31 Days of Raw: Day #24 – Tomatoes

31 Days of Raw: Day #24 Tomatoes

 
Have you ever pick a tomato off the vine, dusted it off, and taken a bite out of it?  The pulp, seeds, and juices running down your chin as you savor the deliciousness...just imagine. I love that in Arizona you can grow food all year round.  In many parts of the country it is past time for tomatoes, but the fall planting season is upon us and we can continue to enjoy them.  If you have a particular sunny spot in your home, tomatoes can be grown year round. Mmmm…salsa, marinara, salad, soup, stuffed…any way you do tomatoes, they are incredible.  Today we will be learning why these babies should be on your grocery list every week.

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Anti-oxidant:

Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins A and C, mostly because of beta-carotene, and these vitamins act as an anti-oxidant, working to neutralize dangerous free radicals in the blood stream. These dangerous free radicals can cause cell damage. And keep in mind, the more red the tomato, the more beta-carotene it contains. Also, remember that cooking destroys much of vitamin C, so stick with raw tomatoes for these benefits.

Diabetes:

Tomatoes also have plenty of the mineral chromium, which helps diabetics to keep their blood sugar level under control.

Smoking:

No, tomatoes can’t help you stop smoking, but what they can do is to help reduce the damage smoking does to your body. Tomatoes contain chlorogenic acid and coumaric acid, which help to fight against some of the carcinogens brought about by cigarette smoke.

Vision:

Because of all that vitamin A, tomatoes are also an excellent food to help improve your vision. This also means tomatoes can help your eyes be better about night blindness.

Heart troubles:

Due to potassium and vitamin B, tomatoes help to lower blood pressure and to lower high cholesterol levels. This, in turn, could help prevent strokes, heart attack and other potentially life-threatening heart problems.

Skin care:

Because of high amounts of lycopene, a substance found in many of the more expensive over-the-counter facial cleansers, tomatoes are great for skin care. The best way to use tomatoes for skin care is to peel a bunch of them, eight to twelve, then lay back and place the tomato skins on your face (or other skin areas). Make sure the inside of the tomato skins are against your skin, and let this sit for at least 10 minutes. Then wash off. You’re face will be cleaner and more shiny, though it also might be a little red from the tomatoes. Don’t worry, that red on your face will wear away.

Hair:

Remember all that vitamin A in tomatoes? Well, it’s good for keeping your hair strong and shiny, and its also good for your eyes, teeth, skin and bones.

Cancer:

Various studies have shown that because of all that lycopene in tomatoes, the red fruit helps to lessen the chances of prostate cancer in men, and also reduces the chance of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Lycopene is considered somewhat of a natural miracle anti-oxidant that may help to stop the growth of cancer cells.

Bones:

Tomatoes have a fair amount of vitamin K and calcium, both of which help to strengthen and possibly repair in minor ways bones and bone tissue.

Kidney stones and gallstones:

Eating tomatoes without the seeds has been shown in some studies to lessen the risk of gallstones and kidney stones.

Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

Tomatoes contain high amounts of vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin needed for good wound healing, and bone and teeth formation. A medium-sized tomato contains about 23 mg of vitamin C. If you consume a tomato of this size every day, your vitamin C needs are already covered. Additionally, vitamin C increases the absorption of iron. As such, if you are taking an iron supplement (like ferrous sulfate), you can facilitate better absorption by eating tomatoes and taking the iron supplement afterward.

Tomatoes also contain provitamin A, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B9 (folate or folic acid) and potassium. Vitamin A promotes good vision and bone and teeth strength, while the B vitamins promote efficient energy utilization. Potassium is a mineral that helps decrease high blood pressure and protects against heart disease.

Weight Management

Tomatoes only contain 21 calories per 100 grams. They are rich in water and fiber. Therefore, you can eat as many tomatoes as you want, without gaining weight. Regular consumption of tomatoes can help maintain normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The high amounts of fiber present in these fruits can also help clean your colon, keep your bowel movements normal and prevent colon cancer. If you want to create a diet that will give you satisfaction and health benefits while keeping you in shape, don’t forget to add tomatoes.

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Easy Salsa

• 3 tomatoes
• 2 green onion stalks
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ bunch cilantro
• ¼ - 1 Jalepeno (depending on your desire of spicy)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Place everything in a food processor and pulse a few times.  No food processor?  Simply dice and mince everything fine and stir together.  Voila! 

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