Thursday afternoon raspberry picking....

Hi all! On my way home from work yesterday, I swung by the local organic farm by my house in Stouffville. It is raspberry season!! You gotta love this time of year when you can get such great local produce! It is so great to have amazingly fresh berries that were grown so close to home! Yesterday was the first time this year that I picked my own and let me tell you, I really enjoyed myself. I was having sort of a hectic week, busy all around and was starting to feel the effects of the stress. I could have just gone home and started on my list of things to do, but I decided to go to the farm instead.


Let me tell ya, it was a great idea....


The birds were a chirping, wind was blowing softly (it was super hot, but there was a nice breeze) and the raspberries were very tasty. I might have sampled 1 or 2 during my picking. Don’t tell anyone. Anyways, what I learned (this lesson continues to be re-enforced for me) is when you are having a busy and hectic week sometimes all you need is to slow down a bit and connect with nature, maybe pick a few berries. I felt so much better after this experience. I totally calmed down and went home a more peaceful person! I continue to keep learning the lesson that sometimes when life gets busy and you have a ton of things you need to get done...sometimes all you need is to take a break do something to calm and ground you and then you can go back to your hectic life more calm and centred. What I now know for sure, is that you come back to your hectic life feeling calmer, things in your life start to get less crazy and you become more productive. It happens every time and every time I am so amazed by it! Try it when your life gets crazy which if you are like most of us crazy North Americans, it is right now. See what happens.


Now back to food and nutrition. Here are some raspberry tips;


Raspberries are true super foods. Here is a list of some of the amazing benefits


• Raspberries contain almost 50% higher antioxidant activity than strawberries, three times that of kiwis, and ten times the antioxidant activity of tomatoes


• Ellagic acid in raspberries is known for its antioxidant potential and has been shown in many studies to aid in the prevention of all types of cancer.


• Raspberries are an excellent source of fiber, manganese and vitamin C. They are also a good source of vitamin B2, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium and copper.


Serving Ideas


• Make a yogurt parfait – mix plain yogurt + raspberries + handful of walnuts, drizzle with raw honey, agave syrup or sprinkle with stevia if needed


• Make homemade raspberry sorbet. Freeze raspberries! Place in your food processor; add honey, agave or stevia + vanilla (optional). Blend until creamy. Enjoy!!


• Add to your next smoothie for an antioxidant boost


• Enjoy them on their own with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

• Sprinkle a few on top of your oatmeal


Thank you to those who took the time to give me some ideas for recipes that you are looking for. If you haven’t contributed yet and want to go here and leave a comment....


http://jamiesnourishingbites.blogspot.com/2010/07/calling-all-of-my-blog-followers.html


PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES HERE!! WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN LIFE GETS HECTIC? DO YOU HAVE ANY WAYS THAT YOU DE-STRESS WHEN LIFE GETS STRESSFUL? WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR TIPS THAT WORK FOR YOU!!