You Are What You Eat

Hey guys!
With summer on the way, fresh organic fruits are too! Delicious fruit gives the body the proper balance of nutrients it needs to allow it to detoxify all the toxins and garbage built up over years of poor diet, polluted environment, Big Pharma drugs and needles, genetically modified what?!, and gracious knows what else. Your body uses what you give it to build new cells, literally becoming what you eat!  Are you feeding it alive raw foods or dead animal products?  Next time you visit the grocery store, pick up a few of Nature's beauties listed below :)

Apples!  Delicious and crunchy apples are one of the popular fruits that contain an impressive list of essential nutrients, which are required for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being.  Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories (not that i'm counting!).  The fruits contain no saturated fats or cholesterol, and are rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut.  The dietary fibers also help protect the mucous membrane of the colon from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.  Apples contain ample quantities of vitamin C and beta carotene.  Apple fruit is also rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenols.  In fact, the total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC) of 100 g of apples is 5900 TE.  Some of the major flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.  Apples are also good in tartaric acid that gives tart flavor to them. These compounds aid the body in the the removal of free radicals.  In addition to all these benefits, apples are a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine.  Together, these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body.  Apple fruit also contains small amounts of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium.  Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus counters the bad influences of sodium.  Grab some apples today!

Berries!  Fresh berries are packed with numerous plant nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers that are essential for optimum health.  Berries have significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid.  Scientific studies show that these antioidant compounds may have potential health benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases.  Fresh berries are an excellent source of vitamin c, which is a powerful natural antioxidant.  Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin c helps rid the body of inflammation and scavenge harmful free radicals from the body.  Delicious Berries contain adequate levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K.  In addition, they are rich in many other health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and B-carotene.  Altogether, these compounds act as a protective and cleansing source of nutrition.

Grapefruit!  Delicious grapefruit is rich in dietary insoluble fiber pectin, which by acting as bulk laxative helps to protect and detoxify the colon mucous membrane by removing toxic substances and cancer causing chemicals in the colon.  Pectin has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing re-absorption of cholesterol binding bile acids in the colon.  The fruit contains high amounts of vitamins A, and flavonoid antioxidants such as naringenin, beta-carotene, xanthin and lutein.  Studies suggest that these compounds have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision.Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin  and flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.  It is also a great source of antioxidant vitamin C, which helps maintain normal connective tissue as well as wound healing.  It also facilitates dietary iron absorption from the intestine.  Fresh fruit is very rich in potassium.  Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure through countering sodium effects.  Red varieties of grapefruits are especially rich in the most powerful flavonoid antioxidant, lycopene.  Studies have shown that lycopene protects skin damage from UV rays, and offers protection against prostate cancer. Grapefruit also contains B complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and thiamin in addition to some resourceful minerals such as iron, calium, copper, and phosphorus.  


So the next time you visit your local supermarket, farmers market, or produce hot-spot, don't forget to pick up a few of these delicious (and nutritious) fruits.  Your body will thank you!

Hugs,
-Bri