When one thinks of France, what usually comes to mind?
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, the Champs Elysees, and great food.

And if the food of France is the first thing that comes to mind,
then you may want to try a dish from Provence France.
Provence France- the region comprises the Mediterranean
coast line of Southeastern France.

The Dish: Ratatouille!
The dish is as popular in Provence France as barbecue is
in Texas (in the U.S.) and it’s made with colorful fresh
vegetables, and delivers so many vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants, it can actually help you turn back
the hands of times. (slow down and even prevent aging).

So, if you’re a fan of stews, then copy the ingredients and
recipe down below and become your own real life version of
“Benjamin Button!”

The Ingredients:
a) Eggplant-
Incredibly the skin may be more valuable than the insides,
and if you’re concerned about memory loss and thinning skin,
start eating more of this vegetable.
The peel is the leading source of nausin, an anti-aging antioxidant
that fortifies protective neural membranes, whisks away damaging
heavy metals and boosts blood flow to the brain, helping you
stave off both Alzheimer’s and dementia.
And there’s one more benefit: It (eggplant) is loaded with polyphenols
that protect your skin, by keeping it firm, plump and wrinkle-free.

b) Zucchini-
Want to keep your vision strong well into old-age?
Eat more zucchini.
This green veggie can reduce your risk of cataracts
by 30%, while also making vision sharper by day and
night. Zucchini contains loads of sight-saving lutein
and zeaxanthin, which acts like internal sunglasses
to help shield delicate tissues from the Sun’s harmful
rays. In addition, zucchini’s combination of vitamin C,
cartenoids and zinc can lower your risk of of eye disease
enough to slow normal decline in eyesight by as much
as 10 years.

c) Bell Peppers-
Want to slow skin and hair aging? Forgo the serums, creams
and other expensive lotions and potions and just add more
bell peppers to your daily meals.
Bell peppers have high amounts of vitamin C- a vitamin
so important, it can literally take years off your appearance,
by making the skin smoother and wrinkle-free.
And for hair: the B vitamins in bell peppers, can reverse
hair thinning, something men and a lot of women go through
as they age.

d) Tomatoes-
There are at least a dozen or more benefits you can get
from this fruit, but today, we’ll give you two.
The 1st benefit:
Unbreakable bones.
Another concern a number of people worry about as they age,
and according to researchers, the people that eat them 2 or
more times a week have the sturdiest and healthiest bones.
Give credit to lycopene, the pigment that gives red fruits their
characteristic color.
Tomatoes slash your fracture risk by more than 30% and
increase cells called osteoblasts, the basic building block of
bones, which decrease with age.
And the 2nd benefit:
Natural Sunscreen.
As the weather warms up, more people will be out
and about soaking up the Sun.
And if you’re concerned your drug-store purchased
sunscreen isn’t doing the job (of protecting your skin)
then eat more tomatoes.
Tomatoes contain special compounds that
protects your skin from the Sun’s harmful rays.

And now on to the recipe…
Ratatouille!
Ingredients:
* 3 Tbs. Olive oil
* 1 Onion, sliced
* 4 Peeled Garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Red or Green Bell Pepper, chopped
* 1 (3/4 lb.lb.) Eggplant, cubed
* 1 Zucchini- quartered lengthwise and sliced
* 4 Tomatoes, chopped
* 2 tsp. Herbes de Provence, (can’t find- use Italian herbs)
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
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To make:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat;
add the onion, garlic and pepper. Cook, stirring
occasionally until they are softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, herbes and salt; cover and cook
until all vegetables are tender, about 10 mins.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in basil.
Ratatouille may be made one day in advance and kept
covered in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or heat it up again.
Enough for 4 servings.
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Sources:
* Journal of Current Neuropharmacology
* American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
* Canadian Researchers