Seasonal Spotlight: Carrots, a root tutti veggie!

It's fall, it's orange out, it's the season of warm, hearty, root vegetables of course! A lot of people turn their oven on to bake sweet stuff which is all good and delicious but how about having some delicious with a heaping side of health benefits? Carrots are a very common root vegetable which are easily cooked into sweet or savory dishes. However you like to eat 'em here are some rewards you'll reap: 


Most people know carrots as the Vit. A superfood, and they are. The nutrient is called Beta-carotene which helps to protect vision, especially night vision. After beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the liver, it travels to the retina where it is transformed into rhodopsin, a purple pigment that is necessary for night-vision. Plus beta-carotene's powerful antioxidant actions help provide protection against macular degeneration and the development of senile cataracts.

In addition, carrots have loads of antioxidant compounds called carotenoids. These are heart helpers:  In one study that examined the diets of 1,300 elderly persons in Massachusetts, those who had at least one serving of carrots and/or squash each day had a 60% reduction in their risk of heart attacks compared to those who ate less than one serving of these carotenoid-rich foods per day.


Carotenoids have also shown to stabilize blood sugar. Studies report people high carotenoid intake to offer a 20% decrease in postmenopausal breast cancer and an up to 50% decrease in the incidence of cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus. And, a diet including as little as one carrot per day could conceivably cut the rate of lung cancer in half. 


Now, how to get them into your diet then into your body:
Raw--I love to crunch them (cleans & strengthens your teeth too!) raw; add a little hummus or tzatziki sauce if you like. 
Carrot Soup (from NYTimes)
Carrot French Fries! (oven-baked)
Roasted Carrots (from NYTimes) --> also use sweet potatoes, beets, and onions!
And if you want to bake, try these healthy Carrot Muffins