Things You Should Know About the Benefits of Figs!
We were ducking under these beauties all week. The tree was not pruned so that we could pass under it easily. We had to stoop to their magnificence. The leaves were so big compared to the fruit…small, but mighty.
Cleopatra ate these…maybe she fed them to Caesar! They originated in Egypt and quickly spread to Cyprus, Greece and Rome and eventually to our table. They have been a domesticated crop for 11,000 years…one of the oldest, along with rice.
Being native to the Mediterranean region, we saw them every day in Provence…green, purple, yellow. They were featured at almost every meal because they were at the height of their season.
The main benefits of figs are that they are high in fiber, potassium, calcium and manganese. The ancient Romans fed them to the Spartans to make them strong for battle and they didn’t even know the chemical breakdown.
So what does that mean to you since you aren’t a Roman soldier? Well, a cup of figs delivers 1,013 mg of potassium (29% of your daily requirement), 241 mg of calcium (24% of your daily requirement), and 0.8 mg of manganese (38% of your daily requirement). Because of their fiber, they have a mild laxative effect and fig juice is thought to have a soothing effect on the bronchial passages.
When you choose figs, please make sure that they are not mushy or bruised and put them in the fridge immediately and eat them within 2 – 3 days…I don’t have to worry about that…they don’t last long at our house!
Enjoy!
Please note: The information presented is not intended as a diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease. Please consult your physician if you are having any medical problems.
In our hectic world, most of us can't commit to having dinner with our family/friends every night, but maybe we can start to put aside Sunday to be together and share our lives and good food. Let's join together to inspire others to celebrate our old traditions and create new ones. 
