Fruit is good.
I mean, that's kind of the general consensus, right?
But what fruit is better for you than others? And why is it good for you?
I have a sort of belief that if you eat enough fruits and vegetables, you're doing your body good. Much better than if you ate lots of cookies and chips, for instance. So as long as you're eating fruits, you're on the right track.
But The Mag put out a list of Five Fruits That Fight The Flu. This is, after all, a bit of a rough time with the swine flu outbreak sort of putting fear into people's minds. If you've done well to eat these fruits, according to The Mag then you have done well for yourself.
Apples
One apple has the equivalent to 1500mg of Vitamin C and other nutrients to help prevent heart disease and cancer.
Papayas
A papaya has 250 percent of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C; high beta-carotene and vitamins C and E can also lessen the effects of asthma
Cranberries
One serving of cranberries has five times the amount of antioxidants as broccoli, and also enhance good bacteria levels in the stomach which help prevent foodborne illnesses.
Grapefruit
High in Vitamin C, grapefruits also have limonoids, which help lower cholesterol; red grapefruits have lycopene, which helps fight cancer.
Bananas
A great source of Vitamin B6; bananas also reduce fatigue, depression, stress and insomnia; also high in magnesium (good for bones) and potassium (to prevent heart disease, high blood pressure).
Now, as for my own diet, I eat loads of apples and bananas but I suppose I could do better to mix in papayas, cranberries and grapefruits more often. I found a great recipe for cranberries and made it a few times over Thanksgiving, but outside of November I'm not sure if I'd make that one. I just have a hard time with certain seasonal foods is all. But that one is hands down the best cranberry recipe I've tried (well, not counting quick breads) and I won't ever buy canned cranberries again.
Also, keep in mind that while cranberries are good, Craisins are not. I blogged about them a while ago, but Craisins made the 'Avoid' list The Mag put out with regards to supermarket items.
2 comments:
We love our Apples & Banana's here :) Papayas are a little harder to get here I think :) I really should get grapefruits more often, my kiddos really enjoy them. Thanks for sharing some great nutritional tips!
Having great local, organic produce year-round is one of the biggest perks of living in California! Right now we're eating kiwis, watermelon, cantaloupe, prickly pears, papayas, strawberries (well, not me, I'm allergic), mandarins and grapes...yum!
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