Fruits and Weight Loss

When you were young, your AMI (mom) probably told you to eat fruits. Although she might have been more interested in keeping you healthy—fruit has zero cholesterol,and contains phytochemicals that reduce blood pressure and the risk of cancer.Fruit is one of the most healthy and natural foods in existence. There are thousands of different types of fruit available to eat, all of which provide us with strong health benefits. Fruit contains a large number of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and plant phytochemicals that help benefit health.

Fruit can benefit many people wanting to lose weight safely without dieting.Everybody wants a weight-loss plan that lets them eat as much as they want while satisfying hunger and reducing calorie intake. The trick is to choose foods with a lower energy density, or fewer calories per gram weight of the food. The more water and fiber in a food, the lower its energy density, and the more it helps you stay full while you reduce your calorie intake and lose weight.

One of the best ways to fill up on foods with low energy density is to eat more fruit.Eating more fruit is essential both for good health and to help us lose weight.Studies have shown that weight loss is quicker & safer if fruit or vegetables make up a third of the food consumed each day. This is because fruit helps fill the stomach faster but is low in calories and fat. It is also thought that eating plenty of fibre and eating a wide variety of food will help us burn more energy.

If you are eating about one-third of the diet as fruits , you should notice rapid weight loss because the ample fruit consumption helps fill the stomach faster encouraging less high calorie foods to be consumed. The total calorie consumption will automatically reduce even if we are eating plenty of fruit .

Some people who use the fruit diet will eat only fruit one day a week, while others may do a three-day fruit diet once a month. To have a positive impact on your weight loss you need to eat around five portions of it each day. This can be dried squeezed, bottled or fresh. Try sprinkling dried fruit over your breakfast cereal, eating an apple, banana or pear as a mid-morning snack, or feasting on a punnet of grapes or strawberries instead of heading for the chocolate. Not only are fruits loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants to keep the body healthy, but they also contain no fat, and very few calories. This means that you can fill your stomach with fruit, and help your body repair itself with all those nutrients, minerals and antioxidants. Because there is no fat involved, your body will start to lose weight naturally.

So, I think using fruits is the best way for losing weight in safer and healthier manners without dieting. Then, What are you waiting for plan your fruits usage chart and lose weight and always remember "no pain no gain".

Apples and Health


There is a lot of truth in the old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."Apples are also good for diabetics as the soluble fiber assists in regulating blood sugar, preventing a sudden increase or drop in serum sugar levels.



More and more studies are being done to show the health benefits of including apples in your diet. Nutritionists are taking these studies even further and developing specific eating plans centered around apple consumption.

The symbol and interactive food guidance system was revealed in April 2005 by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. MyPryamid can be your guide in choosing how much fruit is recommended daily. For example, the suggested daily amount of fruit consumption for men and woman aged 19-30 getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day is 2 cups.One cup of apples would be:

· 1/2 large apple
· 1 small apple
· 1 cup applesauce
· 8 oz. apple juice
· 1 cup sliced, chopped or cooked apples.
All great tasting ways to meet your daily fruit group needs!

Apples reduces cholesterol:

Apples are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to reduce cholesterol. This pectin also appears to target "bad" cholesterol (LDL) according to recent tests. Eating two apples per day has dropped cholesterol levels in test subject humans by up to 16 percent.One medium-sized raw, cored, unpeeled apple has only 80 calories.Apples are full of vitamins and minerals. There is no significant variation in the numbers between the different varieties. Most health benefits derive from eating the skin along with the flesh, so don't toss the peel!

Information & Benefits of Apricots

Origin & Overview

Apricots are an important fruit crop believed to have originated in China and to have been brought to Italy about 100BC, reaching England in the 13th century and America in 1720.

The apricot is often overlooked in favor of other common fruits such as the apple, pear, orange or banana. But the apricot is just as healthy as those other fruits, in some cases even healthier.Apricots are beautifully orange colored fruits full of betacarotene and fiber that are one of the first signs of summer. Although dried and canned apricots are available year-round, fresh apricots with a plentiful supply of vitamin C.

Benefits of Apricots

Health Benefits

Nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. it is also a wonderful diet food providing a large amount of healthful nutrition to the body as well as keeping down caloric intake, as they are very low in calories as compared to other fruits (only about 50 calories for three apricots)

Apricots are a good source of fiber, which has a wealth of benefits including preventing constipation and digestive conditions such as diverticulosis. But most Americans get less than 10 grams of fiber per day. A healthy, whole foods diet should include apricots as a delicious way to add to your fiber intake.

