You Are What You Eat: Carrots
Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!The Carrot Museum calls your average carrot a nutritional hero. Storing a goldmine of nutrients, no other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene -- this converts to vitamin A -- as this herbaceous plant containing about 87% water. Good raw or cooked, carrots provide healthy doses of vitamins B, C, D, and E, potassium, folic acid, and magnesium. Cooked carrots are best, however -- they are more nutritious this way.
Even small amounts of carrots do the body good with their essential oils, carbohydrates, and nitrogenous composites. Well-known for their sweetening, healing, diuretic, remineralizing, and sedative properties, carrots are important for their three most powerful elements: Beta-carotene, Alpha Carotene, and Phytochemicals. Beta-carotene gives us vitamin A which strengthens immune systems, keeps the skin, lungs and intestinal track in order, and promotes healthy cell growth. Alpha Carotene helps inhibit tumor growth. And phytochemicals may reduce the risk of cancer and strokes, hinder the aging process, balance hormonal metabolism, and promote antiviral and antibacterial properties. Combine these three elements and carrots are yes, nutritional heroes. Just look at some of what they can do.
- Boost immunity, especially in older people
- Reduce risk of heart disease
- Improve muscle, flesh, and skin health
- Fight anemia
- Reduce acne
- Improve eye health
- Heal minor wounds and injuries
- Fight infection
Think it's time to crunch into a few carrots? If so, I've got the site for you, chock full of recipes that use carrots as a main ingredient. Check out this crunchy salad topping, this low-fat carrot cake, and this spicy carrot soup. If these treats don't strike your fancy, keep shopping around and you're sure to find a few carrot concoctions to infuse into your diet.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-19-2008 @ 2:45PM
John said...
An extremely versatile vegetable, which can be eaten, raw or cooked in a myriad of dishes, both sweet and savoury. Not many can claim this, and be so healthy!!
Truly a remarkable vegetable, deserving of more proclaim.
Time we started a campaign for World Carrot Day.
Write to the carrot museum with your support.
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