Autumn Antioxidant Health

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Autumn arrived full blast, and you can bet there will be some caught with their immunities down! Don’t be one of them! Keep your immunities up with healthy foods, and heart warming dishes and good wishes! Awe, that sounds so sweet!
It is really, and so it should be in these colder, cloudier months, we tend to get a bit on the blue side, and that can really drop your resistance to illness and fatigue. What we can do is keep our spirits high, and our menu bright as well! How? Add a bit more of the yellow , orange and red foods for vitamins we need for resistance to illness. Beta carotene, vitamins C, A, carotenoids for cellular health and protection from cellular damage. These antioxidants provide essential health properties we need for optimal health.
And who would have guessed the colors of sunshine would be the colors of the foods we need to stay healthy in the colder season. Here are some great fruits and vegetables to keep us bright in the bluer months!
Squash, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, sweet peppers-yellow, orange or red- for a sweet snack that is great in salad, too! Keep that orange juice handy, (buy low acid if you have tummy issues), or try cranberry, blueberry, and for a brilliant antioxidant boos, pomegranate juice! It’s antioxidant value is above and beyond! And it is a nice holiday garnish on a yogurt or ice cream treat if you like. Blend it in a smoothie for a good blast with protein powder. The Acai berry of Brazil is most definitely something to get your hands on if you can! Try the health food store, Genesis brand, or try Amazon Thunder, an online company that will deliver the most amount of the berry in freeze dried form. All the berries you like, and as often as possible.
Hit the local market for seasonal foods, and keep them in use as much as possible. Don’t depend on foods that are not normally in season from main supermarkets, as you can bet there is a lot of Genetically Modified products on those produce shelves. If getting there and keeping up with all that is too much, try an antioxidant blend, like Antioxidant Science with five servings of fruits and vegetables per serving. Sometimes it is great help when you can’t keep up with the produce cost or demand in the house. There is also a coupon code:SAVE35 for saving 35% off the entire order.
There is a great little fall soup recipe that keeps me warm, in case you’d like a change.
Autumn Barley Bowl
1 large pot of water
½ box low sodium vegetable broth
1 ½ cups of barley
2 carrots chopped
1 celery stalk chopped well
2 potatoes peeled and chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic (more if you like- I like!)
1 small chopped turnip (rutabaga)
1/4 cup dried wakame
1/8 tsp. Ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Italian or mixed Provincial herbs
1 can organic squash
*1 secret weapon ingredient!
Heat water, add vegetable broth, and the can of squash. Add all other ingredients, and stir.
* Now your secret weapon ingredient is something with a kick, that you like! It can be curry, mustard powder, or my favorite...Pick-a-peppa Jamaican Sauce. Oh, yes! It is quite a great little kicker, and I usually toss in a good 3 tablespoons or so, to taste. Many don’t like the pick-a-peppa, let alone the healthy soup, so that is why it is a"pick your own". Try a good chipotle sauce or use your imagination. Spicey foods act as a thermogenic, making your body burn 25% more calories than you would without the spice up! It’s also great for anti-inflammatory purposes and keeps us warm in the cold months! I hope you enjoy, if you brave the Barley Bowl!