ORGANIC TOMATO SOUP

ORGANIC TOMATO SOUP

I love creating soups and salads for you can make each one different 365 days of the year…  It’s all what you put into it, herbs as well as the love you add.  When I start to make a dish, I always look at the colors that go into it.  For I love a mixture of shades to create the beauty as well as taste.

So today I am going to make a healthy tomato soup to go with a salad full of vegetables.  But before we start lets go over the benefits of tomatoes.

1. Filling Food:

As tomatoes have high water content, they work perfect as filling food. Tomatoes, with its water content moisturizes our skin and keeps it healthy and shiny.

2. Vitamins and Nutritional Content:

It provides almost 20 percent of the daily vitamin intake required, per serving, which is necessary for maintaining good health. It is also known to have all the positive nutrients needed for proper functioning of the human body according to USDA.

3. Controls Heart Rate:

Being rich in potassium content, it gives about 237 mg of potassium which is useful for controlling heart rate and is helpful in preventing heart diseases and strokes.

4. Prevents Eye Diseases:

The vitamins such as vitamin A, flavonoid B complex, thiamine, folates, niacin etc. are also present in tomatoes that help cure skin and eye disease.

5. High Blood Pressure:

Tomatoes, with a powerful punch of minerals and nutrients also help in safeguarding our body from High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol.

6. Good for Bones and Teeth:

Being rich in Calcium, it tends to improve bone strength and bone formation in the body. It is also beneficial in maintaining the teeth in healthy state.

7. Protects from Free Radicals:

Some of its flavonoid antioxidants, such as lycopene and zea-xanthin are best known to health specialists for their anti-free radical behavior.

8. Anti-Cancerous:

The antioxidant behavior of this vegetable also helps to prevent many unwanted reactions in the lungs, colon and breasts that can tend to be cancerous. The antioxidants help in the treatment of cancer by preventing carcinogenic reactions in the body which stop by blocking free radicals from proceeding further.

9. Cell Repair and Muscle Building:

It is a naturally rich source of protein, which is good for cell repair and muscle building.

10. Less Fat content:

Other basic nutrients include 4 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, 18 calories and 0 grams of saturated fat. This vegetable can be eaten in good amounts due to the lower rate of calories in tomato.

11. Treats Open Pores:

•Add four drops of tomato juice to 1 tablespoon of water and apply it on your face with the help of a cotton ball.

•Gently massage your skin with this mixture and leave it on for 15 minutes. Regular application of this will shrink the pore size.

12. Glowing Skin:

Tomatoes are not just an important part of a healthy diet but also work wonders when applied topically on the skin. Applying tomato juice or rubbing tomato halves on the skin evens out the skin and revives the glow giving you a healthy looking skin. It contains high amount of Vitamin C which is known to brighten skin.

13. Treats Skin Conditions:

Tomato seed oil is the newest addition to the line of natural carrier oils and is excellent for treating several skin conditions. These are packed with a substance that fights free radicals and signs of ageing. Tomato seed oil is used for the treatment of mild to severe skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It is also helpful in treating dry and damaged skin.

•Use a moderate quantity of oil to massage the affected areas of your skin. Leave it overnight and wash it off the next day.

•You can also add this oil to your facial creams, moisturizer and scrubs, to keep the skin soft and smooth.

14. Treats Acne:

Vitamin A and C are commonly found in many acne treating medicines and ointments. The high acidic content in tomatoes helps to treat rashes and acne.

•If you are suffering from tiny zits on your face, then cut the tomato in two halves and apply the inside of it on your face

•. If you suffer from severe acne problems then peel a fresh tomato and mash it. Apply this pulp on your face and leave it for an hour.

•Rinse it off and pat dry. Use this pack regularly to get rid of tan and pimples.

15. Prevents Excess Oil Secretion:

Excess sebum production leads to clogging of pores that leads to pimples, dirt build up and uneven skin tone. Squeeze juice of 2 tomatoes and add 4 tablespoons of cucumber juice to it. Apply this homemade toner to your face daily with the help of a cotton ball to control excess oil and shine and to unclog the pores.

16. Prevents Signs of Ageing:

Tomatoes and its products enable the skin to absorb oxygen and prevent the signs of ageing. It provides an amazing natural skin treatment which can make the skin look younger and healthy with less effort.

17. Acts as a Natural Sunscreen:

According to various studies, tomato contains an antioxidant called lycopene which acts as a natural sunscreen. This provides the skin protection from harsh UV rays.

18. Acts as a Stress Reliever:

Tomato extract is often used in luxurious body massage oils to combat visible sign of stress on the skin. Tomato extract is also used in eye creams, which, along with other essential ingredients, leaves the eyes looking fresh and revitalized.

19. Perfect Astringent:

The astringent properties of tomato make it an excellent choice for combination skin.

•A pack made from mashed avocados and tomatoes soothes the skin and cleanses it thoroughly to give you a glowing complexion.

•Apply this face pack and wash it off with lukewarm water after 20 to 30 minutes. Tomato contains natural oil reducing and astringent properties while avocado provides antiseptic and moisturizing effect to the skin.

20. Fights Cellular Damage:

Consumption of at least 16 milligrams of lycopene every day reduces the amount of free radicals in the body to give you a youthful kin. It fights cellular damage and reddening of the skin and also retains the moisture, thus preventing fine lines and wrinkles. This property of tomato makes it an amazing anti -ageing product.

21. Natural Bleaching Agent:

Tomato is considered as a natural bleaching agent and is very helpful in lightening the skin tone.

•Prepare a face pack by mixing 1 teaspoon of oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of yogurt and 2 teaspoon of tomato pulp.

•Apply it on the face and neck and leave it for 20 minutes. Oatmeal will gently exfoliate the skin, while yoghurt and tomato will help to clear the blemishes. This improves the complexion.

22. Prevents Sunburn:

According to Prevention Magazine, people who consumed 5 tablespoon of tomato paste daily for 3 consecutive months were naturally protected against sun burn. Sun burnt skin can also be treated by applying tomato on the affected parts.

•Make a pack by mixing 2 teaspoons of tomato pulp with 1 teaspoon of yoghurt. Apply this on the face, neck, hands and feet.

•Tomato cools the skin while yoghurt provides a protein boost to make the skin soft and supple.

23. Smooth Skin:

Mix honey with tomato juice to make a thick paste. Apply it on the face and wash it off after 15 minutes to get a smooth and glowing skin.

24. Removes Dead Skin Cells:

Tomatoes can greatly help you to remove dead skin cells.

•Grind tomatoes in a mixer with the seeds and add 1 teaspoon of sugar to it.

•Apply it on the face and massage gently in circular motion.

You can also cut 1 tomato into 2 halves and sprinkle some sugar on it. Gently scrub your skin with it to do away with dead skin cells and get a clean and fresh looking skin.

So you can see that tomatoes are not just healthy to eat, put to put on your body.

When preparing for tomato soup of course you have to have the main ingredients.  I go every Tuesday to my local organic market to buy them.  Depending on what style and or type they have I will pick up enough for some soup.  The favor also depends on the kind of tomatoes you use.

I chop them up in small pieces and then put in a blender and liquefy them.  Whatever the mood I am in determines on what type of herbs I will add.

I love tomato and basil.  Therefore I will get fresh basil and crush in with maybe some pepper.

The next step is putting this liquid piece in a pot and boil until it gets nice and red.  I then serve it with goat’s cheese on top, which will melt from the steam.

This  

Makes for a perfect lunch or dinner with a salad of your choice.

Enjoy until next time…