a pepper a day...

My boyfriend's family firmly believes that it's good to eat a jalapeno pepper - whole - with a meal. Like at dinner. Apparently it is good for you. Although there has been a great deal of encouragement for me to adapt this into my eating habits as well, I have yet to incorporate it as I feel like it is almost punishing myself for eating. It takes away from the enjoyable experience. So I did some looking. I wanted to know if they really are good for you. I also wanted to know if they were at all bad for you. So I went to a few different websites. And now I feel much more informed. Here's what I found: www.produceoasis.com Nutritional Information: Serving size 1 pepper (45g) Calories 20 Total Fat 0g Sodium 10mg Total Carbohydrate 3g Dietary Fiber 0g Protein 1g % of RDA: Vitamin A 80% Calcium 0% Vitamin C 170% Iron 0% Usage: Use sparingly in Mexican dishes, guacamole, and salad dressings. Selection: Good-quality Jalapeno peppers should be firm, smooth-skinned and have solid green coloring. Dry lines are not a blemish. They are signs of a mature pepper and indicate hotness. www.reipes4us.co.uk Store them in a cool dark place or unwrapped in the refrigerator crisper where they will keep for a week or so. Do not store in plastic bags or clingfilm as this will make them rot. Storage time can be increased by placing them in oil. As with most chilies, the heat is concentrated in the seeds and ribs. Remove all or some of these parts to lessen the heat, being very careful not to touch your eyes until you've thoroughly washed your hands. www.jalapenomadness.com How do you stop the burning after eating jalapeno peppers? Because of the innate hotness of all chile peppers, they can burn not only the inside of your mouth, but your skin as well. If you find that you simply can't bear the heat after eating a chile pepper, try to consume a dairy product, like milk, yogurt, or ice cream. Dairy products contain a chemical called caisen that combats the effects of chile peppers' capsicum by stripping it from it receptor site on the skin. I've also tried sugar and that seems to work in a pinch. Burning Skin Try rubbing alcohol first to remove the burning oil. Then, soak the skin in milk or another dairy product. Only use water or saline for your eyes, however, and please remember that the best way to combat the chile pepper heat is to use rubber gloves when handling peppers. So after all of this, I have come to decide that yes, these little green explosions of heat are good for you. It may take a while for me to start eating them whole. But I'd like to think that one day, just maybe. Maybe?