Strawberries! Such a beautiful red, sweet tasting jewel! A fruit which is loved by almost everyone and it’s used in so many desserts, shakes and smoothies and makes a fantastic snack.

As a child, I hated strawberries yet I loved strawberry Ribena… thankfully my opinions of both have been completely reversed! Even as an adult, strawberries were really a fruit I would buy or eat even if we had some at home. Whenever I ate strawberries they tasted a bit sour, tangy and never juicy of sweet. I’ve come to the conclusion that since turning gluten-free and paleo that perhaps my taste buds have been cleansed and my ability to taste and appreciate food has improved. That or strawberries until that point just didn’t taste as nice? Either way, I’m glad I’ve developed a love for strawberries. I love topping my chocolate waffles with them (which I’ve not had in ages by the way, go me! Although it’s mostly because I only have one tin of coconut milk left and don’t want to waste it as I can’t be bothered to order more. Plus I order it from Abel & Cole and that and coconut oil are the only things I buy from there and I don’t use either too often).

Anyway, I have strawberries almost every day. I love slicing them up with bananas, drizzling them in honey and topping them with mixed seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate chips and ground almonds. It’s such a simple yet delicious snack. Occassionally, I vary the fruits I use and can include blueberries and grapes but strawberries and bananas are the perfect combination. I have bananas every single day in this way… my day doesn’t feel right anymore unless I’ve eaten a banana… I’m not sure if that’s a good thing though! This snack is uber healthy and it beats regular strawberries and cream!

These ‘postcards’ are from Oasis Advanced Wellness, I follow them on Facebook (I’m not encouraging people to sign up or join as it can be a big waste of time but I use it to save time by having interest lists instead of being a fb junkie and watching my newsfeed all day. I basically have beneficial posts all in one place and it takes minutes to whizz through it all. Kinda like google reader and others like it but I choose to follow specific pages where I can get good info from). OAW are pretty cool and I’ve saved all their ‘postcards’ which I intend to share with you over time so keep our eyes peeled.

Random and fun facts about strawberries:

• Strawberries also prevent constipation and even colon cancer because they wash away harmful toxins in our intestines.
• Strawberry consumption also increases memory.
• Strawberry has antioxidants that protect our immune system. So try a strawberry dipped in melted chocolate for a double boost of disease-fighting antioxidants.
• These red berries also keep our eyes bright. Studies on eyesight reveals that eating at least 5 strawberries a day could keep your vision clear.
• Pregnant women may also get a good amount of folic acid from eating strawberries.
• There are about 200 seeds in every strawberry
• A 100g serving of strawberries will serve you for just 50 calories – that’s a whooping 0g of fat – Another punnet anyone?
• Strawberries can help whiten your teeth. The acids in the fruit help to remove stains.
• Strawberries are full of a special substance called ellagic acid which can help fight cancers.
• They are also full of flavonoids, which form part of the strawberry’s red colour. They are known to help reduce cholesterol from clogging up the heart’s arteries.
• Eight strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange, that’s 140% of our daily recommended amount
• Strawberries can also be white or yellow and some can even taste like pineapples
• The strawberry plant, along with its good mate the raspberry plant, are members of the rose family.