Why fruits?
Fruits are nature’s wonderful gift to mankind; indeed, medicines packed with
vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and many phyto-nutrients (Plant derived
micronutrients). They are an absolute feast to our sight, not just because of
their color and flavor but for their unique nutrition-profile that help the
human body free of diseases and stay healthy!
1. Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of simple
sugars, fiber, and vitamins, which are essential for optimizing our health.
2. Fruits provide plenty of soluble dietary fiber, which helps to ward
of cholesterol and fats from the body and to get relief from constipation as
well.
3. Fruits contain many anti-oxidants like poly-phenolic flavonoids,
vitamin-C, and anthocyanins. These compounds, firstly, help human body
protected from oxidant stress, diseases, and cancers, and secondly; help the
body develop capacity to fight against these ailments by boosting our immunity
level. Many fruits, when compared to vegetables and cereals, have very high
anti-oxidant value, which is something measured by their "Oxygen Radical
Absorbent Capacity" or (ORAC).
4. Anthocyanins are flavonoid category of poly-phenolic compounds found
in some "blue-fruits"like blue-black grapes, mulberries, acai berry,
chokeberry, blueberries, blackberries, and in many vegetables featuring blue or
deep purple color. Eating fruits rich in blue pigments offers many health
benefits. These compounds have potent anti-oxidant properties, remove free
radicals from the body, and thus offer protection against cancers, aging,
infections, etc. These pigments tend to concentrate just underneath the skin.
5. Fruit’s health benefiting properties are because of their richness
in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, anti-oxidants, which helps the body
prevent or at least prolong the natural changes of aging by protecting and
rejuvenating cells, tissues and organs. Their overall benefits are manifold!
Fruit nutrition benefits are infinite! You are protecting yourself from minor
ailments like wrinkling of skin, hair-fall, and memory loss to major ailments
like age-related macular degeneration (AMRD) of the retina in the eyes,
Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancers, weak bones (osteoporosis)…etc., and the
list of fruit nutrition benefits never ends!
Here is an impressive list of fruits with complete illustrations of their
health benefits and nutrition facts:
Acai berry Apple Apricot Avocado
Banana Blackberries Black currants Blueberries
Cantaloupe Cherimoya Cherry Chokeberry
Cranberries Dates Durian fruit Figs
Gooseberries Grapes Grapefruit Guava
Jackfruit Kiwi fruit Kumquat Lemon
Loquat fruit Lychee Mango fruit Mangosteen
Mulberries Olives Orange Papaya
Passion fruit Peaches Pears Persimmon fruit
Pineapple Plums Pomegranate Quince fruit
Raspberry Sapodilla(Sapote) Star fruit Strawberry
Tangerine Watermelon
How much fruit nutrition should be included in our daily diet?
Research studies suggest that one may eat any servings of fruits daily. It is
recommended to eat at least 2-3 servings of fresh fruits every day.
The term one fruit serving is about 250 g of cleaned, edible-portion of the
fruit, excluding discards like peel, seeds, etc.
Include seasonal fruits in the daily diet. Variety of fruit's type, color, and
flavor should be encouraged to get maximum health benefits. Yellow and orange
color fruits are rich sources of α and β carotenes, zea-xanthin and
crypto-xanthin, while blue, black colored like black or blueberries are a good
source of poly-phenolic anthocyanin anti-oxidants.
Selection of fruits
To avail maximum fruit nutrition benefits eat organic produce. Many "wild"
varieties of berries and "tropical tree" fruits have still not treated with any
kind of fertilizers or chemicals and can be readily purchased from local farm
owners. Organic fruits tend to be smaller; however, they feature special flavor
and richness in vitamins, minerals and stuffed with numerous anti-oxidants.
In the store, however, choose fruits that feature freshness, bright in color
and flavor and feel heavy in your hands. Look carefully for blemishes, spots,
molds, and signs of insecticide spray. Buy whole fruits instead of section of
them (for example, buy a small size watermelon instead of a section of big size
melon).
Dry fruits
Dry fruits are rich source of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
Consumption of some dry fruits daily enhances the overall bioavailability of
nutrients. Try raisins (dried grapes), apricots, dates, figs,tamarind..., which
are indeed very good in iron, calcium, zinc, selenium and manganese. In
addition, mixing dry fruits with some fresh fruits would help you get vitamin C
which in-turn facilitates complete absorption of iron inside the stomach.
How to use fruits?
Barring few fruits like berries, try to wash them soon after shopping. Rinse
them in salt water for few minutes and then wash in cool running water until
you are satisfied with complete cleanliness. This way, you make sure that the
fruit you eat is rid-off dust, sand and any residual chemical spray. Eat them
while they are fresh because, certain fruits have very short shelf life and the
health benefiting properties of fruit declines with time. If you need to store
them, place them in plastic wrappings or in zip pouches to keep them fresh for
short periods until you use them. Eat fruits as a whole without any additions
to get their original flavor, taste, and to get maximum fruit nutrition
benefits.
If you need to store them, place them in plastic wrappings or in zip pouches to
keep them fresh for short periods until you use them. Eat fruits as a whole
without any additions to get their original flavor, taste, and to get maximum
fruit nutrition benefits.
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