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| Colorful Fruits |
Fresh fruit has always been referred to as Nature's candy, but is dried fruit closer to actual candy compared to fresh fruit? At the grocery store we've all seen the many varieties of fresh fruit and not too far from the fresh fruit are several compact containers of dried fruits. There is a bit of a controversy between the two varieties of fruit, but besides taste, how does fresh fruit and dried fruit match up nutritionally? Well, to start there are several reasons why to purchase and eat dried fruit and fresh fruit. Dried fruit is much easier to serve, especially to children, and there is no need to prep, cut or peel, you can simply serve the fruit right out of the container. The main problem with dried fruit is the higher amount of calories and sugar contents. Compared to fresh fruit, dried fruit has more sugar because the drying processes can cause nutrients to be lost, and most times sugar will be added as well. The amount of fiber in the dried fruit can help counteract the amount of sugar, but dried fruit has at least twice the amount of sugar compared to fresh fruit because of the drying process and added amounts of sugar in order to make the product sweet as opposed to being tart. Dried fruit has been showed to act as a good way to satisfy your sweet tooth and is shown to decrease one's risk of being obese. The convenience of dried fruit also helps individuals struggling with incorporating fruit into their diet. Dried fruit definitely has nutritional benefits such as containing fiber, antioxidants, and it is high in Vitamins A and C. Since dried fruit is high in fiber it helps control diabetes, lowers blood cholesterol, and helps to relieve constipation. Dried fruit's main contributor to health and nutrition is the amount of antioxidants compared to regular fresh fruit. Dried fruit such as blueberries have four times the amount of antioxidants when compared with fresh blueberries. Dried fruit is a good alternative to sugary and artificially flavored snacks for children and a lot of athletes eat dried fruit for energy.
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| Colorful Dried Fruits |
Dried fruit unfortunately has a few negative aspects too. I mentioned dried fruit has more calories and sugar when compared with fresh fruit, but dried fruit also loses nutrients during the drying process. If you look at the ingredient list for any dried fruit you'll probably notice the ingredient sulfur dioxide. This ingredient is added in order for the dried fruit to keep it's lasting freshness. The problem is sulfur dioxide diminishes vital nutrients naturally within the fruit. The nutrient thiamine is completely destroyed during the drying process of the fruit. During the drying process, if the fruit is exposed to oxygen and light then even more nutrients can be lost.
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| Nature's Candy |
Fresh fruit has always been the cornerstone in the world of health and nutrition and for good reason. Fresh fruit contains large amounts fiber, key vitamins and minerals, and are naturally low in calories. Compared to dried fruit, fresh fruit does not go through any drying process of any kind so there is not a lack of any nutrients. The nutrients include fiber, potassium, vitamins A and C, folate, and antioxidants. Fresh fruit contains a lot more water and in turn makes you feel fuller. Since you feel fuller faster, you will eat less calories and you will won't overeat later on. Fresh fruit is a perfect snack in between meals, but I wouldn't recommend eating fruit with a large meal because it has been shown to cause indigestion and discomfort. It is important to incorporate fresh fruit within your daily diet, but some fruits are better for you than others. Tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pineapple, and coconut are all very good for you nutritionally, but tropical fruits also contain more sugar compared to other fruits. Coconuts also contain a large amount of saturated fat, but a lot of nutritionists are not worried about the amount of saturated fat within coconuts but I would still restrict the amount of coconut you have in your diet.
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| Dried Apricots All Line Up |
When it comes down to which type of fruit is nutritionally better for you, fresh fruit wins but dried fruit is also a nutritional powerhouse. I would suggest restricting the amount of dried fruit you consume because of the high calorie and sugar content, and dried fruit is also very convenient and a great snack for adults and children. You'll find it difficult to overeat fresh fruit because of the amount of water, but try not to eat too many tropical fruits in your daily eating habits. So the next time your at the grocery store pick up that apple or those dried apricots instead of that candy bar, you'll feel fuller and you'll be getting a ton of nutrients right from Nature's candy shop.
Sources:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Preserved-and-Dried-Fruit-Vs-Fresh-Fruit-Nutrition&id=2854412
Everyone wants to get as many vitamins and minerals and other nutrients in their diets as possible, but sometimes you can't get all of your nutrients from the food you eat alone. There are so many multivitamins out there and many of them are not worth your time or money. I think that everyone (including healthy men and women) should take a multivitamin everyday in order to get the necessary amount of nutrients in your system. You may be wondering which multivitamin is the most effective and the best to take on a daily basis, well you don't have to conduct any research or scroll through every label at your local pharmacy because the answer is simply a food-based multivitamin. These specific multivitamins combine whole foods including different vegetables and fruits with other ingredients and vitamins into a capsule. One of the benefits to taking a food based multivitamin is it's easier on your stomach because it's derived from whole vegetables and fruits and they absorb a lot easier which translates to being more effective within your system. The best food based multivitamin you can consume is Rainbow Light Just One Food Based Multivitamins. Theses specific multivitamins come in both men and women varieties and after thorough research, I think these are the best for your time, money, and health.
Other non food based multivitamins add other artificial flavors and ingredients to their capsules and that's doing more harm to your body than good. One of the most important nutrients you need in a multivitamin is vitamin D, especially if you live in cloudy/dreary weather. A lot of people are vitamin D deficient and don't even know it. It is very important to have enough vitamin D in your system because it aids in bone strength and the overall health and function of your immune system. The problem with other multivitamins is not just the absence or lack of certain essential nutrients, but too much of a certain vitamin or mineral that is not even necessary and can actually affect your health in a negative way. Too much magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc can cause stomach irritation, diarrhea, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. By taking the Rainbow Light food based multivitamin, you will not consume too much of any vitamin and since you only have to take it once a day, and it's easy to remember and it will be react like food in your body. A good idea is to take half the capsule in the morning with a healthy breakfast, and then have the second half of the capsule at dinner time. This spreads out the amount of nutrients your body intakes and makes it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients. If you can't remember to do this it's perfectly fine, but if you can remember it would benefit you even more. Food based multivitamins like Rainbow Light are the best natural source of multivitamins on the market and they don't contain any artificial ingredients or give you an overdose of certain vitamins that could cause harm to your body. Even if you're the healthiest person on the planet, I still think that you should research and try adapting a food based multivitamin in your diet (especially if you're living without a lot of literal sunshine in your life).
