The inspiration for Datehini first arose as I was riding my bike around Napa Valley - endless vineyards, tons of different grapes, red and whites. I remembered having spoonfuls of grape molasses each morning as a child before going to school. I was repeatedly told over and over, every day, how this "remedy" would make me grow faster, become brighter and smarter, and give me the energy to chase off all the boys who called me "Ginger!” I searched for pure grape molasses in Napa Valley, hoping to serve it to my daughter in the mornings - she is a ginger herself (haha).
All jokes aside, I really did search every local store and asked all my friends in the area, but could not find pure, organic grape molasses, even here in Napa with its treasure trove of grapes! Thus, I was was inspired to create my own remedy for my daughter and myself.
I began with comparing various fruits and their benefits. I was confident my savory base would be tahini, so I tried mixing in different fruits to capture the perfect taste, one that my picky daughter would also try and enjoy (not an easy task, given her habit of rarely attempting new foods a second time, let alone at all).
As I delved deeper into my research, the benefits of dates popped up again and again. "A good source of energy,” “..great for improving bone health,” “..includes iron, potassium, magnesium, fiber, antioxidants,"….and BOOM, that was it. I was so excited to find a fruit that was not only nutritious but blended perfectly with tahini.
Still skeptical? Check out the below excerpts from some of my favorite articles - like me, they’ll make you love dates even more.
1. Organic Facts| 12 Proven Health Benefits of Dates (Via organicfacts.net)
“According to USDA FoodData Central, dates are a good source of energy, fiber, sugar, and various vitamins and minerals. Essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and zinc can be found in dates. Apart from the above-mentioned nutrients, they may also contain important vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K.” ~ Meenakshi Nagdeve
Some of the top health benefits of dates Nagdeve outlines are:
- Good source of energy
- May boost brain health
- Potentially relieves constipation
- Might offer relief from intestinal disorders
- May offer relief from anemia
- May prevent heart disease
- Can aid bone health improvement
- Potentially aids in relieving SAR symptoms (Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis)
The high content of carbohydrates in date fruit, especially sugars that reach to 88%, may lead to the impression that little is left to contribute to the nutritional value of dates. However, the fruit is full of essential nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, , copper, iron, fluorine, and selenium. Dates are a great source of potassium that helps in the maintenance of a healthy nervous system and in balancing the body's nervous system. Phosphorus functions with calcium to help with bone strength and growth. Moreover, selenium is important for cell growth and repair. Iron is essential to production of red blood cells, which carry all the nutrients to cells throughout the body.
3. NCBI: Therapeutic effects of date fruits (Via National Center for Biotechnology Information)
Natural products are good remedy in the treatment/management of diseases and they are affordable and effective without any adverse effects. Dates are considered to be one of the most significant commercial crops and also have been documented in Holy Quran and modern scientific literatures. Earlier studies have shown that constituents of dates act as potent antioxidant, anti-tumor as well as anti-inflammatory, provide a suitable alternative therapy in various diseases cure. In this review, dates fruits has medicinal value are summarized in terms of therapeutic implications in the diseases control through anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and ant-diabetic effect.
