We like to think of fruit as God’s gift of natural, toxin and chemical-free candy. Sweet, colorful, refreshing and loaded with vital nutrients, fruit keeps us feelin’ good and lookin’ good!
The weather is warming up, which means that fruit season is around the corner. Not only are fruits incredibly cheap when they’re in season, but they’ll also be offering peak nutritional content. Here are 5 of the healthiest fruits that you should make a point of enjoying with your family all summer long.
1. Pineapple
Did you know that pineapple contains an entire day’s worth of vitamin C? As if that wasn’t enough, they’re also the only naturally occurring source of bromelain, one of the strongest anti-inflammatory enzymes known to humans! Bromelain is imperative for anyone suffering from arthritis or any other type of joint pain, as well as inflammation stemming from muscle injury, a head cold (inflamed sinuses), digestive issues (inflamed gut), and asthma. The powerful combination of vitamin C and bromelain in pineapple is like a 1-2 punch for anyone experiencing any kind of inflammation.
2. Kiwi
The succulent, green fruit of the kiwi is brimming with disease-fighting vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that help prevent aging, improve skin health, boost respiratory function, protect vision, and improve cardiovascular health. The only thing that’s better than eating the fruit of a kiwi it also eating its skin and seeds, which house high levels of digestion-friendly fiber, protein, and other additional health-protecting compounds. In fact, the fuzzy skin is where most of the fiber and vitamin C in the kiwi is found.
3. Strawberries
Thank goodness this crowd-favorite is also one of the healthiest fruits in the world. Strawberries are packed with phytonutrients that increase your body’s ability to defend cells from cancer & disease, fight inflammation, and most perhaps most notably, protect your heart. For as sweet as they are, strawberries are actually perfect for anyone with insulin-related issues (diabetics, PCOS, etc) because they help prevent a huge sugar spike. And like all the other fruits on this list, strawberries contain lots of other important vitamins and minerals that will nourish your body.
4. Cherries
Cherries contain loads of potent antioxidants, important vitamins & minerals, and, similar to pineapple, are essential for anyone fighting inflammation in their body. They also contain melatonin, an important hormone that our body produces naturally when we have the right balance of nutrients coming in. Melatonin plays a huge role in a good night’s sleep — instead of taking melatonin supplements, why not try eating a handful of cherries every day for a week?
5. Blueberries
These plump berries are always somewhere on the latest list of ‘superfoods’ and for good reason: they contain some of the most potent antioxidant properties in the entire food-world. As if that wasn’t enough, the phytonutrients in blueberries occur at very high levels. In other words, all of the anti-inflammatory, disease-fighting, cell-restoring stuff we’ve mentioned in all the fruits above are at their highest levels in blueberries. Pretty powerful stuff, and all the more reason to include blueberries in your meals whenever you can.
And just a quick reminder about buying fruit…
Whenever possible, buy organic to enjoy the full benefits of these amazing fruits. Numerous studies have shown both the decreased nutrient value and increased levels of chemicals found in non-organic produce. And simply washing the surface of your produce before eating won’t help. Once they’re sprayed, non-organic fruits & veggies absorb all those toxins through the skin… yikes!
