I was going to write a blog on the
pomegranate vs cranberry. While I was
doing my research I found that not only was it an unfair fight but there might
be juices that are better than both pomegranate and cranberry. So I decided to write a little about all the
best juices and their benefits. I came
to one conclusion: You don’t have to
drink massive amounts of juice and why not mix it up. Have one juice this day and another juice the
next. Or even better combine them. Variety is the spice of life!
I am going to let you know about a few
well known juices and a couple of not so well known varietals as well. Have you heard of acai? (It is pronounced ah-sigh-eeh) How about
mangosteen? And of course the dreaded amalaki
(just kidding, Amalaki is awesome).
My research shows that these three
uncommon fruits above are probably kings of the pack. Pomegranate
comes next and (believe it or not) concord grape. Blueberry and Black Cherry edge out the
cranberry. Remember, in moderation, all juices are good for you and far better
than soda. But I am writing about juices that are very high in antioxidants and
as a result have all the phytonutrients that I wrote about the other day.
With all juices one of the dangers is
sugar content and, hence, calories. Also
once juices have been cooked the natural properties of the fruits have been compromised. Please avoid all juices that have been
pasteurized and especially those with added sugars. Try to stick with organic when you can. It is always better to eat the fruit. You get fiber that will not necessarily be in
the juice and it has fewer calories.
Smoothies are a good way to have the whole fruit in a drinkable
form. Frozen fruits have all the
nutrients (and sometimes more) than the fresh counterpart. Dried fruits also retain their nutrients very
well. Finally powder form also does well
with retention of all those good things.
Cook them and practically all the benefits are KAPUT! (That’s Yiddish
for muerto)
Let’s start with Amalaki. There has not been found a fruit that has
more antioxidants and phytonutrients than this fruit. It is about the size of a plum and grows in
the mountains of Asia and is known for having curative properties. The list goes on and on but I will list a few. Colds and sore throats, breathing disorders,
upset stomach, skin problems and inflammation are just a few of the benefits
proven to be in this fruit. It is bitter
and does not make a good juice. There is one from a company called Zrii and is
a mixed drink that balances all kinds of wonderful things. Another way to get it is in powder form and
would work in a smoothie. (If you want
to learn more about Zrii please contact me).
Here is a wonderful link on the benefits and curative powers of
amalaki http://planetwell.com/amalaki-health-benefits-and-healing-properties/
Mangosteen: Pretty amazing fruit. It comes from southeast asia and is a
tropical fruit about the size of an apple.
This fruit knocks my socks off.
It is readily available in juice form at Whole Foods and your favorite
organic fruit store. You can’t get the
fruit thanks to Uncle Sam ( I wonder where they get the time to ban a
fruit). The list of benefits is a mile
long. Here are just a few: Fatigue, anti-imflammatory, helps with Pain,
anti-ulcer, anti-depressant, memory,
cancer prevention, anti-aging,
etc. Here is a link with more: More on Mangosteen
Acai:
A berry about the size of a grape that grows in South America. Not as much research but it is pretty
amazing, none the less. Benefits
include: joints, cancer prevention,
weight loss, lowers cholesterol,
erectile dysfunction ( Sorry Viagra), and it is a detox. Cool stuff.
There is a common theme here. Antioxidants are your friend. Phytonutrients are a must. The more the merrier. The beauty is they are also delicious. And they come in a variety of ways from the
actual fruit to juice to powder.
We know the other fruits.
Pomegranite is not necessarily fun to eat.
Those little seeds get stuck in my teeth.
But the juice is available. And
is known to be anti-cancer (including Breast, lung and prostate – equal
opportunity fruit) Great for brain
development of children, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Cool stuff.
Actually I love to eat pomegranate.
It goes slow but is delicious.
Grape is good for the heart and does
have fiber. So do Blueberries and they
are low in calories. Black Cherry has
been shown to reduce muscle pain due to exorcise. Finally cranberries are great for the
gastro-intestinal system (helps you pee better). All these fruits are high in
anti-oxidants and phytonutrients.
I wrote blogs on both antioxidants and phytonutrients. Please check out my archived blogs on them
so you can learn more about what they actually are and why we need them.
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