Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your corner of the globe. We are in the Ember month already and slowly winding down to the end of another great year. In the last month, I have embarked on a journey of changing up what I’d call my norm. I started out small with changing up my routes to work every week and then trying out new foods when grocery shopping. I tend to head straight to the produce I like to eat and skirt past anything that looks odd, has a weird name or looks like it would be too much of a hassle to prepare. But I’m getting out of my own way. I didn’t know I would be sharing my journey on here, so a majority of the photos are from the net. But I discovered some pretty amazing things. I would purchase something randomly, google and ask questions about it then I’d try it. These are my findings:

Jicama – Looks like a root but full of fiber and reportedly great for digestion, heart disease, fights cancer, boosts brain function, a substitute for high carb foods and getting rid of bad cholesterol amongst other things. Not sure it’s going to be my favorite staple going forward but I tried. It has an earthy but mildly sweet taste when eaten raw. I boiled it then placed it on a baking sheet and baked it.

Dragon Fruit – So far, this was my favorite option. This is a really delicious fruit that’s even sweeter when ripe. It’s great for digestion and gut health, weight loss, hair health, improving skin radiance, helps improve asthma conditions.

Kiwano Melon – Also known as a horned melon is a beautiful fruit; something I would rather place on my shelf for decorative purposes than eat. When cut open, it looks like a cross between a cucumber and a kiwi. It has a salty taste to it and a little tang; and has so many nutritional benefits such as antioxidants, weight loss, lowering blood sugar levels, helps red blood cell reproduction, improves mood, and much more. It’s a little on the pricy side depending on where you are but worth trying.

Barley Tea – An east Asian drink made from roasted barley and reportedly aids in weight loss, blood sugar regulation, aids digestion, and may improve male fertility problems. Well, I tried it. Its tasteless and usually drank unsweetened. It has a mild hint of bitterness to it as well. More benefits include sleep regulation, curing the common cold, blood thinner, lowering bad cholesterol and improving weight loss. However, this drink isn’t the best for gluten sensitive individuals or those with celiac disease.

Sesame Seeds (White) – This an awesome addition to smoothies. It is tasteless with a hint of grain. It’s a great source of fiber, lowers bad cholesterol, very good plant protein source if you are vegan, reportedly lowers high blood pressure especially systolic numbers, supports healthy bones, reduces inflammation in the body, a great source of B vitamins, helps stabilize blood sugar, helps blood formation, rich in antioxidants, hormone regulation, bone and immune support.

Folks, I have spent the last month getting out of my normal routine and expanding my experiences in my little corner in North Texas – and it’s been refreshing if I must say, and I would like to keep at it going forward. I remember a saying by Hippocrates ‘Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food’. My only way of finding out is to try. Until I come your way again, don’t just skirt by those unknown produce in the grocery store or farmers market, be curious, ask questions or better still – try it!

Periwinkle Starr