Fundamentally fruity

by EKTA TANDON

Special Arrangements There's a right way to eat fruit

Did you know there is a correct way to eat fruits?

Eating fruits does not mean just buying them and popping them into your mouth! Did you know that one should not eat fruits after meals? Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach because it helps detoxify your system, supplies you with energy for weight loss and other life activities.

Now just suppose you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The fruit is prevented from doing so by the bread. In the meantime the meal rots, ferments and turns to acid. When the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass begins to spoil.

You must have heard these complaints: “Every time I eat watermelon I burp”; “When I eat durian, my stomach bloats up”; “When I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet” … All these problems will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. When the fruit mixes with other putrefying food and produces gas, you will bloat!

If you master the correct way of eating fruits, you have found the secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice, drink only fresh fruit juice; not the canned variety. Don’t even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don’t get the nutrients at all.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you have to drink the juice, drink it slowly and allow it to mix with your saliva before swallowing.

A three-day fruit fast helps cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice through the three days and you will be surprised at how radiant you look!

Here’s a quick checklist of fruits that are good for you:

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and& fibre. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoid, which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE: Sweetest medicine, eating 2 to 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92 per cent water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. It is also a key source of lycopene, the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients are vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA and PAPAYA: Top the awards for vitamin C. They are clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fibre, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, which is good for your eyes.

The writer is a nutritionist and dietician. Visit her at www.dailydiet.in