Vitamin C

Daily Gratitude Y ear 13 - Day 349: Today, I am grateful for vitamin C.

Mama Ina Mae was ahead of the curve. She treated most things with vitamins, oils, salves, and teas. If you live long enough... you become your mother. 

I am especially grateful for vitamin C. Whenever I start to feel "not quite right" a heavy dose always seems to help. In these winter months, we miss the days of fresh produce and farmer's markets. We are blessed to live in a time where we can go to a supermarket and pick up just about anything our heart's desire. 

As I looked at this list of fruits and veggies, I cannot help but note that some are root vegetables that were kept in root cellars. When the days are short, the sun is far away, and our bodies still in need of vitamin C, our diet can still provide. 

The earth needs the winter months to refresh and restore. Humans still need to eat. Pickling has long been a way of having food through the winter months. 

Red Cabbage is a good example. The fermentation process involved in making pickled red cabbage helps to increase the bioavailability of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Pickling food isn't just for flavor and preservation, it turns out that it is really good for us. 

I never cease to by amazed of the "new things" science is discovering that have been woven into our diets for thousands of years. 

"Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. -Genesis 1:11-12

Today, I am grateful for vitamin C.