Tag Archives: grapefruit

How to Cook with Grapefruit

Besides canned pears and bananas, grapefruit was one of the only fruits my mom could get me to eat as a kid. Back then I covered it in sugar but these days I approach it with a more refined palette, which has made enjoying its natural flavors – and robust health benefits – all the easier.

Health benefits: Grapefruit is an extremely flavorful citrus fruit that’s tangy, tart and sweet enough to please even the pickiest palettes. As a bonus, it also boasts some amazing health benefits. For example, just one fruit provides nearly  25 percent of your recommended amount of vitamin A; and 75 percent of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system, ward of colds, fight free radicals, and reduce inflammation.

According to Whole Foods, the pink hue found in grapefruits is not only pretty but also indicator of lycopene, which is a carotenoid phytonutrient that’s been found to help fight tumor activity and cell-damaging free radicals. (more…)

Try This Sweet Refresher to Honor Grapefruit Month

February is National Grapefruit Month. A fruit this powerful deserves its own month!
The fruit we know as grapefruit today was developed in the West Indies in the early 1700’s and was first introduced to Florida in the 1820s. Today, grapefruit hits its peak in February as it still grows in Florida and now even Texas. This fruit is truly worthy of the title super fruit.

Grapefruit contains many properties that are incredible for the body and prevents kidney stones, helps with liver detoxification, protects against lung cancer, reduces fever, lowers cholesterol, and acts as an indigestion aid. Grapefruit is high in vitamin C, even higher than oranges. Vitamin C rich foods can help ward off colds and free radicals which can reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. That’s some fruit!

Coming in at about 70 calories, grapefruit packs a big flavor in a small package. In addition to its health properties, grapefruit can help you stay trim! As the fruit is very low in sodium and high in fat burning enzymes, it burns fat while it helps flush out excess water from high sodium diets. And if that wasn’t good enough, grapefruit also helps boost metabolism. The high water content along with the enzymes and acid get the internal organs working. When eaten within 2 hours of waking, grapefruit gets the digestive system kicked on and stops the body from going into starvation mode. This super fruit is a perfect and powerful breakfast item.

(more…)

Start Your Diet on Facebook with The Grapefruit Active Lifestyle Meal Plan [VIDEO]

You’ve seen online diets before, but have you seen one on Facebook? The social network is quickly becoming the hub for people’s social lives, so why wouldn’t you make it the point of entry for your weight loss program? That is exactly what Dawn Jackson Blatner has done in partnership with Florida Grapefruit. They’re calling it the Grapefruit Active Lifestyle Meal Plan and, as you can probably guess, the diet centers around grapefruits, be it whole fruit or 100% juice.

By visiting their page at Facebook.com/JuicyScoop you can download a free eBook, a 62-page PDF that outlines the program with daily meal plans, tips and recipes. Blatner, a registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics, has organized a balanced, healthful eating plan that will lend followers about 1600 calories each day. There are three meal plans to choose from:

  • Standard with dairy, meat, fish, and eggs
  • Vegetarian with dairy and eggs
  • Vegan with no animal by-products

We spoke with Blatner about the new program, which she said is plant-based with the option for chicken or steak (this is fitting as she is the author of The Flexitarian Diet). As for building a weight loss plan around the grapefruit, she says the fruit has “a bold, invigorating flavor… that provides natural energy.” It can be an acquired taste for some, but Blatner says they’ve incorporated the flavor subtly and won’t often have you eating it straight from the peel.

(more…)