Archive For The “Health” Category
Besides being one of the better priced items in your produce deparment 
this year, a new study touts the benefits of eating kiwifrut..
Kiwifruit have long thought to be a nutritional powerhouse. But a new nutritional analysis published in the peer reviewed journal Nutrition Today further verifies that fact. The author of the paper, Dr. Keith Singletary, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition at the University of Illinois, found that in addition to its antioxidant benefits, kiwi fruit can also help the digestive tract and even your skin.
“Potential benefits include a rich source of antioxidants, improvement in gastrointestinal laxation, lowering of blood lipids, and alleviation of skin disorders,” as stated in the published paper titled, “Kiwifruit: Overview of Potential Health Benefits.”
The Nutrition Today paper stated that kiwifruit is also a rich source of vitamin C as well as folate, potassium and dietary fiber. The paper cited ongoing, preliminary research that is investigating other possible health benefits associated with kiwi consumption. “The fruit’s content of nutrients and biologically active phytochemicals has stimulated investigations into its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions that might then help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and other degenerative disorders.”
The California kiwifruit growers, as a member of the International Kiwifruit Organization (IKO), partnered with other kiwifruit growers around the world in conducting the research that further affirms these known potential nutritional benefits of consuming kiwifruit.
California represents 98% of U.S. kiwifruit production or about one-third of all the fresh kiwifruit supplies in the United States during the season. California farmers produce up to eight million trays of the nutritious fruit from September to May with its primary production in October and November. As domestic production from California has increased, kiwifruit has become an increasingly popular fruit for Americans.
The 2012/13 crop is well on its way into the growing season and the mild summer weather California has experienced thus far is sure to promote good size and great flavor.
The full Nutrition Today article can be viewed here.
Source: California Kiwifruit Growers
Remember when Wal-Mart introduced produce departments to their stores a 
number of years ago. They did an excellent job! You can thank a guy named Bruce Peterson for that. Anyway, Bruce left the huge chain a while back and Wal-Mart produce departments, at least in many stores, have went down hill. My local Wal-Mart often has substandard produce, and definately not enough staff to keep the shelves stocked properly, not only in produce, but in the grocery and other departments as well.
Anyway, I just bought my first peaches of the season at my local Wal-Mart. I purposely bought peaches from California, as well as – honestly I’m not sure where the 2nd peaches are from. The shipper is based in South Carolina, but he may be selling some peaches for growers in Georgia. The label didn’t say in which state the peaches were grown.
I would give the California peaches a “C” and the Eastern peaches a “C-minus.” The West Coast peaches had excess juice, which really tasted more like water. The East Coast peaches were seriously lacking in juice. Peaches from both California and South Carolina, or is it Georgia, were dry.
Looking at the photograph I took of a peach from California (on the right) and the East Coast peach (on the left), both have nice color, although both are lacking in size. Just goes to show, as Bo Diddley once sang, you can’t always judge a book by looking at the cover. Hopefully, both coasts will have better peach quality in coming days.
Buying two of my favorite fruits with any good taste has been a real challenge t
his year — until this week.
Finally had some cantaloupe from Costa Rica that was out of sight! I know when my cantaloupe is tasting as it should when I don’t have to sprinkle salt on it.
My next pleasant surprise came with California strawberries. I had began to think I’d just grown tired of eating strawberries, until this week. What finally hit me was I’d just grown weary of fruit lacking in taste. You’d cut one open and it there was more white color than red. This quart of clamshell strawberries also wasn’t detriorating. Lately it seemed I have to eat the whole quart at once because the next day, the fruit was be going to “crap.” I’ve had these strawberries at the house three days and they remain firm, tasty, with a beautiful red color — and no decay.
Maybe, they finally realized they should have been shipping it protected by Tectrol, which slows the aging process.
Another one of my favorites are watermelons. I often find it difficult to buy great tasting melons until around the 4th of July. You get all the early season stuff out of the way, and warmer, more consistent weather helps produce better watermelons.
Expect watermelon retail prices to be pretty stiff, especially in the eastern half of the USA. For various reasons, melon crops have been hit pretty hard and supplies will be much tighter than normal. Out West, supplies are much better and you may not face as much stick shock.
The index for fruits and vegetables posted the largest increase of any food 
group, rising 1% percent in April after a series of declines, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistcs. Despite the April increase, the report said the fruits and vegetables food group is the only one to decline over the past 12 months, falling 1.7% compared with this time last year.
Lower energy costs in April helped hold the Consumer Price Index steady despite a pne percent hike in price index for fruits and vegetables.
The agency said the 1.7% decline in energy costs offset increases in food, which saw five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increase. Cereal and bakery products rose 0.4%, while the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs rose 0.1%. The index for dairy fell 1% in April, the third straight decline.
Average price data reported by the bureau showed retail tomato prices in April were $1.39 per pound, down from $1.45 per pound in March and sharply off from $2.27 per pound in April 2011.
The average price for red delicious apples in April was $1.26 per pound, down from $1.28 per pound in March and lower than the $1.35 per pound average a year ago. Navel oranges averaged 91 cents per pound, up from 85 cents in March but down from 93 cents a year ago.
