Strawberry’s!

In Rhode Island, we just witnessed the most beautiful ‘Strawberry Moon’ telling us loud and clear that local farm fresh strawberries are ready to pick and enjoy!

A few facts about strawberries:

Strawberries do not ripen off the vine…the ones in the supermarket may last longer on the counter but they will not taste better than a ripe farm fresh berry!

Bigger does not mean better with strawberries.

Smell the container…if it smells good, they most likely taste good…do not wash until just before eating.

The berry is really the flower of the plant and kind of looks like the shape of a heart and is exceptionally medicinal for our physical and emotional hearts.  Strawberries were used hundreds of years ago to treat depressive illnesses and known in France as an aphrodisiac…there you have it; get out of your slump and make love, not war.

A farm fresh berry is half the size of any store bought berry and tastes a thousand times better; guaranteed!

Here’s a few words from Elise who ‘picks her own every year in RI:

‘For many of us summer is a time for keeping traditions alive, whether it’s going on an annual trip with family, visiting the beach with friends, having cook-outs, planting gardens, enjoying the sun, or in my case, going strawberry picking.

Schartner’s Farm has been the place of choice for several years with acres of farm fresh strawberries for picking. The tradition began with my grandmother who was a strawberry jam queen; Patricia Bolster, also known as Moey. Every year, right around Father’s Day. my father and I try to find time for this indulgent project and make enough strawberry jam to last us the winter as taught to us by Moey.

Traditions like this are not only important for our physical health (utilizing local and seasonal foods), but also for our social and emotional health. The memories that were created in the past rush back as new ones form. Interacting with fresh food, knowing where it comes from, how it’s grown, how to store it, and how to make jam, only helps to increase the appreciation for the nutrition it provides to each cell in our body, as well as fostering a stronger and healthier mind.’

Snacking on a cup of REAL strawberries will not only taste good(especially if they are farm fresh)but also keep you energized and full longer than any processed prepackaged snack.  Nutrition Action Newsletter reported in their Jan/Feb 2016 issue that 12 young women ate 20% more pasta after eating candy vs. 1 cup berries for a snack!  No recipes needed just eat ‘as is’ or be adventurous like Elise and follow one of your Grandmother’s recipes.

My husband is the only person who has relinquished all privacy rights and when his MD did a lipid profile and the results were high LDL(the bad one) and low HDL(the good one), the dr. wrote him a prescription for a statin…Mike asked her ‘don’t you think I should talk to Pam first?’  The experiment with Mike as the lab rat included eating nuts and berries 3-4 times per week, no chicken wings or red meat and green tea twice per day.  After 6 weeks the LDL went from 178 to 73 and the HDL went from 30-49.

Mike called the dr. to see if she had received the results and she quickly said, ‘yeah those statins work every time’.  Mike no longer uses that dr.

Statins are the most widely prescribed drug out there and have numerous side effects.  Mikey’s experiment may work for you too.  Eat farm fresh berries; ‘straight up’ preferably bought from a local farmer’s market or try growing your own and learn what you need to know by visiting the gardening site listed below!