Skin Diseases and Ailments

The fresh juice from apricot leaves is used for the treatment of skin diseases. It produces results when applied to skin suffering from scabies, eczema, sun-burn and itching due to exposure to the cold.

Protection against Prostate Cancer

Apricots are a rich source of the carotenoid, lycopene. Choosing to eat lycopene-rich foods and regularly drink green tea may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests research published the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jian L, Lee AH, et al.)

Apricots a Natural Medicine

The fruit, oil, kernels and flowers of the apricot have been used throughout the centuries in medicine. In China, medicine made from the kernels of apricots was said to have the power to prolong life. The Chinese also believed that apricots reacted sympathetically to women's ailments, and so used them as common ingredients in their cosmetics. The oils from the kernels have also been used for their sedative, antispasmodic properties that give relief to strained muscles. In addition, they are used in the healing of wounds, in the expelling of worms, and as a general tonic.

Loquat Fruit Information


The loquat is indigenous to southeastern China. It was introduced into Japan and became naturalized there in very early times. It has been cultivated in Japan for over 1,000 years. It has also become naturalized in India and many other areas. Chinese immigrants are presumed to have carried the loquat to Hawaii. It was common as a small-fruited ornamental in California in the 1870's, and the improved variety, Giant, was being sold there by 1887. Japan is the leading producer of loquats, followed by Israel and Brazil.


Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3-5 cm long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar. Each fruit contains five ovules, of which one to five mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe.


The loquat is comparable to the apple in many aspects, with a high sugar, acid and pectin content. It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly and chutney, and are delicious poached in light syrup. Loquats can also be used to make wine.

Pinepple Facts & Information



Pineapples are typically grown by propagation or a replanting of a part of themselves. It usually takes about 18 months to produce a pineapple.Pineapples contain brome lain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. The brome lain from pineapples is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. Don't use fresh pineapples in gelatin recipes; they will prevent the gelatin from setting. Canned pineapple tends not to have this valuable enzyme brome lain as the heat used in the canning process destroys enzymes.




Pineapple is loaded with vitamin C, B1 and smaller amounts of B2, B3, B5 and B6. It is also an excellent source of manganese, copper, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, folic acid, and dietary fiber.




Pineapple is rich in Vitamin A. It is also an excellent source for the important enzyme nutrient Brome lain which is a mixture of important protein and milk digesting enzymes. Brome lain helps the body's digestive system and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Brome lain can aid the action of certain antibiotics and drugs. Brome lain may also aid the healing process in the cases of trauma caused by injury.




Brome lain in pineapple is a protein-digesting enzyme which also effectively reduces inflammation and swelling. So drink fresh pineapple juice and say goodbye to all your pains.
For tuberculosis patients, the juice was also found to be effective in dissolving mucus and aiding recovery from the once dread disease. Pineapple has also been thought good for heart condition.






It is useful in providing vitamin C with 19mg per 100g (4oz). Pineapple is best eaten fresh as canning or bottling divides the vitamin C content by three. This promotes the digestive process because only protein compounds that have been broken down into smaller components can be absorbed by the intestines and enters the bloodstream. Pineapple also destroys harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines.

Pineapple is very sweet and must never be taken by those who are diabetic or has low blood sugar level. If you are normally healthy, the sweetness will not pose any problem. However, if you find that it is too sweet but would still like to enjoy its goodness, by all means dilute it with water to taste. Or, mix it with other less sweet juice, like coconut water.




Pineapples are rich in manganese that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. One cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese. Pineapple also strengthens the bones of older people as well as the growth of bones in younger generation.

Cherry Nutrition Facts

The cherry tree belongs to the same family (Rosaceae) as almonds, peaches, plums and apricots. There are many varieties growing across the world, ranging from Europe to North America and Asia.



Cherry fruit is part of the Rosaceae family and this also includes almonds, peaches, apricots and plums. Cherries are small and fleshy red or reddish black fruits that contain a hard drupe. It is believed that the Romans discovered the sweet cherry fruit in the Asia Minor in about 70 BC. They then introduced them in the first century AD to Britain. Cherries are available in many species but there are generally only two kinds that are commonly eaten-the wild cherry and the sour cherry.



