The Power of Capsicum

 

Capsicum...aka; peppers.  We've been growing them for years.  All kinds, sizes and shapes, sweet, hot and in-between.  They are a rewarding plant to grow as they usually produce lots of fruit.  Especially banana peppers...they always make me feel like a garden genius. 

But what's inside of these savory fruits that make them so powerful?  One thing for sure is taste...they've been imported from all over the world and valued in many cuisines.  They are reported to have been in existence for 9000 years and cultivated for over 7000 years.  That's pretty amazing staying power for one vegetable!

 

"Capsicums are believed to have originated in regions of South and Central America. It was Christopher Columbus who collected capsicums from the West Indian regions in the 1492 and took them to Spain. It was from there that capsicums spread through the regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. Owing to the adaptable nature of these bell peppers, they grew well in tropical and temperate climates. Today, China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, India, Romania and Mexico are among the leading producers of capsicum with almost 20-27 species grown across the world." 1

Taste isn't the only thing that makes peppers powerful; they are also high in nutrition...especially once they turn red.  Remember, the green peppers are the unripened state of a pepper.  They have lots of Vitamin A, E as well as niacin and many other vitamins and minerals.  A really good vegetable to include in your diet.

So what about health benefits?  Peppers  "contain antioxidants like beta carotene (carotenoid), lutein and zeaxanthin (phytochemicals) and vitamin C. After consumption of capsicum, the body converts beta carotene into retinol, which is one of the most usable forms of vitamin A." 2

"Capsicums are known to lower the fat stored in blood corpuscles, called triglycerides, and thus help in burning calories. This can vastly improve the body metabolism." 3

"Apart from these benefits, capsicums promote cardiac health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It has anti-inflammatory properties, stimulates stomach secretions and improves digestion." 4

But that's not all.  The reason I wrote this post is to share about a component in peppers; capsiacin.  This chemical is the one responsible for the "hot" in hot peppers.  It's also been found to help relieve pain when applied topically.  I have used commercial preparations containing capsaicin for a good 15 years. 

   "Topical ointments and creams containing capsaicin are helpful in relieving pain from many different conditions, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, nerve pain and lower back pain, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. While capsaicin is not a cure for pain caused by these conditions, it does lower the amount of substance P, a chemical that helps transmit pain signals to the brain, when applied directly to the skin." 5

I have used capsaicin faithfully for years and I feel like it's been a life saver during bouts with pain.  Capsaicin is not for the faint of heart though.  It packs a whollop of heat and needs to be used sparingly.  If my pain is intense, I am able to use quite a bit, but it's important to follow directions when using.  

However you slice them, capsicums are a powerful, pain-relieving plant that deserve a place in your garden, diet AND medicine cabinet.  Blessings!!

Have you used capsicums or capsaicin?



1. http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/capsicum-nutrition.php
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid, 
4. Ibid.
5. http://www.livestrong.com/article/342597-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-capsaicin/ 



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How Gardening Can Make You Healthy

The idea of gardening contributing to our health seems on the surface to be a no-brainer but science is discovering different ways how gardening and nature in general can help give us all a better quality of life overall.

When I was a kid I basically only liked 3 foods and vegetables was not one of them.  I'm not sure how I survived on a diet of saltine crackers and American cheese but thankfully I'm still here.  I was very sick a lot though and it all makes sense now when I think what I ate or more like what I didn't eat growing up.

It wasn't my parent's fault either.  They tried their very best to get me to eat veggies and fruit but the canned stuff we were usually served didn't work for me.  My taste buds were enlightened the first time I ate a newly shucked pea from its pod from one of our summer time gardens.  We didn't garden every year but the few times we did I realized that vegetables could actually be tasty. 

Once married and with kiddos; I decided they needed to taste real food from its source and that's when I really plunged into gardening.  I was hooked on growing my own food and that meant I needed to eat this stuff too.  Which I did, although some vegetables took me a long time to like; I persevered on until I grew to love them too.

So how does gardening make you healthy? 

1. Stress Relief.  
Sounds funny when I think of it because weeds can make me feel stressed, but actually a recent study done in the Netherlands showed how it can relieve lots of stress.  Two groups of people after having completed a stressful task were then instructed to either read a book or work in the garden for 30 minutes.  The garden group reported better moods and had lower levels of cortisol than the reading group.1  Pretty amazing, huh?  It turns out that garden activity is a type of "involuntary attention" where we don't have to be intensely focused on a specific task and therefore can relax.  After all, pulling a weed or hoeing isn't rocket science.

