(Photo Source: wikipedia.org)
Well, better late than never, but November has been National Pomegranate Month. I meant to mention that earlier…
Over the past few months, I’ve been testing out different products that have added pomegranate, so that I could start taking advantage of this seemingly powerful source of antioxidants.
Pomegranates are seasonal fruit that reach their peak in availability beginning in the Fall and run through early March. Both the seeds and the juice from these fruits are power sources rich in antioxidants and potassium (more on that in a minute). Results from research suggest benefits in decreasing damage resulting from such diseases as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Although more longitudinal (long term) research is still needed to fully endorse this fruit of its health benefits, putting a little more antioxidants into our daily diet is generally a good idea and this fruit is a good source for that. Besides, they are one of the better tasting options and are now being added to a variety of products including juices, honeys, breads and so on, making adding them to your diet extremely easy to try out.
Earlier this year, I received a generous gift from POM to try out their product and I offered to mention them in a blog post about pomegranates. I will say that their samples gave me a ‘boost’ in trying this fruit and I added their juice to my homemade baking, teas, honey and jellies, salads and marinades I made this summer. I wasn’t able to drink it straight, simply because the acidity is too much on my medication-laden tummy. Adding it to everyday foods and beverages, though, worked really well. Another reason to add a little at a time is because it is expensive to buy it through stores. Nonetheless, I liked their product and invite you to visit and explore their website, learn about what others are saying about their product and try some of their tasty recipes. There is a current contest going on right now and we tried a version of last year’s recipe winner for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was wonderful and you can check out this recipe on their website. They also have an online “community” that you can participate in to learn more from others in using this product - and pomegranates in general.
Now, the clincher about these fruits. As I mentioned earlier, they are great for boosting the antioxidants in your diet, but they are also high in potassium. Those of us with kidney involvement with our lupus and other illnesses need to watch how much potassium we take in. When I introduced the pomegranates into my diet this summer, I was doing very well with my lupus symptoms. However, in the last few months, I have noticed some changes in my health that is causing me to take a closer look at nutrition and exercise as a means of gaining back some personal control over my lupus.
According to the National Kidney Foundation (NFA), this mineral can be found in nearly anything we eat and builds up within our systems. Their webpage offers some guidelines on what are safe levels of potassium that you can determine through your dietician or medical provider. On their website, they list pomegranates (one whole fruit and juice) as a high potassium source, among some others that we should manage also. The NFA doesn’t necessarily recommend dropping these sources, as many of them (including pomegranates) are extremely beneficial to our daily health in moderated quantities. Moderating is especially true for all high potassium foods if you are currently undergoing dialysis. Their website also offers a way to reduce some of the potassium levels in vegetables through a process called “leaching”, which I found to be really helpful right now, with my recent health/kidney changes.
I’m not a medical practitioner, so take my discussion here as how pomegranates are being used in my personal health management. Overall, I really like pomegranates and have enjoyed experimenting with their flavor and health benefits. As always, check with your medical team (dietician, doctor, pharmacist, naturopath) before introducing anything new into your treatment and/or daily diet. Remain on the cautious side if your lupus is in a flare and remember that kidney trouble rarely shows any outward symptoms until things are severe.
Above all, enjoy what food can offer and experience the abundance we have available in our local farmers markets or grocery stores. We are fortunate to have so much variety available to us. Introducing a little adventure into our lives, with the support of our medical team, is probably what we need when we are feeling our worst. I have a daughter who loves to cook and she helps me when my energy levels are low. Find someone you can have as a food adventure buddy to cover those days when cooking is just too much work. The laughter and companionship during the preparation is good for helping us manage our emotions as well as our bodies.
Food is necessary for us~ why not make it count for both our health and our hearts?! If you have introduced pomegranates into your diet, please feel free to let us know through recipes, health-related information or other websites that would be great resources for our community to check out.
