Strawberries – The Beautiful First Berries of Summer
DID YOU KNOW? Beautiful strawberries are packed with vitamins and nutrients that keep you healthy and beautiful on the inside and out!
June is Strawberry season here in Massachusetts. While we are all munching on this tasty fruit, it is good to know it’s wonderful for your health too.
Beauty on the Inside
Strawberries have been the focus of a tremendous amount of research. Scientists have identified properties of strawberries that can boost immune function, regulate blood sugar, exfoliate skin, and reduce inflammation! For example, the component that gives strawberries their red color, the phytonutrient anthocyanin, helps our bodies fight inflammation, which if chronic, has been found to be a precursor to many common diseases.
More Fun Nutrition Facts
Compared to other antioxidant rich foods, 1 cup of fresh strawberries ranked 3rd in the US for its antioxidant value in this study. Most researchers recommend eating a cup of strawberries 3-4 times a week to get the benefits. This is easy this time of year, the bountiful local strawberry season.
We all know the benefits of Vitamin C. But, did you know that of the top 10 vitamin-C containing foods, strawberries ranked third ? Oranges were only #7. Strawberries also contain significant amounts of folate, potassium and manganese. There are 46 calories and 2.9 grams of dietary fiber in 1 cup of strawberries.
Getting Organic Strawberries Is a Great Idea
It makes a lot of sense to get your strawberries from a certified organic source. Conventional berry growers that supply the typical supermarket berries are using fungicides and chemicals on their land and fruit to get a crop. Conventional strawberries are third from the top for most-pesticide-laden foods, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen report.
Our berries are certified organic! Find them through June at the Red Fire Farm farmstands and markets.
Beauty on the Outside
A Home-made Strawberry Face Mask
If you want a treat for your skin, strawberries can help to reduce breakouts, exfoliate, shrink pores, and give anti-aging benefits. Mix 4-5 strawberries with a teaspoon of organic honey, and 2 teaspoons of grass fed, organic cream. Mash together and paint on your face and neck. Leave on for 15 minutes and then gently wash off.
Perhaps you crush a few berries in a glass of cool fresh water while you relax. Enjoy……
Written by Michelle Cove and Sarah Voiland. Michelle Cove is a local wellness coach and the owner of Sustainable Wellness. Sarah helps grow the strawberries, as owner of Red Fire Farm.
Also check out The Hangry Foodasaurus post about strawberries — written by a strawberry loving CSA member!
