Which fruits are best for your health???

I've been on a fruit kick lately. I started to wonder what are the Top 10 Fruits that benefit our health?? I have heard so many myths like "some fruits like apples/oranges have too much sugar" or "too many fruits are bad for you" so I wanted to crack down on these myths.  Here's what I found: (in no particular order)

1. Apples (about 80 calories)

With the skin, provide pectin, 5 grams of fiber and a heaping dose of flavonoid antioxidants. Apple fiber helps lower cholesterol and keep you regular. And the powerful flavonoids reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. 

2. Blueberries (about 81 calories/1cup)

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which help fight cancer and prevent macular degeneration. Like cranberries, they contain compounds that can protect against urinary tract infections.

3. Oranges (about 68 calories)

A single orange gives you almost a full day's vitamin C, plus potassium. The opaque membrane around each wedge has hesperidin, which may lower cholesterol.

4. Bananas (about 108 calories)

High in potassium and low in sodium, bananas help lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Bonus: Protease inhibitors that can prevent stomach ulcers.

5. Cantaloupes (about 97 calories)

Cantaloupes are packed with Vitamin C, potassium and carotenoid antioxidants. Cantaloupe can help reduce inflammation, prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease, boost immunity and help protect your skin from sunburn. 

6. Grapes (about 60 calories)

Red wine isn't the only source of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that could help fight heart disease. You get nearly as much resveratrol in a cup of dark-colored grapes as you do in a five-ounce glass of merlot.

7. Strawberries (about 50 calories)

A daily handful helps control type 2 diabetes and stave off heart disease and inflammation. Strawberries are also an excellent source of vitamin C and other antioxidants.

8. Kiwis 

Ounce for ounce, kiwis contain more than twice as much vitamin C as oranges, plus they may lower the risk of cataracts and could even protect DNA from damage.

9. Apricots (about 19 calories)

They are a good source of vitamins A, C and E, potassium, iron and carotenoids. The lycopene found in apricots helps protect your eyes and prevent heart disease, LDL cholesterol oxidation and certain cancers – especially skin cancer. And the fiber in apricots helps relieve constipation. 

10. Papayas (about 55 calories)

Papayas are loaded with vitamin C, folate, carotenoids and natural digestive enzymes that help with protein digestion.

*Photo Credits and facts were all taken from here and here.

Eating on Track

As a young adult woman in her mid 20's, it wouldn't surprise many than I eat out more than I eat in. And not only does eating out seem to take more $$ from my bank account, it also seems to add calories substantially quicker on my daily caloric count.

Yes, I do purchase food from the grocery store and try my best to make lunches and snacks at home to take to work. And yes, the food I purchase comes and goes and it sure takes quite awhile sometimes for me to make time to go back to the grocery store to replenish my supplies.

So in the interim during my grocery droughts, I stay on track with my daily caloric intake by utilizing the Super Tracker from choosemyplate.gov.

Choosemyplate.gov was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help improve the well-being and nutrition of Americans. A couple of years ago the USDA had switched from a complex food pyramid to a plate diagram that is easier to understand...it's all about portion control! :)

I highly recommend going on to their website and checking it out. The site has tons of information regarding nutrition that benefits the entire family. Here's what the new MyPlate diagram looks like:
 

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/

 The Super Tracker is similar to other calorie trackers out  there in that is monitors how much calories you're eating daily. What I especially like about the Super Tracker is that it also keeps track of much you're eating in each food group. So in essence, I could eat 1,000 calories of ice cream or 1,000 calories of fruits...and this wouldn't really be quite noticeable on other calorie trackers, but the Super Tracker helps me keep a well balance diet.

Here's a great example of how the tool helped me realize that I wasn't getting any protein in my diet. I was able to easily fix that with my next meal decision for the day.

There's all sorts of great tools on the Super Tracker site. Not only does the site help monitor your food intake, you can create health related goals (such as weight loss or maintaining an amount of weekly physical activity) and the website has a place where you can log and monitor your progress. I also registered for email newsletters that are customized to my goals and are filled with tips on how to stay on track.

The only downside right now to the tracker is that there isn't a convenient smart phone app that syncs to the website. So to keep my tracker updated, I either go on the website through my phone web browser or jot it down somewhere and add it in later.

Keeping track of what you're eating could get overwhelming and some would say tedious. After awhile it becomes a routine and definitely has lots of benefits.

How have you kept track of what you're putting in your body?