My Radish Years!

I could not believe my eyes. Here, in the book I was reading, the innocuous, rarely spoken about vegetable of my youth was now a dietary super star, in its own right. I had been in a love affair with radishes all my life. Little did I know of these powerhouse gems' affect on human health. I was excited once again. (I get excited over the silliest things).

As a little girl, I loved radishes. I cannot remember a time when they were not a special and delicious part of my diet. I was this strange person, in love with radishes. Desserts were not as enticing to me, as were those red round vegetables that graced my plate especially when I ate sandwiches.

To extricate us from our ills, we rely upon medications, at times, and vaccines to protect us from terrible life-threatening diseases. In my childhood, vaccines were given for measles, chicken pox, diphtheria and mumps, to name a few. Now we have a plethora of injections for all manner of ills affecting us. Radishes, those tiny bulbous root vegetables of my youth, had been dietary super stars, all along. What a stroke of luck.

Food is medicine, we hear time and time again. The drug commercials tell us other 'truths', however. We need drugs to stay healthy yet the contraindication of these 'clinical researched' trials begs us to stop and think. Is this group think? Maybe, we need to eat better and try new foods to upgrade the status of our health. Food is less profitable but more accessible. Who should we trust? Maybe we should trust radishes and apples, both superstars in our  health.

There is a salad called the Waldorf salad that uses diced apples, celery, sliced grapes and toasted walnuts mixed with a mayonnaise dressing. It is an American classic, first introduced in the 1800's. Perhaps a more modern version of it could include radishes. I think I'm going to make it the next time salads are requested from me. What is the harm? No one needs to know. The more ingredients in a salad the greater our exposure to increased health benefits overall. Yum. I can hardly wait!

Radishes were a complimentary part of my lunches and family picnics, as a child. Loved the crunch, to be sure. Some habits never change. Salmon salad was a winner in my lunches then, too, as were egg salad and plain ham and lettuce sandwiches. There was simply nothing like my sandwiches. I reveled in the sheer delight of radishes and sandwiches, together, like beer and hotdogs, at a baseball game. (I don't drink beer.) Even, today, radishes are side by side with my tuna, egg or ham salad sandwiches. When they're absent, something is missing.

Who knew the red skins of these red root vegetables were also powerful antidotes to cancer and other ills, a way of keeping the arteries and veins open, free flowing, preventing plaque formation in the blood. ... According to Anthony Williams, the medical medium, radishes are the gold stars in our diet.  So are their green tops. Who knew? My love affair with these round red vegetables began in childhood and has never stopped. The skins destroy cancer cells in their embryonic state. Radishes bestow a myriad of health benefits upon us that are ludicrous to ignore.

The produce aisle is a colourful state of mind and body. It is impossible to walk by and not notice these medicinal displays. A healthy body awaits with undervalued radishes at the top. Whenever I make potato salad, radish roses adorn its surface. Using a small sharp paring knife, I slowly follow the curved sides of the radish peeling down to its base, without removing the skins. Generally, 4-5 separate slits are made. The 'flower' is then placed into cold water, overnight, so that the slivers of red and white, curl away from the center portion, thus revealing a beautiful rose, each time. Using celery, thin stems can be made then placed beneath the 'rose' atop the potato salad. When many are made, a bouquet results, giving any meal that professional finishing touch.

Radishes have been a mainstay in my diet, forever. Since every other fruit or vegetable have received top billing over the years, it's now radish's turn in the spotlight. My life is complete.