It’s National Spinach Day!
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Category Archives: Healthy Living
#thursdaythrive all about Mushrooms!
#thursdaythrive all about Mushrooms!
- Mushrooms are comprised of 85-95 % water.
- Mushrooms have their own immune system.
- The Honey Mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) is the world’s largest known organism. This massive organism covers 2,384 acres (nearly four square miles) of soil in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. The fungus is estimated to be 2,400 years old but could be as ancient as 8,650 years.
- In the Amazon Rainforest, mushrooms release spores high into the air, creating the surface for water to condense, thus triggering rain. A feedback loop is created as the rain promotes more fungal growth.
- Like human skin, mushrooms can produce vitamin D by being exposed to sunlight. In fact, exposing a freshly cut shiitake mushroom, gills up, to the sun for eight hours can increase its vitamin D content by as much as 4,600 times!
March Produce Guide
#thursdaythrive all about Asparagus!
#thursdaythrive all about Asparagus!
- Asparagus is a member of the Lily family.
- Asparagus has no fat, contains no cholesterol and is low in sodium.
- Asparagus has the potential to grow quickly. In ideal conditions an asparagus spear can grow 10 inches in a day.
- The asparagus plant needs to establish a healthy crown before harvesting. Do not harvest your asparagus the first two years after planting.
- Prime asparagus season is in spring from February to June with April being the most active harvest month in the northern hemisphere.
- There are three types of asparagus. 1. Green which is what most people buy in the store. 2. White is green asparagus that has been denied light while growing so the chlorophyll never developed and is less bitter. 3. Purple asparagus has a high sugar and low fiber content. The purple color comes from a phytochemical. This is the same deep-purplish blue pigment found in blueberries.
- When storing asparagus do not wash asparagus or never soak it. Instead, trim the ends of the fresh asparagus and stand them upright in a jar with an inch of water. Cover the asparagus with a plastic bag and store spears in the refrigerator for no more than to two days for best use.