The Fruit Bowl Hall of Fame: 10 Must-Eat Fruits for a Healthier You!

Incorporating a variety of fruits into your daily diet is one of the simplest ways to boost your health, offering essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While all fruits are beneficial, some stand out for their exceptional nutritional profiles.

Here are 10 of the best fruits we should all be eating regularly, according to nutrition experts:

1. Blueberries: The Antioxidant Powerhouse Often hailed as a "superfood," blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, which provide powerful anti-inflammatory benefits and are crucial for brain and heart health.

2. Apples: A Daily Dose of Fiber Apples, particularly with the skin on, are an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, including pectin, which supports a healthy gut and aids in blood sugar regulation.

3. Avocados: The Healthy Fat Hero While many fruits are high in carbohydrates, avocados are unique for their high content of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, along with potassium and fiber, promoting satiety and supporting cardiovascular health.

4. Strawberries: Vitamin C Champions These sweet berries are loaded with Vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidants, supporting immune function and potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

5. Oranges: Immune System Support A classic source of Vitamin C, oranges also provide potassium, folate, and fiber, contributing to a robust immune system and overall vitality.

6. Bananas: Potassium and Prebiotics Beyond their well-known potassium content, bananas offer Vitamin B6 and prebiotics, which are essential for nerve function, blood pressure regulation, and feeding beneficial gut bacteria.

7. Pomegranates: Anti-Inflammatory Agents Pomegranates are packed with polyphenols and antioxidants, boasting significant anti-inflammatory properties that may help protect against cell damage.

8. Raspberries: Fiber-Rich Gems Known for having one of the highest fiber contents among fruits, raspberries are excellent for digestive health and managing blood sugar levels.

9. Kiwi: More Than Just Vitamin C This small, fuzzy fruit contains more Vitamin C than oranges and is a good source of fiber and Vitamin K, supporting immunity and digestion.

10. Cherries: Nature's Anti-Inflammatories Cherries, both sweet and tart, are rich in compounds like anthocyanins that provide potent anti-inflammatory benefits and are linked to improved heart health.

By adding a colorful variety of these fruits to your snacks, meals, and smoothies, you can effortlessly enhance your well-being and enjoy the delicious benefits of nature's best offerings.

One amazing fact about Cranberries!

What Makes Chilies So HOT? What Is The Hottest Chili on the Planet?

Last week I picked up some red and greenish chilies from the garden. I am not a big fan of chilies but they  are just nice to look at especially when you see them hanging in plants, you might be interested taking picture of them. look at this picture, which was taken couple weeks ago. I happened to taste a tiny slice of a chili and as I expected it was super hot! which makes me wonder what's in it, what kind of element or chemicals it is associate with? So, I turned my curiosity into small research. Today we will talk about chilies. 

FACTS:

How long chilies have been cultivated?

It has been cultivated for more or less 6000 years!!!

What makes chilies so hot? 

An active component called Capsaicin is responsible for chili's hotness and burn, which was detected in 1990s, by scientists. 

What is the hottest part of the chilies? 

well, I thought the answer was the seeds, but that's not the case, it actually the white flesh hold the most of the capsaicin chemical. If you are not sure what's the white part chili, cut one and you will see it. 

How Many People Consume Chilies Everyday? 

More or less 2 billion people all around the world, well of course  I am not saying all of them consume top hottest chilies. Some chilies are not hot at all!. 

What is the hottest chilies on the planet? 

Trinidad Scorpion Butch Taylor. According to scientific test its heat at  1,463,700  Scovill (measurement of chili's spicy heat) Heat Unit (SHU)!!! compare to the second HOTTEST chili: Naga Viper and Scorpion Cultivars with 1250,000 to 1350,000 SHUs.

Source: "Why Chillies Are Hot: The Science behind the Heat - Australian Geographic." Why Chillies Are Hot: The Science behind the Heat - Australian Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2013. <http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/why-chillies-are-hot-the-science-behind-the-heat.htm>.

7 Reasons You Need to Eat Grapes!

7 reasons you should eat grapes...

• Has antioxidant
• Great for heart
• Eyes health
• Lowers blood pressure
• Boosts your colon health
• Great for your brain
• Supports men’s health.

Grapes have been around a long, long time. In fact, the first grape varieties might date as far back as 6000 B.C

Checkout this video about grapes!

                                                 
  Source: http://www.tablegrape.com/overview.php http://www.tablegrape.com/didyouknow.php http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-grapes.html**

AVOCADO

• Avocados are naturally cholesterol free, excellent source of protein!! 

• Avocado is virtually the only fruit that has heart-healthy no-saturated fat.

• Did you know that Avocado is also called alligator pear because of its pear like shape and green skin. 

Watch this video about Avocado!

How Many People suffer from Food Poising each year? YOU WILL BE SURPRISED!!

Food Poising in U.S. Each Year

Food-borne illness, also known as food poising make million of American each year. 1 in 6 Americans or 48 million people get sick from food Poisoning every year.

How Many Donuts Are Made in U.S Each Year?!!

10 Billion Donuts per Year!!!!

Did you know that each year over 10 billion DONUTS are made in the United States! That means over 2.7 million donuts a day!! 

How Much Pizza Are Being Consumed In USA Each Day?

Like the rest of the world, Americans LOVE pizza. So, I was wondering how much do we actually consume each year; so I did allow myself to do little research and my research shows that Americans eat close to 95 -100 acres of pizza each day, that means 350 slices per second!!!

                                                               

                                                                

How Much Candy Americans Eat Per Year?

Americans eat about 20-24 pounds of candy per person each year. Did you know that dutch People eat 3 times more!!!!

                                     

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First Pizzeria in The United States?

Pizza actually came from Neapolitan, Italy.

"Pizza came to the U.S. with Italian immigrants; the first U.S. pizzeria opened in 1905, and pizza became one of the nation's favourite foods after World War II."

                                                                    

Source: Pizza (2012). In Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ebconcise/pizza

How Much Beef We Consume at McDonalds Each Year?

Americans consume 1 (one) BILLION pounds of Beef at McDonalds restaurants per year!! That is equivalent to Five (5) and Half (1/2) Million Cattle

                                                                                                 





                                                                          

CUCUMBER has 96% Water!

Cucumber

▲Cucumbers are 96% water!

▲ Cucumber is full of water, that’s why  it not as nutritious as other Vegetable like Pumpkins, Watermelon, and Zucchini, which are belong to the Cucumber family.

▲There are  verities of Cucumber. The most desirable and popular are Persian, English, and Pickling Cucumbers.

 ►Persian Cucumber: Just regularcucumber with edible seeds

 ►English Cucumber: Seedless

 ▲Cucumber has  →  Vitamin A · Fiber · Pantothenic acid · Magnesium · Phosphorus · Manganese

So, next time when you are thinking of having one of the coolest diets on your daily menu think of CUCUMBER! I personally don't consider salad as a salad until toss few pieces of cucumber.

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Source: 

 Web. 11 Jun 2013. <http://www.wafarmtoschool.org/ToolKit/18/Cucumbers/Facts>