Start The New Year Right With Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits often get a lot of praise due to the extremely high levels of vitamin C that they contain. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that these citrus fruits are also a brilliant source of another much more exclusive health boosting nutrient – flavanones. Today I will be giving you a little more information on the flavanones and explaining how you can make these citrus based nutrients part of your diet in the New Year.
The Power Of Citrus Fruits
Unlike vitamin C which can be sourced from a wide range of fruits and vegetables, flavanones can only be sourced from grapefruits, oranges and certain herbs. This is where the true power of citrus fruits lies.
One of the main flavanone benefits is that they act as powerful antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants are health boosting substances that keep your body safe from free radicals and protect your cells from the damage that they can cause.In addition to this, the flavanones can reduce your risk of developing cancer or diabetes. Finally, they can protect your vital organs from damage.
How Can You Eat More Citrus Fruits?
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons for eating oranges and grapefruits in the New Year. However, coming up with innovative ways to add them to your diet can be difficult. If you are struggling here are a few serving suggestions:
1) Citrus Fruit Salad: – This tangy fruit salad is full of flavanones. To make it you will need one chopped grapefruit, the chunks from two oranges, 100ml of grapefruit juice and 100ml of orange juice. Place all the ingredients in a bowl, put the bowl in the fridge to soak overnight and then enjoy a flavanone rich fruit salad the following day.
2) Grapefruit And Orange Smoothie: – If you have a blender at your disposal try this health boosting smoothie. Take one chopped grapefruit, the chunks from two oranges,100ml of grapefruit juice, 100ml of orange juice, half a cup of ice cubes, half a cup of yogurt and one cup of milk. Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth, pour into a glass and enjoy.
3) Citrus And Orange Ice Blast: – If the weather is hot and sunny outside try this ice cold drink. Take one chopped grapefruit, the chunks from two oranges, 100ml of grapefruit juice, 100ml of orange juice, half a cup of soda water and half a cup of ice cubes. Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend just until the ice cubes become chipped, pour into a glass and enjoy.
Summary
If you want to start the New Year with a protective punch then make sure you are eating citrus fruits regularly. The advice in this article should give you plenty of options for incorporating oranges and grapefruits into your diet and filling up on flavanones in the New Year