Banana prices were also lower than a year ago, with the April price of 60 cents per pound off from 62 cents a year ago.
The report said the food-at- home price index has risen 3.3% in the past year, compared with a 2.9% increase for food-away-from home.
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By Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission
YAKIMA, WA — Everyone loves a fresh batch of sweet cherries, but these delicious treats are not just for tasty pies — research have
 received increased recognition for their role in preventing serious illness and diseases as well as regulating existing ailments. From fighting the onset of Alzheimer’s to improving joint flexibility, here are seven documented health benefits linked to sweet cherries:1. Alzheimer’s Disease: Research shows that compounds found in sweet cherries can play a role in protecting neuronal cells, which are involved in brain function and reduce oxidant stress and can potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s (Kim, 2005).2. Cancer: Fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids and anthocyanins are a quadruplet of cancer-preventative components found in sweet cherries. In addition, cyanidin, also found in cherries, significantly increases free radical scavenging of the body, which is known to help prevent and fight cancer (Acquaviva, 2003).3. Cardiovascular Disease: The anthocyanins found in cherries can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; it does this by protecting your body’s lipids from a host of damaging possibilities, including inflammation, cardiovascular plaque and nitric oxide formation (Reddy, 2005).4. Diabetes: Though a protective role in diabetes is relatively rare, researchers are interested in the role of anthocyanins in reducing insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Since the role of glycemic index in diabetes control has gained renewed interest, sweet cherries, with a moderate glycemic index of approximately 22, are thought to be a better fruit-based snack as compared to higher fruits such as apricots (57), grapes (46), peaches (42), blueberries (40) or plums (39).5. Inflammation: Cherries have also been shown to reduce inflammation through their powerful phytochemicals, which are known to inhibit the enzymes responsible for causing painful inflammation (Seernam, 2003).6. Hypertension and stroke: A serving of cherries has a whopping 270 mg of potassium, compared to apples which have 148 mg and strawberries which have 254 mg. Evidence shows that adequate potassium reduces the risk hypertension and stroke (He, 2003).
7. Better Sleep: Cherries are a good food source of melatonin, which helps regulate circadian rhythm and promote healthy sleep patterns, making them effective in reducing jet lag. “Sweet Northwest Cherries bring as much to the table, both in terms of nutrition and health benefits, as blueberries, cranberries and other known superfruits,” said James Michael, Promotions Director of Northwest Cherries, a growers’ organization that represents Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Montana. “With more and more research highlighting these health benefits, and what they mean for consumers, people are starting to view fresh sweet cherries in a much broader perspective than just a summer treat. In fact, we are seeing an increase in cherry freezing, preservation and dried formats so people can enjoy the benefits of sweet cherries year round.” When the sweet cherries hit grocery store shelves this year, health-conscious consumers will now have several more reasons to eat handfuls of cherries, beyond the delicious taste. For more information on sweet Northwest Cherries, seasonal recipes and health information, visit www.nwcherries.com , or information on how to preserve that summer sweetness as the season wraps, check out www.sweetpreservation.com . About Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission Washington State Fruit Commission is a grower’s organization funded by fruit assessments to increase awareness and consumption of regional stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of stone fruits from Northwest orchards. It began in 1947 and has since grown to include growers in five states — Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. For more information, visit www.nwcherries.com or www.wastatefruit.com . shows they also pack a major punch when it comes to improving health and helping fend off a number of serious diseases. Soon this year’s fresh sweet cherry crop will be available throughout the country, as reported by the Northwest Cherry Growers, and consumers can look forward to plenty of opportunities to take advantage of this superfruit, and even preserve them for year-round use. Sweet cherries — including the golden-blushed Rainier and iconic Bing varieties, among others — are known for their high fiber and low calorie count. Over the past few years, they have received increased recognition for their role in preventing serious illness and diseases as well as regulating existing ailments. From fighting the onset of Alzheimer’s to improving joint flexibility, here are seven documented health benefits linked to sweet cherries: 1. Alzheimer’s Disease: Research shows that compounds found in sweet cherries can play a role in protecting neuronal cells, which are involved in brain function and reduce oxidant stress and can potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s (Kim, 2005). 2. Cancer: Fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids and anthocyanins are a quadruplet of cancer-preventative components found in sweet cherries. In addition, cyanidin, also found in cherries, significantly increases free radical scavenging of the body, which is known to help prevent and fight cancer (Acquaviva, 2003). 3. Cardiovascular Disease: The anthocyanins found in cherries can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; it does this by protecting your body’s lipids from a host of damaging possibilities, including inflammation, cardiovascular plaque and nitric oxide formation (Reddy, 2005). 4. Diabetes: Though a protective role in diabetes is relatively rare, researchers are interested in the role of anthocyanins in reducing insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Since the role of glycemic index in diabetes control has gained renewed interest, sweet cherries, with a moderate glycemic index of approximately 22, are thought to be a better fruit-based snack as compared to higher fruits such as apricots (57), grapes (46), peaches (42), blueberries (40) or plums (39). 