Craving for Tomatoes - Tomatophagia
89
A couple of days ago I accidentally saw
a bowl filled with chopped tomatoes
spiced with salt and black pepper,
ready to be relished.
.
All of a sudden, out of the blue
I had a mind-blowing CRAVE
for tomatoes spiced
with salt and black pepper.
I bought a box and chopped TWELVE into a bowl,
added salt and black pepper and relished
them all - every red, delicious, juicy dice
and felt like a glutton.
.
The next day at the same time
I did it again
and felt like a glutton.
.
The next day...
Guess what?
I did it again!
I always wanted to be a lady -
not a glutten addicted to tomatoes -
so I decided to search for the possible
reason for my bad behavior while I yodel -
You're-a-lady-you're-a-lady-you're-a-lady-hoo-hoo....
Tomatoes - Solanum lycopersicum – is an edible, typically red fruit classified as a berry and originally from South America. It is rich in the natural antioxidant, lycopene – the carotene (pigment) that makes fruit and vegetables red. According to research lycopene might -
- lower the risk of prostate-, breast-, head and neck cancers,
- protect against neurodegenerative diseases,
- improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays,
- lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS, previously known as prostatism),
- reduce cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes.
Interesting facts about tomatoes:
- The word "tomato" comes from the Nahuatl word tomatl, which means ‘the swelling fruit’.
- There are many different categories of tomatoes and many other colors besides red. (However, the one who has a craving to eat them don’t regard this fact as important. As long as it is fresh and juicy, it shall be relished.)
- Tomato leaves and stems are toxic to humans and dogs if ingested, as they contain atropine and other tropane alkaloids.
- Green, unripe tomatoes are also toxic, containing the poisonous alkaloid, tomatine.
- Wilted and off tomatoes should not be eaten; since 1990 the fruit was linked to seven salmonella outbreaks.
- Tomatoes are the state fruit of Arkansas and Ohio.
- Relating to its use in cooking the fruit is indeed also considered to be a vegetable. It has been designated as the state vegetable of New Jersey and Arkansas.
Nutritional value of a tomato per 100 g (3.5 oz)
.
Energy - 74 kJ (18 kcal)
Carbohydrates - 3.9 g
Sugars - 2.6 g
Dietary fiber - 1.2 g
Fat - 0.2 g
Protein - 0.9 g
Water - 94.5 g
Vitamin A (equiv) - 42 μg (5%)
lutein & zeaxanthin - 123 μg
Vitamin C - 14 mg (17%)
Vitamin E - 0.54 mg (4%)
Potassium - 237 mg (5%)
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/)
A craving indicates a deficiency of minerals and vitamins -
Tomato craving (tomatophagia) is tied to iron deficiency (anemia), though Dr. Mark A. Marinella, a physician at Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio, could not explain the link. He suggested that 'there be something about iron deficiency anemia that does not relate to the iron deficiency that causes the craving." Whatever he meant, people craving tomatoes might as well go for hemoglobin tests and/or eat more iron-rich food such as TOMATOES, clams, oysters, shrimp, sardines, liver or any cuts of beef and lamb, cereals rich in iron, soybeans, lima beans, navy beans, pumpkin, white beans, lentils, spinach, chickpeas, cowpeas, duck and prune juice.
Logically, deficiency of any of the ingredients of tomato may be the reason for the crave. Determining my own possible deficiency, I ignored the carbohydrates, sugars, fat, protein and dietary fiber and focused on the rest. I can only benefit by drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day – I always fail this challenge with flying colors – and I might as well increase my intake of vitamins A, C, and E and potassium.
But giving free reins to a crave may have fatal consequences. So cramping my crave for at least 12 tomatoes, I quickly checked what I need to know, keeping in mind that I will not find a single source of information that will not differ from another.
(If there was ever one truth in the world of nutrition, it has already been proved a myth. So pinch of salt to be taken with all information obtained, is one of my personal rules.)
Vitamin C
According to my source an average tomato contains approximately 14 mg of Vitamin C. Humans can tolerate 1000 mg per day. So more than 71 tomatoes per day will be an overdose of vitamin C.
