I AM GOING TO TELL YOU BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF FRUITS
Orange
The citrus fruit is one of the oldest fruits known in the history of cultivation. As early as 500 B.C. the fruit of the citrus tree was mentioned in a collection of old documents believed to be edited by Confucius himself. In the year A.D. 1178, Han Yen-Chi, a Chinese horticulturist, wrote on the subject of oranges, and the seedless orange was mentioned in these writings. This author speaks of twenty-seven varieties of "very valuable and precious" oranges.
Oranges were originally brought from China to India, and gradually spread over the entire world where the climate was mild enough for their cultivation. The sour orange, or "Naranga," as it was referred to in Sanskrit about A.D. 100, came into cultivation in the basin of the Mediterranean long before the fall of the Roman Empire. The sweet variety, or "Airavata," does not appear to have been cultivated until early in the fifteenth century, and then became so popular that it was soon being cultivated extensively throughout Southern Europe. The Moors brought the Seville orange from the East.
Wild oranges were found in the West Indies and Brazil as early as 1600. The early Spanish explorers are believed to have brought oranges with them to this country in the time of Ponce de Leon's quest for the Fountain of Youth. In California, the orange was cultivated at the San Diego Mission in 1769 and, in the year 1804, 400 seedlings grew into a grove of considerable size around the San Gabriel Mission. The popularity of the orange, particularly in the favorable climate of California, grew rapidly, until it soon developed into a leading industry. The orange became known as "California's liquid sunshine."
The original orange was very small, bitter, and full of seeds, but through constant efforts in cross-fertilization and selection, many varieties of this delicious fruit are now cultivated with a tremendous improvement in the quality of the fruit. The sweet oranges are, by far, the most popular, while the sour orange is used more for its propagating stock than for its fruit. Unless killed by frost or fire, the orange tree to an old age and continues to bear fruit throughout its lifetime.
More than two hundred varieties of oranges are grown in the United States, In 1919 the United States produced only about 25 percent of the world's total output of oranges, but now it produces about half. Oranges comprise about 60 percent of the citrus fruit grown in the United States.
Oranges are available every day of the year, but are most abundant in the United States from January to May. California, Florida, and Texas are the orange-producing states, and each of these states ships great quantities. California's vast Valencia orange acreage is now more extensive than the Navel orange plantings. This state now has about 150,000 acres of Valencias, and about 100,000 acres of Navels, with an additional few thousand acres of miscellaneous orange varieties. The largest proportion of the California orange crop-about 85 to 90 percent-comes from southern California.
Choose the first oranges of the season, for they are the richest in mineral values. Tree-ripened oranges have, by far, the greatest mineral content. The best quality orange is firm and heavy, has a fine-textured skin varying in texture according to variety, and is well-colored. The light orange lacks juice. Avoid the soft, flabby, or shriveled orange and those oranges with any soft or moldy areas upon them. Do not eat unripe oranges because they can cause stomach upsets, particularly in small children. Once the skin is cut or broken, the fruit should be eaten immediately as the vitamin C is harmed by exposure to the air. If orange juice is kept for a period of time, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
The orange is classified as a subtropical fruit and has a citric Acid content of 1.5 percent. This alkaline-reacting fruit is best eaten with other tropical or subtropical fruits, with acid fruits, or with nuts or milk. It is best to avoid eating this fruit with starches or sweets, or with dried fruits.
Use oranges as a dessert fruit, with yogurt, or in combination salads. Make a cup of a segmented orange-the thick-skinned seedless orange is best for segmenting-and fill with cottage cheese. Make liquefied drinks, mixing orange juice with other subtropical or tropical fruits such as cactus fruits, loquats, mango, papaya, persimmon, pineapple, pomegranate, apples, and citrus fruits. Many have advised eating oranges or drinking orange juice with meals, early in the morning on an empty stomach, or directly following a meal if the body is in a highly acid condition.
The orange is one of the best sources of water-soluble vitamin C, The absence or insufficiency of this causes scurvy. As vitamin C is the least stable of all the vitamins, storage of orange juice at low temperature destroys the vitamin to some extent, and sterilization may destroy it completely. Generally, I think it is best to use the citric acid fruits in sections rather than in juices. When the orange is eaten in sections, the mineral material found in the pulp will help to neutralize the citric acid effect as it goes into the body.
Citrus fruits are high in sodium, but only when completely matured in the sunshine. The fruit acids from green or immature fruit cause many adverse body reactions.
If the section and bulk of the orange is fresh and sweet, it is an excellent food for children as a supplement for those who must drink cow's milk, or any milk, because it seems to help in the retention of calcium in the body. Ripe oranges contain as much as 10 percent fruit sugar, which can be immediately assimilated by the body.
