (good for night blindness)
Parsnip: Warming vegetable but beware *Leaves are poisonous!
Potato: *Green potato’s and those with sprouts on top are toxic! Remove the eye of the sprout if you are using them this way.
Pumpkin: Who doesn’t love a bowl of pumpkin soup in the winter? Promotes discharge from the lungs, bronchi and throat.
Shallots: All members of the onion family share certain key qualities. The pungent flavour ‘enters’ the lungs and promotes warmth and thus moves energy in the body and expels coldness. One of the richest foods in sulphur- a warming element that purifies the blood. In spite of their medicinal virtue, these plants are thought to foster excessive emotional desire and therefore are not recommended in the major Eastern traditions for those seeking mental and spiritual refinement.
Spinach: Builds the blood. Rich iron and chlorophyll content.
Sweet potato: *Overeating causes indigestion and abdominal swelling/bloating.
Turnip: Member of the mustard family. Good source of sulphur which makes it warming. Mildly pungent qualities are easily destroyed through cooking. Turnip greens are exceptionally rich in vitamin A.
RAW BEETROOT SALAD RECIPE
The bursting BEETROOT with all it’s goodness makes a scrumptious raw salad
Two medium beetroots, peeled and grated
1/4 red salad onion finely sliced
6 baby tomatoes chopped (if tomatoes are out of season this dish is a delight as an alternative to a bruschetta mix)
1/2 lebanese cucumber chopped
3 dessert spoons of lemon juice
1 tbsp flax seed oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp capers in their juice
1 handful chopped mint
Ground pepper to taste
Fresh chilli to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and serve as a salad, a side dish or on toast rubbed with garlic. All ingredients can be varied to taste. As beetroot is quite sweet, a slightly tangy and salty balance is quite desirable. This dish is also tasty on top of tsatziki dip on toast or with cream cheese (soy or dairy) or blended as a dip.
Top tip for those of you wanting naturally red lips… Raw Beetroot. Not quite as elegant as carrying lipstick around with you but equally effective!
