Dates!
So I’m kind of obsessed with eating superfoods and today I want to talk about why and how to incorporate some into your diet. Today I’ll focus on dates!
They’re the dried, sweet and earthy fruit of the date palm and are considered a superfood because they’re high in a number of vitamins and minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
I feel like we hear the term “antioxidant” a lot these days (you definitely will if you come to my granola events :-D) but might not really know what it means. First let’s talk about free radicals, which is why antioxidants are important.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to our cells and create an environment for a number of chronic diseases to thrive, cancer being one of them.
Alarming, right?
Some common sources of free radicals are: 1) fried and ultra-processed foods, 2) alcohol, 3) smoking, 4) environmental pollutants and 5) stress.
Once cells are damaged by free radicals, they are in a state of oxidative stress. Think about what happens when that produce you fully intended to eat starts to go bad…that’s what’s happening at a cellular level in our bodies. Eeek.
No good!
Antioxidants are molecules that are mostly found in plant foods and neutralize free radicals. Some examples you may be familiar with are vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, along with the minerals selenium and manganese.
The image below shows how antioxidants neutralize free radicals. Pretty cool that a date can do that, huh?
So how can you incorporate dates into your diet?
One simple idea is to use them as a spread for toast, bagels, etc. They’re a great alternative to sugary jams and jellies. Date paste is super easy and inexpensive to make. I buy these organic, pitted dates at Costco and they’re under $6.00 for 2 1/2 pounds.
Costco for the win!
To make date spread, all you’ll need is dates, boiling water and a blender. That’s it.
Place 6 ounces of whole, pitted dates into a large bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water. Let them sit for 10 minutes then pour off the water, reserving about 3/4 of a cup.
Add the dates and the 3/4 cup of water to your blender and blend until they’re a nice, smooth consistency. Store in a mason jar in the fridge. It will last for at least 3 months.
Another simple use is to chop them up for use in salads.
Now go find some dates and google what other superfoods you can try!
Eat Mindfully | Live Optimally