Possibility of a vitamin C overdose therefor promptly eliminated, for 12 tomatoes are more than enough to still my crave for 24 hours.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A overdose can be fatal! Humans can tolerate 3000 mg of Vitamin A per day. According to my source an average tomato contains about 42 μg (microgram). A microgram is a unit of mass/weight equal to one millionth of a gram. So this equals 142 milligram per average tomato and this means 20 tomatoes per day.
Well, I don't think I can handle more than 12, as this voracity caused nausea, headache and that awful inflated feeling one gets when he has eaten too much of anything.
So overdosing on Vitamin A is also not a possibility.
Vitamin E
The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E, also known as tocopherol, is 15 mg per day, although many experts recommend much more. An average tomato contains 0.54 mg. So I will overdose myself with Vitamin E when I eat 27 tomatoes per day. Who can eat 27 tomatoes per day? Already determined: not me.
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (Kalium), responsible for the proper function of muscles and nerves. It also keeps the electrolyte and acid-base in the body balanced. Most important, it regulates blood pressure.
The body does not store a reserve of potassium; it is a macro mineral to be taken in on a daily basis, though easy, as it is found in most foods.
2000 mg intake per day is recommended by many nutritionists, though the Institute of Medicine 2004 guidelines specified 4000mg per day.
An average tomato contains more or less 237 mg potassium, which means I may eat 8-16 tomatoes per day if I consider both recommendations.
Knowing myself and my ailments, I immediately suspect a deficiency in potassium to be the reason for my crave and not iron, or only iron. I have always trusted my body; it tells me when it needs to be boosted with some nutrition in shortage. However, overdosing has to be prevented.
The consequences of potassium overdose -
As potassium is among many other nutrition a regulator of blood pressure, people with high blood pressure should for obvious reasons not overdose themselves with this mineral. But I am lucky, my blood pressure is below normal, and perhaps this was the instigator of my crave.
I could easily regard this as a good enough reason to relax my cramp on my crave and go relish 12 screaming tomatoes. Yes, they are screaming loud and clear, calling me, all of them at once - irresistible. But my scanning eyes had picked up the word 'kidney' in one of the paragraphs I thought I could skip.
The kidneys control potassium excretion, so evidently an overdose will cause problems. A sick (or confused) kidney may excrete too much concentrated potassium in the blood stream. This could lead to the malfunction of muscles and nerves and the result could be fatal cardiac arrhythmia.
Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the infamous Dr. Death, applied concentrated potassium chloride in his practice of euthanasia. He regarded this method as most effective and fast acting, as it neutralizes the electrical conduction of the heart and therefor induce immediate heart failure.
Concentrated potassium chloride is also used as the last of the lethal injections in the execution of criminals because it stops the heart in just a few minutes.
And now, for the first time since I devoured the first 12 tomatoes, I think I should cramp my crave to 8 per day. Or maybe to 6. Or what about to zero, as I am not yet ready to do the march of the crow.
The Symptoms of Hyperkalemia (overdose potassium)
Palpitations; stomach cramps; diarrhea; muscle spasms; slow, weak pulse; irritability; anxiety; tiredness; heart failure.
Fruit and vegetables containing potassium
(in brackets = mg)
One papaya (781).
One cup of prune juice (707).
One cup of tomato juice (535)
One baked sweet potato, with skin (508).
One tablespoon of molasses (498).
One cup of cubed cantaloupe (494)
One small banana (467).
Diced honeydew melon (461).
One-half of a medium avocado (450).
One-half of a medium potato, with skin (422).
One large chopped or sliced tomato (400).
One-half cup of cooked pinto beans (400)
Six ounces of yogurt (398).
One cup of 2 percent white milk (377).
One-half cup lentils (365)
One-third cup of raisins (363).
One-half cup or dried peas (355).
One cup of soy milk (345).
One medium kiwi (252).
One mediun mango (323)
Three ounces of baked or broiled salmon (319).
One cup of fresh or cooked asparagus (288).
One-half cup of cooked pumpkin (282).
One-half cup of cooked mushrooms (277).
Three ounces of roasted turkey, dark meat (259).
One-half cup of fresh Brussels sprouts (247).
