I guess it seems like I am on a corn kick here lately since my last few articles have been “corn inspired.” Actually, I am just enjoying the fresh vegetables that are plentiful right now!

One of the reasons I love the fresh vegetables and fruits of the summer is because I feel like no matter what I eat, if it is fresh and is a vegetable or fruit, then I am eating well. (Forget the chocolate chip cookies I make for later on!)

Anyway, this recipe is really good and good for you. Two-thirds of a cup of this only has about 90 calories. You could eat this as a full meal (with only 90 calories a serving, you could actually eat three servings and get full, and still have a low-fat meal) or add a broiled or grilled chicken breast.

I usually leave out the green pepper because it has a tendency to give me heartburn, but it isn’t noticeable unless one made with green pepper is sitting beside one without green pepper.

I was curious as to why I get heartburn or acid indigestion every time I eat one of these types of veggies, so I went to checking.

Onions, peppers, chocolate and mints have all been shown to cause indigestion by relaxing the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (the muscle going from your esophagus to your stomach that opens and closes when you swallow). However, cooking onions and peppers destroys substances that are the cause of indigestion.

Other food/drinks that can cause the same problems are chocolate syrup (even low-fat syrup – depressing), coffee, some fruit juices, cigarettes and alcohol, raw vegetables more irritating than cooked, and high-fat meals, like a Quarter Pounder combo meal, a McDonald’s sausage biscuit with egg and cheese and Wendy’s chili.

Oranges and mostly all fruits are alkaline forming, yet many brands of orange and fruit juices can be highly “acid-forming” because they have some type of “acid-forming sweetener” in them, even though they may say no sugar added on the containers. Lemons also are alkaline until mixed with acid-forming sweetener, which causes them to become acid-forming.

There are some foods that are acid-forming to the human body, and there are some foods that are alkaline to the human body. If there is an imbalance of the selection of foods that we choose to eat then there could be heartburn and acid-indigestion. Too much acid-forming foods will bring forth heartburn and acid-indigestion, and too much alkaline foods can cause different health problems, especially in slowing down the digestive system.

Everyone needs both “alkaline foods,” and “acid foods” in their diet. In order to prevent heartburn and acid-indigestion, we need to know the foods that are “acid-forming” or “alkaline” and try to have a perfect balance in each meal, even to have more alkaline foods than acid foods.

Lastly, one other thing I found is how to relieve some of your problems by eating certain foods. Try this as an experiment the next time you are suffering from an attack of heartburn or acid indigestion. Buy some raw spinach, broccoli or watercress and juice it in a juice extractor. Put the extracted juice into one-ounce containers and freeze them. The next time you experience heartburn or acid-indigestion, take one ounce of the raw vegetable juice, mix it with a little water then drink it.

Most people should experience total relief within less than one hour. If you do not have a juicer, just get some raw spinach, or raw celery, or any raw, green leafy vegetable, and chew on them. The alkaline quality of the green, leafy vegetable should help to neutralize the acid.

Farmers’ Market Corn Toss

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 green pepper, chopped

2 ears corn on the cob, kernels cut off

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 large tomato, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions, garlic and green peppers; cook and stir three minutes. Stir in corn, zucchini and tomato; cook and stir five minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in basil, black pepper and two Tbsp. cheese. Top with remaining cheese.