If you’re a fan of Dr. Oz, then you may remember a past show where he tested
out sunscreens.
Dr. Oz tested real sunscreens and then some foods.
One of the foods he tested were tomatoes and surprisingly, the
tomatoes did better than the other foods and drug-store sunscreens when it
came to shielding the skin from the Sun’s harmful rays.

So, with that said, if you’re concerned about preventing sunburn and skin
cancer, all you have to do is start eating tomatoes.
Just 1 cup of tomatoes daily, sliced over a salad, (sun-dried), tomato juice or
poured over pasta or zucchini noodles and you’ll cut your risk of sun damage
by 49%.
Tomatoes contain lycopene, (the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color)
quickly neutralizes the tissue-damaging free radicals produced when UV light
hits the skin.

And to help you in your quest to lower your odds of getting skin cancer-
here’s a recipe for stuffed tomatoes.
Yes, you’re used to stuffed peppers or portobello mushrooms, but this
is a different take, where tomatoes are the stars.
Stuffed Tomatoes!
Ingredients:
8 medium tomatoes
1 Tbs. of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 sausage links, casings removed
1 tsp. of dried oregano
2 Tbs. of tomato paste
2 cups of cooked rice, (white, brown or basmati )
1 cup of cheese, (goat, feta, or shredded cheddar or mozzarella)
To make:
Heat oven to 400*F. Spray cooking spray inside a 13″ X 9″ baking dish.
Slice off the tops of the tomatoes; scoop out the flesh. Save the tops.
In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion. Cook,
stirring, until softened, 8 mins. Crumble in the sausage; stir in oregano.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned 10 mins. Stir in tomato paste
and 1/4 cup of water. Remove from heat. Stir in rice and 1/4 cup of cheese.
Spoon mixture into the tomatoes. Transfer to baking dish. Top with the rest
of the cheese and put the tops back on. Bake until tomatoes are softened
about 12 to 17 mins. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a minutes
and then enjoy.

Important tip:
A simpler way to remove the seeds.
Use a melon baller or rounded measuring spoon to make quick,
neat work of the task. Simply slice 1/2″ off the tomato top, then use
the scoop to reach down into the tomato and grab pulp and easy seeds
for easy removal.

Buying tip:
Tomatoes should come down in price in the next few months, so
make sure to visit local farmers’ markets and/or produce stands
and stock up. Need help learning how to can or freeze tomatoes?
Just head to youtube.com and type in how to can or how to freeze
tomatoes in the search bar.

Sources:
* Jean Krutmann, M.D. Dermatologist
* Scientific Reports-Natural Foods as Sunscreen
* Taste of Home-Magazine
* The Supermarket Rxs To Sun-Proof Your Skin, E-book
available online at Amazon.com
Learn how fruits and vegetables can protect your skin
better than drug-store sunscreen