There are two types of cherry: sweet and sour. The sweet fruit is best for eating raw, although it can be cooked, and the sour cheery is best used in cooking and jam making. If you want to grow cherries in you garden, however, you’ll only be able to have either a sweet or a sour variety. The two varieties don’t cross-pollinate each other so you’ll need to have two of the same type. The Morello type of sweet cheery is self-fertile, however, so you’ll only need to have one of them in your garden.



Cherries taste best consumed "warm" from the tree. Often jelly is made because they can't be stored. Cherries can be frozen but you better remove the stones first.Cherry: small soft round fruit, red or black when ripe, containing a stone. Cherries always have to be picked ripe. They do not ripe well after they have been picked. You can keep cherries for one to three days.



Cherry trees have a short fruiting season. They normally fruit in July in the UK, though this can be slightly earlier, or later, depending on the weather. The trees are attractive ones to have in the garden, though they can grow big (up to 10m tall if they grow on a standard rootstock). Many sour varieties of cherry can be bought on a dwarf rootstock (reaching a height of just 2m) and trained along a trellis in a fan shape. They are also very hardy so will tolerate a north-facing wall – handy if you have nothing else to grow on it.

Information abount Mango



Mangoes are full packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants and contain like all fruits very few proteins, fats and calories. They are perfect to replenish salts, vitamins and energy after physical exercise. Mango is high in iron, pregnant women and people with anemia are advised to eat this fruit regularly.



Mango is called "The King of fruits" due to its sweetness and richness in photochemical and nutrients. The famous Unani physician Hakeen Hashmi teaches that mangoes strengthens and invigorates the nerve tissues in muscles, heart and brain and other parts of the body. Mango is effective in relieving clogged pores of the skin. It is also valuable to combat acidity and poor digestion.



An average sized mango can contain up to 40% of your daily fiber requirement. If you are eating your mango-a-day, irregularity is not a problem for you! Research has shown that dietary fiber has a protective effect against degenerative diseases, especially with regards to the heart; may help prevent certain types of cancer, as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels.



The insoluble fiber, present in mangoes, helps the elimination of waste from the colon and prevents constipation. Antioxidants present in the mango fruits are believed to play an important role in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. Dried mango flowers are used in the treatment of diarrhea, chronic dysentery and some problems of the bladder.

Mango is a rich source of vitamin A(beta-carotene), E and Selenium which help to protect against heart disease and other ailments.The enzymes of the Mango, such as magnifier, katechol oxides and lactase, clean the bowel of the "filth" within and are an ideal antidote for all toxic effects inside the body. Mango is high in antioxidant and low in carbohydrates. They provide also sufficient resistance to fight any germs and afflictions.

Grapes


Grapes are one of the most valuable fruits, They are delicious, highly nutritious and most easily digestible. Grapes are a form of berry. They are one of Nature's precious gifts for the revitalization of the human system.


They are round or oval in shape with a variety of sizes, colors and tastes.Spherical or ovoid in shape, the grape is a form of berry. Its sizes vary from as small as a pea to as big as a plum! Its skin ranges in colors, anything from white to black, with a semi-translucent flesh. Depending on the variety, there are grapes with seeds, and some seedless, tasting from sweet to sour. They are found in various colors such as green, black, red and blue.

The grape is a highly valued fruit mainly for its rich content of sugar which is formed almost entirely by glucose. The quantity of glucose in grapes varies from 15 to 25 per cent in different varieties. The glucose is a predigested food and is absorbed in the body soon after its consumption. It supplies heat and energy to the body within a short time.


Grapes contain large amounts of tartaric and malice acids. Also present in grapes are other acids like succinct, fumaric, glyceric, p-coumaric and caffeic, each functioning quietly with its own wonderful healing properties.


Recently, several studies have also identified resveratrol as an excellent candidate for use as a cancer-preventive agent in prostate, lung, liver and breast cancer. Resveratrol has demonstrated striking inhibitory effects on the cellular events involved in cancer initiation, promotion, and progression, and its safety in animal studies of cancer development resulting from exposure to chemical toxins is excellent.


Grape seed extract has been studied and demonstrated to be remarkably effective at killing cancer cells for many different types of cancer, by the way, including cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, skin bowel and stomach.


So we can say, The rich nutrition and anti-oxidants in grapesmake this fruit wonderfully healing andis a miracle help for many ailments.

Yummy Orange


The citrus fruit is one of the oldest fruits known in the history of cultivation. As early as 500 B.C. the fruit of the citrus tree was mentioned in a collection of old documents believed to be edited by Confucius himself. In the year A.D. 1178, Han Yen-Chi, a Chinese horticulturist, wrote on the subject of oranges, and the seed­less orange was mentioned in these writings. This author speaks of twenty-seven varieties of "very valuable and precious" oranges.