2. Better Mental Health. 
"In a study conducted in Norway, people who had been diagnosed with depression, persistent low mood, or "bipolar II disorder" spent six hours a week growing flowers and vegetables.
After three months, half of the participants had experienced a measurable improvement in their depression symptoms. What's more, their mood continued to be better three months after the gardening program ended. The researchers suggest that the novelty of gardening may have been enough to jolt some of the participants out of their doldrums, but some experts have a much more radical explanation for how gardening might ease depression." 2

I know that when I feel anxious or stressed, going out to look at my plants, flowers, what-have-you makes a big difference in how I feel when I come back in from being outside.  But not just the warm sun, gentle breezes and the beautiful colors of nature can affect us, some researchers believe that the soil itself can be healing!

"Christopher Lowry, Ph.D., an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has been injecting mice with Mycobacterium vaccae, a harmless bacteria commonly found in soil, and has found that they increase the release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain that control cognitive function and mood -- much like serotonin-boosting antidepressant drugs do."3

This isn't to say that you should throw away your prescription drugs but to think if you're feeling a bit down or depressed that planting in the soil can help...why not?! 

3. Exercise and Nutrition.

This is a given.  Although the exercise we do in the garden is not cardiovascular, we are moving and that is always beneficial to the body.  The repetitive tasks help to tone muscle and are good low impact exercises.  It's not surprising to hear that many elderly people do well health wise when they maintain a garden of some kind.

Nutrition...well, when you plant the food you pretty much are committed to try to eat it!  And most gardeners eat more vegetables than non-gardeners.  This has to do with access to fresher food and making better food choices.

"Studies of after-school gardening programs suggest that kids who garden are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. And they're a lot more adventurous about giving new foods a try, says Anne Palmer, who studies food environments as the program director of Eating for the Future, a program based at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for a Livable Future, in Baltimore."4

No room for a garden?  Not a gardener?  Studies have shown that even looking at some form of nature can bring health benefits as well.  Health benefits have been found even when looking at a portrait or photo. 5

"A landmark study by Roger S. Ulrich, published in the April 27, 1984, issue of Science magazine, found strong evidence that nature helps heal. Ulrich, a pioneer in the field of therapeutic environments at Texas A&M University, found that patients recovering from gallbladder surgery who looked out at a view of trees had significantly shorter hospital stays, fewer complaints, and took less pain medication, than those who looked out at a brick wall."6

Pretty amazing stuff, right?  But then again...as gardeners we're not too surprised.  Being connected with nature and being amazed year after year whenever we see newly sprouted seedlings emerge gives us immense joy. It brings back that childlike amazement of new birth which has to be great for our hearts and minds.  It also gives us a tremendous sense of accomplishment...always great for our health.

Hopefully this will inspire you to want to buy a patio tomato, a potted flower or a windowbox of lettuce...of all the health benefits, you'll be eating better for sure!

Blessings!

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1. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/08/why.gardening.good/index.html
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5.http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/gardening-health?page=2
6.http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/gardening-health

Why Making Your Own Chicken Stock is SO Healthy For You...

So many of you already do this and realize the importance of making your own stock.  This seven minute You Tube video talks a little about the science behind why making your own bone broth is so good for your body.  So, if you're already making your own broth, awesome!  If you're not, it may encourage you to think about giving it a try.

In an upcoming post, I will share how to make bone broth via the pressure cooker which makes it MUCH faster and is easier.  

So, if you have seven minutes, give this a quick look...it's a bit campy but the information is good to check out... Blessings!





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Eat Your Greenies...

     You can only imagine my happiness when I came upon this small clump of parsley in the mulched garden.  A true biennial, which means it grows to maturity in the first year and then goes to seed in the second, it does gives some fresh leaves its second year if you can catch it quickly enough!  And, because of this fabulous, unseasonably warm weather, I did "catch" it!

Curly Parsley

     So, even though it's only a bit of green, it's still green, and that means it is coming inside to my kitchen for lunch!

 
Now to put my herbal "nerd" on...Parsley is not just a decoration.  As a matter of fact, its health benefits outweigh most of the fancy dishes it's used as a garnish on!  Crazy, right?  I would fill up a page on everything it's good for, including your heart, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as being chock-full of antioxidants to boot.  If you can remember that it's rich in vitamins A and C, that should be all the info you need to want to grow, and eat this wonder herb.

                                                    

Yep, I minced these little leaves of health right onto whatever we were eating this day, which happened to be a mix of leftovers.  Case in point, "Chili Baked Potatoes," (a perfect way to use up a glob of leftover chili.)  It helps to give a little bit of nutrition to an otherwise heavy meal. Of course, to get more of the health benefits, eat more parsley, but for now, a sprinkle will do because much more parsley will be on its way in a month or two!

  So, think about giving parsley a try.  It's a strongly-flavored herb, so start with a small amount and work your way up. Don't give up if you don't care for it...it can take up to ten tries before we know we don't like a food.  So go for the ten and eat some green!