One-fourth cup of sunflower seeds (241).
One small orange (237)
One-half cup of orange juice (236).
Three ounces of cooked lean beef (224).
One cup of low-fat (2 percent) cottage cheese (217).
Two tablespoons of peanut butter (214).
One medium pear (208).
One medium peach (193).
One ounce of salted peanuts (187).
One-half cup of fresh green beans (187).
One-half cup of fresh carrots (177).
One cup of watermelon (176).
One-half cup of cooked zucchini, summer squash (173).
A one and one-half ounce chocolate bar (169).
One small apple (159)
One-half cup of peaches canned in juice (158).
One-half cup of ricotta cheese (154).
One-half cup of canned pineapple (152).
One-half cup of fresh cauliflower (151).
One-half cup of apple juice (147).
One-half cup of canned peas (147).
One-half cup of fresh broccoli (143).
One-half cup of fresh, sliced strawberries (138).
One-half cup of vanilla ice cream (131).
One-half cup of frozen corn (120).
One-half cup of mandarin oranges (98).
Ten small grapes (93).
One-half cup of cucumber slices (88).
One cup of iceberg lettuce (87).
One-half cup of frozen green beans (85).
One ounce of American cheese (79)
One-half cup of sweetened applesauce (78).
One-half cup of fresh blueberries (63).
One egg (55 mg).
One ounce cheddar cheese (28).
The moral of the story -
"Be moderate in everything, including moderation" ~ Horace Porter
"If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please." ~ Epictetus
"Moderation is the secret of survival." ~ Manly Hall
"My motto is: Live every day to the fullest - in moderation." ~ Lindsay Lohan
Writer's note -
The tomato boost did relieve some kind of a physical disorder of the past two-three months that causes the uncomfortable swelling of my legs. The swelling is not due to bad blood circulation or water retention, although these two symptoms apparently become the result of the swelling. The swelling is more like inflammation, perhaps of the muscles and I even suspect of the veins, if that is possible. I manage to control the condition by walking, dancing, doing exercises, standing from time to time instead of sitting and lying on the bed, completely horizontal.
Now why do I experience relief to a certain degree of this condition after I had eaten 12 tomatoes each day for four days, and thereafter, because the craving has been satisfied, 4 per day?
Of course my doctor will send me for more tests before she dares a diagnosis.
Update: The cause of the pain and swelling in my legs
 | Amazon Price: $8.82 List Price: $15.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.99 List Price: $17.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $54.30 List Price: $69.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $11.60 List Price: $22.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $12.47 List Price: $24.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $14.99 List Price: $35.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $4.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $18.33 List Price: $19.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $0.99 |
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (15)
- Funny (7)
- Awesome (10)
- Beautiful (3)
- Interesting (18)
CommentsLoading...
One of my favorite sandwiches to eat during the summer is toasted tomato with a big thick slice of onion, with salt and pepper. I can eat these everyday when the fresh crops of tomatoes come out from the local farmers. I never realized that craving could be indications of a deficiency. Really interesting hub!
Vinaya, I take my hat of for you farmers. Your success depends on the weather and the weather is a force that cannot be controlled by us humans. You've got all my empathy. Thanks for being the first to comment.
I love tomatoes! I love all the info here - I had no idea you could basically overdose on Vitamin A! Thanks very good to know!
So interesting...I told my oldest daughter that I really believe that when we crave something it is our body's way of telling us we need something. She quickly responded, "really? Well than give me a beer!" lol lol Kids..(ok she's 23 but still my kid:)
Awesome hub...I was just saying I can't wait for summer time tomatoes!
Hi Susan, I love tomato and onion sandwiches and sometimes with cheese. But this is the first time in my life I have this outrageous craving. I have found the research extremely interesting. Thanks for hopping over for the read. Take care!
RealHousewife, for sure there are cravings and cravings. Lol! I have quite a few stories about cravings and plan to hub them during the next month or three. As usual I had to search for needed information, as I am not a professional nutritionist with all the info in my head. Many of the info I have found surprised me. Thanks for the visit and take care!
