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Monday, May 9, 2011

Fennel (antioxidant powerhouse)

Hello, hope all the mom's out there had a great Mother's Day yesterday i know I sure did.  Today's veggie is fennel.  Some of you may not have ever even tried fennel but this is a staple with our Italian family.  We eat it like celery on holidays and I use it often in salads.

Fennel is a pale green bulb packed with disease preventing antioxidants and can be eaten raw and/or cooked.  Fennel is packed with vitamins B3, B5, C, E, K, beta-carotene, biotin, folate; calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc; and fiber.

Fennel is a natural diuretic and promotes health in the liver, kidneys and spleen.  It contains phytochemicals which act as powerful antioxidants.  Rutin is one of those phytochemicals which helps strengthen blood capillaries, therefore improving circulation.

Fennel has a flavor similar to licorice (it can be an acquired taste for some) but can really perk up a nice salad.  While were on the subjects of salads I recently had a nice arugula salad which had shaved pieces of fennel and shaved parmesan cheese...what a treat!

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