Vegetables: The Amazing Carrot
Vegetables are good for your health! Taiwan, being a tropical country, has gardens flourishing year around. Taiwan is known as the Kingdom of Fruits! There are not any edible fruits and vegetables that I know, of that are not good for you. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fresh, in-season vegetables, are a must in the diet of anyone who wants good health. When you are going to eat the skin, it is wise to choose organic. Join me as we look at the humble carrot. What is so great about a carrot? Are all carrots orange?
Most of the carrots we see in the market are orange, though some are almost a red. There are others that are purple or even white. Carrots are extremely sweet and crunchy. They make an excellent juice or a quality snack. Carrots are one of the most valuable fruits and vegetables for the eyes. They are extremely rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and are just loaded with fiber. Carrots are extremely low in calories, have almost no fat, and have no cholesterol. How can you not like this power-house of nutrition? Is there a better vegetable?
Among the fruits and vegetables found in Taiwan, the carrot is exceptionally rich in carotene and Vitamin A. Studies have confirmed that the flavonoid compounds that this humble vegetable has is amazing. These compounds protect your skin, lungs, and oral cavity from Cancer. It is also loaded with Carotenoids that converted into Vitamin A in our livers. Carrots are loaded with Beta Carotene with is a powerful antioxidant. It is known to protect from free-radicals, maintain good eye health and helps with the reproduction system. This humble vegetable is loaded with folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), and thiamine. What nutrition! The carrot grows not only in Taiwan but in much of the world. It is a master-piece of good health when eaten fresh and raw.
This colorful vegetable also is complete with healthy levels of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Potassium is extremely valuable in controlling blood pressure. It even helps to control your heart rate. The humble carrot is perhaps one of the best-known vegetables and yet it is often overlooked. When people go searching for quality vegetables, they go right past this common power-house and look for things more exotic. But the carrot is easy and cheap to get. Most stores even carry Organic Carrots at a reasonable price. Pound for pound, you really get your money’s worth when you buy or grow carrots. Carrots are easy to grow and even can be done in deep pots. Several carrots can grow in the same pot. Even the carrot tops are a gold-mine of nutrition. They are excellent in soups and salads. Carrot tops are good to eat fresh and yes, even your bunny loves those tops.
The best place to get your carrots are from the farmers who grow them. They pick them fresh each morning. Taiwan is filled with this type of farmer to table products. Taiwan loves fresh everything! Even in the USA, we can buy direct from a farmer who has just picked them fresh. If you ask around, you may find an urban farmer in the neighborhood! You can also choose to grow them. If you live in warmer regions like Florida, they will grow all year around. What a privilege! You can get 10-12 pots, and as you use them , you can start a new pot. How easy can you get? Fresh carrots are the best! If you want to let them mature for the full 2 years, then plant 24 pots. Just remember that as you use them, to replant. However you choose to grow them, they take little room. Carrots are more than worth their mint in gold. What can get better, than going to the garden for dinner? Now that is fresh! So whether you travel to Taiwan, or look for a reliable farmer, get the freshest carrots you can. Let’s make a new family tradition! Let’s eat a carrot a day!
http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
