Broccoli - What your need to know

Broccoli has its origins in Italy, and has been eaten there since the time of the ancient Romans in the 6th Century BC.

The most common variety of broccoli is Calabrese broccoli, named after its place of origin, Calabria, Italy.

These vegetable was brought to America by Thomas Jefferson. He imported broccoli seeds from Italy and planted them in his own garden in 1767.

Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, and is a vegetable. It's name is derived from the Italian word broccolo, meaning the flowering top of a cabbage.

The broccoli florets are buds ready to bloom, and when left unharvested, broccoli will burst into a bunch of yellow flowers.

Broccoli is high in Vitamin C, and one cup of raw chopped broccoli will give you your entire daily needed intake of Vitamin C. These vegetable is also high in Vitamin A.

California produces 90% of the total broccoli production in the United States.
Broccoli is high in fiber. Not only in soluble fiber but insoluble as well.

How to naturally whiten teeth

There are many fruits and vegetables that could help you whiten teeth without the help of expensive treatments.

Apples, celery and carrots - the crisp, crunchy fruits and vegetables increase saliva production in your mouth, which helps fight off and kill bacteria
Strawberries - these great fruits contain an enzyme called malic acid that naturally remove surface tooth discoloration.
Oranges - these fruits increase saliva production, which may help wash bacteria from the teeth.
Baking soda - this produt contains a natural form of salt that works as a mild abrasive to remove food and stains from the teeth.
Broccoli & cauliflower - these vegetable florets help scrub the surface of your teeth and prevent other foods from sticking to your teeth.
Seeds & nuts - these foods have abrasive qualities that can rub away plaque and stains from the surface of your teeth.
Water - helps keep your mouth hydrated and naturally wash away food that sticks to your teeth.

What foods to avoid:
Soda - these beverages are highly acidic and can soften tooth enamel and stain your teeth.
Candies & sweets
Coffee & black tea

Tips for Preparing Tomatoes

Before serving tomatoes, wash under cool running water and pat dry. If the recipe requires seeded tomatoes, cut the fruit in half horizontally and gently squeeze out the seeds. However, your should use the whole tomato with seeds, because there are many valuable nutrients in the seeds that you would not want to lose.

When cooking tomatoes, you should avoid using aluminum cookware since the high acid content of the tomatoes may interact with the metal in the cookware. When cooking tomatoes with aluminum cookware there may be migration of aluminum into the food, which will give the meal an unpleasant taste, and may have a potentially unwanted impact on your health.

Use the whole tomatoes when cooking, because the researches show that there is higher lycopene content in whole tomato products. When the skins of tomatoes are included in the making of the tomato sauce, the lycopene and beta-carotene content of the paste is significant higher according to research studies.

Lycopene is a carotenoid, a natural color pigment that contributes to the deep red color of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. 

Tomatoes are great when added to bean and vegetable soups, and the best recipe with tomatoes is the classic Italian salad - tomatoe, sliced onions, cheese, and extra virgin olive oil.

Breakfast Recipe: Guacamole & Egg Sandwich

Fast & easy breakfast recipe inspiration: Guacamole & egg sandwich

·         Fully ripe avocado

·         Pinch of salt

·         Lemon zest

·         2 slices whole grain bread

·         1 egg

Instructions: blend in a food processor or puree the avocado in a bowl for more texture. Add salt and lemon zest to taste.

Toast bread to your preference and spread plenty of the guacamole on each slice, then top with either fried or baked egg. Add additional toppings like feta cheese, tomatoes, olives, corn etc.

 

Tip for recognizing ripe avocados: if when gently squeezed the fruit yields to the pressure, then it’s ready for use. Otherwise, store the avocado at room temperature in a brown paper bag to speed up the process and leave until soft.

Depending on how firm the fruit, it can take from 12 hours to six days to fully ripen an avocado. Placing another fruit in the bag – such as an apple will also help ripen the fruit faster.