Sunflower Power

Here’s a riddle for you: What is colorful and happy and smiling at the sun when empty, but bloated and droopy and falling apart when full? Give up? The answer, of course, is the sunflower. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving past a field of sunflowers when they are at their cheeriest, basking-in-the-sun splendor, you no doubt have witnessed them well before they are ripe and ready for harvest. Their flowery heads are tilted toward the sun, soaking in the rays like coeds during Spring Break, full of color and promise. It is a sight I never tire of.

Yet when these stunning flowers are ready for plucking, they appear almost depressed: heads bowed by the weight of their plump seeds, once vivid yellow and orange petals now wilted and brown, leaves shriveled and battered by that same sun they once seemed to worship (like those aforementioned coeds, who right about now, after too much exposure to the sun, are just as shriveled and sun-battered).

The sunflower is one of those paradoxes I enjoy, a mystery of nature—a lovely flower that brings both pleasure and sustenance, beauty and, ahem, the beast. For me, there is nothing as picturesque as a blooming sunflower field, nor as sad as one ready for harvest. But once they are beheaded (ouch!) and have had all of their seeds removed, they change from that ugly duckling into a swan of amazing health benefits and tasty treats.

Here’s another riddle for you: How can a city boy harvest sunflowers without making a mess of things? This is how:

How to...Harvest and Eat Sunflower Seeds



Easy to grow and surprisingly easy to harvest, sunflowers are a popular choice for the weekend gardener while also a booming industry. Sunflower seeds are used to feed birds and baseball players; they are great in salads and in baked goods; and delicious as a snack or to start your day in your breakfast cereals. Sunflower oil is considered one of the healthier oils, high in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, while low in saturated fats. It also has a higher smoke point which makes it a useful oil to fry with.

But wait, there’s more!

There always is, Mike.

True, especially when it’s about the healthy stuff.

Knew you’d get to that part eventually.

You know me well. Here goes:

TEN REASONS TO EAT SUNFLOWER SEEDS!

1. high in vegetable protein (around 5g per serving)
2. an excellent source of vitamin E
3. filled with good fats (low in sat fats!)
4. fiber! (Need I say more? Yes? Talk to Bernie.)
5. lowers bad cholesterol (because of the phytosterols)
6. loaded with magnesium (which helps reduce asthma, control high blood pressure, strengthen bones)
7. fights cancer (due to the high content of selenium)
8. a heart-healthy snack (low in carbs and calories; high in good fats and fiber)
9. may make you smarter (from the choline, which helps with memory and cognitive functions)
10. THEY TASTE GREAT!

But wait, there’s even more!

What, some goofy video?

Er, um, I wouldn’t exactly call it goofy…

But it IS a video, right?

As I said, you know me well…

Sunflower Power



One of the staple foods for the Native Americans for over 5,000 years, sunflowers were a popular choice then and still are today.

The next time I pass by a field overflowing with sunflowers, either rich in color and basking in the sun or hunched over from the weight of their delicious seeds, I’ll smile a smile of contentment and knowledge, while offering a silent homage to their amazing power.


Until next time…


peace,

Mike