5. Inflammation: Cherries have also been shown to reduce inflammation through their powerful phytochemicals, which are known to inhibit the enzymes responsible for causing painful inflammation (Seernam, 2003). 6. Hypertension and stroke: A serving of cherries has a whopping 270 mg of potassium, compared to apples which have 148 mg and strawberries which have 254 mg. Evidence shows that adequate potassium reduces the risk hypertension and stroke (He, 2003). 7. Better Sleep: Cherries are a good food source of melatonin, which helps regulate circadian rhythm and promote healthy sleep patterns, making them effective in reducing jet lag. “Sweet Northwest Cherries bring as much to the table, both in terms of nutrition and health benefits, as blueberries, cranberries and other known superfruits,” said James Michael, Promotions Director of Northwest Cherries, a growers’ organization that represents Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Montana. “With more and more research highlighting these health benefits, and what they mean for consumers, people are starting to view fresh sweet cherries in a much broader perspective than just a summer treat. In fact, we are seeing an increase in cherry freezing, preservation and dried formats so people can enjoy the benefits of sweet cherries year round.” When the sweet cherries hit grocery store shelves this year, health-conscious consumers will now have several more reasons to eat handfuls of cherries, beyond the delicious taste. For more information on sweet Northwest Cherries, seasonal recipes and health information, visit www.nwcherries.com , or information on how to preserve that summer sweetness as the season wraps, check out www.sweetpreservation.com . About Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission Washington State Fruit Commission is a grower’s organization funded by fruit assessments to increase awareness and consumption of regional stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of stone fruits from Northwest orchards. It began in 1947 and has since grown to include growers in five states — Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. For more information, visit www.nwcherries.com or www.wastatefruit.com . |
I bought this pair of melons grown in Guatemala at a local U.S. supermarket for 
$1.98 a piece. They were good, but not great. I placed a little salt on each to compensate for the lack of sweetness. The Guatemalan cantaloupe has gotten better as the season has progressed, not unusal for a lot of fruit, not matter where it is grown.
Now get this. In Japan, the Yubari King melon is what Kobe is to beef. Yubari is a Japanese city famous for cantaloupe that is a cross between two varieties. A Japanese auction has gotten as much $26,000 for a pair of these melons! However, the “regular” Yubari melons more typically garner “only” $50 to $100 a pair!
Think I’ll stick with my Guatemalan melons, even if I do have to add a little salt.
There’s some really sweet, tasty late season grapes from Chile in your produce department now. Enjoy them while they last, because 
the season for these imports are just about over…..Never fear though, grapes from Mexico should start arriving in your supermarkets within the next couple of weeks. There also will be the first domestic grapes arriving, from the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, CA. Many retailers I’ve spoken with actually prefer the Mexican grapes over the Coachella grapes. Keep in mind that a lot of the Mexican grapes are actually owned, or financially backed by grape growers from the U.S. — especially from California.
I’ve been a little disappointed overall with California strawberries thus far. Some have been better than others, but overall, the quality could be better…..Of course, I have to qualify this since I shop at a small town Wal-Mart, with absolutely not competition. Wal-Mart’s produce departments have really went down hill in the past several years.
You should be finding those wonderful sweet onions in your stores by now — especially those from Vidalia, GA. Of course, Texas grows some pretty good sweet onions as well.
One reason I love spring so much is because possibly my favorite vegetable of all (just barely ahead of asparagus), the artichoke, is entering peak volume from Castroville, CA, which I think grows the best “chokes” anywhere. Volume is increasing and hopefully your favorite retail store will be having specials on artichokes no later than early May.
I love ’em any way they are prepared, but since I’m a pretty simple guy, and a lousy cook, I simply cut off the stem, place in it a bowl with perhaps a tablespoon of water, cover it with saran wrap, stick it the microwave and cook it for several minutes (depending on the size). Then I melt some butter to dip the leaves in, before scrapping the flesh off the leaves with my teeth. yum, yum.
There’s also countless other great ways to prepare “chokes.” Just go online and google in artichokes, or Ocean Mist Artichokes, which is the biggest grower of the product, located in Castroville.
Enjoy.
When it comes to apples in your local supermarket, the best buys should be with red delicious and granny smiths, since more of each variety remain in storages than a year ago…..You may see higher prices on golden delicious and fuji apples since fewer of those are available to complete the current season, which will be ending around July and August.
Delicious and crunchy apples are one of the most popular fruits favored by health conscious, fitness freaks who believe in “health is wealth.” This wonderful fruit packed with rich phyto-nutrients that in the true sense are indispensable for optimal health. The antioxidants in apples have many health promoting and disease prevention properties; thus justifying the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories.
Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-Cand beta-carotene.Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant.
Eating more blueberries, apples and pears may be linked to lower risk of 
diabetes, according to a new U.S. study.
These fruits are loaded with flavonoids, a natural compound present in certain fruits, vegetables and grains, which some research has tentatively tied to heath benefits such as a lower risk of heart disease or cancer.
“People who ate a higher amount of “blues” or apples, they tended to have a low risk of type 2 diabetes,” said An Pan, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health who worked on the study.
The findings show an association, he added, but don’t prove the fruits, themselves, prevent diabetes.