The red ruby grapefruit is a little sourish and the most alkaline of all the citrus fruits. In recent years, there seem to be an inordinate amount of scientific research on the health benefits of grapefruit, particularly its detoxifying properties.
The pulp of the grapefruit contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates but few proteins and lipids. Grapefruit has a fair amount of vitamin C at 34mg/100grams. As for mineral salts, it is high in potassium at 139mg/100grams, giving it its alkalinity. In addition, it also contains calcium (12mg/100grams) and magnesium (8mg/100grams).
There are also various phytochemical compounds like pectin, carotenoids, flavonoids and limonoids in a grapefruit. The pectin is found in the fiber forming the pulp and in the whitish layer below the outer skin covering. Such fiber has arterial protection and anti-cholesterol effects on our health.
The carotenoids are a good source of beta-carotene which helps boost the antioxidant effect of vitamin C. Flavonoids are phytochemicals that help to improve blood flow, besides having antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties.
Eating grapefruit also has an important benefit of protecting the arterial walls of the heart from acidic hardening due to acid calcification - a process known as arteriosclerosis. Hence, it increases blood flow, reduces hypertension and helps in blood circulation to the cells and tissues in the body. It must be stressed, however, that eating the whole fruit has the added benefit of preventing all forms of arteriosclerosis - be it lack of blood circulation to the brain, to the heart or to the limbs.
Besides, there is no fat or sodium in the grapefruit. This coupled with the high content of potassium makes it ideal for those suffering from heart diseases. Those who consume too much animal fats and proteins tend to suffer from over-acidity. The grapefruit has the properties to detoxify the blood, thus helping the liver to function more efficiently.
With all these wonderful health benefits of consuming grapefruit, could one do without it for an added dose of detoxification?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Nutritional Supplements
Some people think that as long as you have your regular meals of balanced food and drinks, you don't need any vitamin supplements at all. However, this is not necessarily so in today's over-cultivated and highly-processed food culture.
1. The introduction of modern food processing technology has robbed the food of its valuable
nutrients. Many fruits and vegetables, for example, are picked well before they are riped for
picking. To extend their shelf lives, chemical agents and even carbon dioxide have to be
sprayed onto them to keep them fresh for the supermarkets. Hence, by the time they ended
up on our plates, most of the nutrients are already gone.
2. The soil that used to grow the plants are often over-ciltivated and depleted of its valuable
nutrients like selenium. To overcome this, farmers are adding chemical fertilizers to the soils.
However, the resultant crops produced under such soil conditions are often lacking in
nutrients and taste. Hence, some have to be further processed to make them look and taste
good.
Many fruits and vegetables look good on the external, but when you taste them, it is not so
palatable as it should be. This is because much of the phytonutrients present in the colors of
the fruits and vegetables are gone. A better alternative is to go for the organic variety as they
are grown under strict farming conditions without the use of chemical fertilizers.
3. Due to lifestyle changes, most of the food sold these days are highly processed like pre-packed
food and fast-food. Consuming too much of these will add to the grim statistics of degenerative
diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. Such food and drinks are high in acidity and
are therefore toxic. Our system has to work extra hard to rid the body of such waste.
Besides, even if you consume the right food and drinks, it does not automatically translate to health. The way it is prepared, cooked and consumed is also vital to our health. Take for instance green vegetable, it should be subject to 3Ms - minimum washing, minimum cutting and minimum cooking - in order to preserve the chlorophyll for the good of our body.
Obesity is often a result of wrong food and lifestyle choices. One good step to reduce obesity is to consume less acidic food and more alkaline food. Simple carbs like white rice and white bread are high glycemic food which convert to sugar quickly, resulting in blood sugar spike. Complex carbs like brown rice and wholemeal bread are preferred as they are low in glycemic index and convert to blood sugar slowly, hence reducing the risk of diabetes.
So for all of the above named reasons, nutritional supplements are necessary to augment one's diet and help boost the immune system to fight against sicknesses and diseases.
1. The introduction of modern food processing technology has robbed the food of its valuable
nutrients. Many fruits and vegetables, for example, are picked well before they are riped for
picking. To extend their shelf lives, chemical agents and even carbon dioxide have to be
sprayed onto them to keep them fresh for the supermarkets. Hence, by the time they ended
up on our plates, most of the nutrients are already gone.
2. The soil that used to grow the plants are often over-ciltivated and depleted of its valuable
nutrients like selenium. To overcome this, farmers are adding chemical fertilizers to the soils.
However, the resultant crops produced under such soil conditions are often lacking in
nutrients and taste. Hence, some have to be further processed to make them look and taste
good.
Many fruits and vegetables look good on the external, but when you taste them, it is not so
palatable as it should be. This is because much of the phytonutrients present in the colors of
the fruits and vegetables are gone. A better alternative is to go for the organic variety as they
are grown under strict farming conditions without the use of chemical fertilizers.
3. Due to lifestyle changes, most of the food sold these days are highly processed like pre-packed
food and fast-food. Consuming too much of these will add to the grim statistics of degenerative
diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. Such food and drinks are high in acidity and
are therefore toxic. Our system has to work extra hard to rid the body of such waste.
Besides, even if you consume the right food and drinks, it does not automatically translate to health. The way it is prepared, cooked and consumed is also vital to our health. Take for instance green vegetable, it should be subject to 3Ms - minimum washing, minimum cutting and minimum cooking - in order to preserve the chlorophyll for the good of our body.
Obesity is often a result of wrong food and lifestyle choices. One good step to reduce obesity is to consume less acidic food and more alkaline food. Simple carbs like white rice and white bread are high glycemic food which convert to sugar quickly, resulting in blood sugar spike. Complex carbs like brown rice and wholemeal bread are preferred as they are low in glycemic index and convert to blood sugar slowly, hence reducing the risk of diabetes.
So for all of the above named reasons, nutritional supplements are necessary to augment one's diet and help boost the immune system to fight against sicknesses and diseases.
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