MAGICAL BEETS

Hello all you curious gardeners, it's Alex again and today I will be filling you in on the magical nutritional powers of beets.

As a child, we always sat down at the table for family dinners. Usually what you would see was four table settings, some sort of meat for protein, a starch probably in the form of potatoes or pasta, and a variety of vegetables. The classic minnesota "meat-and-potatoes-diet." My family has never been able to decide on just one vegetable. Mostly this was because of my father who liked very few, but he's gotten a lot better since my mother and him have started their own garden. Usually beets were not on me and my father's side of the table, but rather my mom and sister's side. I hated beets growing up and haven't been able to give them a second chance since I've moved out. Since I always encourage our readers to try new things, I'm going to make sure I give beets a second chance.

NUTRITION

 

Beets are jam-packed with some great nutrients.
1 Roasted beet contains:

• 44 calories
• .2 g fat
• 77 mg sodium
• 10 g carbohydrates
• 2 g fiber
• 8 g sugar
• 1.7 g protein
• NO CHOLESTEROL!

THE ROOTS
Beets are also a great source of many other nutrients including folate, manganese, and potassium.  What's great about beets and their great source of potassium is that potassium helps to decrease your heart rate and regulate metabolism.  This is a great thing to keep in mind for your diet.  It's not just what  you eat that affects your health, it's your metabolism as well.

THE GREENS
Beleive it or not, the greens, or tops, of beets are good for you as well and contain nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

FOLATE
When  you think of foods associated with high levels of folate, you may think of green and leafy vegetables.  Actually, the beautiful red roots that we know as beets are a great source of folate, containing 37% of your daily value within 1 cup of raw beets.  Folate is important for DNA synthesis and can help prevent neural tube defects in newborns. 
* Although beets are a great source of folate, the amount may be decreased when cooked at high temperatures. 

HEALTH BENEFITS - Heart Healthy!

Along with all the other wonderful nutrients found in beets, they also contain phytonutrients, which you may have heard me talk about before in my previous posts.  These are the good guys, especially the ones found in beets: betalains.  Betalains work as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying agent. 

Betaine is also found in beets and is from the B-complex vitamin, choline.  Choline helps our cardiovascular system by regulating inflammation and unwanted buildup of homocysteine.  What's homocysteine you say? Homocysteine is an amino acid (What makes up proteins) that when found in high levels in the blood can lead to cardiovascular issues such as chronic heart disease, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease.  Betaine works to decrease your chances of unwanted cardiovascular problems by regulating homocysteine.

Even if I don't like beets, that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't try them if you haven't already!  There are some really wonderful and healthy beet salads out there that are just waiting for you to try them!

RESOURCES
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&authuser=0&biw=1085&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=foQMtMMrDia-PM:&imgrefurl=http://www.nsgfarm2fork.com/beets.html&docid=lSN9MnxL_B5pRM&imgurl=http://thegardenguide.typepad.com/.a/6a00e5524801f388340147e1b7a240970b-800wi&w=800&h=531&ei=VX3LUbCzAsTqyQHv04GgBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=125&page=4&tbnh=154&tbnw=234&start=44&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:56,s:0,i:263&tx=176&ty=115

  

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/homocysteine-risk

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2349/2

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/3-reasons-you-should-be-eating-red-beets.html#b

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beets.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49

http://www.livestrong.com/article/241933-beet-nutrition-information/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/health/nutrition/04recipehealth.html?_r=0

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442470253&terms=beets

POTATOES PATATOES

Hellllloooo all my vegetable loving friends!  This is Alex again, here to let you know why you should NEVER cut potatoes out of you or your family's diet.

BAD ROOT?
Potatoes have gained a bad reputation from fad diets, but what you should know is that every food, especially fruits and vegetables, can fit in a healthy diet.  With that said, there are many different ways to prepare potatoes and consuming them in the fried form may not be the best choice.  There are many delicious and healthy recipes that don't involve deep frying your potatoes.  