The orange is one of the best sources of water-soluble vitamin C, The absence or insufficiency of this causes scurvy.When the orange is eaten in sections, the mineral material found in the pulp will help to neutralize the citric acid effect as it goes into the body.


Oranges are the most popular source of vitamin C. They are excellent for treating overacid body conditions, constipation, or a particularly sluggish intestinal tract. In cases of acidosis, drink orange juice, or eat oranges after meals. If the intestinal tract is not functioning properly, drink a large glass of orange juice upon awakening in the morning, or about one-half hour before breakfast.


Oranges are very good for elimination. They stir up the acid accumulations and catarrhal settlements in the body very quickly. However, sometimes this is not a good idea if the channels of elimination, such as the skin and kidneys, are not able to take out these acids fast enough.


Those who suffer from tooth decay or poor gums are probably lacking in vitamin C and should drink large amounts of orange juice for a period of a few weeksCitrus fruits are high in sodium, but only when completely matured in the sunshine. If the section and bulk of the orange is fresh and sweet, it is an excellent food for children as a supplement for those who must drink cow's milk, or any milk, because it seems to help in the retention of calcium in the body. Ripe oranges contain as much as 10 percent fruit sugar, which can be immediately assimilated by the body.

Banana The Wonderful Fruit


Banana grows fertility at tropical area, especially in lowland area. Therefore, in an place with good rain fall during the year, banana production can grows without seasonal. For example, Indonesia, Pacific Island, and Brazil which famous for banana exporter country.


Bananas can help cure or prevent hangovers. The main causes of hangovers are dehydration and depletion of potassium, both direct results of alcohol consumption.Banana energy value is around 136 Calories for every 1OO gram, Whole comes from carbohydrate. Banana's carbohydrate provides slower energy compared to sand sugar and syrup. But, quicker compared to rice, biscuit, cookie and conspecific of bread. Hence, many famous athlete in interval rest time consumes banana as energy reserve.


Bananas are an excellent source of potassium (second only to the avocado) with over 450 mg. per one banana serving, as well as being high in magnesium, which can help relax those pounding blood vessels causing that nasty hangover headache.


After work hard, or think using brain to solve problems, usually we will feel run down, tired, and sleepy. That situation is sign of brain lacking of energy or blood sugar in brain decreased a lot so that biological activity also decrease. To do activity, brain needs energy in form of glucose. Blood Glucose is very Vital for brain to function properly, for example expressed in recall ability.


Banana's vitamin is very high, especially pro vitamin A, that is beta carotene which contain until 225 ug per 100 grams from clean weight. Besides vitamin A, banana also contains vitamin B, that is tiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B 6 (piridoxin). Banana's vitamin B 6 is high enough compared to other fruits type. It contains 0,5 mg per 100 grams of fresh banana.

Apple Apple Apple

There's an old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away and research indicates that apples have many health befits. While they have less vitamin C than many they are rich in fiber which may reduce the risk of colon cancer be helping to regulate bowel movements.

A member of the rose family, fossil remains have shown that apples were gathered and stored 5,000 years ago and it’s likely that they were already cultivated during the Neolithic times. In one recent study , Riu Hai Liu of Cornell University, has found although apples has only a small amount of vitamin C, eating 100 grams of apple provides the same amount of antioxidant activity as taking 1,500 milligrams of the same vitamin. Just make sure you do not take too many apple seeds because it could be toxic if taken in large amount.


Apples are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. They're favored for their flavor, health benefits, and versatility. Apples can be canned, juiced, fermented and distilled. They're also the primary ingredient in many popular desserts including apple pies, cobblers, and cakes. Puréed apples are known to us as applesauce. Apples are also used to make apple butter and jelly. Apples are also added to many meat dishes around the world to add flavor.


Apples are excellent detoxifiers and apple juice can destroy viruses in the body. The fiber in apples may also help to control cholesterol by preventing reabsorbtion. Apples are also a popular snack for anyone trying to lose weight.


With so many uses and health benefits, it's easy to see why apples are so popular!

Low-acid Fruit

apricots - blueberries - huckleberries - strawberries - nectarines - raspberries - blackberries - gooseberries - mangos - elderberries - olives - fresh figs - sweet apples - cherries- sweet peaches - sweet plums - persimmons

These fruits are less detoxifying than acid fruits and can be handled well in any amount.



