Purification and Nourishment in the Beautiful White Winter

      

Did you know that carrots are one of the few veggies that are actually better for you, in terms of nutriton, when they are cooked?!

         Carrots are by far the richest source of naturally occurring carotenoid phytonutrients such as beta carotene. One cup of carrots contains 250% of the RDA of beta carotene which converts to vitamin A in our bodies. Vitamin A is especially important to smokers who are usually deficient in this nutrient and the deficiency may be directly associated with many diseases of the largest concern is lung cancer

        ** Carrots do contain a large amount of simple sugar that diabetics need to be aware of.  This sugar will trigger insulin production, hindering efforts to lose weight, as well. 



         Ho,wever, carrots also contain potent antioxidants that combat free radicals associated with numerous degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and age related macular degeneration. Carrots contain a newly discovered phytonutrient called falcarinol which has been proven to be highly protective against colon cancer. Carrots also provide substantial amounts of vitamin K, C, folate, potassium, B6, and dietary fiber as well as trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals. Extensive studies have shown that as little as one carrot a day can cut the rate of lung cancer in half and incedence of other cancers such as cervical, prostate, and colon cancer can also be cut in half by higher beta carotene intake.


         Synthetic beta carotene is not biochemically identical to the naturally occurring form and doesn’t have the powerful effects of the naturally occurring form.


1 cup of carrots(122g) has only 53 calories. When carrots are cooked it denatures the tough cellular walls that contain the beta carotene thus making it an exception in that it benefits you more when it’s cooked!



        


          During the winter, I don't begrudge myself a few extra calories.  It is a difficult time to try to lose weight because you are fighting against your body's desire to stay warm.  It is a good time, rather, to cleanse the body and fortify it through healthy nourishment.  
         It's easy to become "addicted" to carbs during the winter. You can fight these cravings by becoming aware of the nutrient density in the foods that you consume.  Sugars and deep fried fats don't contain any vitamins and minerals...  Your cravings will quickly come into check, naturally, when you eat some good complex carbs (grains, beans, corn, rice) and veggies with your choice cut of meat or ,better still, fish.  

         The depth of winter is one of my favorite times of the year, the dark time. I feel buried in the mud, metamorphosing, waiting to be reborn into the spring. I use it as my internal reflection time; the time for deep contemplation and thought. Each New Year I cast a wish into the year for betterment and progress. This time following the New Year becomes a time for clarification and definition of just what exactly that entails. I've already begun planting the seeds for new growth within myself.