By the way, it is worth noting that attention should be paid to those products that will help strengthen the immune system and resist viral diseases, since it is during this period that the body feels the most tired from the ongoing cold weather and lack of sunlight. And here it is very important to minimize the use of foods that cause allergic reactions, which include: food with preservatives and additives, fast food, refined sugars, dairy products. Why? Because they feed pathogenic bacteria in the gut and cause inflammation, which further undermines the state of the immune system.
And now more about the products of February!
Vegetables
Rhubarb
This amazingly beautiful frost-resistant plant, with rich foliage and a thick red stem, is, of course, more familiar to our grandparents. But, probably, you have repeatedly heard about it, and maybe even tried it.
Rhubarb is not only tasty and nutritious, but also very healthy. It consists of 92% water, and its vitamin range is rich and varied: choline (B4), folic acid (B9), ascorbic acid (C), riboflavin (B2), tocopherol (E). Plus, the most important macro and microelements: potassium, zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, phosphorus, manganese and vital types of acids.
Soups, jelly, compotes are cooked from rhubarb, they are added to salads, and the plant is also actively used in cosmetology.
Onions
Ah, the onion! Well, who doesn’t know him? For more than 5000 years, it has been pleasing us with its beneficial properties.
And this plant is useful for the content of the most important vitamins for the body: B, C, E, PP. The effect is enhanced by the presence of fluorine, phosphorus, iron, sodium, quercetin, organic acids and essential oils in it. The latter, by the way, affect the pungent smell and specific taste of onions. He’s made more than one woman cry!
Raw, boiled, steamed, fried, dried – in any! Add it to salads, soups, main dishes. Onions can transform almost any dish.
Squash
And what kind of fruit is this?! No, it’s a vegetable! A vegetable that belongs to the gourd family. It looks like something between a pumpkin and a zucchini, but it tastes different from both. And, probably, you even repeatedly met him on store shelves.
Butternut squash (yes, squash is also called that) is rich in fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins E, C, K, PP, B9, minerals such as phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium, and the seeds also contain healthy fats.
Due to its pleasant sweet taste, this vegetable is great for making light salads, soups, vegetable purees and pastries.
Turmeric
Meet turmeric! Sometimes the name “yellow ginger” is also used. A powder is made from the dried rhizome of this plant, which is used as a spice known to everyone. According to Ayurveda, turmeric is the only spice that purifies the blood!
And turmeric is useful for its powerful vitamin composition. It contains vitamins C, B, B1, B2, B3, K, and such trace elements as iodine, calcium, phosphorus, iron, as well as various components of essential oils. But a special place among the advantages of turmeric is occupied by curcumin. It has strong healing properties and is an excellent natural food coloring, the basis of the E100 food supplement.
Various healing infusions and drinks are made from turmeric powder, as well as medical and cosmetic pastes, ointments and creams.
Complement the list of seasonal vegetables: swede, all kinds of cabbage, ginger, potatoes, chicory root, carrots, parsnips, radishes, turnips, beets, celery, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, horseradish, garlic.
Fruits and berries
Barberry
For the sour taste and beneficial properties, the berries of this plant are also called “sour lemon”. The fruits themselves are bright, dark red, collected in brushes, and they are collected frozen!
These berries are a real storehouse of nutrients. Barberry fruits contain many vitamins C, E, K, glucose, fructose, organic acids (malic, citric, tartaric), essential oils.
Barberry fruits in the form of jam, marmalade, jelly, syrups, drinks, seasonings. Root and bark in the form of decoctions, and leaves – in the form of healing infusions.
Garnet
Pomegranate is a real hit of the month, and indeed, of winter. In the East, it is considered “the king among all fruits.” Not in vain! Its composition is unique. And this rich, tart taste …
In terms of antioxidant content, pomegranate surpasses red wine and green tea. And some of the essential amino acids that make up its composition are found only in meat products.
Pomegranate is vitamins C, E, P, B6, B12, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iodine, iron, phosphorus, organic acids, glucose, fructose and tannins!
Just fresh, in the form of juice, and healing drinks and infusions are prepared from pomegranate peel.
Kizil
This berry has been known since antiquity, and is valued on a par with wild rose and lemon. Why? Because it has a rich vitamin and mineral complex.
First of all, the huge content of ascorbic acid, which is very important to use in the winter. And also the content of beta-carotene, pectin, tannins, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and sodium.
Fresh, dried, marinated, in the form of decoction, compote, jam, jelly, marmalade.
And an infusion of 1-2 tablespoons of berries can be used as a tonic. Great alternative to coffee!
Pomelo (China, Thailand)
The birthplace of this juicy fruit from the citrus family is China. And, it should be noted that there he is very revered. So much so that they even give each other for the New Year as a symbol of prosperity and well-being.
The set of nutrients and vitamins contained in the pulp of the fruit is impressive: vitamins A, C, B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, iron, essential oils and fiber. Plus, pomelo is the owner of a lipolytic enzyme that helps break down fats and proteins.
In the most fresh and natural! So healthier and tastier than anything. But you can also add it to salads and sauces.
Complement the list of seasonal fruits and berries: avocados (Israel, Mexico), bananas (South Africa, China, Africa), hawthorn, elderberry, grapefruit, pears, viburnum, climentines (Turkey), kumquat (China), cloudberries, sea buckthorn, mountain ash, apples , wild rose, cranberry.
crops
Cereals fall into three categories:
– pseudocereals (buckwheat, sesame),
– cereals (oatmeal, quinoa, amaranth, wild rice, black rice),
– legumes (peanuts, soybeans, chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas).
They will make your diet more satisfying and complete.
Here it is, rich and generous with food, February! Therefore, we take the list into service and strengthen the immune system in order to meet spring healthy and full of strength!