Benefits of Orange
Oranges are the most popular source of vitamin C. They are excellent for treating overacid body conditions, constipation, or a particularly sluggish intestinal tract. In cases of acidosis, drink orange juice, or eat oranges after meals. If the intestinal tract is not functioning properly, drink a large glass of orange juice upon awakening in the morning, or about one-half hour before breakfast. In cases of stomach acid deficiency, start the meal with a peeled orange or a glass of orange juice.
Those who suffer from tooth decay or poor gums are probably lacking in vitamin C and should drink large amounts of orange juice for a period of a few weeks. People with gastric and duodenal ulcers are deficient in ascorbic acid, and their diet should be supplemented with a high potency vitamin C such as that found in fresh oranges and orange juice.
Oranges are very good for elimination. They stir up the acid accumulations and catarrhal settlements in the body very quickly. However, sometimes this is not a good idea if the channels of elimination, such as the skin and kidneys, are not able to take out these acids fast enough.
A body acid condition resulting from a high protein diet can best be neutralized and eliminated by the alkaline mineral elements found in fruits and vegetables. Oranges and all citrus fruits are particularly valuable because they are alkaline-reacting. People who are ill with a cold or other minor illness and who still must continue their daily work will find that orange juice, or a citrus juice diet, is the next best thing to a complete fast and rest in bed.
In cases of high fevers or arthritis, drink orange juice freely. Use orange juice where soft diets are required, and where a low calorie diet is necessary.
Eat the whole orange, excluding the very outer skin, to get all the good from the fruit. The luscious orange is rated tops in importance in the contribution to good health.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 164 | Iron | 1.3 mg |
Protein | 2.9 g | Vitamin A | 910 I.U. |
Fat | 0.7 g | Thiamine | 0.25 mg |
Carbohydrates | 36.6 g | Riboflavin | 0.8 mg |
Calcium | 108 mg | Niacin | 0.8 mg |
Phosphorus | 75 mg | Ascorbic acid | 162 mg |
Apple
One of the first things a child learns is the alphabet, and almost always, "A is for apple." The apple has been around for so long that it can be called the first fruit. Hieroglyphic writings found in the pyramids and tombs of the ancient Egyptians indicate that they used the apple as both a food and a medicine. It not only has been at the beginning of alphabet songs, but has been the center of legends, folklore, and eyen religion, for thousands of years, from Adam and Eve to Johnny Appleseed.
The people of the United States love apples. The state of Washington produces 32,000,000 boxes of apples a ear. Washington's orchards supposedly began from a single tree that was planted in 1827 from a seed given to Captain Simpson of the Hudson Bay Company by a young woman from London. That tree is still standing!
Years ago, apples were used to relieve gout, bilious constitutions, skin eruptions, and nerves. They are so popular around the world that they have all kinds of superstitions and traditions attached to them. The peasants of Westphalia used apples mixed with saffron as a cure for jaundice. There is also a legend in Devonshire, England, that an apple rubbed on a wart will cure it. On Easter morning, peasants in a province of Prussia ate an apple to insure against fever. The Turks gave the apple the power of restoring youth.
There are so many varieties of apples that almost anyone can find an apple to suit his palate. Since there are summer, winter, and fall varieties, apples can be had fresh all year around.
Today, doctors use apple therapy for stubborn cases of diarrhea in patients of all ages, including babies. Raw apple is scraped in very fine slices or used in a specially prepared concentrate. This treatment is often used for what is called the "lazy colon," and is also good for babies who are ready to begin a solid diet. Because so many of the essential vitamins and minerals in apples contain a predigested form of fruit sugar, it is an ideal fruit for infants and invalids.
When you cook apples, be sure to do so over a very low flame. It is best to cook them in a stainless steel utensil, so that the delicate pectin, vitamins, and minerals will be preserved as much as possible. Apples, of course, are best raw and are good in various kinds of salads.
Benefits of Apple
Apples are an alkaline food. They are also an eliminative food, and contain pectin, which has the ability to take up excess water in the Intestines and make a soft bulk that acts as a mild, nonirritating stimulant. This stimulant helps the peristaltic movement and aids in natural bowel elimination.
The iron content of the apple is not high, but it has a property that helps the body absorb the iron in other foods, such as eggs and liver. It does contain a generous amount of calcium, and this calcium aids the system in absorbing the calcium in other foods.
Apples contain 50 percent more vitamin A than oranges. This vitamin helps ward off colds and other infections and promotes growth. It also keeps the eyes in good condition, and prevents night blindness.