Source : http://www.thefruitpages.com

Acid Fruit

oranges - pineapples - sour apples - sour plums - lemons - grapefruits - sour peaches - limes - tangerines - sour grapes - tomatoes

These are the most detoxifying fruits and excellent foods. They should be avoided when you have the flu because the body could overreact detoxifying and make you even more sick.

Some people may have problems with these fruits because of their acid content. The acid though is a healthy and organic nutritional element (for instance: ascorbic acid is vitamin c, found especially in citrus fruits and vegetables).

Sometimes one type of fruit from this category can irritate a particular part of the body. This can be caused by an allergic reaction caused by cow milk. There is a good chance that after staying away from dairy this reaction disappears.


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Why Fruits are good for health?

Fruits are good source of fiber , vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant. Dietary fiber is very important for our digestive system. Antioxidant will help us to prevent cancer.

Do all the fruits are good for health?

It depends on your age, the time and amount you consume and your health condition. Apple, grapes, kiwi, berries, pineapple, orange, apricot, plum are in general you can eat any time. Dont eat few fruits just before going to bed. Banana, mangoes, jack fruit, papaya, avocado, are good to have two hours before going to bed.

Eating fresh fruit Vs juice

Eating fresh fruit is always better, but again it depends on how you are preparing the juice, and also how much convenient to consume. For example when we are making strawberry smothie or milk shake we wont remove anything from fruit and as juice we will consume more too. But in case of commercial apple juice we are not going to get any dietary fiber and also more sugar is added. Select your choice considering what else you had too.



Source : http://www.thefruitpages.com

Banana, Pisang

Description & storage
Long thick-skinned edible fruit that is yellow when ripe.
Keep bananas on a fruit dish in the living room at room temperature. If you want the bananas to ripen faster place the bowl in the sun. Like other tropical fruits and tomatoes and bell peppers, never store bananas in the refrigerator. Below 8 degrees Celsius the fruit will decay from the inside. These fruits will not ripen but will turn black in the refrigerator.

Plant
Banana-plants can grow up to 15 m. but most plants vary from 3 to 9 m.
It has very big leafs that can grow to 4 x 1 m.

Short history
Wild forms of the banana plant come originally from the Indo-Malaysian area and are now cultivated all over the tropical and sub-tropical continents.

Use
Bananas are delicious eaten with one's fingers after peeling off the skin. Depending on the type of banana unripe bananas are also cooked, fried or deep-fried a lot. Bananas are the basic food in many tropical countries.

Types
At this moment there are five different types of bananas common on the market:





  • Red bananas: have a green/red peel and pink fruit flesh. They taste the same like yellow bananas. The redder a fruit, the more carotene it contains, so maybe they are healthier than their yellow colleagues;
  • Fruit-bananas: are the normal, yellow bananas, 15-30 cm.
  • Apple-bananas: are smaller, 8-10 cm., and ripen faster. They are also yellow;
  • The baby-banana (pisang susa): is yellow as well and measures 6-8 cm. It is the sweetest of the banana family;
  • Baking bananas: are 30 to 40 cm. large and are green, yellow or red-like. They cannot be eaten raw. They fulfill the role of the potato in the tropical countries.
  • Peculiar characteristics

  • Is the most well known and eaten (tropical) fruit;
  • In Eastern Africa you can buy banana beer. This beer is brewed from bananas;
  • Tropical fruit is usually picked unripe and has to ripen in the land of arrival. To make this process go faster bananas are treated with ethylene-gas. Normal bananas also ripen through ethylene -gas but exposing it to additional gas accelerates the process;
  • Is the (only) fruit that for some people can work fatting because they contain a lot of starch (more starch than sugar). Those people shouldn't eat too many bananas a day;
  • Eat at least one banana a day, they are said to contain everything a human needs and they contain all the 8 amino-acids our body cannot produce itself. For more see the energy in fruit.
  • Bananas are a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C;
  • Red bananas are often dried and converted to meal which is used in many ways;
  • Red bananas contain more vitamin C as yellow bananas (the redder a fruit, the more nutritious elements it contains);
  • Nutrition Facts
  • Selection
  • Recipes
  • Acidity
  • Source :
  • http://www.thefruitpages.com
  • Nutrition Information for Individual Fruits

    Fruits are low in calories and packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals. Are you looking for nutritional information for your favorite fruits? Here is the nutritional information you need. You can also find some healthy recipes for each fruit.

    http://www.thefruitpages.com