Mango - The Perfect Addition To Your Salad

Happy Summer!  Mangoes are now in season and a favorite in our house. We eat them for breakfast, as a snack, and at least a few mangoes get consumed daily these days. The 'king of fruits', as mango is sometimes called, is one of the most nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavor, taste and health-promoting qualities. They taste so good it's hard to believe they are actually healthy, but they are! 

Mangoes are loaded with more than 20 vitamins and minerals that defend the body against disease. They are high in iron, so people who suffer from anemia can enjoy mangoes regularly. Mangoes help to reduce cholesterol and are a rich source of vitamin A. Mangoes are even good for better sex, since the vitamin E which is abundantly present in mangoes, help to regulate sex hormones and build sex drive.

Mangoes can also be used externally to improve skin tone, as they clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. Mangoes help to make the body more alkaline and are also important in preventing constipation due to their high fiber and water content. Recent studies have shown that contrary to popular belief, mangoes may also help to protect against diabetes.

My favorite salad this season is one that includes mango - I am addicted! I can eat it every day and never tire of the taste. No matter what other vegetables are included, mango makes a salad sweeter, yummier, prettier, zestier and more flavorful. Add some lemon or lime juice and perhaps a little vinegar, olive oil and/or herbs, and you have an amazing and very satisfying dish.

The easiest and most efficient way to cut little cubes is to slice each side of the mango just past the pit and cut a grid without breaking the skin. Turn it inside out and just use your thumb to push off the little pieces right into your salad.  As you do this, the sweet mango juice will drip into your salad and garnish it with yummy-ness.

More good news - mangoes are very low in calories, only about 110 in each. The sweetness of mangoes also helps in curbing the appetite for other sweet things, because the high fiber content helps keep us feeling full, with less of a need to snack.

Mangoes fight cancer, alkalize the body, aid in weight loss, regulate diabetes, help digestion, clean your skin and make the perfect snack. We should all be eating more mangoes, don't you think?

Hope you enjoy!