Apples have an abundant supply of vitamins. They contain more vitamin G than almost any other fruit. This is called the "appetite vitamin," and promotes digestion and growth. They are rich in vitamin C, which is a body normalizer and is essential in keeping bones and teeth sound. The vitamin that is so important in maintaining nerve health, vitamin B, is also found in apples.
Apples are good for low blood pressure and hardening of the arteries because they are powerful blood purifiers. They also benefit the lymphatic system.
The juice of apples is good for everyone. It can be used in a cleansing arid reducing diet, but speeds up bowel action, and can produce gas if bowels are not moving well. Apple juice or concentrate added to water makes a solution that heals bowel irritation when given as an enema.
Raw apples should be used for homemade apple juice, which should be consumed immediately after preparation. Save the peelings for health tea, which is excellent for the kidneys. This tea is simply made from steeped apple peelings. It is especially tasty when a little honey has been added to it.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 258 | Iron | 1.2 mg |
Protein | 1.2 g | Vitamin A | 360 I.U. |
Fat | 1.6 g | Thiamine | .15 mg |
Carbohydrates | 59.6 g | Riboflavin | .08mg |
Calcium | 24 mg | Ascorbic | 18 mg |
Apricot
The apricot is said to have originated in China. It spread from there to other parts of Asia, then to Greece and Italy. As early as 1562 there is mention of the apricot in England in Turner's Herbal.
It is recorded that the apricot grew in abundance in Virginia in the year 1720. In 1792 Vancouver, the explorer, found a fine fruit orchard that included apricots at Santa Clara, California. The fruit was probably brought to California by the Mission Fathers in the eighteenth century.
The apricot is a summer fruit, and is grown in the Western United States. California produces 97 percent of the commercial apricot crop. Only about 21 percent of the apricots produced commercially are sold fresh; the remainder are canned, dried, or frozen.
Tree ripened apricots have the best flavor, but tree-ripened fruit is rarely available in stores, even those close to the orchard. The next best thing to a well-matured apricot is one that is orangeyellow in color, and plump and juicy. Immature apricots never attain the right sweetness or flavor. There are far too many immature apricots on the market. They are greenish-yellow, the flesh is firm, and they taste sour. Avoid green and shriveled apricots.
Benefits of Apricot
Apricots may be eaten raw in a soft diet. Ripe apricots are especially good for very young children and for older people. This fruit is quite laxative, and rate high in alkalinity. Apricots also contain cobalt, which is necessary in the treatment of anemic conditions.
Apricots may be pureed for children who are just beginning to eat solid foods. Apricot whip for dessert is wonderful, and apricots and cream may be used in as many ways as possible. They make good afternoon and evening snacks.
Dried apricots have six times as much sugar content as the fresh fruit. Therefore, persons with diabetic conditions must be careful not to eat too much dried apricot. Because of its sugar content, however, it is good when we need an energy boost.
Dried fruits should be put in cold water and brought to a boil the night before, or permitted to soak all night, before eating. Bringing the water to a boil kills any germ life that may be on the fruit. Sweeten only with honey, maple syrup, or natural sugars.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 241 | Iron | 2.1 mg |
Protein | 4.3 g | Vitamin A | 11,930 I.U. |
Fat | 0.4 g | Thiamine | .13 mg |
Carbohydrates | 55.1 g | Riboflavin | .17 mg |
Calcium | 68 mg | Niacin | 3.2 mg |
Phosphorus | 98 mg | Ascorbic acid | 42 mg |
Avocado
There are over 400 varieties of avocado. Some have smooth skin and are green, and some are rough and black. The avocado is considered a neutral fruit, because it blends well with almost any flavor and mixes well with either vegetables or fruit.
The avocado came from Persia. It has been popular in South America, Central America, and Mexico for centuries. The ancient Aztecs left evidence that the avocado was in their diet, as did the Mayans and Incas. It is known that the avocado was eaten by Jamaicans in the seventeenth century. This fruit grows wild in tropical America today, but is primarily grown as a crop in southern California.
Benefits of Avocado
Avocado at its peak contains a high amount of fruit oil. Fruit oil is a rare element, and it gives avocado its smooth, mellow taste and nut-like flavor. Fruit oil also gives the avocado its high food energy value. Unlike most fruit, it contains very few carbohydrates.
The avocado contains fourteen minerals, all of which regulate body functions and stimulate growth. Especially noteworthy are its iron and copper contents, which aid in red blood regeneration and the prevention of nutritional anemia. It also contains sodium and potassium, which give this fruit a high alkaline reaction.
