When I was little, my mother would go on and on about how important it is to lead a happy and healthy life, but somehow it felt like fruits and vegetables couldn’t possibly give me that.
I heard someone saying that nothing tastes like skinny and someone else replied: You’ve obviously never had cake. Or cupcakes. Or chocolate.
But I am telling you: nothing tastes better than being healthy. I hear girls around me complaining about how fat they are, although they seem OK to me. I don’t claim to know the secret to a wonderful life, but there are a few things I can share with you as far as nutrition and health tips go. Without further information, these are my favorite fruits:
Apple – not just because it’s been featured on so many stories that nobody could keep a count, but because it’s proven to be a great help when I suffered from intestinal problems, thanks to some tiny particles called flavonoids. And for those of you who are used to peeling the skin off: stop it! All the vitamins and that wonderful fragrance lie underneath that thin skin. You may also it interesting to know that a medium-sized apple contains 75 calories and 3 g of fiber, which makes it a perfect addition to your meals, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
Avocado – at first, I was reluctant to this fruit since I didn’t really enjoy its taste, but I thought about it better and got used to it in time. I first found out about its benefits when a friend of mine got pregnant and had to look for folate sources, a vital substance for all babies. Her doctor suggested avocado and this is how I discovered that this fruit can also be used to lower bad cholesterol. As it turned out, babies also love it thanks to its creamy texture, so you may want to take this into consideration.
Banana – well, people have different thoughts on it, especially since it’s well known that bananas are rich in calories (a medium-sized one contains about 105 calories!). I can tell you from my personal experience that bananas are harmless from this point of view, as long as you don’t combine them with fatty foods and drinks. These fruits are an important source of potassium, which means that they will lower your blood pressure faster than any other natural remedy.
Blackberries – were called gout berries by the Ancient Greeks, thanks to their ability to treat gout-related problems. Usually, you shouldn’t eat more than half a cup of blackberries, meaning 31 calories, 4 g of fiber, and many antioxidants. It’s true that there are a few studies conducted to see if these small fruits could be a cure for cancer, but this is just a theory for now. My advice to you is to eat ½ cup of blackberries every week. And why shouldn’t you? They taste delicious!
Cherries – they are my all-time favorite! I love everything that contains cherries, from natural juices to cherry print dresses. ½ cup of cherries contains 46 calories, 1.5 g of fiber, and countless antioxidants. In fact, they contain more anthocyanin (a natural antioxidant) than any other fruit, which means that they will be happy to give you a hand in fighting gout and arthritis pain.
Grapefruit – although some people may not enjoy its bittersweet taste, grapefruit remains a wonderful source of vitamin C. In fact, you may find it very useful if you are craving a snack, but don’t eat too much or you risk developing stomach acidity. Just try to have ½ grapefruit every 4 days, meaning 52 calories, 2 g of fiber, and a huge amount of vitamin A. This fruit will lower your cholesterol, but it can also intensify the action of certain drugs, so you may want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, let’s say, a grapefruit diet.
There is no rule that says you should look like this or like that, but there is a rule that says you should be happy with yourself, no matter what. Why would you eat food containing obscure ingredients when you could just pick up an apple? Fortunately, I’m one of the lucky people who put their health above any other craving and decided to lead a healthy life.
And although life is more than juicy fruits and healthy vegetables, they are an important part of it. Ever since I’ve started to choose fruits and vegetables over sweets and junk food, not only that I looked better, but I was also happier. I’m not saying you have to follow in my footsteps. Just find the one thing that makes you healthy and beautiful at the same time and go for it.
Good luck, beautiful beautiful people!
