A fruit break

Fresh fruits never look as tempting as they do in the summer season. But there also are some dos and don’ts when it comes to eating fruits that one should adhere to, in order to get the maximum nutrition.

Eat fruits the right way first and foremost, avoid eating fruits after meals, but always take them on an empty stomach. If consumed after meals, the fruit mixes with the food in the stomach and leads to gas. Fruits play a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying energy for weight loss and other life activities, if taken on an empty stomach. They can also help in prolonging greying of hair, balding and prevent nervous outburst, dark circles under the eyes.

Drink only fresh fruit juice, not canned. Don’t take cooked fruits either, because the nutrients are lost in cooking. Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just have fruit juice throughout the 3 days, it will cleanse your system making you look radiant.

Summer fruits and their benefits:
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: Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhance the activity of vitamin C thereby helping lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

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

Orange: Two to four oranges a day keep cold away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

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