The avocado c0ntains no starch, little sugar, and has some fiber or cellulose.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 568 | Iron | 2.0 mg |
Protein | 7.1 g | Vitamin A | 990 I.U. |
Fat | 55.8 g | Thiamine | .37 mg |
Carbohydrates | 21.4 g | Riboflavin | .67 mg |
Calcium | 34 mg | Niacin | 5.4mg |
Phosphorus | 143 g | Ascorbic acid | 48 mg |
Banana
Bananas were cultivated in India 4,000 years ago. In 1482, the Portuguese found the banana on the Guinea coast and carried it with them to the Canary Islands. Spanish priests are credited with having introduced this fruit to tropical America when they arrived as missionaries in the sixteenth century. Now, the banana can be found in all tropical countries.
The first known species of banana is the plaintain, or cooking banana. The plaintain has a salmon-colored pulp, a cheesy, gummy texture, and a slightly acid taste. This fruit has been a substitute for bread or potatoes in many countries, and is slowly being introduced to the United States.
Bananas are usually harvested green, shipped green, and ripened by wholesale fruit jobbers in air-conditioned ripening rooms. The Gros Michel variety is the most popular of the many varieties. It produces the largest and most compact bunch, which makes it easier to ship. The thick skin of the banana protects the soft fruit.
Other popular varieties of banana are the Claret, or red banana, which has a gummy flesh; the Lady Finger, which is the smallest variety, but has a delicate, sweet flavor; and the Apple, which has an acid flavor and tastes somewhat like a mellow apple.
In the tropics, bananas are often cooked and served with beans, rice, or tortillas. In the Latin American countries, the ripe banana is sometimes dried in the sun in much the same manner as figs and raisins. They are often sliced when ripe and left in the sun until they are covered with a coating of white, sugary powder that arises from their own juices.
The banana has no particular growing season. A ripe banana is firm, with a plump texture, strong peel, and no trace of green on the skin. A skin that is flecked with brown means the fruit is good. Fully ripe bananas are composed of 76 percent water, 20 percent sugar, and 12 percent starch.
Benefits of Banana
The sugars in the banana are readily assimilated, and they contain many vitamins and minerals, and a great deal of fiber. They are excellent for young children and infants and are good in reducing diets because they satisfy the appetite and are low in fat.
Because they are so soft, they are good for persons who have intestinal disturbances, and for convalescents. Bananas feed the natural acidophilus bacteria of the bowel, and their high potassium content benefits the muscular system.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 299 | Iron | 1.8 mg |
Protein | 3.6 g | Vitamin A | 1,300 I.U. |
Fat | 0.6 g | Thiamine | .27 mg |
Carbohydrates | 69.9 g | Riboflavin | .19 mg |
Calcium | 24 mg | Niacin | 1.7 mg |
Phosphorus | 85 mg | Ascorbic acid | 29 mg |
Blackberry
Blackberries are native to both North America and Europe, but cultivation of this fruit is largely limited to North America. In the early days of the United States, when land was cleared for pasture, blackberry bushes began to multiply. There are many hybrids of blackberries, and both man and nature have had a hand in this process. By 1850, cultivated blackberries had become very popular.
Blackberries are now cultivated in almost every part of the United States. Texas and Oregon probably have the largest numbers of acres planted with blackberries. Cultivation of this berry has been slow, because Wild berries grow in abundance all over the country. The summer months are the peak season for blackberries.
A quality berry is solid and plump, appears bright and fresh, and is a full black or blue color. Do not choose berries that are partly green or off-color. because the flavor will not be good.
Benefits of Blackberry
Blackberries are high in iron, but can cause constipation. They have been used for years to control diarrhea. If blackberry juice is mixed with cherry or prune juice, the constipating effect will be taken away. If one can take blackberry juice without constipating results, it is one of the finest builders of the blood.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 294 | Iron | 4.1 mg |
Protein | 5.4 g | Vitamin A | 1,460 I.U. |
Fat | 3.6 g | Thiamine | 0.12 mg |
Carbohydrates | 59.9 g | Riboflavin | 0.3 mg |
Calcium | 163 mg | Niacin | 1.3 mg |
Phosphorus | 154 mg | Ascorbic acid | 106 mg |
Coconut
The coconut probably had its beginning in the Malay Archipelago and the tropical areas of the Americas. For over 3,000 years the coconut has been cultivated in Southern Asia and the East Indian islands. Now, the coconut palm may be found all along the tropical coasts, and its fruit is used as the principal food on many of the Pacific islands. It has been estimated that over 300,000 people use coconuts in some form every day, and the old saying: "He who plants a coconut tree plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself and a heritage for his children," still holds true in many of the places where coconuts are grown today. The coconut tree reaches its maturity at seven years and produces its fruit for as many as seventy or eighty years.
