13 Healthy Facts About Fruits and Vegetables
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.
Thank You