A Juicy Fruit for the Heart
Yes, strawberries are a near-perfect fruit. Tightly packed into each one you’ll find folate, fiber, vitamin C, and other nutrients that help ensure you’ll never be made lonely by heart disease.
Berries That Love You Back
Recent research suggests that eating strawberries may even help shave down your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels — which would be a very good thing, because high CRP levels signal heart-hampering inflammation in the body. So eat strawberries one by one, or try something different, like this colorful Strawberry Bruschetta.
Astoundingly good for minimal effort, this makes an indulgent weekend breakfast or anyday dessert. A judicious smear of mascarpone (half the fat of butter) is part of the luxury, but even lighter low-fat cream cheese will work as well. The real secret is warming the berries just enough to make the flavor bloom and transform their juices into a rosy syrup.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
4 thick slices whole-wheat bread
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries
4 tablespoons mascarpone (Italian cream cheese)
1. Toast bread in a toaster.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add strawberries and stir until juices begin to exude and the berries are heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon mascarpone on each piece of toast. Top with the warm berries.
Top 5 Reasons Why This Berry Is a Winner
Chocolate-dipped or plain, strawberries shout, “I love you!” with all these nifty, nutritious qualities:
Folate
Fiber
Vitamin C
Potassium
Flavonoids (like quercetin, kaempferol, and anthocyanin)
And getting all of these goodies combined in a juicy strawberry may be far better for your heart than getting them individually — another example of food synergy.
For more great health tips and recipes, browse Encouraging Health and the 451 Press Network.
strawberries, folate, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, heart health
strawberries, folate, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, heart health
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