The Four Healthiest
Vegetable and Fruit Peels (and One Great Recipe!)
If you routinely remove the peels from fruits and vegetables you may
be losing the best part: all the nutrients!
|
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis is a sure way to
boost your health. After all, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables
can lower your risk for:
- All kinds of cancer
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
But if you peel your fruits and vegetables, many of those nutrients
literally could be going into the trash can!
Power-Packed Vegetable and Fruit Peels
It's true. Citrus fruits, apples, grapes, and tomatoes all have amazing
antioxidant properties in their skins!
(Think of antioxidants as the "clean up crew" in your body, using
their resources to counteract the damaging effects of poor nutrition, pollution,
stress, and just plain old living.)
On top of that, it is the peels of vegetables and fruits that contain
the most fiber, which is key for moving food through your digestive system,
healthy elimination and protection from colon cancer.
*Obviously do not purchase fruits or vegetables that are waxed.
Here's our guide to the top nutrients in fruit and vegetable peels that you
may want to include in your diet.
Citrus Peels
Citrus fruits, like lemons, limes and grapefruits all have powerful flavonoids,
limonene and rutin in their peels:
- Flavonoids help give fruits and vegetables their bright colors
and have these health properties:
- Anti-allergic
- Anti-cancer
- Antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-viral
Many studies have shown, too, that high flavonoid intake results in lower
incidence of heart disease.1
- Limonene is a compound that is extracted from the peels of citrus
fruits. Fresh smelling and multi-purpose, this amazing natural oil can be
found in organic household cleaners and helps keep your body healthy.
Use limonene to encourage the natural detoxification process of your
liver and even to fight cancer.2 In
laboratory studies, limonene increases the liver enzymes that aid detoxification
and appears to inhibit tumors in the stomach, lung and breast tissue. 3,4
- Rutin is a bioflavonoid in citrus peels that can chelate heavy
metals like iron and is an ideal accompaniment to your vitamin C supplement
because it enhances absorption of the vitamin.3
Apples
If you eat apples you might be peeling them before you eat them, but now
there's scientific research showing you should not.
Here are some powerful properties in apple peels:
- Quercetin, a flavonoid found in high concentrations in apple
skins, is known for its ability to ease hay fever, eczema, sinusitis and
even asthma. The quercetin in apple skins is also revered for its ability
to reduce your risk for heart disease.4
- Triterpenoids are compounds that give apple skins their
potent anti-cancer properties.5
One study even suggests that consumption of whole Braeburn apples (skin
and all) may be a good way to protect yourself from UV-B sun exposure.6
Red Grapes
Red grapes have some wonderful health benefits, but make sure to choose organic,
if you can, because pesticides are easily absorbed in grapes.
Here's why red grapes are so beneficial:
- Resveratrol is a phytochemical found in the highest concentrations
in the skin of red grapes.
Researchers believe that it has powerful antioxidant capabilities and can
lower LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as reduce your risk for heart disease.
Other studies show that resveratrol inhibits damage caused by exposure to
the heavy metal cadmium.7
In fact, resveratrol has "across the board" benefits. It is anti-toxic
and anti-cancer, helps those with diabetes and has been shown to help increase
lifespan. Reasearch has show it to be one of the most effective anti-aging
substances.8
Tomatoes
What makes tomato peels so healthy is actually what gives them their red
color, lycopene:
- Lycopene is a super-efficient antioxidant found primarily
in cooked tomatoes. It is linked to a consistently lower risk of cancer,
and lycopene fights the cell damage that causes degenerative diseases like
heart disease, premature aging, cancer and cataracts.9
*A note on lycopene: Many studies show that lycopene, found primarily
in cooked tomatoes, can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells. As
a general rule tomatoes are not eaten on The Body Ecology Diet. Blood types
A and B do not seem to do well on tomatoes. Blood types O and AB may find
they can tolerate them just fine. Tomatoes are a fruit and can be added
to raw salads if you chose to eat. They are, however a member of the night
shade family. Some people are sensitive to night shades.
Anyone with a sensitive central nervous system or immune system should avoid
them. You can do a test to see how you react to them by eating them alone
on an empty stomach. Watch for symptoms over the next couple of hours for
nervousness, hyperactivity, anxiety or fatigue. Sometimes it's the quantity
that matters most. You may not have a reaction to very small amounts, but
large amounts would be irritating. Red and yellow bell peppers, potatoes,
eggplant are members of the night shade family.
If you want to obtain the benefits of lycopene you can purchase this supplement
in your health food store. As always, adhere to the Principle of Uniqueness
to honor your body's individuality and find what is right for you.
Eating The Peels
Now that you know how important peels can be for your health, it's time
to incorporate them into your diet.
If you are in the first
stage of the Body Ecology diet, it is a good idea to stick to the "sour"
fruits on this list like lemons and limes because they don't feed candida
or other viral and fungal infections.
Once you have a well established inner ecosystem and your candidia is under
control, then you can introduce other small amounts of the other healthy fruits
like apples, grapes and tomatoes.
Candied Lemon Peel Recipe - The Healthy, Body Ecology Way!
Now that you know the healthy benefits of vegetable and fruit peels, you
may want to take advantage of these health benefits right away!
For the holidays and special occasions, you can now make candied lemon peels
with Body Ecology's zero-calorie all natural one-to-one sugar substitute,
Lakanto!
Now you can make candied citrus peels with Body Ecology's new zero-calorie
sweetener that tastes and bakes like sugar, but does NOT feed candida!
Order
your Lakanto today.
|
Recipe for Body Ecology Candied Lemon Peel
Use this recipe to make candied lemon, lime or orange peel!
Ingredients:
- 3 firm, ripe lemons, limes or oranges
- 1/4 cup Lakanto All-Natural Sweetener
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
- Using a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the fruit,
leaving the bitter white pith.
- Dice or cut the peel into strips, according to intended use. Place the
diced peel or strips in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil, drain, and refresh under cold running water.
- Return to the saucepan, add the Lakanto and 1/2 cup water and cook over
moderate heat until the liquid has evaporated and the peel is bright and
shiny.
- Spread peel on a silicone
baking sheet, separating the strips.
- Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. The candied peel will keep
for up to 6 months.
Sources:
Flavonoids, Phytochemicals.info. http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/flavonoids.php
2 Sweet Orange Tincture, Tropilab.com. http://tropilab.com/sweetorangetincture.html
3 ibid.
4 ibid.
5 Rutin, Phytochemicals.info. http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/rutin.php
6 Flavonoids, Phytochemicals.info.
http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/flavonoids.php
7 He, Xiangjiu and Rui Hai Liu, "Triterpenoids Isolated from Apple
Peels Have Potent Antiproliferative Activity and May Be Partially Responsible
for Apple's Anticancer Activity," J. Agric. Food Che, 8 May 2007. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2007/55/i11/abs/jf063563o.html
8 Apple, WHFoods.org.
9 Resveratrol, Phytochemicals.info. http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/resveratrol.php
10 Resveratrol, Phytochemicals.info.
11 Lycopene, http://www.lycopene.org/
Return to Newsletter Archive
Recommend
This Page to a Friend
Print this article
