Get in on the vegetable fest for summer. Read on to make a dish with all your favorites!
Eat for a Reason, Eat for the Season
Nature has the perfect plan in providing the perfect foods for the given season. For instance, summer foods tend to be on the cooling side - you would naturally want and need to eat foods that are more cooling because these foods prevent overheating.
Some cooling vegetables that should be readily available right now are arugala, beets, carrots, celery, collards, corn, cucumbers, okra, snow peas, squash, Swiss chard, and zucchini.
Tomatoes: the Antioxidant Connection
No vegetable better marks the summer season than the juicy, vine-ripened tomato. The red pigment in tomato, called lycopene, is an antioxidant that has been extensively studied for its cancer prevention properties. When eaten in high quantities, tomatoes help to lower the risk of colon, prostate, rectal, and stomach cancer.
Lycopene has also been found to inhibit the development of cancer cells in the breasts, lungs, and uterus. The health benefits of tomatoes don't stop here. Rich in beta-carotene and vitamins A and C, tomatoes are also known to reduce heart disease, as well as prevent cataracts. Just one note of caution: people with arthritis and other autoimmune disease symptoms may experience temporary aggravation by eating tomatoes due to solanine, an alkaloid in the tomato.
Here is a recipe where the cooling vegetables of summer take center stage:
Summer Vegetable Soup
Soups are full of life-giving properties year-round. Although in the summer heat, it feels natural to cook with raw produce and items from the freezer, traditional Chinese cooking rarely calls for chilled or raw food because it puts out the digestive fire and causes stomach distress. One way to enjoy chilled soup and not put the digestive fire out is to add warming spices such garlic and onions to counter balance.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 handful green beans, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 cup fresh corn
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- Herb salt
- Tamari
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Directions:
1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a stockpot over moderately high heat.
2. Add all ingredients, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Add tomato sauce and heat until warm.
3. Season with herb salt and tamari, to taste. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with cilantro and chives, if desired.
I hope you explore all the possibilities of summer vegetables! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao
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To learn more about Dr. Mao and other natural health tips, go to askdrmao.com.
To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "Secrets of Longevity," click here.
