The Taste of Summer: Fresh Local Peaches!

End of summer is disheartening but it also means we are well into peach, apricot and nectarine season!! My heart rejoices!! Nothing tastes as good as a juicy peach from the Okanagan. Ok so lets look at their nutritional value!

Just by looking at their orange colour we know peaches, nectarines and apricots are high in vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene. A deficiency in beta-carotene could impact your eyesight especially at night. Do you find yourself squinting at night? You may want to eat a peach! Vitamin A is also important for growth and tissue healing of not only skin but also your bone and teeth! Do you spend a fortune on skin care products? Including foods high in vitamin A, like peaches, apricots and nectarines is a fantastic idea for healthy skin. It stimulates the growth of base layer skin cells which gives them more structure and integrity. It does this both on the outside of our bodies, like our skin but also the inside of our bodies , like the mucous lining of our nose, eyes, intestinal tract, bladder and respiratory lining. So if you are recovering from surgery or an injury Vitamin A is an important vitamin in your recovery. Beta-carotene is an ass kicking anti-oxidant which means it is going to work hard to fight against those free radicles that circulate our bodies causing issues! Did you know that apricots are considered by the Hunza’s to be the longevity fruit?? They may have something there since their life expectancy is 120 years old!! So eat them up while they are fresh and in season!!