MartieCoetser - This was really interesting! I learned so much! I do find myself craving tomatoes. In fact I decided to do a fast one summer. I craved tomatoes the whole time. Makes sense! I enjoy eating tomatoes in a variety of ways. Sometimes I'll just slice them and enjoy them with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a dash of pepper.
Isn't it interesting how some states have the tomato as their state vegetable and others as their state fruit? My dad was from Ohio so I'll go with it being a fruit. :)
I enjoyed the variety you included in this hub...humorous too!
Voted up and across! Sharing too! :)
MartieCoetser~ I really enjoyed reading this hub about tomatoes, craving and the importance of this beautiful red berry. I love tomatoes! Your hub is very informative and well worth reading over and over to remind us the important of vitamins and minerals are body may be lacking!
Voted up and across!
Lisa
Tomatoes with salt and black pepper sounds very good! I must try that! I always listen to my body and I know there is something I need when I crave something! I craved broccoli black pudding and peas and went to the doctor who could tell I had iron deficiency. When I got diagnosed it was so obvious that I should have figured it out even without craving iron rich food. I hope your doctor will tell you that you are perfectly healthy and to me it sounds like you do what you can to reduce the swelling of your legs. Thanks Martie for an interesting hub! Voted up and shared!
Tina
We grow tomatoes every year because I love them fresh out of the garden--just warm and juicy! Nice write!
I love tomatoes and eat pico de gallo about every other day. It is a delicious mix of diced tomatoes, onions and fresh cilantro. This keeps my craving down to a murmur in the winter. During the summer, I will buy tomatoes and have them with about every meal. Sliced, quartered, spiced, cooked, raw, they are wonderful. I think mine is just the craving for a delicious food. So juicy, tasty and good for you. Rarely do I eat more than one a day though.
Very informative hub and so pretty with all of your pictures.
Very interesting introduction and tomato facts. The one about the green unripe tomato is new to me and frightening. Tantalizing pictures too. Great hub altogether. Thanks for sharing.
I get those same cravings with tomatoes! Whether a vegetable or a fruit they are still amazing and so is this hub!!
I have to say that tomatoes are good but I didn't realize how good they were until I couldn't eat them just recently due to acid reflux. But I don't think I had a craving for them like this. However, I do think they make salads and sandwiches especially good. Great hub!
Martie, your Hub makes me crave a firm yet tender red juicy tomato from my Mom's garden. They always seem to taste the best when they come from her. But if I eat too many my tongue and cheeks get all raw from the acids. I loved your yodel by the way :D
Ardie, now you have me thinking of tomatoes from my Mother's garden! It also reminds me of summer...
Great hub- informative and funny (love your poem).Thanks for the great research.
Martie...Great informative hub! We plant Toms every spring, in our yard's garden square. Nothing more delicious & healthy than a freshly picked tom, still warm from the sun. Sliced thick, on slices of Home-made Italian bread with Mayo! YUM! UP ++++!!!
missolive – I added a list of fruit and vegetables containing potassium just to justify my logical thoughts. If potassium is the only deficiency, should one not rather crave papaya or prune juice, or any of the other fruit or vegetables containing more potassium according to the info I was able to get hold of? But then we should not forget the physiological part of our beings, not to talk about memory. Our likes and dislikes, as well as what knowledge we have obtained by experience, play a major role. The brain will rather give us a craving for tomatoes instead of for something else because this is the highest source of potassium we use and like the most.
I will try the balsamic vinegar. Oh, how I crave a tomato with vinegar now! Lol!
Thanks for voting and sharing :)
thougtforce – Ground black pepper in particularly give an exotic taste to tomatoes. Oh, and how I love broccoli, topped with melted cheddar cheese. My legs are irritating the living daylight out of me, and I cannot ‘cure’ them with 12 tomatoes per day. I have no choice but to take them for a second check-up :))) Thanks for your lovely comment, Tina!
