Day Fourteen

Today was the first day of my 'try something new a week challenge'.
My Experiment: Try a Grapefruit
My Mission: Blog about different health benefits and new recipes featuring the grapefruit.


So...I did it today. It was my first time and I was nervous!
I sliced it up into pieces, put it on a plate, sat down and prepared myself.
The first bite was tense...I bit in with hesitation. It was nothing like I had expected.
SOUR!!!! I think I must have picked up the most unripe Grapefruit from the shelf!
It was really disappointing to be honest, and I'm actually dreading eating another one!
Liana, if you're reading this...please oh please give me some advice, tips on knowing ripe from unripe.
Although tonight the thought of being creative with a Grapefruit (in a complete non sexual way!) for the next week is so unappealing, I have done some research and come up with some interesting facts and health benefits the Grapefruit offers.




The Grapefruit: Varieties
Grapefruit comes in many varieties, determinable by color, which is caused by the pigmentation of the fruit in respect of both its state of ripeness. The most popular varieties cultivated today are red, white, and pink hues, referring to the internal pulp color of the fruit. The family of flavors range from highly acidic and somewhat bitter to sweet and tart.  Grapefruit mercaptan, a sulfur-containing terpene, is one of the substances which has a strong influence on the taste and odor of grapefruit, compared with other citrus fruits.


Health Benefits:

Grapefruit is a delicious fruit with health benefits that range from anti-cancer to weight loss-boosting properties.

When it comes to a triple serving of health benefits, grapefruit packs a tri-power punch that's hard to beat. Researchers in Israel recently found that red and white grapefruit contain powerful antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Published in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists found that serving heart by-pass patients the equivalent of one grapefruit a day significantly reduced cholesterol levels. The study included 57 patients, both men and women, who recently had coronary bypass surgery and failed to respond to cholesterol-lowering medication. Red grapefruit was especially effective, reducing cholesterol by 15 per cent and triglycerides (a type of fat that increases the risk of heart disease) by 17 per cent.

Grapefruit has many micronutrients that are beneficial to one’s health. Grapefruit contains vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, folate and many B-vitamins.
One of the many health benefits of grapefruit is that it aids in weight loss. Grapefruit is low in sodium, high in fat burning enzymes and has a high water content. All these things combined speed up the metabolism. Therefore, grapefruit is a powerful fruit to eat for people trying to get rid of that fatty bulge. In fact, people trying to lose weight after holiday seasons should consider eating more grapefruit. Detoxing the body by eating more vegetables, proteins, smaller portions and fruits like grapefruit that speed up the metabolism is a good way to eat to lose weight after the holidays.

Sweet vs Sour:
In Costa Rica, especially in Atenas, grapefruits are often cooked to remove their sourness, rendering them as sweets; they are also stuffed with dulce de leche, resulting in a dessert called toronja rellena (stuffed grapefruit).



I guess I was expecting the Grapefruit to be really sweet, sweeter than an Orange...so when I bit into the red SOUR flesh, I was let down. I will push through and try another one tomorrow. Wish me luck!

I did experience alot of other delicious Earthy foods today, this is what it looked like:

BREAKFAST: Warm Lemon Water and A Beetroot, Carrot, Celery and Ginger Juice


LUNCH: Basil Pesto with Carrot Sticks and Macadamias


SNACK: A Grapefruit, and then chocolate balls to get rid of the taste haha


DINNER: Cabbage, Green Beans, Cucumber, Ginger, Lemon, Agarve and Garlic...Interesting


DESSERT: Chocolate Balls


EXERCISE: A Run, Push ups, Dips on the bath, Squats and a beautiful swim at the beach.


Well, goodnight :)
Sending out positive vibrations and safe thoughts to everyone yet to be affected by Cyclone YASI.
Be strong, and as much negative that this disaster will bring, afterwards there will be an overwhelming amount of positivity and amazing human spirit. Stay as safe as possible.

Love Love Love
xoxoxoxoxoxo


Thankyou to
http://healthmad.com/nutrition/health-benefits-of-grapefruit/ and
http://happynutritionist.com/grapefruit.html for your information. I am grateful :)