Sugarcane

The harvest festival ,does bring with it many treasured memories of time spent together as family….these memories include one in particular ,that of enjoying the time spent talking, with a big bowl of sugarcane pieces….to my mind nothing else can compare,at this time, to the taste of crunching on fresh sugarcane and being rewarded by your mouth filling up with the yummy juice which has just the right amount of sweetness ,that is never overpowering !!! A taste that is enriched only by sharing the experience with family,especially children…crunch on a piece of sugarcane and the smiles will reach your eyes,no matter how old you are !!! It’s available now in the market,you should definitely take advantage of that and bring home that treat to savour,I doubt very much that you would regret it.

Now for some nutritional information that I’m sure many of us had little knowledge about…
1.Chewing sugarcane,helps to strengthen your gums,keeps the teeth and mouth clean,removes odour causing bacteria.
2.It’s very good in the treatment of jaundice and liver related disorders !
3.In the 2008 journal of food chemistry,sugarcane was found to have terrific antioxidant properties ,it has the ability to scavenge free radicals and plays a protective role against radiation induced DNA damage.
4.It boosts the body’s immunity and is known to fight common viral infections like the flu and common cold.
5.It contains only 15% sugar while the rest is water and a rich source of vitamins and minerals including calcium and iron,magnesium and zinc,Vitamins A,B1,B2,B3,B5 and B6…which help in the slow absorption of sugars into the body,thereby helping one maintain a healthy body metabolism
6.In the summer months,it works well to ward off dehydration.
7.It’s only when it is processed and converted to white sugar,does it refrain from being healthy !
8.While the juice is beneficial,if you can,chewing the pieces has far greater benefits !
Let us take time to give our body seasonal nutrients which can only help bring about fitness for mind,body and soul !

I know what the snack of choice is going to be at our home during this season…one option is definitely the succulent morsels of sugarcane,how about you ?