NUTRITION

Potatoes are packed full of nutrients and according to www.potatogoodness.com, potatoes provide the most nutrients per penny compared to all other vegetables.  Containing 620 mg of potassium in each medium potato, potatoes have more potassium than the famous banana!  Not only do potatoes have loads of potassium, they are also a great source of vitamin C, containing 45% of your daily value.  Another benefit potatoes have are found in their skin.  Within a medium potato, there is 2 g of fiber, which is great for digestive health and helping you feel fuller faster.  So, keep those skins on people!

If you have little kids that tire you out by running around all day, potatoes are a great food to have in your diet for the simple reason supplying you with energy.  Our bodies need fuel and not the kind that we put in our vehicles. The best and main source of fuel our bodies love to use is in the form of complex carbohydrates which is found in potatoes! Potatoes are also fairly low in calories with 110 per medium potato and contain NO FAT, SODIUM, or CHOLESTEROL.  (Everything we try to avoid).  Can anyone guess what potatoes (non-fried) can be classified as with having no fat, sodium, or cholesterol?  HEART HEALTHY!!!!!

EASY FIXES:  To keep your potato recipes heart healthy, there are simple ways to modify your choice of ingredients to help.  These include subbing low fat, plain or Greek yogurt, salsa, cottage cheese, or mixed vegetables instead of sour cream, shredded cheese and bacon!

FUN FACT: There are over 100 different varieties of potatoes!

THE POPULAR POTATO

I'm sure many of you have gone out to lunch or dinner within the last year or so and have now seen sweet potato fries as an alternative to regular fries.  Sweet potatoes are definitely gaining popularity, but this doesn't mean that the "other" potato is not good for you.

ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES

If you haven't noticed by now, I love to roasts things!  Roasting is a healthier way to prepare food such as vegetables rather than deep frying.  One recipe I use all the time is roasted potatoes.

RECIPE (again, I don't like to use exact measurements)

• 10-20 baby red potatoes (my favorite)
• 1 white onion
• Olive oil
• Rosemary (or herb/seasoning of your choice)
• Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Wash potatoes (do not use any potatoes that are green!)
3. Cut potatoes into four
4. Slice onion
5. Mix onions, potatoes, salt, pepper, rosemary, and olive oil in a bowl until completely covered
6. Place on greased baking sheet
7. Place in oven for 20-40 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes

Potatoes are a root vegetable and grow in the ground.  This means it is best to store potatoes in a similar environment to the ground such as a dark, cool place (not in the refrigerator).

I hope you found this blog post mouth-watering and encouraging to add potatoes to your diet more often!

Stay tuned for some delicous summer potato salad recipes!

RESOURCES

Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. Pleasantville, NY.: Reader's Digest, 2004. Print.
http://www.idahopotato.com/nutrition_education
www.potatogoodness.com
www.eatright.org

A CUP OF BROCCOLI A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

Hello everyone,  it's Alex here again providing you with the down-low on vegetables.  Feel free to comment and let me know what you grown in your backyard, what you'd like to grow, your favorite vegetables to eat, as well as your favorite recipes!

It's green, sometimes mushy, depending on how it's cooked, smelly, and many might think yucky.  What vegetable am I talking about? BROCCOLI!  Now, I love cooked broccoli and always have.  Fresh broccoli on the other hand, is a bit too "nature-tasting" for me.  You or your children may think this as well, or you might not like broccoli prepared in any form.  Once I tell you all the amazing health benefits of this lean, green, cancer-fighting machine, you'll be eating it everyday.

ALL THE GOOD STUFF

Even though broccoli can be a little scary looking with it's green color, it is known as one of the most nutrient dense vegetables in the produce section. 

When you think of vitamin C, an orange probably pops into your head.  Well guess what, broccoli has MORE vitamin C per ounce than an orange.  When you think of calcium, you probably start to crave a cold glass of milk.  Think again.  Broccoli actually has just as much calcium as milk per ounce.  Crazy, right?!  Incorporating broccoli into you or your child's diet is an easy way to help increase the immune system with vitamin C if you our your child isn't fond of oranges or citrus fruits.  If you or your child are one of those "people" who has never liked milk, or maybe are lactose intolerant, try eating more broccoli to compensate for the lack of calcium in your diet.

