( See my mother-in-law Candy preparing the papaya like a pro!)
Food is medicine and when it comes to digestion look no further than to the amazing papaya. This is a fruit that most people are either hot or cold about, I.e. they love it or hate it. Have no fear - if you don’t like the taste of papaya then you can pick up the enzyme tablets to aid in digestion, but I do advise that nothing is tastier than eating the papaya fruits flesh.
So, what does papaya help with anyways you ask?
The basics:
Gas
Bloating
Indigestion
Stomach pain
Skin, health and beauty
Inflammation
Heart Issues
What does Papaya do for us?
It has some wonderful properties here are the best of what papaya has to offer.
Antioxidants
Digestive enzymes – Papain which can help break down food and Chymopapin which helps break down proteins.
Exfoliant
Natural source of Fiber – can bind to toxins in the colon and prevent them from interacting with your body’s healthy colon cells.
Natural source of Beta Carotene
Helps promote normal acid in the stomach
Mild natural laxative to help with constipation
Vitamin E – natural antioxidant and good for heart health.
Alpha-Hydroxy acid which can help with skin health and appearance.
Our family likes papaya and we do use it when the kid’s tummies hurt too. A little fun fact - both me and my husband didn’t like papaya when we were little kids. When choosing a papaya at the store, look for one that has a few mold spots on the skin and a softish texture when holding it. Also store in paper for a day or two and then peel and eat. Don’t worry about the mold as you will be peeling the papaya anyways. Also smell your papaya; you want one that has a smell to it because that means it’s ripe. Some very popular ways to eat papaya are doing papaya boats. Here is a recipe from:
https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/papaya-breakfast-boats-recipe/ A cut papaya will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days so you can do some medicinally each day also.
A great place to shop for good papayas is at your local Asian market. If you hate papaya flavor pick up papaya enzymes on Amazon or your local drug store. Take papaya enzymes away from meals or 15 minutes before a meal. Thank you, mother nature, and eat up!