FertilehealthyAiming for success, not perfection…

Last Friday we looked at the importance of nutrients. I’m not sure that I got my point across well enough, so I’m going to quote Dr. Joel Fuhrman on this:

The long-term health potential of a given diet is based so much more on its micronutrient profile rather than its macronutrient profile.

Today we’re going to look at what foods are the perfect foods for humans and should form the basis of our diets. (Hint – look at the picture at the top).

It should come as no surprise that even amongst the health experts there is some disagreement about what constitutes the perfect food. Some say fruit and others say green leafy vegetables. But they all agree that these two are the Top Two by a long way! 

Today we’re going to talk about Superfood #1:

Fruit

Fruit was man’s first food in the Garden of Eden and today, with all the environmental and lifestyle challenges, we need more fruit, not less, in our diets.  Yet there seems to be a genuine fear of eating fruit amongst the confused public.  Some believe it will make them fat, others think that it will upset their blood sugar and another lot think that fruit is difficult to digest.  These are all myths!

Let’s look at why fruit is so important to our health and well-being:

• Fruit is the only food that meets all our nutritional requirements.
• It has no adverse effects on health, unlike almost all other food.  This means that you can eat as much as you like!
• Fruit has a high nutrient-per-calorie density, meaning that you get more bang for you calorie.
• Fruit leaves an alkaline residue in the bloodstream.  This helps maintain the body’s pH balance.
• Fruit digests easily because the nutrients are already in their most simple form.
• The nutrients in fruit are presented in synergestic ratios and can therefore be easily and effectively absorbed and utilized by the body.
• Fruit is high in fiber, both soluble and insoluble; once again in synergestic ratios.
• The sugar in fruit is unrefined and, together with the fiber, help to stabilize blood sugar.  This in turn helps with mood swings, depression and sugar cravings.  In fact, if you’re eating a lot of fruit you will not crave sugary foods like cakes and candy.
• Fruit has been found to heal Type 2 diabetes and Insulin Resistance (and with it PCOS).
• Fruit contains an abundance of vitamins, minerals (even calcium and iron), healthy fats, and phyto-chemicals.
• The protein in fruit (yes, all fruits contain protein) is already in its most simple form – that of amino acids – and is ready to be absorbed and assimilated.
• It is the best food to eat when your body is trying to cleanse itself.  Because it’s so easy to digest, your body has a lot more energy available to do its cleaning and restoring.
• Fruit in its natural state is appealing to all our senses – it looks good, tastes good and feels good.
• Eating a lot of fruit boosts the immune system.
• Fruit is vital for the proper functioning of the endocrine (hormonal) system, which impacts fertility and weight loss.
• Fruit will give you a healthy, blemish-free skin.
• Eating lots of fruit will diminish and eventually eliminate PMS.
• Fruit has a high water content.
• Fruit powerfully protects against all degenerative and auto-immune diseases.  In fact, the more fruit you eat, the least likely you are to develop cancer.
• Fruit is packed with anti-oxidants and slows down aging.
• Fruit will keep your intestinal tract healthy and rich in beneficial bacteria, which creates the perfect environment for the manufacture of Vitamin B12 (yes, that’s right, most people are able to make their own B12!)

Some people experience digestive discomfort when eating fruit.  That is because fruit is best eaten alone, or with other fruit and in some cases with nuts.  Remember that fruit is already partially digested, so when you eat it with food that takes longer to digest, it spoils in the stomach and causes gas and discomfort (and you will be unable to absorb the nutrients).  Fruit is the best food with which to break your nightly fast.  The body does most of its repairing and cleansing work during the night, and then steps up its elimination first thing in the morning to get rid of the accummulated waste products of the night.  This will be done through the bladder, bowels and sinuses (ever notice that you often wake up with a stuffy nose?).  Eating fruit won’t direct energy away from this function and in fact speeds up the process.

If you’re anxious to lose weight, fruit is your best friend.  The more fruit you consume per day, the more weight you will lose.  In fact, if you could eat only fruit until noon, you’ll be amazed at the results!  

If you have any more digestive complaints from eating fruit, it helps to combine your fruit properly.  Fruit can be divided into three categories:  sweet, sub-acid, and acid (although they all leave an alkaline residue in the body).  Sweet fruit can be comfortably eaten with sub-acid fruits (and whole grains like oatmeal), but not with acid fruits.  Acid fruits can be eaten with sub-acid fruits and nuts.  I don’t follow this religiously, but my mother has really benefited from these guidelines.

Sweet fruit:  Banana, dates, fig, papino, papaya, persimmon, prunes, raisins, sultanas

Sub-acid fruit:  Apple, apricot, berries, cherries, grapes, litchis, mango, nectarine, peach, pear

Acid fruit:  Clementine, grapefruit, guava, kiwi fruit, lemon, lime, melons, orange, passion fruit, pineapple, pomegranate, quince, strawberries, tangerine, watermelon

It’s best to eat fruit in season to ensure freshness (out of season fruits have often been languishing in cold-storage for up to a year).  Wash fruit well with an organic fruit and vegetable soap to get rid of pesticide residue.  Or better yet, eat organic wherever possible.  Keep fruit washed and ready to eat in bowls where you can see it.  Freeze some fruits for smoothies.  Make fruit salads to take to work.

Try this for a delicious breakfast:

Mary-Ann’s Breakfast Shake

¼ cup raw almonds (or cashews or tahini) per person

½ cup chopped pineapple (or other acid fruit)

fresh apple juice

 Blend the nuts until they are very fine and smooth.  Add the fresh fruit and blend well until creamy, thinning down with the fresh juice and a few ice cubes (or frozen strawberries – my favorite!). 

There are people who live entirely on fruit. They’re called fruitarians. It’s not something I would ever consider doing and I would never suggest it to anyone, but if you’re in doubt about the benefits of a high-fruit diet, consider this… Fruitarians are healthy! A famous South African fruitarian, Essie Honiball, submitted herself to the University of Pretoria for extensive medical tests twelve years after adopting a fruit only diet. The chairman of the Physiology Department at the time, Prof. B.J. Meyer, wrote a book called “Fruit for Thought” (I’m desperately searching for a copy) based on these tests and the findings. Mrs. Honiball was found to have no nutritional deficiencies whatsoever. Her bones were intact, proving again that fruit can meet all our calcium needs. She was slender, strong and active.  The health problems that had prompted her to adopt this diet, had all disappeared. She is now 83 years young and as far as I can ascertain, still going strong!

So, here’s a challenge for the upcoming week: Eat more fruit!  Are you game?

Stay tuned next Friday for more about leafy greens and how awesome they are!