One of the many wonderful reasons I love living in Southern California is the easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally. Just about anything can grow along the pacific coast and it makes me wonder how I survived living on the east coast for 22 years without ever tasting a fresh fig or really enjoying an avocado picked right off the tree. I guess I didn’t know what I was missing, except now I would kill for a thunderstorm once in a while.
Like I said, California grows some fabulous fruits including one of my favorites: the oh-so-very-sweet Mission or black fig. They were brought to California by Spanish missionary fathers who first planted them in San Diego in 1759. But figs go way back. They were mentioned in a Babylonian hymn book about 2000 BC, and have played very important roles throughout history. Figs were held sacred in many countries, used medicinally to cure a range of ailments and consumed as a training food by early Olympic athletes.
Pliny, the Roman writer (52-113 AD) said, “Figs are restorative. They increase the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health and make them look younger with fewer wrinkles.”
And was he indeed right!
Figs are a highly alkaline fruit, which means it keeps your pH level balanced and body working optimally. They promote healthy bowel function because they are loaded with fiber, are a good source of potassium to control blood pressure, are high in calcium to promote better bone density, and also contain magnesium, iron, copper and manganese.
Here is a very cleansing and detoxifying smoothie you can make at home. It’s sweet and only takes seconds to prepare. In a blender combine these ingredients and enjoy:
- 1 cup black figs (or any fig of your choice)
- 1 cup red grapes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup ice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- dash of sea salt
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