Day 25: 

Juice: Grape Ape

Grape Ape:
3 Apples
1 Bunch of Grapes
1 Nectarine

This is my first time juicing grape. Grape Juice is an iconic grade school juice like Apple, but I had never tried making grape juice before. (Obviously, I make apple juice all the time, since it is the base for most juice recipes.)
It was delicious and a beautiful color (though you can't really tell from my picture).

When I was a kid I had a love hate relationship with grapes. Mainly because I had to mow our fourteen acre farm and concord grapes - the native grape species - grew their way all over our property. I would battle them and their woody vines all summer long with an ancient lawn mower and a rusty pair of bush shears.

Inside, I would enjoy their sweet tartness by the handfuls, but outside it was grape guts everywhere. No mercy. Give them an inch and next summer they'd take a mile. A amicable resolution has not yet been reached...it is a war that is still being fought. (Some may wish to refer to it a 'police action'- to each his own).

Needless to say, Grapes are worthy opponents, but even better allies (ain't that always the way). Grapes, though small, are crammed full of nutritional benefits (good things come in small packages). Worlds Healthiest Foods has provided a list of Grapes phytonutrient content:

"While a single grape variety is unlikely to contain all of the phytonutrients listed below, grapes as a group have been shown to provide us with the following health-supportive nutrients:

• Stilbenes
  • resveratrol
  • piceatannol
  • pterostilbene
• Flavanols
  • catechins
  • epicatechins
  • procyanidins
  • proanthocyanidins
  • viniferones
• Flavonols
  • quercetin
  • kaempferol
  • myricetin
  • isorhamnetin
• Phenolic Acids
  • caffeic acid
  • coumaric acid
  • ferulic acid
  • gallic acid
• Carotenoids
  • beta-carotene
  • lutein
  • zeaxanthin

In addition to the above-listed nutrients, grapes have also been shown to contain the hormone and antioxidant melatonin as well as unique oligopeptides (small protein-like molecules) that have anti-bacterial and other properties." (Source)

Woah, right! Now, I know that is a list of a lot of words you may not know the meaning of, but the key thing to take away from this is...to mix it up. Look for other varieties at the store and mix 'em all up. 

But also, this astounding list of nutrients means grapes can benefit "cardiovascular system, respiratory system, immune system, inflammatory system, blood sugar regulating system, and nervous system. Another area of special benefit is cancer prevention, with risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancer emerging as the most likely areas of grape anti-cancer benefits." (Source)

So, It turns out this grade school favorite made the list for good reason, so just 'cause you aren't in school anymore doesn't mean you can't enjoy a little blast from the past!

Emotional Lifestyle:

Sometimes as a nanny/babysitter I have a hard time believing I, essentially, get paid to play.

 

This is how I spent my Thursday. I build a block castle. 11 month old baby is the wrecking ball. I build another. Repeat.

It is civilization in fast forward...............................or a really bad habit for preschool.