Most of us eat fruits and
vegetables on a daily basis. After all, they have been a part of our diet since
the dawn of history. We eat them raw, cooked, frozen, drink them as juices and
combine them with just about any other food we eat. But just anything else
that’s been around for so long, there are many things you don't know about
fruits and veggies that can be very useful and important to know.
1. Never mix grapefruits with
medications.
Grapefruits are among the most
nutritious fruits out there but they can also be bad for you if you are taking
certain medication. The chemicals in a grapefruit can cause a bad reaction with
some drugs that can even have fatal results. If you’re on medication, be sure
to check with a medical professional before drinking or eating any amount of
grapefruit.
2. Fruits and veggies have a lot of
fiber.
The benefits of fiber include
keeping your bowel movements regular, helping lower cholesterol, regulating
blood sugar, and help you feel more full for a longer time. Even if you don't
need any more of the vitamins, minerals and other healthy ingredients in fruits
and vegetables, they are still one of the best things you can eat on a daily
basis.
3. The skin is usually the best
part.
In many fruits and veggies, such as
carrots, apples, and cucumbers, a high percentage of the nutrition is actually
stored in the skin. This means that when you peel it off, you’re actually
peeling away nutritious benefits. Make sure to wash your fruits and vegetables
well before eating them and I guarantee you'll get used to eating them with the
peel in no time.
4. Bananas are fascinating.
Two incredible things you never
knew about these delicious sources of potassium and vitamins: First, bananas
are technically herbs and belong to the same "botanical family" as
mint or basil. Secondly, in 1950 almost all of the banana species in the world
were wiped out by the Panama Disease. Today, most of the bananas sold and eaten
around the whole world are direct descendants of the same Asian breeds that
survived the disease.
5. Eating fruits and vegetables
hardly affects your weight.
All fruits and all vegetables are
low in calories, this is why you hear nutrition professionals and doctors tell
you to eat them for snacks. While a bag of chips contains fat, oil, and a lot
of calories, a handful of carrots contains none of those things. It is absurd
how much fruit and vegetables you can eat before the calories start stacking up
so don’t be afraid to eat them. That said, some fruits carry a high amount of
sugar, so don't overdo it on sweet fruit.
6. Broccoli has more protein than a
steak.
Calorie for calorie, there is more
protein in broccoli than there is in an average steak, and with no saturated
and trans fats or cholesterol, you can get all the protein you need with a
significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease. So, if you are trying to
grow and strengthen your muscles, broccoli is the food for you.
7. The most hated vegetable in the
world is one of the best.
Brussels sprouts reign supreme as
the least enjoyable vegetable for children, and also some adults. It might be
because of their bitter taste, the repugnant smell or even just its bad
reputation. However, Brussels sprouts are among the most nutritious veggies you
can ever find. They have no fat, no cholesterol, hardly any calories and plenty
of vitamins and minerals. It's a shame that none of these facts make them taste
any better…
8. Orange peels are amazing.
It's been said before that the skin
of the fruit can be better than the fruit itself. Orange peels have over four
times the amount of fiber then the actual fruit, and contain more antioxidants
than the "flesh" inside. The only drawback is that it’s difficult to
find a way to eat it. The best way to do it is to grate it up cheese into an
orange zest. You can use is to season all sorts of foods, add to baked goods or
mix with your yogurt or cereals.
9. Peppers encourage clotting.
While most people use them as a
spice and not as a whole food, peppers (spicy ones in particular) can work
wonders to promote the clotting of blood over wounds. According to some
experts, you can even sprinkle some cayenne pepper into a wound where it will
act as gauze.
10. "Negative calorie
foods" are a myth.
You may have heard that some fruits
and vegetables require more calories to digest than they actually give, meaning
eating them will actually make you thinner. Unfortunately this is wrong. While
there are foods that have very few calories, you still only burn about 10% to
20% of their calorie intake. Let's take, for example, a stalk of celery that’s
about 10 calories. While eating and digesting it you will burn about 2
calories, which means you still had an intake of 8 calories.
11. Onions are ridiculously
healthy.
Sure they can make you cry and they
make your breath smell terrible, but you should forgive them for all of that.
The reason onions do those things is the exact same reason why they are good
for you. Onions contain over 100 sulfide compounds which give a number of
health benefits such as the prevention of asthma and some types of cancer. You
don’t have to eat it raw, just eat it.
12. Pineapples are bad for your
taste buds.
Pineapples contain an enzyme called
bromelain which breaks down proteins in your mouth, namely your taste buds.
After eating a pineapple your palate will be much less sensitive until your
mouth can heal itself, which takes about a day. Pineapple is still a great
fruit for you, but you should probably let a freshly sliced pineapple sit in
the fridge for a bit before eating it. This will give time for the enzymes to
break down and they will have a much weaker effect.
13. Apples can wake you up better
than a cup of coffee.
It's hard to believe this fact so
just try it for yourself and see. If you’re finding yourself a little low on
energy during the afternoon then consider eating an apple in the morning.
Thanks to its high carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral content, an apple can
give you a steady supply of nutrition to help you stay energized all day.
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