Healthy Living

I love to grow tomatoes in the garden for my family. We eat a lot of garden-fresh salsa and homemade pasta sauce. My son loves to eat tomatoes fresh off the vine as well. tomatoes are a great addition to a healthy diet and are packed with great compounds and antioxidants that help to keep your family happy and healthy. How to get the most value from your tomatoes In addition to the many nutrients your body needs from tomatoes, there are ways to get even more from them. After harvesting, your tomatoes will contain more nutrients as they begin to break down. This means you want the freshest tomatoes possible or ones that have been preserved right after harvest. Growing your own tomatoes at home is the best way to get the freshest tomatoes that you can benefit from the most. Fresh locally grown tomatoes can be found at your local farmers' market if you cannot grow your own. Locally sourced produce is always the best choice for getting the freshest produce that has not begun to drop in nutritional value while helping to reduce your carbon footprint. When growing your own tomatoes you can help to get the most from them by making a point to feed yoru tomatoes to help them hold more nutrition. The better your soil the better our final product will be. Amend yoru soil with rich compost before planting and keep feeding throughout the gardening season. The health benefits of tomatoes Tomatoes off a large range of vitamins and minerals. Making tomatoes a major part of your diet is a great way to get what you need into your diet to help keep your family healthy. Boost your Immune system Tomatoes contain a lot of antioxidants. A tomato is particularly high in vitamin C, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants. To increase your intake of naturally occurring vitamin C, adding tomatoes to your diet can be a great way to boost your immune system. You will also find vitamins A, B, and E in tomatoes, all of which help your immune system fight off seasonal illnesses. Keep your skin healthy It's a well-known fact that hats and sunscreen can help block the sun's rays but did you know that your diet can help to protect you from the sun? Lycopene might also help protect your skin the same way it protects tomatoes. Lycopene works from the inside, strengthening your cells from the inside out. During cooking, tomatoes have the highest concentration of lycopene, and olive oil boosts their absorption from the digestive system into the bloodstream. L ightly cook your tomatoes in olive oil to get the most skin-protecting power from them. Heart health Tomatoes contain lycopene, as well as vitamins B and E that are beneficial to heart health. They can help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. This is a compelling reason to consume plenty of delicious tomatoes in your diet. Among those with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, higher blood levels of lycopene have shown a decrease in death rates. Tomatoes are a natural way to increase your lycopene levels, helping to increase your life expectancy. For those with health issues adding tomatoes to your diet is an amazing way to help give your body what it needs to keep your heart strong. Protect your lungs Several studies suggest tomatoes may be beneficial to asthmatic patients, as well as prevent emphysema, a condition characterized by the gradual destruction of lung tissue. Among the antioxidants found in tomatoes are lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which neutralize substances in tobacco smoke that cause emphysema. This disease has no cure and is easy to get making it vital to take every step you can to help keep your lungs healthy. Adding tomatoes to yoru diet is a simple and easy option. Eye Health Tomatoes contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect your eyes from the blue light emitted by digital devices such as smartphones and computers. In addition to relieving headaches caused by eyestrain, they can keep your eyes from feeling tired helping you to work more efficiently. To help keep your eyes healthy in the future, tomatoes and blue light blocking glasses can be great tools to help protect your eyes from modern devices. Tomatoes are rich in lutein and beta-carotene, which are great for the eyes. These nutrients are great for preventing eye conditions like muscular degeneration and cataracts. It may be common knowledge that carrots are good for your eyes because of the beta-carotene they contain, but carrots are not the only source of this powerful nutrient. Improve digestive health Tomatoes are high in fiber and water, which is beneficial to your digestive health. Most people don't drink enough water or eat enough fiber. Add foods containing these essential components to your diet to improve digestive and overall health. You can add even more fiber to your tomatoes by pairing them with a vegetable-packed salad. For picky eaters like my husband I find that homemade salsa makes a great way to get him to eat fresh produce. Fight the effects of type 2 diabetes Tomatoes have been shown to offer protection from type 2 diabetes. Studies have found that cooked tomatoes lower lipid peroxidation, an event that causes free radicals to attack fat and damage it, increasing the risk of heart disease. Diabetes doubles the risk of stroke and heart attack, so this is a significant way to keep yourself healthy. Prevent cancer Lycopene is an antioxidant found in tomatoes that boosts the immune system. Tomatoes contain a high amount of this powerful antioxidant, which aids in the prevention of cancer. Some research suggests that lycopene may prevent common cancers in the pancreas, colon, throat, mouth, breast, and cervix, keeping your body healthy. Try these recipes with tomatoes Garden fresh salsa Pico De Gallo without cilantro 3 bean chili Easy homemade pasta sauce Smoked sausage pasta Simple tips for using and preserving tomatoes