Very interesting, informative article, Martie! I have been helping my 89-year old, ex mother-in-law since she fell a couple of months ago. She is blind and had polio as a child. Her elderly doctor put her on a diuretic for swelling in her lower legs and feet. The diuretic caused her to become potassium deficient. She got dizzy, passed out and ended up in the hospital. Her potassium levels were so low, the staff had difficulty finding a pulse and her heart-rate was slow and erratic. Prior to falling, she had been experiencing nausea, dramatic weight loss due to no appetite, extreme weakness and burning in the bottoms of her feet. This happened before I was on the scene, as I would have insisted she see the doctor before her condition became life-threatening. She is doing much better now, although I don't believe she should be living independently at this point. My ex called me Friday night to inform me she had started a fire with her microwave and I was needed on Saturday to clean her apartment. Her potassium levels are normal now with a reduction in the diuretic she is taking. Personally, I feel she should be in a nursing home and the doctor she no longer sees should hang up his shingle.
Great piece, Martie! Thank you.
@ Rusticliving
@ AudreyHowitt -
@ MsDora
@ Sunshine625
@ Alecia Murphy
@ jenniferg78
Thank you so much for your generous and inspiring inputs. I appreciate them all sincerely. Alecia, so sorry about your acid reflux. That is such a nuisance.
Becky Katz – Can you believe it, I don’t know what cilantro is. Or perhaps we have another name for it. Mmmm, the mere name sounds like something very tasty. Mmm, your entire comment makes my mouth water for tomatoes. Let me just go and have one..... lol!
Cilantro is the leaves and stem, coriander is the seed. It is used in Mexican food a lot. Spicy, with a bit of a bite to it. Grow it and you will love it. They may not sell it there. I grow it in my windowsill in a windowbox. It is very pretty, lacy-looking with a spicy scent. I forgot to mention the diced bell pepper in the pico de gallo. Make it and you will love it. I use it as dip with tortilla chips and on different foods. It also makes a wonderful low-fat substitute for dressing on a salad.
If it is potassium deficiency bothering you, which I suffer from, due to diuretics and blood pressure pills (they rob calcium from your body), eat bananas, they have more potassium than any fruit or veggie I know of. I am on a potassium pill for it. I get leg cramps and sore muscles when I am low on potassium.
Ardie – We lived on a mini-farm until I was 7 years old. My parents provided all kinds of vegetables daily to the market. My mother was the manager, because my father had a career and was only evenings and weekends able to contribute his talents. I remember eating fresh tomatoes, and lots of peas, beans and what-have-you right off their branches. So I understand why you regard those in you mom’s garden as the best.
Potassium keeps the acid-base in the body balanced, so too much will evidently disturb the balance.
I think yodeling goes perfectly with a craving.... lol!
Thanks for your comment; you pulled some lovely memories out of my depths :))
fpherj48 – Ohhhh, with mayonnaise.... yummy!
I have only one tomato left (at 8:45pm and shops are closed), otherwise I would have get myself now 2-3 with mayo. So why not eat the one with mayo? Because it will only make me crave for more with mayo :))))
Amy Becherer – my dear friend, it is always so nice to see you. I found your comment, although sad, very interesting. As a matter of fact I am taking a diuretic for the swelling, but with no sign of relieve. So one and one is two – my craving is not because of whatever cause the damn extremely uncomfortable swelling, but due to the diuretic. Strange, the visual swelling is only in the bending behind my knees and between thigh and body where the veins bend, the rest are inside the legs, as if the vesel or muscles or nerves or veins or bones or whatever are inflamed. So now I know a diuretic causes potassium deficiency. Thanks you so much for sharing your knowledge with me.
Oh, of course your mother-in-law should not be alone. Now who but Amy will take care of her, I wonder. You have my best wishes :))
Becky Katz – Ohhh! And now I feel like getting my herb-garden on the go again. At present the herbs in it grow all on their own. I should harvest and dry what I have, but here I sit. I will get some coriander seed tomorrow. Oh my, you make my mouth water for a spicy tomato salad. Thanks, Becky, I appreciate your informative comments with all my heart, and for the confirmation of my logic thoughts triggered by Amy. I'll check the link.
