Zucchini & their properties!
Zucchini are a very powerful purifying remedy, rich in potassium & antioxidants, find out how to choose them, what they contain & when to eat them.
The zucchini (cucurbita pepo) is one of the most consumed marrows on our tables, it belongs to the cucurbitaceae family together with pumpkin, cucumber & melon. It originates from central America, but is grown in all tempered climate countries & it is the first food given to newborns, this is a sign of how healthy it is.
It is mainly made out of water & minerals like iron, containing folic acid, & has a mild laxative effect because it is rich in insoluble fibres, therefore zucchini & a diet rich in these vegetables could therefore:
- Prevent the accumulation of fat in our blood
- absorb body poisons
- drain our colon
- extinguish existing inflammations
- Balance sodium assumption
- regulate cell homeostasis
- protect eyes & retina
Nowadays we find zucchini all year round, but it is actually in April when they are in season, hence rich in beneficial properties, & although there are many varieties, in Italy they are differed only by clear & dark zucchini, & although their nutritional content is almost identical we find a few little differences due to the area of cultivation.
DARK ZUCCHINI
Dark zucchini are a source of vitamin C, water & water soluble fibres, they also contain more chlorophyll, that stimulates in a natural way cell change & metabolism, cleaning this way our blood from the free radicals. They are ideally consumed raw & the most famous are:
- the black from Milan
- the dark from Piacenza
- Italian striated
CLEAR ZUCCHINI
The clear zucchini have a more delicate taste & are also sweeter, they are more nourishing because they contain less water but more minerals than the others therefore they are less draining. The most reknowned ones in Italy are:
- The roman zucchini
- The florentine
- The clear round zucchini from Niece
- The sicilian zucchini.
HOW TO CHOOSE THEM?
First of all it is best to buy them when they are in season, but still when buying them it is ideal to choose the dark green ones, richer in chlorophyll, very firm when touching (when they are too flexible almost soft it means that they have lost water therefore they have been picked very long ago), with a shiny peel and no dents. The best ones are the thinner and smaller ones, it is preferable to choose them with the flower still on , this means that they have been picked very recently, moreover the flower is rich in iron, carotene & plant hormones that nourish the collagen & protect the DNA. Zucchini deteriorate very easily, therefore they cannot be stored for long.
HOW TO EAT THEM?
In order to maintain all the nutrients, a real antioxidant & vitamin patrimony, we should eat them raw, just cut them very thinly & perhaps add some lemon juice for taste. Cooking them for a long time especially in water makes them lose approximately 50% of the vitamins present. To cook them in a correct way & not to lose all the vitamins we could choose to steam them. The peel must not be removed because that is were the chlorophyll is located, just rinse them thoroughly maye using some baking soda, & it is best to cut the ends only after cooking them so that they absorb less water.
Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet
Leave A Comment