Broccoli isn't just a great source of vitamin C and calcium, this cruciferous vegetable is loaded with beta carotene, folate, protein, iron, potassium, tons of fiber, and best of all, cancer-fighting agents called glucosinolates.

CANCER-FIGHTING MACHINE

If your kids don't like broccoli tell them that broccoli has magical powers that help keep you from getting sick!  I know, a little scary, but it could work.  Broccoli really does lower the risk of cancers.  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that "Evidence suggests foods high in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients can protect against some cancers."  Broccoli fits right in with this description.  How broccoli helps is by preventing the action of hormones that help stimulate the growth of tumors.  Broccoli is also high in the bioflavonoid quercetin which helps to decrease cell damage and mutation.  So start eating more broccoli so you can help yourself and your children stay healthy.
HOLY FIBER!

Vegetables, particularly green vegetables, are known for their high amounts of fiber.  Broccoli contains 3.5 gm of fiber in 1 cup of cooked broccoli.  Not only is it high in fiber, but broccoli also contains a natural laxative that will help ease constipation and get things moving along in the G.I. tract (gastrointestinal tract).

COOKING BROCCOLI

As I said before, I love broccoli, but only when cooked.  One thing to watch out for when preparing broccoli is avoiding over cooking it.  If over cooked, smelly sulfur compounds will definitely prevent your children from wanting to finish all their broccoli on their plate.  If boiling broccoli, try to avoid using a lot of water.  This will destroy the magical cancer-fighting compounds as well as vitamin C and other nutrients.  When boiled or steamed, broccoli should be bright green, making it much more appealing to consume. 

I encourage you to grow broccoli in your own backyard garden so you can have the freshest, most nutrient dense broccoli there is.  When purchasing produce from your local grocery store, the produce has lost some of it's freshness just through travel and shelf time.  If you can't grow your own broccoli, I recommend buying fresh if you know you are going to cook or eat it soon, but if you don't know when you will have time to prepare it, go ahead and buy frozen steamers.  I'm a big fan of frozen vegetables, specifically steamers, because the vegetables are frozen at their peak freshness, ensuring a nutrient dense and fresh-tasting product, where as everyday that passes from harvesting, the produce item looses nutrients and freshness.  Buying frozen not only gives you freshness as if it were picked that day, but also convenience. 

RECIPE

Here's a link to a yummy (RAW) broccoli slaw.

SOURCES
Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. Pleasantville, NY.: Reader's Digest, 2004. Print.

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442472299

TURKEY SPINACH BURGERS AND BROILED ONIONS

I posted a blog last week on both spinach and onions.  I wanted to make a meal that incorporated both ingredients!  I decided to make turkey burgers, but not just any turkey burger.  I added both onion and spinach to add even more nutrients to my meal!

What's great about using ground turkey vs ground beef, is that it is much more lean; meaning it has less fat.  This would be a great way to sneak in some spinach and healthy protein for your kids and yourself!

When I cook, I don't usually like to go directly off a recipe.  I will use a recipe as a guideline, but I almost never measure ingredients out.  (CAUTION: Do not do this when baking.  Baking is a science and exact measurements are necessary for a successful product). 

Turkey Spinach Burgers - makes 4-6 burgers depending on the size

• 1.5 lbs ground turkey
• 1-3 cups fresh spinach (You can use frozen as well!)
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 4-6 Whole wheat buns
• Any other fresh ingredients you'd like to garnish your burger with
• I used tomato, MORE spinach, and avocado

RECIPE

1. Heat a small pan on medium with onion and olive oil.  Once onions start to turn translucent, toss in your spinach. (Spinach wilts very quickly!)