The coconuts sold in our markets today are imported mostly from Honduras, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. There is some production on the Florida coast, but most of the nuts produced there are sold on the local market to winter tourists. One coconut is imported for each eleven persons in the United States, so you can see that it is one of the minor items in the produce business.
Coconuts may be found on the market all year, but October, November, and December are the peak months. A quality nut is one that is heavy for its size. When shaken, the liquid inside will slosh around. Do not choose a coconut without liquid, as this indicates spoilage, and nuts with moldy or wet "eyes" are unsound.
To crack a coconut, pierce the soft spots, or "eyes," at the top of the shell with an ice pick or other sharp object. Drain the liquid, then tap all around the hard shell with a hammer until the shell cracks and falls away. Or, after draining off the liquid, heat the coconut in the oven at 350° F for thirty minutes, and the shell will easily break away.
Benefits of Coconut
Coconuts are 70 percent fat. They should be eaten flaked, as a topping in salads. Coconut may also be used in nut butter, or liquefied, to get the milk out of it. It may also be used in combination with other vegetable and fruit juices.
Coconut milk compares to mother's milk in its chemical balance. It is quite a complete protein food when taken in its natural form. Coconut milk is made from the nut itself, by liquefying the meat. The water we get when we open up the coconut is not the milk and does not have a very high mineral content.
Nutrients in one pound (meat only)
Calories | 1,569 | Iron | 7.7 mg |
Protein | 15.9 g | Vitamin A | 0 |
Fat | 160.1 g | Thiamine | .24 mg |
Carbohydrates | 42.6 g | Riboflavin | .10 mg |
Calcium | 59 mg | Niacin | 2.4 mg |
Phosphorus | 431 mg | Ascorbic acid | 14 mg |
Dates
The date tree was cultivated as far back as 3,500 B.C. in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and in the Nile Valley of Egypt. These old date trees would range in height from forty to eighty feet. Dates were known as "the candy that grows on trees."
Early Spanish missionaries introduced the date tree to the Western World, and some of the original palms or their offshoots are still found in parts of California and Mexico, where the missions were first established. It was not until the middle of the nineteenth century, when they started planting date trees in the warmer interior valleys, that the date began to show promise commercially.
Dates are sweet and tasty when eaten fresh. This fruit can be preserved by drying it and either pressing it into cakes or packing it individually after the drying process. Centuries ago, Arabian caravans relied on dates in this dried form as their principal food on long journeys across the desert.
Fresh dates also add to many dishes, such as fruit salads, cereals, muffins, cookies, and cakes. Other date products are date honey, date sugar, date sap (an intoxicating drink), and date palm flour, which is made from the pith of the tree. Fresh dates keep well under refrigeration and are therefore available throughout the year. The season of top abundance is from September to May, and the peak is in November.
Dates are classified as soft, semidry, or dry, depending upon the softness of the ripe fruit. Another classification is according to the kind of sugar contained in the ripe ruit-invert-sugar dates contain dextrose and glucose, and cane-sugar dates contain mostly cane sugar (sucrose). Most of the soft varieties are invert-sugar dates, while most dry varieties are cane-sugar dates. The dry varieties contain only a little moisture when ripe and are nonperishable. while the soft or semidry varieties contain a considerable amount of moisture and are more perishable unless dried by either natural or artificial means.
The fully ripe date is plump, with a golden-brown smooth skin. The natural sugar contained in the date is much better for a person than highly refined white sugar. Dates that are pitted, stuffed with walnuts, and rolled in coconut are a delight to anyone. Children like dates and date-nut candies. and these are great to put in their lunches. Dates are certainly better for them than ordinary candy bars.
Dates in their dry, powdered form can be used as sugar. Dates used on cereals make a wonderful sweetener. They can be used finely cut in salads to change the flavor or added to breads and baked goods to give the natural sweet taste that many like. Stuffed dates with nut centers, nut butter centers, or coconut and honey centers, are wonderful for children.
The Deglet Noor date, which is native to Algeria, is the leading commercial variety in the United States. It is grown chiefly in the Coachella Valley of California, and accounts for about 85 percent of the total date crop. The fruit is medium to rather large; ovateoblong; coral red, ripening to amber, and curing to a deeper brown.
Dates go well with cottage cheese, or any other cheese, and with apples or any semiacid fruit. However, it is best not to mix them with very watery fruits, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and watermelon.
Domestic dates are usually fresh. The only processing they receive is cleaning, pasteurizing, and either reducing or increasing the moisture as necessary for the best storing or eating quality. A so-called "cured" date is one that has either reached the proper state of dryness on the tree or has been dried after picking. The purpose of such drying is to reduce the moisture below the point at which the date would sour or mold.
