Enzymes, fiber, vitamins, minerals, delicious taste, sweetness,
texture, the list of benefits that you can gain from including fresh
fruit in the diet is pretty lengthy. However, there are always ways that
you can optimize your diet by choosing fruits at the right time and in
the right ways.
Seasonality
It is very helpful to understand that your food should be as local as possible. This allows you to get the food before it loses any of its nutrients. It also ensures that the foods you eat are picked when naturally ripened and then brought to market. Rather than paying a big agriculture company to pick fruits before they are ripe, gas them to slow the maturation of the fruit, and then haul or fly them long distances, you could just enjoy living food packed with nutrition.
So, the first step in getting the best fruits and enjoying the most nutrients from them is to know what is in season in your area. Then it is time to hit the farmer's markets, local farms, and any stores that specialize in local produce.
Does it mean that tropical fruits or non-local produce is out? No, but if you are going to invest in them, remember one main word: organic. Though the Environmental Working Group in the United States releases a list known as the "dirty dozen" indicating which fruits and vegetables must be eaten only as organic, it is best to nurture the planet by supporting any and all organic farmers.
Also, this ensures that you can follow a raw food diet (getting all of those amazing enzymes) without any worries or concerns of toxins.
Variations
Remember that fruits are not limited to just things like berries, and there are large number that grow on trees and bushes. This is why you need to know that fruits are mostly seasonal.
As an example, if you live in the United States, the true "apple season" begins in the months of September and October. By the time that January arrives, the apples on the store shelves have been in storage for a time. They are not as "alive" as they were a few months earlier, and by June or July, any of the domestic apples will have been in cold storage for months.
So, understand that fruits are seasonal and that they can be found in many forms that include berries on plants, stone fruits on trees, and fruits on bushes and vines.
Using Them
How do you use fruits? While most of them are great "as is", you can make some pretty impressive "smoothies" with them too. Many people will freeze bananas and then whiz them with fruits to make something very similar to a milkshake. Some will add chopped fruits to salads that also include greens and nuts.
Remember too that you can freeze and dry seasonal fruits to capture their nutrition and enjoy year round. Just be sure to mark the dates when you processed them and use them up before the next season comes around. Don't worry about that, though, as most people never have too much good fruit in their diets.
Seasonality
It is very helpful to understand that your food should be as local as possible. This allows you to get the food before it loses any of its nutrients. It also ensures that the foods you eat are picked when naturally ripened and then brought to market. Rather than paying a big agriculture company to pick fruits before they are ripe, gas them to slow the maturation of the fruit, and then haul or fly them long distances, you could just enjoy living food packed with nutrition.
So, the first step in getting the best fruits and enjoying the most nutrients from them is to know what is in season in your area. Then it is time to hit the farmer's markets, local farms, and any stores that specialize in local produce.
Does it mean that tropical fruits or non-local produce is out? No, but if you are going to invest in them, remember one main word: organic. Though the Environmental Working Group in the United States releases a list known as the "dirty dozen" indicating which fruits and vegetables must be eaten only as organic, it is best to nurture the planet by supporting any and all organic farmers.
Also, this ensures that you can follow a raw food diet (getting all of those amazing enzymes) without any worries or concerns of toxins.
Variations
Remember that fruits are not limited to just things like berries, and there are large number that grow on trees and bushes. This is why you need to know that fruits are mostly seasonal.
As an example, if you live in the United States, the true "apple season" begins in the months of September and October. By the time that January arrives, the apples on the store shelves have been in storage for a time. They are not as "alive" as they were a few months earlier, and by June or July, any of the domestic apples will have been in cold storage for months.
So, understand that fruits are seasonal and that they can be found in many forms that include berries on plants, stone fruits on trees, and fruits on bushes and vines.
Using Them
How do you use fruits? While most of them are great "as is", you can make some pretty impressive "smoothies" with them too. Many people will freeze bananas and then whiz them with fruits to make something very similar to a milkshake. Some will add chopped fruits to salads that also include greens and nuts.
Remember too that you can freeze and dry seasonal fruits to capture their nutrition and enjoy year round. Just be sure to mark the dates when you processed them and use them up before the next season comes around. Don't worry about that, though, as most people never have too much good fruit in their diets.
Source: EzineArticles.com
