Eating and juicing fruit is the best way to get your daily fiber requirements

Organic Fruit GiftsIf you are seeking to add additional fiber to your diet – as many of us are – then one of the healthiest and most natural ways to effectively achieve that goal involves eating more fruit either whole or by juicing it.

A diet that is high in fiber and fluids helps your entire body to function in a healthier and more effective way. This is especially true of your ability to process food through your digestive system and it may also help to reduce your chances of diabetes and heart disease. In order to achieve these benefits, men should consume around 30 to 38 grams of fiber every day, while women should have between 21 and 25 grams per day.

Though many people rely on artificial sources of fiber to help to get things moving, obtaining fiber from natural foods is the healthiest and most effective source for your body. It also helps to ensure that you’re receiving much more than just fiber in terms of nutrition. Therefore, it is a good idea to start making juicing and the consumption of fresh fruit a regular part of your daily routine.

Beyond fiber, fruits can also have a number of other positive impacts on your health. For example, an increasing number of studies are showing that daily fruit intake can help to reduce the risk of certain forms of cancers.

Moreover, even though it contains natural sugars, fruit is also known for giving you a burst of hunger satisfying nutrition within a small amount of calories. Many doctors and nutritionists recommend that if you want to eat a large amount of food without packing on the pounds, then juicing or eating fruits and vegetables whole should be a central part of that effort.

Also, a great healthy gift for yourself or someone you know is an organic fruit of the month membership. You can juice every day with fresh fruit delivered straight to your doorstep!

Give a happy and healthy holiday this year

Organic Fruit BasketWhen most people think about the holiday season, they bring to mind images of sweet treats and excess that will cause both smiles and bellies to swell. This helps to explain why so many people make weight loss and healthy lifestyles their New Year’s resolutions.

This year, give a gift that will cater to both health and enjoyment by giving gifts that will suit those needs. For example:

• An organic fruit basket – give a basket of organic fruit, or give the gift of a fruit of the month club so that the baskets will be sent all year long. That way, the recipient will be able to enjoy a tasty sweet treat, without any of the guilt.

• Reusable food storage containers – this can include water bottles and thermal lunch bags that are both attractive and practical. With these items, your recipient will be encouraged to drink more water and to pack a lunch, instead of buying something from a fast food restaurant.

• Smaller dishes – research now indicates that the larger the plates you have and the wider the glasses, the more you’ll put in them. Buy your recipient narrow glasses and ten-inch plates to reduce the number of calories that are consumed at a meal. It’s a healthy way to get the same satisfaction from a meal but with smaller portions.

• Healthy mobile apps – give the gift of technology with an app that can help with easy healthy recipes, a shopping list creator, and a reminder to eat lots of organic fruits and veggies!

Why give a fruit of the month club membership as a gift?

Organic Fruit of The Month Club

Gift giving can be a real struggle these days, as people accumulate an increasing amount of “stuff” and don’t want to receive yet one more thing that they need to store in a closet and forget about. For this reason, fruit of the month club gifts are rapidly rising in popularity.

Fruit of the month clubs allow you to sign up the recipient to receive a new basket of fruit every month for as many months as you want. By giving a recipient a membership to this kind of club, you know that you’ll be sending a new treat every time a new basket is shipped, and that it will be enjoyed, instead of being stuffed into storage.

In today’s economic uncertainty, this type of gift can be especially helpful, as it can supplement the recipient’s monthly groceries and help them to get more out of their monthly budgets.

Among the most popular fruit of the month clubs are those that offer organic products. By sending organic fruit gifts, you’re making sure that the recipient is eating food that was grown only under the strictest organic conditions, without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Many people prefer the flavor of these foods to those grown using more conventional farming methods, and appreciate that it is a healthier alternative.

Fruit of the month clubs are a wonderful gift for newlyweds, retired individuals, students off at college, and are perfect for weddings, birthdays, Christmas, and other gift giving occasions.

As you choose your fruit of the month club, look for an option that offers organic produce, and make sure that it is a company that concentrates on quality, so that you know that your recipient will always obtain the best treat every time.

How will you be observing National Grandparents Day?

Grandparents Day GiftsNational Grandparents Day is rapidly approaching in the United States and a number of other countries, and parents and children are preparing to show grandparents how much they mean to them throughout the entire year.

This day falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day every year, making it September 11 in 2011. It has been celebrated in the United States since 1978, with Marian McQuade from Oak Hill, West Virginia, as its official founder, for which she has received recognition by senators and President Jimmy Carter.

McQuade founded the day as a complement to her personal life goal to provide youth in her community with an education regarding the importance of the present and historical contributions of senior citizens. Aside from National Grandparents Day, another of McQuade’s efforts was to encourage youth to “adopt” a grandparent.

This secular holiday is meant to give people the opportunity to honor grandparents and to provide grandparents with the chance to show their own love for the children of their own children. This can help to make children more aware of the information, strength, and guidance that senior citizens have to give.

As of 2004, National Grandparents Day has had its own official song, which was written by Johnny Prill, and is called “A Song for Grandma and Grandpa”. Prill received the National Songwriter’s Award for this composition.

Similarly, in the United States, there is an official flower for the holiday, as well. It is a forget-me-not. However, as this is a spring bloom, it is traditional to give more seasonal flowers or a organic fruit basket to grandparents on the holiday itself.

The characteristics of a ripe melon: what you need to know before putting it in your cart

How to pick a melonThough melons may look beautiful in a store, without the right techniques it is difficult to know what is inside their rinds without cutting into them.

Fortunately, there are some steps that can be taken in order to identify a ripe and flavorful melon. The trick is to understand that not all types of melon require the same techniques, and to know what methods are appropriate for each type.

For a cantaloupe, also known as a musk melon, examine its entire exterior, looking for a good solid shell without any moldy areas or obvious bruising. Its underlying color should be an orangy-white. If its underlying color is primarily green or white, move on to the next one.

The end with the stem should not still have the stem attached. A cantaloupe that was ripe when picked would come away from the stem very easily. Therefore, if the stem is still on the melon, it is likely unripe. Smell the end with the stem. If it smells slightly moldy or if it has no smell at all, put it back and try another one. A ripe cantaloupe should smell just slightly fruity and musky.

On the other hand, a watermelon’s rind should be inspected for black spots, large soft bruises, or cracks. Gently “thump” on the side of the melon with your hand and listen to the sound it makes. Compare the sound of several melons and pick one that makes a “middle” note. The higher the note, the less ripe the melon will be. The lower the note, the more ripe a melon will be. If the note is very deep, it may be overly ripe and may already be breaking down inside.

A honeydew melon should be inspected for cracks, bruises, or large dark spots on the outside. These melons should be avoided. Then, with the melon in one hand, press on the end opposite the stem (called the Best Fruit“blossom” end) and check for firmness. The more firm it is, the less ripe it is. A ripe melon should allow you to depress it slightly without a lot of effort. If the melon is quite soft for more than two inches across the blossom end, it is likely too ripe and is beginning to deteriorate inside.

By knowing these tricks, you will be able to select the best and most flavorful melon, which will give you a more pleasant experience and save you from wasting money on spoiled or unripe fruit.

For gift giving this summer don’t forget a organic fruit of the month club!

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