Say Yes To Tomatoes

When you say "YES" to tomatoes you say "NO" to cancer, interesting isn't it?

World Cancer Day 2013 (4 February 2013) is not only an opportunity to raise our collective voices to dispel damaging myths and misconceptions about the disease but also create an increasing awareness of the right food choices that can prevent the disease and combat the spread of the disease.

Cancer-Fighting Tomatoes

The simple yet popular vegetable has grabbed the attention of millions of health seekers across the globe for its amazing phyto-chemical properties that fights against the dreaded cancer.

• The antioxidants present in tomatoes are scientifically proved to protect from many types of cancers that includes colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumors.

• Lycopene, a flavonoid antioxidant, is the unique phytochemical present in the tomatoes. Antioxidants are especially concentrated in the red varieties. Together with carotenoids, it washes away harmful free radicals in the body.

• Studies have shown that lycopene offers protection from skin cancer as it prevents skin damage from ultra-violet (UV) rays.

• The flavonoid rich tomatoes also protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Tomato nutrition facts

* Lycopene a carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes is known to be a potent cancer-fighting nutrient.

• One medium sized-tomato provides over a third of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C, and nearly a third of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin A that improves your vision. 
• Tomatoes are also a great source of fiber, carbohydrate, potassium and iron.
• Tomatoes are low in sodium and fat .It has 90% of water and acts as a diuretic that helps eliminate toxins while you’re on a diet.
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• Tomato has 0% of cholesterol and is heart friendly
• Tomato’s are rich in vitamin C and the Vitamin C content increases as the fruit ripens.
• Beta-carotene found in tomatoes builds up immunity, and overall health.
• Hence it is important that tomatoes should be included as part of a balanced diet.

The tomato diet

Tomatoes are the easiest method of consuming lycopene. You can eat raw tomatoes in salads or sandwiches, cooking tomatoes releases up to three times more lycopene for use within the body.

Adding concentrated tomato sauces, pastes or a tomato based pasta sauce to a meal will provide even more lycopene than raw tomatoes does and increases the cancer fighting potential of tomatoes.

Lycopene is also fat soluble, so it can be more easily absorbed in the presence of oil.

Let’s learn a tangy sweet & spicy tomato chutney recipe

Spicy & Sweet tomato chutney

Ingredients

• 2 large or 3 medium sized juicy red tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2-3 dry red chillies to suit your taste
• 1 green chilli, slit in half
• 1 tablespoon (mustard seeds+ cumin seeds + fennel seeds)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds dry roasted and crushed,
• 2 teaspoons sugar or jaggery
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil

Directions

In a deep pan, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds and when it splutters add cumin seed and fennel seeds, dry red chillies and cook for about a minute or until they start releasing the flavour.

Bring down the heat and add chopped tomatoes. Season it with salt and give a stir. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Add sugar or jaggery and mix it well.  Cover the pan and continue cooking in medium fire until it's cooked through. It may take 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the roughly crushed fennel seeds and cook for about 2 more minutes.

At the end, add the slit green chilli and switch off the fire.

Now, just enjoy the tongue tickling & lip smacking tomato chutney with dosa, idli or chappati (Indian bread) or with rice and pappad.