“Dolly the Date offered Tommy the Tomato a date to eat and said, “Dates contain iron, which gives you energy. After Tommy the Tomato ate the date, he felt a sudden burst of energy and began playing with the other kids. Tommy the Tomato said to himself, ‘I need to eat dates every day to have energy.'”– Excerpt from The Adventures of Tommy The Tomato.
Date fruit comes from a date palm tree. This tree is found primarily in Northern Africa and the Middle East, but can be found in other parts of the world. Dates can be eaten as a dried snack food, or used as an ingredient in different kinds of desserts. Dates have a higher content of natural sugars and can taste like honey. The types of sugars they contain are in a glucose and fructose form, and are better than cane sugar.
Dates are high in nutrition, containing calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, magnesium, volatile oils, Vitamin-B6, folic acid, Potassium, Iron and Magnesium, proteins, and sugars. Dates are also high in vitamins and are rich in natural fibers.
Here are a few great benefits to incorporating dates into a healthy diet:
Based on studies, dates are effective in preventing abdominal cancer.
Dates strengthen a weak heart. It is recommended that they should be soaked overnight and taken twice a week.
Because dates contain so many nutrients, they are excellent in fighting hunger. They also provide the necessary sugar which reduce hunger and reduce food consumption.
Eating dates eases the pain of childbirth. They contain hormones which strengthen the uterus, help produce milk for nursing mothers and also prevent blood loss after childbirth.
Dates are rich in calcium, therefore they contribute to healthy bones. Both children and older adults, especially women, should eat dates to help strengthen their bones.
Dates assist in resisting respiratory diseases.
If you eat dates first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, they will kill intestinal worms and other parasites, thereby keeping friendly bacteria in the intestines.
If you tie a date to the wrist of a baby and let the baby to suck on the date during teething, it will help to harden the baby’s gums and help prevents restlessness and diarrhea.
As you can see, dates have a variety of heath benefits .
The Adventures of Tommy The Tomato by author and nutritionist, Jay Holt is a fantastic book of color-filled illustrations for both children and parents about nutrition. Tommy and his friends are a group of fruits and vegetables who teach kids about the fun of eating healthy. Each character is named after a letter of the alphabet, so it’s easy to follow and reinforces primary learning. Children relate to each page of the story while learning about good nutrition.
Whether it is date fruit, or another vegetable or fruit, find those healthy foods that appeal to your child(ren) and then use them in a variety of different recipes. You can find more information about healthy recipes by visiting www.tommythetomato.com.
Source:
Book: The Adventures of Tommy the Tomato
www.tommythetomato.com
Wisegeek.com
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-date-fruit.htm
Ezinearticles.com
http://ezinearticles.com/?Date—A-Wonder-Fruit-of-Arabia&id=1527461
