Let’s talk about Pomegranates. They are a wonderful fruit that provide amazing benefits and are certainly something we should eat a lot more of. Now is the perfect time to buy them because they are officially in season. Pomegranates contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E which provide anti-inflammatory properties as well as antioxidants which greatly benefit our body and skin.

And did you know that pomegranate oil is a common ingredient used in skincare to help the skin with new cell regeneration? High in essential fatty acids, it helps to increase circulation as well as deeply nourish dry and dehydrated skin types. Pomegranate seed oil can also help to sooth skin that is irritated or burnt from the sun as well as reduce collagen destruction.

Surprisingly pomegranates have three times more antioxidants than green tea (which protects our skin against free radicals). This is particularly important as free radicals can damage the skin and speed along the aging process.

The best part is that pomegranates are delicious and easy to include in our cooking, particularly salads. Check out this delicious pomegranate salad recipe below.

Recipe – Autumn Salad (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• ½ x large cucumber
• 12 x ripe cherry tomatoes (quartered
• ½ medium cauliflower broken into florets same size as tomatoes
• 1 x spring onion
• 6 x radishes
• 1 x celery stick
• 1 small bunch of mint, coriander and flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
• 1 x pomegranate

 Dressing

• 1 garlic clove (crushed to paste with salt)
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon za’tar
• 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil|
• Sea salt and black pepper

For dressing, combine all of the ingredients and taste for seasoning. To serve the salad, combine vegetables, pomegranates and herbs in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss until everything is well covered. Taste for seasoning.  

Enjoy!