Vegetables get jet lag too

KVEGGIES Even can get "JET LAG" %3D The vegetables you buy at the market are still alive, and will stay alive if you give them light. Keeping veggies in the dark for 3 DAYS will kill them. Keeping produce in a dark jerator upsets their ability to make vitamins and antioxidants with light. Light helps vegetables make the antioxidant compounds that kill molds and bacteria that would otherwise cause them to spoil. Treating produce like CUT FLOWERS extends its life. Tear salad greens leave them out for a few hours MORE ANTIOXIDANTS When a leaf is torn, it makes antioxidants to protect against infection. Washing, drying, and tearing salad greens, leaving them on the kitchen counter for a few hours until meal time, increases antioxidants, including vitamin C. CHOP & EAT Finely chopped or shredded vegetables oxidize, turning brown, losing their antioxidant potency, in just an hour or two. The exception to this rule is vegetables that you intend to ferment or marinate. It's OK to prepare them up to several days ahead of use as long as you immerse them in marinade or pickling liquid as soon as you shred them. SHARPEN YOUR KNIFE Dull cutting tools crush cells and allow electrolytes like potassium to leak out. Sharp cutting tools retain minerals in salad vegetables. DRIED concentrate antioxidants and vitamins, as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place after they are dried at low temperatures. PRODUCE STEAMING is usually healthier than boiling. The exceptions are white rice and white potatoes. Boiling these foods for a long time (30 minutes or more) creates resistant starch, which your body won't break down into sugar, but which will feed healthy, probiotic bacteria. SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE. SHARE THE INFOGRAPH. SteadyHealth.com ASK, SHARE, CONTRIBUTE. ONLINE HEALTH-RELATED COMMUNITY.