Summer Is Here - So Are Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Summer is here and that for me means fresh vegetables and fruits from my garden. I have always been a green thumb type person.  My family comes from a long line of farmers. So, farming you can say is in my blood.

My sweet tooth & sugar cravings

I am also your typical liver patient that suffers from all the side effects of unhealthy eating and cravings an unhealthy liver gives us. I am a sugar addict. I crave sweets nonstop. My ultimate favorite is jawbreakers. Yes, the highest form of pure sugar anyone could eat. That and cotton candy. Just writing this my salivary glands are going wild.

Not long ago I began reading what is good to eat for a bad liver and learned everything I had been consuming to this point was awful for my liver and body. After my cure, I vowed to help my liver heal and regenerate by taking charge of my health and eating a better diet. This meant eliminating my sugar and increasing my vegetables and fruit. I am honest here, I still cheat and do eat, on occasion, one of my temptations but no longer do I just live on that.

A healthy hobby

A couple of blogs ago I shared how you can fight the blues of being cooped up in your home by starting an indoor garden. Well, I did just that and have since transplanted all those seedlings out into my back-yard garden. I enjoy going outside every day and watering and weeding the area I made for this creation. I am nurturing these plants as I know they soon will be nurturing my body with amazing vitamins and minerals I need.

Plating a garden is easy. You can even do a small one on a patio if you like. Pick up some plants you think you will enjoy. Add in one that you think you will detest. Here is why...I never in a million years thought I would enjoy raw spinach. But, after learning a few tricks of how to steam and season with Mrs. Dash, it is now one of my all-time favorites. Plus, I cut only out what I want to eat for that day and the rest continues to regrow. 

Getting creative & finding new favorites

Carrots and beets are another good healthy vegetable, they are full of beta-carotene that stimulates liver health. Apples are my favorite go-to fruit. They are quick and easy to grab and eat on-the-go. Citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, and lemons are natural cleaners that help flush out toxins. Throw a couple of slices in your water or iced tea and there is your addition to helping your liver.

Be creative when planting. Try new things and read up on how to prepare them. You just might find a new favorite and now have a quick go-to when your body is screaming to give and feed it junk. Plus, you benefit from seeing that red beautiful tomato ripe on the vine and get to eat it right off the picking.