Yes, Martie, your body is telling you to be careful and is telling you what you need. I just got word from my ex that "Irene" is now experiencing painful swelling under her one arm and in her breast on the same side. I am worried that possibly she contracted a staph infection while in the hospital, as that is a common occurrence, esp in the elderly with weakened immune systems. Staph is very dangerous, esp the resistant type seen in hospitals. I won't be going to clean at her place tomorrow, as she wants to wait. I suspect she isn't feeling well at all. My ex should take the time off work to get her to her new doctor pronto. I think I'll butt in and suggest it now. I hope you are not developing lymphedema in your legs, Marti. I would suggest you, too, go to the doc asap. Please? BTW, you look like a "kid" in your new photo! Love you, my friend.
I found this fascinating reading especially on the potassium overdosing.
I grow lots of tomatoes, they are so delicious straight from the vine and I eat loads, the rest of the year I seldom eat one!
Great article and voting up.
Amy, my heart goes out to you. It seems if you always have somebody to take care of, while you don't get the care you need and deserve. Thanks for the hint. I'll check it out. Re my current kid-like look... Lol! I am in a state of panic, realizing I will be 55 in April. And I still feel 25. So I am trying my best to fool myself.
Amy, I've checked lymphedema, but don't relate. Maybe the beginning of Venous Insufficiency? Thanks for the link.
To be honest, if I don't get a clue, this will be the first time I go to a doctor without telling him what is wrong with me. Some doctors hate kwow-it-all patients, but mine know me by now. He, or she, whoever I feel like seeing - and it depends on what I think is wrong or who can help me first - just need to confirm my own diagnosis and prescribe the medication. And that's that. I seldom need medical attention, and I hate it. I was tortured by doctors during my 1st year on this planet, so figure :)
Movie Master, good to see you in here. I am also fascinated by all the interesting information. Half of this I never knew before. Why should I? Is a tomato not simply a tomato, a healthy and delicious food? But when it comes forward as something I crave, I've got to know more about it. I love to learn. New information always excites me - a natural anti-depressant. I love to 'study' - via research and more research - everything that interest me. And, naturally, I love to share everything I obtain in life.
Thanks for your comment and vote.
I should be as healthy as a horse. I eat a tomato everyday in a salad, I eat a banana and an orange every morning for breakfast, yet I have developed allergies. I can't breathe when I am near a cat. It infuriates me. My Allergist tells me that maybe someday i can have a cat and a dog again..Well enough about me. Your article is very informative. I dearly love tomatoes. I grow them every year in my garden along with cucumbers and bell peppers. I hope your problem with your legs is not serious, perhaps circulation..We 'gotta go dancing again my friend..Cheers..Have a good one..
Oh boy do I ever love this one Martie. Was practically bottle fed on that red fruit so they say. Love the unique way you started this tomato fest and the info is awesome- most of it new stuff here. Maybe cause the leaves and stems are toxic that's why the first settlers in America thought the tomato its self was poisonous. But they found out different as time went on and eventually gave them the name- Love Apples! PS- hope the swelling stays away and wouldn't be surprised at all if the tomatoes are helping.:)
haha...Martie I usually go tomatophagia during summer time when my yard reaps tons of tomatoes and I tend to put this vegetable in everything. By the end of summer time...my whole family is RED in color...LOL
rated up up and way up
and useful and funny :)
So much fascinating information about the tomato, Martie, and so little time to digest it. (Pun intended.) I like my tomato in only two ways - spread over a pizza. Or as a slice accompanying a hamburger in a roll with onion and relish.
To alleviate leg swelling, when seated at the computer elevate your legs a little higher than your hips. Could help.
Will leave you now with this significant piece of information: Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
You sure got the dish on those tomatoes! Isn't it ironic what you say about taking all dietary information with a grain of salt? It's true. Once upon a time, we were told to drink our milk everyday. Now, it's full of fat and only to be had sparingly. When diet sodas first came out they were the only kind to drink as they were better having fewer calories. Now we know they cause cancer. Now that I'm addicted to them! I had no idea green tomatoes were bad for I grew up eating them fried. It was one of my favorite dishes. Maybe the frying makes them OK but then fried is bad. Arg! Maybe if I get scared enough of what to eat I will lose some pounds. God bless you Martie. This was most educational and I will come back to the potassium content list again and again I'm sure.
