Peaches: A Tribute To My Roots and My Band

I few years ago, I learned how to play the drums. Adam picked up the guitar. We turned out to be pretty good. So good that we decided to tour the country. We formed a band, and fondly named it 'The Raging Hormones'. We had groupies (how could we not with a name like that?). My stage name was 'Peaches', as a tribute to my Georgian roots. His stage name was questionable, so I'll just keep that to myself. We played in bars, restaurants, out of the back of our station wagon...

Nah... I'm just jerking your chain. We didn't have a REAL band. We had a 'Rock Band' band. How embarrassing is that?!?

What does that have to do with today's post? Not a whole lot other than the fact that I share a stage name with today's amazing fruit, the peach.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Peaches originated in China and slowly made their way to many other places. The Spaniards brought them to the states, including my glorious home state of Georgia. Peaches clearly caught on because they're delicious, BUT they're also pretty good for you too. Peaches...

• Have fewer than 70 calories, and that's for a large peach! - Snack on, my friends!
• Contain about 7% of your day's fiber (based on a 2,000 calorie diet) and help you feel full longer. -  They're tricky little things!
• Are 80% water, which helps flush out your system. - A mini-cleanse, without the pain of a full-on cleanse!
• Help you curb that sweet tooth without jumping for the dessert tray! The natural sugars found in fruit are much easier for your body to process than the added sugars you find in processed foods. - Back away from the dessert table slowly!
• Increase your daily selenium intake, which can put you at less risk of skin cancer. - Sunscreen and peaches!
• Provide additional sources of vitamin A and vitamin C. - A little more help can't hurt!

Those peaces are looking REEAAAALLLLL good about now. They're in season during the summer months, so NOW is the time! When buying peaches, stay away from bruising and look for firm peaches that yield slightly with a little pressure. They also start to smell really nice about the time they are ripe and ready to go!

In addition to snacking on them, here are a few recipes to get your wheels turning...

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH PEACH AND PEPPER SALSA:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-halibut-with-peach-pepper-salsa-10000001988577/

Image courtesy of myrecipes.com

PEACH GAZPACHO:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Peach-Gazpacho-Recipe-18215699

Image courtesy of fitsugar.com

GRILLED PEACHES OVER ARUGULA WITH GOAT CHEESE & PROSCIUTTO:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-peaches-over-arugula-with-goat-cheese-prosciutto-10000001809092/

Image courtesy of myrecipes.com

Jump on that Java: The Latest Coffee Study

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

I have mixed feelings on coffee. Now before you crucify me, coffee lovers, just hear me out!

I DO drink coffee. Not every day, but consistently. I like how it warms you up on a cold day (speaking of, I'd like one of those right about now!), it wakes you up on a Monday morning and it keeps you going when you hit that mid-afternoon crash at work.

What I DON'T like is the idea of becoming addicted to caffeine. It also makes me jittery more than half the time AND requires me to buy more whitening strips than my wallet would prefer.

So, I'm torn...OK?

Yesterday, CNN Health featured a story suggesting that coffee (or caffeine, more specifically) may help protect you from skin cancer. They basically said that people in the study who drank two or more cups of joe a day lessened their risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, a slow-growing form of skin cancer.

Now I probably need some wood to knock on, but if ANYONE is going to get skin cancer, it's this girl. My nickname in college was 'Big Red' or 'Lobster' ... you name it, I was called it. My brother was blessed with an olive complexion, while my skin was the color of a nice shade of pale. So needless to say, I've embraced a lifetime of sunscreen and aloe application. That's just how it's got to be, I guess.

So if this study turns out to be true, mark my words: I'm going to drink coffee like it's going out of style AND I will keep the teeth whitening companies in business.

Check out the article below for the full breakdown:
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/02/coffee-could-cut-skin-cancer-risk/?hpt=hp_t2

What do you think? Does this sound too good to be true? Comment away!