It is Time

With the dwindling daytime sunlight and cooling weather pattern comes a familiar tart tasty treat, the pomegranate. Certainly there are other foods that are easier to prepare and less messy to eat, but there’s hardly a food so FUN to get into which nets the same health benefit for the effort.

Aside from being great for snacking, these bulbous red orbs are packed with vitamins A, C, E and folic acid, iron, and is extremely high in “flavonoids”, a spectacular antioxidant (which helps to ward off cancer).

But wait, there’s more! These little buggers are so deliciously packed with healthy goodness, they’ve been researched by some of the best facilities in the world!

The Proof is in the Pudding

Whether you are eating the whole seeds, or drinking fresh juice, research suggests that some of the benefits of adding this ‘Chinese Apple” to your diet are:

  • helps maintain normal blood flow
  • keeps bad cholesterol from forming
  • may help with atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, and diabetes
  • helps keep skin clear and soothes inflammation
  • prevents symptoms of anemia, such as exhaustion, dizziness, and weakness

If you think that’s enough of a reason to dive right in for some pomegranate goodness, we agree! But in case you needed just a little more prodding, Medline Plus reports the following:

“Pomegranate is used for conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure (CHF), heart attack, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), and high cholesterol. It is also used for conditions of the digestive tract, including diarrhea, dysentery, and tapeworm and other intestinal parasites.“

A Cautionary Tale

You know how to tell a dietary supplement is really good for you? Big Pharma will come out with a list of medications that you may want to avoid taking with your food! The University of Maryland reports people should not eat pomegranate when taking medications such as ACE inhibitors, blood pressure medications, statins, and warfarin.

Don’t get us wrong, pomegranate is such a little bad boy there are even other foods you should avoid in certain conditions! For instance

“taking pomegranate along with other herbs and supplements that might lower blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low. Some of these products include dan shen, ginger, Panax ginseng, turmeric, valerian, and others.” (sourced from Medline Plus)

And Now to Make a Mess!

It's Just Too HardWhile most people like the taste and benefits of the delectable pomegranate seeds, getting to them can be a disastrous undertaking… particularly in white! Stained kids, pets and counter tops have taught many to just go for the juice and avoid the work.

But there’s a tick to these puppies, a hack if you will for the generation Y! Basically all you need is a knife (and some steady hands), a strong wooden spoon, a bowl to catch your goodies in, and a strong urge to take out your frustrations on the butt end of a weird little fruit!

Simply score the edge of the fruit around the middle and then gently pull it apart into two halves with your hands. Hold one half (seeds down) in one hand over the bowl, and with your stronger, pimp-hand, smack the crap out of the little red bottom in front of you. Turn it around a few times and make sure to spank it all around the edges. All of the seeds and some big chunks form the inside will fall out. Easy-peasy!

In case the description just isn’t enough, here’s a link to a YouTube video showing you how to get it done.

So… What Do You Think?

After all this you’re sure to want to add some good old smacked pomegranate to your diet. It’s not just good for you, it’ll help reduce your stress and frustration! Let us know how you like your seeds, and we’ll see you on the healthy side.