 

2. Mix together spinach and onions to your ground turkey, as well as salt and pepper if you'd like  

3.  Add egg to ground turkey spinach mixture

4. Form turkey patties. (Keep in mind turkey burgers do not shrink as much as beef burgers)

5. Sprinkle panko bread crumbs on the outside of the turkey patties to help keep them together (Turkey burgers also tend to fall apart easier than beef patties)

6. Place turkey patties in a preheated pan and flip when golden brown on each side. (It's important to make sure the turkey burgers are cooked all the way through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit) 

Broiled Onions

• 1 red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 white or yellow onion, sliced into rings
• Olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• Salt & pepper to taste

RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Slice onions into rings
3. Toss in bowl or on pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, or any other spices or condiments you'd like

 4. Roast onions for roughly 15-20 minutes depending on the crunch you'd like

 5. Turn Broiler on high and place onions on top rack for five-10 minutes.       

 (WATCH  CLOSELY!!) I like to put the roasted onions on top of my turkey spinach burger!

I thought these burgers we one of the yummiest I've ever made!  I encourage you to not only try these recipes out, but also to grown both onions and spinach in your very own backyard garden!

THE FILL-YOU-UP FAVA BEAN

"Beans, beans, the musical fruit.  The more you eat, the more you toot The more you toot, the better you feel.  So we have beans at every meal!^"

If you have children, you've probably heard them sing this harmonious little tune before.  As hair-tearing-out and annoying this song may be, if it gets your kids to eat beans, let them sing it all day long. 

Fava beans, also know as broad beans, faba beans, field beans, bell beans, or tic beans, are loaded with tons of nutrients that are great for your health!  These delicious beans are cholesterol free, low fat, and are low calorie at around 47 calories per 1/4 cup.

FILL YOU UP

Beans, specifically fava beans, are known for their high amounts of fiber.  Anything that has high fiber is great for your digestive health and makes you feel full.  Consuming beans, such as fava beans, in your diet consistently will fill you up faster, helping you resist that high calorie, high fat brownie you crave after dinner.  Not only do beans fill you up, they also have been shown to decrease cholesterol levels.

LOSE POUNDS WITH FAVA BEANS

If you or any of your children are struggling to lose weight, fava beans would be a great addition to your diet to help with weight loss. Not only do they make you feel full without consuming as many calories, fava beans increase your dopamine levels.  Dopamine is an amino acid that is a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps communicate with the body. Yeah, okay, try explaining that to children right?  Try taking a different approach and explain to your children that beans have magical powers that help tell your brain your tummy is full.  (Or try the song if you must).

POTASSIUM, PHOSPHORUS, VITAMIN A, OH MY!

Fava beans are a great source of potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin K, and iron!  There are plenty of reasons why to convince your kids that fava beans, or any kind of beans, are great for you!  Potassium can help yourself and your kids maintain blood pressure.  Phosphorus found in fava beans helps promote healthy bones and teeth so your kids can grow tall and strong.  It's important to eat beans to get vitamin A to help your skin, vision, and bones grow as well!  Along with these wonderful nutrients, protein is also something found in high amounts in fava beans.  As your kids are growing older and constantly running around, it's important that they receive enough protein.  Fava beans can help with as they contain 7g per 1/2 cup.     

How do you get your kids to eat beans at all, let along fava beans?  I know, this one is tricky because it's not as easy to stick them into a dish as other ingredients.  Now, I do not have children and have always been pretty open to trying different foods, even with I was young.  Hopefully, your children already love beans and are open to trying fava beans if you start to grown them in your backyard garden.  This probably isn't the case though.  My suggestion is to toss them into a summer salad, or maybe even a hot dish, and if they pick out some, that's okay because maybe they will eat a few and that's what's important; trying new things. 

Truth be told, I've never eaten a fava bean, or at least I don't think I have?  Good news is that I do love beans and love trying new things.  I plan to try this mouth watering fava been recipe out that I found on Pinterest sometime soon.


         

FOR ALL THE MOMS OUT THERE

Good news concerning the consumption of fava beans: research shows that the phyto-nutrient, isoflavone, is sure to help prevent breast cancer!  So not only should you encourage your children to eat fava beans, you should set a good example and help yourself as well by eating them too!

Fava beans are also a great source of folate, crucial for cell division during pregnancy in order to prevent neural tube defects in newborns. 

CAUTION

There are some people out there who should NOT consume fava beans.  Favism, an allergic reaction to raw fava beans, can occur in those who lack an enzyme necessary to help protect damage of red blood cells by vicine.  Vicine is a toxic substance found in fava beans.