Benefits of Date
Dates can be eaten with whole raw milk for ulcers of the stomach. When used this way, however, you may have to soak and peel them. The date water can be used with milk for children who have sensitive stomachs, as it helps digest the milk.
The fiber or cellulose of the date is very soft and will not irritate a sensitive bowel or stomach. Dates are heat-producing, and give energy to people who engage in physical exercise and hard work. They are also a good source of copper, which is a diet essential, even though it is needed by the body only in small amounts.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 1,121 | Iron | 24 g |
Protein | 8.7 g | Vitamin A | 200 I.U. |
Fat | 2.4 g | Thiamine | .35 mg |
Carbohydrates | 297.8 g | Riboflavin | .38 mg |
Calcium | 284 mg | Niacin | 8.6 mg |
Phosphorus | 237 mg | Ascorbic acid | 0 mg |
Grape
The grape is one of the oldest fruits in history. Grape seeds have been found in mummy cases in Egyptian tombs that are more than 3,000 years old. At the time of Homer, the Greeks were using wines, and the Bible tells of grape cultivation in the time of Noah. North America was known to the Norse sea rovers as "Vinland" because the grapevines were so abunuant.
The Mission Fathers of California were the first to grow the European type of grape. This variety became known as the Mission grape and remained the choice variety until 1860 when other choice European varieties were introduced into this country.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 varieties of grapes have been named and described, but only 40 to 50 varieties are important commercially. Table grapes must be attractive in appearance and sweet and firm. Large size, brilliant color, and beautifully formed bunches are the qualities desired.
There are four classes of grapes: wine grapes, table grapes, raisin grapes, and sweet (unfermented) juice grapes. The big grape producing states, in addition to California, are New York, Michigan, and Washington.
Domestic grapes are available from late July through March, and the peak is from August to November. Grapes are also imported from February through May from Argentina, Chile, and South Africa.
Emperor grapes are a Thanksgiving and Christmas favorite. The clusters are large, long, and well-filled. The fruit is uniform, large, elongated obovoid, light red to reddish-purple, seeded, and neutral in flavor, and the skin is tough. They are on the market in October and well into March.
Thompson Seedless were first grown in California near Yuba City by Mr. William Thompson and are now very popular. The clusters are large, long. and well-filled; the fruit uniform, mediumsized, and ellipsoidal. The color is greenish-white to light golden. They are seedless, firm, and tender, and are very sweet when fully ripened. They are moderately tender-skinned. Thompson Seedless grapes are on the market from late June into November.
The Tokay variety grows in large clusters that are conical and compact. The grapes are large, ovoid with a flattened end, and brilliant red to dark red. They are seeded, very firm, neutral in flavor and have thick skins. Tokay grapes are on the market from September into November.
Other table varieties include Almeria, Cornichon, Red and White Malaga, Ribier, Lady Fingers, Catawba, Delaware, and Niagara.
The principal juice grape ,is the Concord, a leading native grape, that is blue-black in color, medium-sized, and toughskinned. It is also used as a table grape and is on the market in September and October.
Benefits of Grape
Grapes are used throughout the world for curative purposes. In France, it is not uncommon for people to use grapes as their sole diet for many days during the grape season. The low incidence of cancer in these areas has been attributed to the high percentage of grapes in the daily diet. The therapeutic value of grapes is said to be due to high magnesium content. Magnesium is an element that is needed for good bowel movements. Grapes are wonderful for replacing this chemical element.
The juice of the Concord grape is one of the best to use. Juice from other grapes, however, can be used as well. If the juice is too sweet or upsets the stomach, a little lemon juice can be added. Mix with pineapple juice or any citrus fruit, if desired. Used in combination with whey, soy milk, and an egg yolk, it makes a wonderful tonic for the blood. When purchasing bottled grape juice, be sure it is unsweetened.
Grape skins and seeds are good for bulk, but sometimes are irritating in conditions of colitis and ulcers, so they should not be eaten by persons who have these conditions.
When chewed well, bitter grape skins make a good laxative. There is also a laxative element found in the seeds.
Grapes are wonderful for promoting action of the bowel, cleansing the liver, and aiding kidney function. They are alkalinizing to the blood, and high in water content, so they add to the
fluids necessary to eliminate hardened deposits that may have settled in any part of the body. They are wonderful for the kidneys and the bladder and are very soothing to the nervous system. The high content of grape sugar gives quick energy. Dark grapes are high in iron, which makes them good blood builders.