This is a very interesting and useful hub, Martie! I love the taste of fresh-picked tomatoes, but I've never had a craving for them. I hope you find out what's causing the problem in your legs.
Yes, Ruby, I did go dancing the other night. I danced for 8 hours and only short breathers in between – it took me 2 weeks to recover – but beside normal, aching-like-hell muscles, my legs were sorted out for a couple of days, as if rapid blood-flow had flushed away whatever’s wrong. As always, Always, thank you so much for your support. Let’s have a tomato :)
Alastar Packer – Your comment was the first I’ve read this morning, and you’ve given me such a smile I will love you for the entire day. If I was 20 years younger and lived in NC, you would have been my husband living on tomato juice. I was not at all aware that tomatoes are known as Love Apples. Thanks for the lovely informative comment and for always delighting me with your sharp comments.
Ruchira – Imagine all of us take after the color of our favorite fruit and vegetables :)) Thanks for coming over for the read and leaving me a smile-provoking comment.
drbj – oh, let me just give you a hug! That was exactly how much I liked tomatoes before this crave - on a hamburger, on pizza, in a mixed salad and as a gravy on our most delicious staple food, mieliepap (maize meal). The very poor eat this pap every day, while the middle class will seldom if ever have a barbeque without pap and tomato-stew. (Onions, tomatoes, green pepper, and, if we want to have it, mushrooms – all stewed into a delicious gravy/sauce.) Sometimes I felt like eating a tomato sliced and topped with sugar, but one is enough. And now this: A mind-wrecking craving.
My knowledge and wisdom about tomatoes were also the same as yours – lol! - Although I also knew it contains Vitamin C and too much increase the body’s acid level. Nevertheless, I would have failed a test about tomatoes with you.
Thank you so much for always delighting me with your fantastic sense of humor. I love you to bits :)))
(7:40am and r u s h i n g to work >>>>>>>)
poetvix – And there was butter versus margarien... and now butter is again good for us, or have they change their minds again about this? I know people who are so into this eat-green-business; they drive their friends and relatives nuts. There is a specific name for them, but can’t remember it now. Thanks, Rhonda, for your lovely comment. Take care :)
AliciaC – this is my first craving for tomatoes - quite weird. Thanks for clicking in. Take care :)
After piling fresh basil and rosemary on some fish this evening I grilled the whole thing. Yum! The only thing missing was the tomato. Potassium deficiency caught my attention. After 14 days of gastroenteritis my husband is potassium deficient. Your extensive list of potassium rich foods gave me ideas on what to feed my husband. Liquid potassium is really hard on the stomach. Love tomatoes!
Martie, you know don't you, that symtoms of low potassium sound very much like your problem with your legs. The muscles are effected. I have no thyroid and low potassium is a side effect. Also of the diuretic I take and the blood pressure pill I take. That is why the Dr. put me on a potassium pill, to help keep it up. Just food wasn't doing it and I eat bananas and broccoli all the time.
Becky, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me. I've decided to skip the doctor for another 2 weeks while I sort my potassium level out, drop the diuretic and more frequent walking and exercises. One does not realize how time flies while sitting in front of a screen, writing and/or surfing the Internet. I love broccoli and bananas. I think it will take about 2 weeks to feel whether the deficiency is sorted out or not? I guess it is high time to get myself some proper Vitamin and mineral supplements. I may feel 25, but that 'feeling I' is not my flesh and bones. Thanks!
tirelesstraveler - Yummie! Tomorrow we'll have fish with basil, rosemary and tomato for dinner... thanks to you.
Here in Arizona, it's time to plant tomatoes!
Hi Will, may you reap in abundance!
:)
OMG, who does Lindsay Lohan think she is fooling with that crack on moderation (LOL)?
I'm not sure how I missed this nutrient-packed hub, Sista. I had known of your 'condition' and am agog at the comprehensive information you have shared with us!
I love Lydia's vocals.... Would you please forward the name of your make-up artist?!
Voted UP & UAI...!
Now if you will excuse me, I am fixing a duck sandwich with a short glass of prune juice, so I shall catch you later!
