Pure, Natural Candy

Fruit, fruit, FRUIT! It's sweet, refreshing, juicy, colorful, loaded with antioxidents and vitamins and since it's all natural, your body processes it easily...not at all like other sweet, juicy, yummy, FAKE sugary candies. The fructose in fruit, a simple sugar, when combined with the fiber, mostly found in the skin, is slowly absorbed in your bloodstream and keeps blood sugar stable.

The best part is that right now is the BEST time to stock up on fruit. Try new fruits! Today I tried the fruit on cactus (I forget the name of them). They were ok. Kinda like kiwi texture, but not as sweet.

For those of you in Las Cruces, definitely go to Toucan Market. They have a quick produce section of organic fruits and vegetables that are about to go bad for super cheap. I got 12 organic plumes for 70 cents, 6 pears for $1, the catcus fruits with 2 oranges and a banana for $1, and a bag of spinach for 80 cents. Score!! :)

The best time to hit the Farmers' Market is right now too. Right now isn't just the season for fruit, but all different vegetables! In the past, I've just stuck to lettuce and spinach, but I've tried so many new things since going to the Farmers' Market like Swiss Chard and Kale.

Having a variety of fruits and vegetables is so good for you! As much as possible, try to leave the peel on. Most of the time the peels are taken off, but the majority of the vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients are in the peel. It would take me way too long to list all the nutrients and health benefits of each fruit, but a few of my favorites are:

Apples: (My number 1 favorite fruit)

Full of fiber- which helps you stay fuller longer
Banishes belly bloating
Lowers cholesterol
The skin contains phenols which provide your body with UV-B protection
They also say that 3 apples a day helps with weight loss. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but getting to have 3 apples a day sounds like a tasty way to lose weight!
Watermelon:

High in vitamins C & A
Also high in a couple B vitamins (mostly B6) which help give you energy
Refreshing for a hot day since it is 92% water
Antioxidants in this sweet fruit help with eye strength and health





Spinach:

You can throw this in anything- eggs (quiches, omelets, scrambled eggs, etc), on sandwiches, tacos, salads, steamed or stir fried and tossed with chopped walnuts for a side dish.
High in vitamin C, A, B2, B6 magnesium, calcium, folate, iron, zinc and vitamin K (which is a hard vitamin to get!)
One of the best vegetables to protect your body from free radical. It protects your body from cancer substances.
Good for your heart, brain, and eyes

Broccoli: (another staple in my diet)

Again, high in vitamin C
Rich in fiber, folic acid & potassium
Helps improve your immune system
Contains an antioxidant called glucoraphanin which helps with skin damage and repairs your skin
A cup of broccoli contains the same amount of protein as a cup of rice or corn, but less than half the calories!

Right now everything is so fresh and colorful and CHEAP since it's all in season. Go stock up your fridge with all these yummy, whole foods.