Food of the Month - Lemons

We all know that there's no miracle pill that you can take every day to ensure you maintain optimal health, but did you know that there's a miracle fruit that comes pretty close?  This week's Peas Perspective is focusing on the fragrant, tart and unbelievably healthy LEMON.

This miracle fruit not only makes water, iced tea and your other fizzy beverages taste better, lemons are packed with nutrients that will keep you and your family happy, healthy and glowing.

Starting each morning with warm water and lemon is not only a tasty morning beverage it's an alkalizing elixir that balances the PH levels in your body which can help with inflammation and indigestion. Yep, you heard that right, drinking this first thing in the morning can help stop indigestion even before it starts.  With that being said, if you feel like you're having trouble digesting after a large meal, drinking some lemon water can get things moving again and help stop belching and bloating.

Drinking lemon water throughout the day can boost your immune system, enhance your mood, clear up troubled skin and even freshen your breath. Stock your desk drawer at work with a few lemons and every time you fill up your water bottle, squeeze a bit of lemon into it. Also, if you find yourself in a 3pm slump or feeling stressed out, scratch the lemon peel with your finger nail and breath in deeply; the smell of lemons has been known to reduce anxiety and and increase energy.

When you're winding down after a long day and getting ready for bed (before you brush your teeth of course) have another glass of warm water with lemon.  Not only will this beverage help with relaxation it also completely hydrates you for your long night sleeps and alkalizes your body so you can feel like your healthiest self while you float off to dream land.

So remember, when life gives you lemons, say "Thank you!" and add a squeeze to your water!

Food of the month - Chocolate

 This month we decided to tackle the age-old question, “is chocolate good for you and your little ones?”  After some research we’ve got an answer for you: Yes and No.  The truth is, there are SO many types of chocolate out there and most of it is loaded with sugar, extra fat and is over all not healthy.  BUT when it comes to chocolate in it’s purest form known as cocoa (pronounced Ka-Cow) it’s REALLY good for you. 

Cocoa and dark chocolate both contain heart-healthy flavonoids, which keeps the cardiovascular system strong, has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, acts as a natural anti-depressant, contains the “good” fats and is a healthy source of caffeine.

Whether you’re sprinkling cocoa powder into your smoothies or enjoying a piece of dark chocolate to curb your sweet tooth, you want to make sure that the ingredient list is small and easy to pronounce. Also the lower the amount of sugar the better.

Now if your kiddos are used to extra sweet milk chocolate, giving them a piece of 80% dark chocolate will most likely scare their taste buds.  We recommend slowly upping the percentage of chocolate in their sweets. Also, the darker the chocolate the more the caffeine so it’s probably best that the healthy dark chocolate be placed in their lunch box as an afternoon dessert, not an after dinner treat as it may give them a pre-bedtime burst of energy.

As always, it’s so important to be an ingredient detective when choosing between types of chocolate, but once you’ve found a chocolate bar that is pure and high in cocoa, feel good about enjoying this food of the month!