Oranges A Healthy Fruit #104

I guess no one is going to give any healthy food ideas, so it is going to be up to me to stay on that subject. I suppose it is going to be all based on what I eat and like.   Some of you may wonder why I eat so much fruit.   Through my experiences of weight loss, and reading many articles concerning eating healthy foods, I found many fruits to serve a dual purpose for me.  First, they were great as a snack and substitute for foods as chips, candy bars and other fattening in between snack foods I use to eat.  I relied on a variety of fruits during my first several months of weight loss and change to a healthy diet.  They certainly were part of my success in losing weight and  changing my diet and  eating habits.   As we have learned in our discussions of how modern day snack foods, and our overall poor eating habits, can lead to our bodies having too much of natural substances which create health problems.  Diabetes as an example.   Substances which I categorize as chemicals, and I certainly can not back up that statement 100%, but it is pretty close.  Anyway, we know chemicals added to extend the shelf life, enhance the taste, grow the animal larger are mostly unnatural substances not meant to be consumed in the quantities which we do.  These substances and or chemicals, can lead to body disorders and or diseases.  I am sure most of you have read articles and medical studies which indicate cancers, dementia,  Alzheimer's, diabetes, and others are connected to substances we consume through our diets.

I took a long time to say all of that and make the following point.   Eating more natural foods, as fruits, can have the exact opposite effect as many of the additive laden man made food and enhanced meat products.   You can improve and enhance your bodies arsenal of natural  healthy nutrients and substances through eating more fruits, vegetables, and healthier man made products.  Soy milk would be just one example of a healthier food product made with good health in mind.

Oranges are a fruit I consider to be an extremely healthy, easy to obtain, and natural to eat foods.   Oranges are attributed to have healing properties through a variety of phytonutrient compounds they contain.   They are a tremendous source of vitamin C and significant antioxidants.  Herperidin, a powerful flavanone in oranges, has been found to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Most of herperidin is found in the peel and inner white pulp of the orange.  This leads to a discussion we will have later.  Drink orange juice with or without pulp?    The high content of vitamin C in oranges combats free radicals which we studied earlier.  Medical studies have shown the vitamin C you consume through eating an orange or drinking orange juice provides more protective benefits than consuming vitamin C supplements.  You may take issue with that, however,  most or all supplements go through a man made process. So don't shoot the messenger - I am only attempting to share with you enough health information so that you can make your own personal health lifestyle decisions  My personal choice is to eat one or two oranges daily.  It is a tasteful snack and provides me with additional cardiovascular health benefits.  Research has shown consumption of vegetables and fruits high in vitamin C  are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Another compound found in oranges and other citrus fruits are liminoids.  They have been shown, through research, to reduce the risk of various cancers.  Another type of compounds found in oranges are called polymethoxylated flavones.  They are thought to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.  Regularly eating an orange, or drinking orange juice daily increases your urinary ph value, and citric acid excretion, dropping your risk of calcium oxalate stones........"Kidney Stone Prevention."

Other than strawberries, I don't know of any fruit I eat which I consider to be as healthy for me.  And don't forget the benefit of having as a snack when wanting to lose weight.