As grapes do not mix well with other foods, it is best to eat them alone. Make sure they are ripe, as the green acids are not good for the blood. They also make a wonderful snack for children-they are sweet, and much better for them than candy!
Crushed grapes may be used as a pack on a tumor or growth, Any infected area will improve after a grape pack is applied. It can be placed on the area of disturbance for a period of three to four days.
A one-day-a-week grape diet is good, during the grape season. It can be used when elimination is desired.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 324 | Iron | 2.6 mg |
Protein | 3.5 g | Vitamin A | 330 I.U. |
Fat | 1.8 g | Thiamine | 0.24 mg |
Carbohydrates | 73.5 g | Riboflavin | 0.12 mg |
Calcium | 75 mg | Niacin | 1.9 mg |
Phosphorus | 92 mg | Ascorbic acid | 17 mg |
Lemon
Lemons, one of the most highly alkalinizing foods, are native to tropical Asia, where cultivation dates back at least 2,500 years. In the twelfth century the Arabs brought lemons to Spain and Africa. It was Christopher Columbus, according to Las Casas, the Spanish historian, who brought the seeds of lemons with him from the Canary Islands on his second voyage.
In the New World, lemons were introduced by the Spanish adventurers in Haiti, then known as Hispaniola. In the United States, Florida was the first lemon-producing area, and this state led in production of lemons until a heavy freeze in 1895 killed the lemon groves. They were never replanted. Now, about 95 percent of the lemons used in the United States and Canada are produced in southern California. The other 5 percent are grown in Italy. Italy and California together produce nearly the world's entire supply of lemons.
In 1870, a variety of lemon called the Eureka was started from Sicilian lemon seed planted in Los Angeles by C. R. Workmen. The Eureka, along with the Lisbon, are the two varieties most commonly grown commercially. The Eureka grows in prolific quantity and is early-bearing, from late spring to summer; the Lisbon tends to bear only one large crop a year, in either spring or winter. A single lemon tree has been known to produce 3,000 lemons a year. This is because lemon trees bloom and ripen fruit every month of the year. The most fruit is produced between January and May.
The best lemons have skin of an oily, fine texture and are heavy for their size. This type is more apt to be full of juice, with a minimum of seeds and waste fibers. Choose lemons of a deep yellow color for ripeness and juice. They should be firm, but not hard, to the touch. Avoid using lemons that show signs of bruises, as fruits that have been mechanically injured are more subject to mold. Decay on the fruit appears as a mold or a discolored soft area at the stem end. Shriveled or hard-skinned fruits, or those that are soft or spongy to the touch, are not desirable. They may be old, dried out, mechanically injured, or affected by a rot at the center.
Lemon juice makes a good substitute for vinegar, especially in salad dressing, and for flavorings generally. Use a little lemon juice to cut the sweetness in very sweet fruit juices and use lemons in milk or cream, or canned milk, to curdle it, or when you want to make cheese. Use lemon to soften water, and when shampooing the hair, use lemon juice in the water to make an excellent rinse.
Benefits of Lemon
The lemon is rich in alkaline elements. Fresh lemon juice is an outstanding source of vitaminC. However, much of this valuable vitamin is lost if the juice is left exposed to the air too long. Lemons are high in potassium, rich in vitamin B1, and may be considered a good source of vitamin G. Both lemons and limes contain 5 to 6 percent citric acid as compared with oranges, which contain only 1 to 1.5 percent, or grapefruit, which contain 1 to 2 percent. The lemon is classified as an acid fruit, along with other citrus fruits, cranberries, loganberries, loquats, pineapples, pomegranates, strawberries, and tamarinds.
Lemons are ideal for getting rid of toxic materials in the body, but the citric acid in lemons can really stir up the inactive acids and inactive toxic settlements of the body. The mineral content of the lemon is alkaline-forming in its ash. However, before this alkaline ash goes into the tissues, the citric acid is stirring up many of the acids in the body and it is difficult to get rid of the toxic conditions. We cannot get rid of these acids because the kidneys, bowels, lungs, and skin are not throwing off the body acids fast enough. When these acids are not thrown off quickly enough, they stay in the body, becoming so active that acidemia and other irritated conditions arise. A person with a highly acid stomach and acid reactions in the body will find that he is allergic to many foods. Citric acid would not produce as many irritating effects in persons with this problem if they would first make sure that the eliminative organs were working properly.
Lemons, and all citric acid fruits, are good in cases of putrefaction, especially of the liver. In many cases, they will help stir up any latent toxic settlements in the body that cannot be eliminated any other way. Lemon drinks help tremendously when we need to remove the impurities and the fermentative effects of a bad liver. We have often used citric acid diets with excellent results. But citrus juices do thin the blood, and we must remember that the elimination diet is only part of what we require for right living.
