DATES!!!I'm not talking the romantic kind.....although eating more of these sweet treats, and less made with processed sugar could lead to more of the romantic kind! Dates are an amazingly sweet fruit packed with nutrients and are wonderful to add to deserts instead of sugar. The date palm tree is also known as the "tree of life" because it was probability the first cultivated tree in history, dating back 8,000 years. Directions on how to cultivate and care for the date palm tree are written on sun baked bricks found in Mesopotamia, Iraq more than 5,000 years ago. The date palm was eventually brought to China 1,700 years ago and then Spaniards took it to California where most of the dates are grown today.
Dates are an excellent source of fiber and the B vitamins niacin, B6,riboflavin, thiamine and pantothenic acid; and the minerals copper, potassium,manganese,magnesium,iron, and phosphorus. They are also high in folic acid and the trace minerals zinc and selenium.
Dates contain 260% more potassium than oranges and 64% more than bananas!
Dates are also among the most alkeline foods and contain beta-D-glucan. Beta-D-glucan is a special kind of fiber that has been shown to slow the absorption of sugar in the small intestine. This helps to keep blood sugar even, especially when paired with almonds or walnuts.
Dates are also helpful for people suffering from constipation because the beta-D-glucan adds bulk and softness to the stool making elimination easier.Beta-D-glucan also aids with a feeling of satisfaction after a meal because it is a soluble fiber, meaning that it slows gastric emptying and moves through the intestines nice and easy!
Enjoy! Next, I will post my favorite date recipe.....yummmmm.
This blog will be filled with up to date information about medicinal foods with instructions and recipes to show you how to use them and when.This blog will also be infusing information about Acupuncture and how this ancient Medicine can improve over all health and well being.
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