Photo by Alina Georgescu on Unsplash
If you have a home garden, chances are you are flush with raspberries right now!
I don't eat much fruit because as far as I'm concerned fruit is only good when it's in season and close to the source. Living on the North Coast means we have a small window in time to enjoy fresh berries, cherries, apples and pears.
I grow two varieties of raspberries - red and yellow - and plan to add a black raspberries next spring. Our berry vines are overflowing with summer bounty right now, so every night I'm out picking fruit...and shoving it right in my mouth!
Raspberries bring something special to the table - more than just deliciousness. They are the best source of ellagic acid, a polyphenol (antioxidant) nutrient that has potent anti-cancer activity. In animal studies, ellagic acid has slowed the growth of cancer cells and helped make them inactivate1.
Ellagic acid also shows up in research on beauty and aging, showing some promise for reducing wrinkles and skin damage caused by UV-B rays (that will make my mom happy)2. Can you imagine your esthetician advising you to eat more raspberries for your skin health? Best. Homework. Ever!
The power of plants continues to awe and amaze me.
While I love fresh raspberries more than anything, I just cannot keep up with the volume of raspberries coming in from my backyard (can I just say what an awesome problem that is to have?!). I'm not much of a baker and try to limit my sugar intake anyway, so this week I worked on a new smoothie recipe that combines a couple of my all-time favorite anti-cancer ingredients. For fun, I made it a little thicker than you can slurp through a straw.
Hope you like it!
I don't eat much fruit because as far as I'm concerned fruit is only good when it's in season and close to the source. Living on the North Coast means we have a small window in time to enjoy fresh berries, cherries, apples and pears.
I grow two varieties of raspberries - red and yellow - and plan to add a black raspberries next spring. Our berry vines are overflowing with summer bounty right now, so every night I'm out picking fruit...and shoving it right in my mouth!
Raspberries bring something special to the table - more than just deliciousness. They are the best source of ellagic acid, a polyphenol (antioxidant) nutrient that has potent anti-cancer activity. In animal studies, ellagic acid has slowed the growth of cancer cells and helped make them inactivate1.
Ellagic acid also shows up in research on beauty and aging, showing some promise for reducing wrinkles and skin damage caused by UV-B rays (that will make my mom happy)2. Can you imagine your esthetician advising you to eat more raspberries for your skin health? Best. Homework. Ever!
The power of plants continues to awe and amaze me.
While I love fresh raspberries more than anything, I just cannot keep up with the volume of raspberries coming in from my backyard (can I just say what an awesome problem that is to have?!). I'm not much of a baker and try to limit my sugar intake anyway, so this week I worked on a new smoothie recipe that combines a couple of my all-time favorite anti-cancer ingredients. For fun, I made it a little thicker than you can slurp through a straw.
Hope you like it!
Matcha Berry SmoothiE Bowl
Ingredients:
Directions
- 1 cup non-dairy beverage or coconut water
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup frozen avocado
- 2 Tbsp flaxseeds
- 2 tsp matcha green tea
- 1 scoop unflavored protein powder (optional but recommended if you're eating this smoothie as a meal)
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 Tbsp hemp hearts
- 1/4 fresh raspberries
Directions
- Blend together the non-dairy beverage, frozen raspberries, avocado, flaxseeds, matcha and protein powder (if using) in a high speed blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl.
- Top with toasted coconut, hemp hearts and fresh raspberries. Eat with a spoon. 😉