SOURCES

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/health-benefits-of-fava-bean-6866.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/fava-beans.html
Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. Pleasantville, NY.: Reader's Digest, 2004. Print.

A beautiful breakfast

A delicious spinach, tomato, avocado, egg and whole wheat English muffin sandwich for breakfast! Ohhhhh the nutrients!

TEARS OF JOY

If there is one vegetable that I do not get along with, it’s definitely the onion.  Don’t get me wrong, I love onions, but every time I attempt to cut, slice, or chop one, tears stream down my face like Niagara Falls.  Although I struggle getting along with onions, they are definitely worth the tears.  Onions are an extremely versatile vegetable to cook with and can be added to almost any dish, providing an immense amount of flavor along with few calories, high amounts of fiber, folate, and vitamin C, and no sodium, fat or cholesterol what-so-ever! 

HEALTH BENEFITS

Although onions are not as nutrient dense as other vegetables, there are several health benefits linked to the tear-jerking vegetable.  Research has found that a substance found in onions called adenosine helps to prevent blood clotting.  Not only do onions help slow down blood clotting, they also help raise high-density lipoproteins (HDL’s).  What the heck is that?  HDL’s are the “healthy” cholesterols.  Yes, believe it or not, there is such a thing as healthy cholesterol.  Low-density lipoproteins are the bad guys and are found in high fat and high protein foods.  Because onions are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free and contain adenosine, onions are a great heart-healthy ingredient to add to your meals for extra flavor.

DIABETES

Do you or your any of your children have diabetes?  Chromium, a trace mineral found in onions may help control glucose levels that diabetetics struggle with everyday.  Even if you or your children do not have diabetes, consuming onions consistently may help prevent insulin resistance in the future. 

WHICH ONION?

Small yellow onion, banana shallot, yellow field onion, yellow onion, red onion, white onion, large sweet onion, scallions, the list goes on and on of the all the different variations.  What you are probably used to are the standard red, yellow, white and green onions, each great in it’s own unique way.

NO SOIL - GREEN ONIONS

To add a little more vitamin C and potassium to your child’s diet, try sneaking thinly sliced green onions into a salad where they will blend in without your kids knowing.  A trick I learned from Pinterest was to take your green onions once you’ve chopped off the tops for your delicious recipe and place the left over bulb into a small glass or dish with a little water.  After a few days you will have your very own green onions growing on your counter instead of your backyard.

RED ONIONS

These red-ish, purple vegetables are great in salads, salsas, or any dish you wish to add more color too.   Not only are red onions pretty in color, they also contain the bioflavonoid quercetin.  I know this is a funny sounding word and trying to tell your kids to eat onions because they have quercetin in them is just ridiculous.  You can simply explain to your children that onions have little superheroes protecting them that help fight cancer, fungus, bacteria, and inflammation; a much more interesting story to trick your kids into eating onions if they are not a fan of them.  Or you can simple dice up the onions so finely that they'll have no clue they even at them in that yummy spaghetti sauce!

NOT GETTING ALONG WITH ONIONS?

The key is to get ride of the sulfur fumes that come from the onion once cut open.  There are several ways you can minimize these fumes.  Here is a link to learn how to chop and dice your onions perfectly

1. Refridgerate onions before use
2. Light a candle
3. Turn on stove vent
4. Cut under running water
5. Turn on a fan to blow away from you
6. Purchase a fancy pair of onion goggles...

I encourage you to grow onions in your backyard to enhance the flavor of your dishes!  Stay tuned for some recipes I will eventually be trying out that focus on onions!

SOURCES:

http://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/eating-red-onions.php

http://www.thekitchn.com/five-tips-on-how-to-cut-onions-1-44517

Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. Pleasantville, NY.: Reader's Digest, 2004. Print.

A CUP OF SPINACH

When deciding which vegetables to grow in you backyard garden, a must-have is Spinach.  This dark, leafy green vegetable is very versatile and has numerous health benefits.  Jam-packed with nutrients, one cup of fresh spinach contains 200% of your daily value of vitamin K, 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, 337% of the RDA of vitamin A, and 10% RDA of folate.  Spinach has been found to help contribute to increased immunity, decreased blood pressure, a healthy nervous and cardiovascular system.

