Pomegranates...the Tasty "Super Fruit"

Since my blogs are based on the topics of love, health, and happiness, I am going to focus on probably the most important one of the three: good health. Let’s face it, we all need good health to survive and flourish, so taking care of ourselves is essential. I’m specifically going to share my love and thoughts on pomegranate, the “super fruit.” Yes, this is a super-healthy, antioxidant-containing fruit, which grows on trees, and contains many tiny red seeds inside. The fruit’s outside layer is hard and usually ruby red. Once you cut into that hard layer, inside the treasure awaits…tiny red seeds. Those small seeds contain a sweet and tangy juice, which I simply adore. I usually cut the fruit into four pieces, and suck the juice out like I would an orange. Or, if I feel like it, I would take the seeds out individually (which takes forever), and put them into a bowl. Pomegranates are in season from March to May around where we live, and boy do I take advantage of that! This fruit has been praised and loved all throughout history, especially in the Middle East countries where it is abundant. I am Russian-Armenian, and I know that the pomegranate has played a great role in both cultures. In Armenia, pomegranate, or “nur,” as it is called, is a very popular fruit, widely grown and exported. Although it is not as popular in Russia, due to the cold climate of the country, which is not ideal for pomegranate cultivation, my encounter with this fruit began before I was born. My mother loves to tell the story of how when she was pregnant with me, she would have cravings for pomegranate, or “granat” in Russian. She would make my father bring loads of it home, which was probably a difficult thing to do, especially during the harsh Russian winters! She said she ate a ton of it before having me, and that’s why I love it so much. I am especially happy to know of all the wonderful health benefits that pomegranates have. A pomegranate’s juice contains radical fighting antioxidants, which help our body's cells stay healthy and fight against illnesses. I have even read that there have been studies where pomegranate juice helped cut back heart disease risk factors. I love drinking pomegranate juice, which is widely available in supermarkets, or sprinkling the seeds into salads. I recommend that anyone who has not tried this magical fruit to do so. Just be warned: your face will be stained with red juice, but the taste is so worth it!

This website will give you more info. on the health benefits of pomegranates http://www.pomwonderful.com/