Why You Should Eat Papayas

The wonderful thing about getting into a food routine is that it makes your life simple and yummy. You find a few foods that you love and you can eat them until you get sick of them and move onto something else. The problem? I've mentioned it before. When you're primarily a food blogger, what then do you have much to blog about? I've pretty much been doing the blueberry smoothie breakfast, apple sauce lunch, and big salad dinner thing for a week or so now, and it's been suiting me just fine. This morning though, I chose to go crazy and make a non-blueberry smoothie... wild, I know. Having been a year back in Canada, I forgot how slowly springs starts around here, and it's still so freaking cold. Today, I may have just culinarily snapped for more warm sandy beach, tropical island type foods. Though it was definitely miles away from being a locally-grown smoothie, it turned out pretty dang good! So here's the latest:

Wish-It Were Warm Here Smoothie

1 C papaya

1/2 mango

1 banana, frozen

1/4 C water

chunk of ginger

(optional: 1 tsp of maca and/or mesquite)

As you know, I always go with my food cravings when it comes to healthy options. When I have a sudden urge for Brazil nuts, I eat them, who knows, my selenium levels might be slightly off. If I'm craving carrots, my body may be asking me for more beta-carotene. The same happened yesterday when I had to buy a papaya, so what did I need? Who knows, here's a hunch:

All the nutrients found in papayas promote three major things: 1. cardiovascular health, in part by helping with cholesterol levels; 2. a healthy digestive system aka. a clean colon; 3. fitness levels and injury recovery, by reducing inflammation, healing wounds, helping with arthritis, and strengthening your immune system . Papayas contain an enzyme called papain, which helps digest proteins (perhaps another tip for all you fitness enthusiasts?). It's also really high in Vitamin C, as well as folate and potassium (Vitamins A, E, and K are pretty strong seconds).

A ripe papaya should taste like a sunset. It's true. I've had so many gross under-ripe acidic papaya in my day to know that you have to pick these ripe. Once you find that perfect papaya, eat (or sip) away!