Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Getting the Most Out of Your Summer Fruits

Raise your hand if you've been eating more fruit these past couple of months. I bet everyone reading this post has their hand raised (ok, maybe you aren't really raising your hand, but you would if this was class, right?!). My point is that the summers months are the perfect time to take advantage of all the amazing fruits that the farmer's markets and local grocery stores have to offer. Not only are they fresh and delicious, but most of them are very cheap too. Last week during my training I had the chance to taste a casaba melon for the first time. Have you tried one? They sort of taste like a cross between a honeydew and a cucumber. It was interesting. Here are some other great summer fruits:



GRAPES:
Make sure to buy organic if they are imported from outside of the USA. If you don't want to spend the extra money on organic, just be sure to rinse them really well. Grapes are a fantastic fruit because of the proanthocyanidins they contain, which are believed to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation (LDL oxidation causes inflammation and heart disease). Grapes also contain resveratrol, which may have anti-aging benefits, and which also benefit the heart.

Tip: It's easy to eat grapes, and lot of them, really fast. Help yourself slow down by freezing them! They are really refreshing when they are frozen, and it's much more difficult to eat too many, too fast (this is especially important for diabetics, as too many grapes can really spike your blood sugar).





CHERRIES: Make sure to buy organic cherries, or just wash conventional cherries really well (they are on the dirty list). Recent research has shown that cherries may have a beneficial impact on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome. In one study rats were put on a high fat diet, in combination with whole cherry powder, and they had decreased abdominal weight and decreased markers of inflammation.





PEACHES: Make sure to buy organic peaches, or just wash conventional peaches really well (they are also on the dirty list). While you may not think that peaches are very high in antioxidants, the contrary is true. Researchers have recently begun doing more research on peaches and are finding that their flesh and skin are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants! One downfall about peaches is that they are sort of low in fiber. Add them to some yogurt and homemade granola for some additional fiber and amazing taste.




Tip: Similar to grapes, peaches taste really great when frozen. I love to freeze slices of peaches and then add them to smoothies, or even make them into peach ice cream.



Each of the above fruits can be purchased in the dried form, which is fine, but watch out for dried products with added sugars. A typical serving of fruit will contain between 10-15 grams of CHO (fructose; SUGAR), so if you purchase dried fruit with more sugar than this, chances are it was added (you can also look at the ingredient list to find this out). Frozen varieties of fruits also tend to have added sugar, so just keep your eyes peeled.




Now I'm off to Pittsburgh to start my third week of training. Should be a good day, and a great week. Thanks for reading everyone! Keep on smiling :)

24 comments :

  1. I know that many of the summer fruits are on the dirty list and should be bought organically, but nothing beats summer fruit fresh from the tree. I try to wash them very thoroughly when I pick, but I can't lie...I eat a ton of pesticide-residued fruit when I'm picking!

    ReplyDelete
  2. hope training goes well for you, thanks for the fruit info, :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the variety of fruits available in the summer. During the winter I get a little bored with apples and oranges.

    Good luck with your training. Hope you are enjoying the transition into your new position.

    ReplyDelete
  4. All of those are my favorite fruits! good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post! I definitely eat a TON more fruit in the summer...it's just so tasty!

    Good luck in training!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I LOVE frozen grapes!! Especially after coming in from the heat. Always a great refreshing treat.

    Thanks for stopping by my new site. Good luck with your training!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just learned that peaches are on the "dirty list" a few weeks ago. I wasn't even washing them!

    ReplyDelete
  8. im trying to figure out if too much fruit is a bad thing. like last night i ate a 2lb bag of green grapes and about a lb of purple grapes afterwards. realistically i was still hungry but it looked like a lot of fruit and sugar. i was planning on eating more balanced but i was lazy and the grapes were convenient.

    eek

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love all those fruits! Thanks for the tips! Frozen grapes are such a nice refreshing treat!

    Good luck with your training!

    ReplyDelete
  10. P.S. In case you or any of your readers are interested, I have a giveaway on my blog for NuNaturals Stevia products:

    http://www.fabanddeliciousfood.com/?p=13956

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. what great advise on the fruits.....i do eat more in the summer. have not had any cherries as of late though. good luck on the training. my hubbys been out of town training for his new job too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. We have been eating so much fruit too! Its a shame that summer is one of the best seasons for it.

    Good luck with training :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I always eat more fruit in the summer, but in the winter I love having frozen around. I bought the best dried strawberries and pineapples when I was in Spain. Have a good week at training.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Raised my hand! I am loving grapes right now. I should start freezing them like you said because it is easy for me to eat the whole bag!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great post! I'm loving the low prices of fruit right now :) I buy grapes everytime I go to the grocery.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love this time of year, with all those wonderful summertime fruits!! its heaven! great post!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Does the 'wash regular produce really well to off-set the chemicals' process really work?
    I've always wondered that... :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi I have a question.

    I have been having issues with my stomach for a while. On any given day, I am either really gassy, really constipated, or have really bad heartburn. I eat pretty healthy so I am confused about this all. I know you have bad stomach issues. Is there any way I can figure out "whats wrong with me" by myself? Thanks, Eliza

    ReplyDelete
  19. I never thought about freezing grapes but that sounds really good! I love fruit even though I have to be careful with it on my stomach. The pineapple in Hawaii is delicious so I've been eating that :)
    Have a good week of training!

    ReplyDelete
  20. yes. I definitely eat more fruits in summer. My favorites are watermelon, cherries and peach :D

    ReplyDelete