Peaches are considered a “drupe” fruit in the culinary world. A drupe is a single seeded, fleshy fruit with a soft, juicy layer surround a hard endocarp, the seed protecting part. Besides peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and mangoes are all drupe fruit. In the culinary world, fruits are usually high in sugar content, however, this is counterbalanced by their rich load of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, often concentrated in the skin of the fruit. Peaches are a wonderful ingredient due to their versatility in the kitchen. Propagation of the Peach The peach is a deciduous tree (meaning every fall, these trees lose their leaves) native to Northwest China, where…
-
-
8 Ways to Lower Bad Cholesterol and Triglycerides
A recent health checkup caused me to reassess my dietary needs. My labs results indicated a jump in my LDL, or bad cholesterol numbers. My husband, recently evaluated due to a new health program at work, was told his triglyceride numbers were too high. What are LDL and triglycerides? LDL or low-density lipoprotein, is the “less desirable” type of cholesterol in your body, (that is how I remember which is which.) LDL causes plaque build up in arteries, which causes blood to be restricted and can result in heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. I already have a family history of heart disease and my father has survived several heart…
-
7 Ideas to Reduce Food Waste
As a food enthusiasts, it breaks my heart to know food goes to waste. According to Feeding America, a non-profit organization aimed at ending hunger, an estimated 40% of food grown, processed and transported in the United States will never be consumed. More food reaches our landfills than plastic, paper or any other type of solid waste; and the food filling our landfills produce so much methane gas, it has 21 times the global warming potential than carbon dioxide. An estimated 70 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States each year. Food Waste is an Epidemic What is food waste? Be leery of which statistics you…
