Red divinity… pomegranate
Pomegranates. They are a very sensual fruit, as I am in Thailand right now I see it selling on the streets for pennies compared to what I’m used to in exotic local Farmer’s Markets in both USA and the UK. I think people refrain from buying them as a normal consumption fruit because they plain ol’ forget about them! Unlike oranges, apples and bananas, it takes a bit of time to be able to enjoy these divine fruits. The seeds need to be plucked from the insides and they may stain your fingers but the result can be a delightful addition to salads, on top of yogurt or just as a fine summertime treat all alone. Pomegranate has many incredible health benefits for your body. It is called a divine fruit because it is the most mentioned fruit in theological books.
The pomegranate is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalised over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of SE Asia, Malaysia, the East Indies and tropical Africa. Now I see it all over the world and I always get a thrill when I see them offered so abundantly here in Asia. As a child I used to sit on a neighbours fence and pick them with a friend and then eat them in my treehouse getting stained fingers and nails so the fun of the pom has been in my days growing up in California. My mother planted a pom tree in our backyard for this reason but as I grew getting stained nails as a young adult was something I tried not to do… haha, now I just don’t care!
Pomegranate has anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-tumour properties and is said to be a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin A, C, and E, as well as folic acid. This amazing fruit consists of three times as many antioxidants as both wine or green tea. Protection from free radicals and the thinning of blood can prevent the hardening of artery walls and also help pump the level of oxygen to our blood. This fruit also can help reduce inflammation, works with cardiovascular and cancer issues in the body and experiments have proven it helps improve memory! The high fibre due to the seeds helps with digestion and prevents plaque formation in the mouth. All the nutrients to be had in one delicious pomegranate are well worth the trouble picking out the seeds.
Here in Thailand there are small fruit stands on every corner and one can order plain sweet unadulterated pomegranate juice. I usually have mine with some carrot and orange for a very wonderful midday treat! At home I spend 3 minutes putting the seeds in a glass jar and then sprinkling a few tablespoons full on top of my yogurt and/or chia seed puddings I’ve been making lately with coconut milk and seeds. Colour is the name of the game when wanting to get all the nutrients into your body and with that delicious bright red colour you cant go wrong!
I thought this information on the fabulous pomegranate fits in well with this edition’s discussions about woman’s issues and also goes along with my article Hormone’s in Balance; A Woman’s Way. The pom is a leathery skinned berry containing many seeds, each surrounded by a juicy, fleshy aril. It is one of the recommended fruits to incorporate into your diet to help stabilise hormones naturally. Read more about hormone support through food in this edition!
