By Assunta Ng
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Assorted fruits beautifully display by Tracy Luu (Photo by Assunta Ng)
My favorite dish to bring to parties now, is colorful, appetizing and most importantly, healthy. What is beautiful is, a fruit plate gives us the daily needed nutrients.
Imagine a world without fruits. We won’t survive. Fruits nourish my skin and fill my belly with their water elements. It’s low in calories and fat. I am fortunate that my daughter-in-law Tracy often brings us a fresh fruit plate.
They are also my favorite gifts to give. If you don’t have time to make a fruit plate, just buy a variety of fruits and place them in a basket, it’s a great gift to enhance anyone’s health.
Asian fruits from Lam’s Seafood Market (Photo by Assunta Ng)
Today, we are so blessed. We have so many choices of fruits. Seasons don’t limit us to certain fruits because of greenhouse farming. For instance, I can buy watermelons all year around. I love fruits as they can give us vitamin C, fiber, and other essential nutrients. Seven days a week, I eat a variety of fruits to maintain my health. Different fruits serve multiple bodily functions.
They play such an important role to our well being. I have friends who seldom eat fruits. And my observation reveals, these folks are usually not very happy and often negative. They are often dehydrated, and lack empathy for their friends and the environment. I wouldn’t be able to survive one day without consuming plenty of fruits.
Fruits from Uwajimaya (Photo by Assunta Ng)
Here are the fruits I eat during the week and the benefits I get from them.
Banana is an antidepressant and helps with insomnia. I eat half a banana in the morning and half before I go to bed.
Oranges fight bad breath. Also, it provides lots of vitamin C and promotes healthy teeth. And oh, if you want nice skin, eat oranges everyday.
Watermelon is a rich source of collagen, and it is an antioxidant. It consists of 30 percent water, it has fewer calories than other fruits.
Apples are a great source of fiber. Scientists at Washington State University grow more than 60 varieties of apples. Developed in 1998, Cosmic Crisp, an apple popular with growers and retailers because of its large size, has an excellent flavor and slowness to brown. It can be stored for more than a year and still maintain its distinctive texture and flavor. It was also designed specifically for Washington growers.
When you are hungry, snack on apples. Washington state also grows some of the world’s best apples such as Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp and Braeburn. Here, we can buy apples at a great price.
Grapes are on my daily fruit list. They are good for breakfast as well as an after-dinner dessert, since they are so sweet. I eat them after a heavy meal.
They aid in digestion and fight aging. What’s not to love! There are red, black, and green grapes. I prefer green seedless grapes. And they are reasonably-priced for a big bunch.
Pineapples are delicious, especially their juice. I don’t have it often enough. It is a good source of calcium for strong bones.
Mangoes help with insomnia and has anti-aging properties. Try stir-fried chicken with mangoes, it tastes fantastic.
Lemons help to fight toxins. So I would squeeze it over my salads or put some on cooked meats and in my tea.
Enjoy fruits everyday. You’ll see and feel the benefits after a while.
Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.