Saturday, May 6, 2017

My Newest Superfood - The Papaya


Whenever I visit Jamaica, I noticed that my mother in law has a ritual. Every morning she wakes up bright and early and while singing or humming she peels and prepares a plate of fruit.

This plate is usually made up of whatever is in season or in her backyard. So we always have bananas, mangoes, cantaloupe, and papaya. She finds it cathartic to peel and then assemble this plate. If I try to help, I just get in the way so we'll talk while she works. (I help with other things).

She says papayas are good for you and that they aid in your digestion.

When I return back to the states, I usually go on the hunt for these fruits. Well, I live in California where there are many ethnic markets - Filipino, Korean, Mexican, Indian, combined with lots of farmers markets and I have been able to find the best papayas at the most reasonable price at the Filipino Market - It's the Mexican Papaya and it tastes similar to the one I eat in Jamaica.
This is a great price!

My mother in law likes to cut it vertically and scoop out the seeds like a melon, but I prefer to cut it horizontally into slices as its much easier for me to handle. Of course, you know that this goes into my daily green smoothie. The seeds are soft and edible, so I add a little bit of those to my smoothie also. She was definitely right about this superfood being good for you.

Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium, copper, and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies. 

Read more about the papaya and its benefits here -  and then start incorporating it into your daily ritual. Your body will thank you.
--Nylse

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