VITAMINS

Vitamin K helps mediate both coagulation and anticoagulation.  English please?  This means that vitamin K helps your blood adjust by thickening or thinning, allowing easier flow throughout your veins.  With that said, consuming spinach can help decrease blood pressure, ultimately increasing cardiovascular health.

Both vitamin K and vitamin A help promote healthy skin.  Spinach also contains a carotenoid, lutein, with helps promote healthy eyes and skin. If your teenager is going through puberty and possibly dealing with embarrassing acne, try sneaking spinach into their meals to help their skin and their confidence. 

TIPS FOR INCORPORATING SPINACH INTO YOUR MEALS

Pasta fanatic?

Add some fresh spinach to your pasta or lasagna dishes.

http://what2cook.net/2013/02/23/lasagna-with-spinach/

Are your salads not dark enough ? 

Start with your usual lettuce blend and slowly incorporate more and more dark leafy spinach to your blends each time you make salad.

Smoothie lover?

     Throw some spinach into a delicious fruit-filled smoothie.

    http://www.recipe4living.com/recipes/blueberry_spinach_smoothie.htm
Lacking iron or calcium?

     Spinach is a great source of both iron and calcium, two important nutrients, but oxalic acid can hinder their absorption.  Try pairing spinach with foods high in vitamin C to help increase their absorption.

    

       Kill two birds with one stone

      Add spinach to your omelets and enjoy your breakfast with a delicious glass of orange juice.

CANCER FIGHTING

Not only can spinach contribute to decreasing acne and breakouts, but this yummy leafy green has 13 flavanoids; phytonutrients that help slow cell division that occur in stomach and skin cancer cells. 

FOLATE

Spinach, and many other dark leafy vegetables, is a great source of folate, also known as folic acid.  Folate is very important in the development of cells and is crucial for women during pregnancy and helps prevent birth defects.  

I encourage you to plant spinach in your backyard garden so you can have fresh spinach, cooked or raw, whenever you want without going to the grocery store. 

sources:

https://us.readersdigest.com/offer/foods-that-harm/index.jsp?trkid=FTHH2013_SEM_Google&9gtype=search&9gkw=%252Bfood%2520%252Bharm%2520%252Bheal&9gad=18092922083.1&9gpla=&9gag=4717101083

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43

About Alex

Hello curious future gardeners,

My name is Alexandra Crapser, you can call me Alex, and I will be contributing to the Gardener's Gardener by adding the nutritional information and health benefits that go along with all the wonderful and delicious fruits and vegetables that you may be growing in your backyard or may be just simply curious about.

A little about myself - I am a graduate of St. Catherine University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and I aspire to someday become a Registered Dietitian.  What's that you say?  Well, a Registered Dietitian (RD) is someone who works with others to educate them on developing a healthy relationship with food, whether because of an illness or disease, weight control, or curiosity. 

Where did my passion for nutrition come from?  I have ALWAYS loved food and when deciding what to pursue as a career, I chose to educate myself on how to have a healthy relationship with food through a major in Dietetics.  I wanted to learn how to enjoy the foods I love in a healthy way, because let's face it, pasta, ice cream, and burgers are some of my guilty pleasures.  Lately, I have been spending my free time trying out new recipes that include healthy ingredients I am not familiar with.

I am also an avid runner, not fast, but I enjoy the alone time and personal competitiveness of the sport.  I am training for the Twin Cities Marathon this fall and cannot wait to start eating all the delicious fruits and vegetables from the Minneapolis Farmer's Market as well as from my parent's backyard to help me get all the vitamins and minerals I'll need to keep my energy up!

I hope you enjoy all the nutritional information and health benefits I will be providing for you about potential fruits and vegetables you may want to include in your backyard garden.  If any of you are like me, you look forward to eating food throughout the day.  What I like to say is - I don't eat to live, nor do I live to eat, but I sure do love to eat to live.