Proface

Are rain and snow and ice getting you down? Ramp up a cool tropical treat and kick those blues in the head. Succulent papaya, cool creamy coconut and sweet tangy mango are all superb winter blues busters and they are all in season for winter enjoyment.

Mangos start their season in September in Brazil, and run right through January. Then the Haitian mangoes kick in, and they're ready from January right around to the end of the summer. By March, the Mexican and Florida mangos are starting. Just because they're available in summer from US and Mexico, there are an abundance of other sources for great mangos all winter long.

Papayas just sing of warm tropical breezes and luscious soft sweet fruits of warm climates. So great for digestion, and so heavenly and tasty. The saying may be "A papaya, a spoon and thou."

But they juice up beautifully too. And they are juicy! Find them at the local markets arriving from Mexico and South America all year. Their peak season is early summer and fall, but they are in season from Peru, Brazil and even parts of Mexico even in January.

By the way, if you have never juiced before I strongly suggest you give it a try. Personally, I like using a masticating juicer like the Omega Juicer to get the most from my juiced vegetables and fruits. Masticating juicers press the juice out of vegetables and fruits slowly without generating a lots of heat that would otherwise ruin the vitamins and enzymes in the produce.

Coconut is another of those all year round wonders, coming into bloom every month, they just keep making new fruits which are ready for harvest for coconut water in around seven to eight months and as mature coconut for meat in about a year. Whichever way you utilize them, they are super delicious and super healthy, so include them wherever you like.

But don't stop there. Mix and match some lemon, lime and orange to give yourself a super vitamin C jump start and you'll swear it's time to stretch out in a sunny spot and soak up some rays. Since it is winter, you might want to try to find some nice big south facing windows, and hope for a nice sunny afternoon where you can stretch out indoors and soak up that sunlight.

No matter what you decide to do once your body is pumped full of these high energy tropical treats, be sure to include them in your winter juicing at least every now and then to remind yourself that summer is coming, and soon enough the early strawberries, sweet Spring greens and luscious fruits of summer will be back and enriching your juices and your diet once again.

About the author:
Darryl Witter is a foodie and trained gourmet cook and is all about clean, healthy, sustainable and local food. Darryl is also a contributor for a rel="nofollow" href="”