Hugs and stuff, Maria
Hi Maria, after tests - costed me an arm and a leg - my 'condition' (re legs) is officially diagnosed as natural aging and incurable. Now wth? I am not yet 60 and still 40 to go before I will regard myself ready for old-aged ailments. So what exactly is aging? The bones or the veins or the what? Sadly the first doctor I consulted said the same - something about the bending of the veins causing bla-bla-bla.... as if my veins are not supposed to bend when I am in a sitting position. No, really, I don't understand.... but back to tomato's... Thanks to potassium tablets - 2 per day - I no longer have a craving for tomatoes.
I'm going to add a capsule to the hub to cover the fact that Kalium is another word for Potassium.... I've taken for granted that everybody knows this.
Thanks for coming by, Maria. Hugs galore going your way....
You have presented lots of useful information about the tomato. I hadn't heard of tomato cravings before, although I have craved tomatoes from time to time - nothing to the extent that you have. I am glad the potassium tablets are helping the cravings, so you can enjoy tomatoes in moderation now.
Hi Millionaire Tips, welcome in my corner. Well this was the first time I had such a amazing crave, and I was surprise to learn it actually has a name - tomatophagia. Thanks for your comment.
I love tomatoes. Though I had wrote about this fruit, but your hub is better than me. Thanks for writing and share with us. I learn many things here. Rated up and pushing all buttons, except funny. Take care!
Prasetio
Hi prasetio, I remember your hub. First thing when I wake up, I am going to fetch the link and add it to my hub. Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a great day. (2:05am SA)
Another wonderful article - thanks for sharing all this good information. I loved learning that this specific craving had a name tied to it:) I will share with my follows as I think many will also find this interesting.
Oh man, I am a tomato LOVER! Hehe, I just planted four different varieties in my garden: Inca Hybrid, Cherokee Purple, Grape and Tomatillo. Yum, yum, yum. I think I eat tomatoes just about every day. Then again, that makes sense: together with beans, squash and corn, this was another wonderful Native American contribution to society. :) Voted and shared.
I will eat a tomato today in honor of your birthday!!:)
Happy Birthday, Martie!! I grew up in Ohio, the Tomato State, and I love everything about them. This is the first I've heard of the reason behind cravings, though!
Great hub filled with all sorts of interesting information. And now I must go find a tomato to satisfy this strange craving I have all of a sudden. : )
I love the taste of sauteed tomatoes with lots of sweet onions! I enjoyed your hub! Voted up, up and away! Bookmarking and sharing! Thanks, Martie!
Hi Kris, I enjoyed the research and learned a lot myself.
Thank you for sharing this one with your followers. The more we and everybody knows about ordinary things, the better off we will be in this world.
cclitgirl, I wish I could have some of your tomatoes. It must be delicious! Yummy!
Thank you for your appetizing comment.
I hope it was a big, juicy, delicious tomato, Sunshine :)
Thank you, Marcy! We are just never too old to hear reasons behind ordinary occurrences for the first time :)
Deborah, I hope you had enjoyed a delicious tomato :)
coffeegginmyrice, oh yes, sauteed tomatoes and onions are delicious - we love to eat it as a sauce on our 'pap'.
'Pap' is a starch dish down here - a porridge-like dish made with maize meal. We eat this 'pap' instead of rice or pasta with grilled and fried meat and/or sausages. On the menu will also be salads of all sorts. This is our 'barbeque' menu. Some people don't like 'pap', as it is 'poor man's food' - they will replace the pap at barbeques with bread roles or a potato-bake.
Thank you for your delicious comment.
Nice hub! Until now I never knew consuming tomato stems or green tomatoes is toxic to a person's health. Thanks!
Hady, well that is what I, too, learned during my research. But somebody commented that they've in fact eaten it when they were children? I can't see who it was - I am in the comment capsule now - but you will find the comment somewhere in the line...
Thanks so much for your comment. Take care :)
Regardless of nutritional content, I love tomatoes. Well done!
PDX - good t see you! I agree - tomatoes are delicious :)
Vinaya Ghimire Level 8 Commenter 3 months ago
I grow tomato in my farm. Last year I made lots of money selling tomatoes, but this year, storm destroyed my plants when they were just beginning to flower.
Thanks for sharing the tomato facts.