Lemons are wonderful for throat trouble and catarrh. At the first sign of a cold, drink a glass of warm, unsweetened lemonade, and the cold may be prevented. Lemons may aid in digestion and can strengthen resistance. A little lemon and the yolk of a raw egg in a glass of orange juice is an excellent mild laxative, as well as a nutritious drink. But, if you are extremely irritable, nervous, sensitive, or highly toxic, use vegetable juices and vegetable broths instead of the citric acid fruits.
Lemons are wonderful for fevers, because a feverish body responds to citric acid fruits better than any other food. If we could live correctly, we would find that citrus fruits are one of the most wonderful foods to put into the body. By "living correctly," I mean that if the skin is eliminating properly, it would be able to take care of its share of the waste materials that have to be eliminated. When the skin is not eliminating well and acids are stirred up with citrus fruit, the kidneys have to do more work than they are capable of doing. In this case it is best to use vegetable juices instead of citrus juice to avoid stirring up the toxemia acids in the body. Vegetable juices carry off toxemia acids and act more as a sedative. Before we use lemons we should make sure that the eliminative organs are working well, because if they are not, the citric acid will cause overactivity. This overactivity will result in constant catarrhal discharges, as well as many highly acid reactions in the body.
Lemons can be used very effectively in cases of influenza. My late teacher, Dr. V. G. Rocine, gave me this remedy for influenza many years ago: Bake a lemon for twenty minutes in the oven. Cut it in half and squeeze one half of the baked lemon into a glass of hot water. Drink this every half hour, as long as the fever is present.
The lemon seems to have the properties of increasing elimination through the skin, and therefore helps reduce the fever. The lemon also has certain effects on the germ life found in influenza, since it is a wonderful germicide. In fact, there are at least twenty different germs that can be destroyed by the use of the lemon itself. To make this influenza remedy more complete, Dr. Rocine used a boneset tea along with it to control the calcium that is necessary whenever there is fever.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 90 | Iron | 3.1 mg |
Protein | 3.3 g | Vitamin A | 30 I.U. |
Fat | .9 g | Thiamine | 0.06 mg |
Carbohydrates | 48.1 g | Riboflavin | 0.18 mg |
Calcium | 274 mg | Niacin | 0.9 mg |
Phosphorus | 67 mg | Ascorbic acid | 346 mg |
Fig
The fig was used by man in ancient civilizations. Native to western Asia and the Mediterranean areas, it spread to Arabia, Syria, and Israel. The ancient Semites were known to have carried this fruit from Phoenicia to their Mediterranean colonies as early as the ; second century B.C.
The ancient Greeks introduced the fig to neighboring countries, although at one point in Greek history it was so highly prized that its exportation was forbidden by law. Greek writers such as Homer, Herodotus, Aristophanes, and Plato eulogized the fig in their writings.
The Romans were known to have transported figs into all the temperate zones of Europe. In many southern European countries today this fruit is thrown at newlyweds in much the same manner that rice is thrown in America.
In the middle of the eighteenth century the Spanish mission fathers introduced this fruit to California, where the fig is still one of the main fruit crops. Now it is also grown in the southeastern states and along the Gulf of Mexico. It prospers and produces huge crops in these regions.
About 87 percent of the fig crop is dried for market. Three pounds of fresh figs are required to make one pound of dried figs. The fresh fruit is usually available from June through November. The peak months are September and October.
Both white and black figs are highly perishable when fresh. To be of good quality they must be fully ripe. The ripe fig is rather soft. An overripe fig can be detected by a sour odor, which is due to fermentation of the juice. The color ranges from greenish-yellow to purplish or almost black, according to the variety of the fruit. Bruised fruit should be avoided, as decay sets in very quickly.
Benefits of Fig
Figs have a high sugar content, so they are great producers of energy. They are best eaten raw and fresh; however, dried figs may also give nourishment to the body, especially in the winter. Figs are laxative because of the mucin and pectin they contain. They are a high calcium food, high in carbohydrates, and turn into energy very quickly.
It is always best to use unsulfured figs. The black figs are high in potassium. One remedy for arthritis is black Mission figs and raw goat milk. This combination acts as a purge to the intestinal tract, and helps develop a toxin-free body.
In fresh form, figs will mix with all fruits. Dried figs will mix well with starches, vegetables, and subacid fruits, but not with acid fruits such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and oranges.
Figs can be stuffed with cheese or nut butters and used for weight building. When used in combination with soy milk they are wonderful between meals as a weight builder. Fig juice can be used with other juices to balance their nonlaxative qualities. The fig sugars are very quickly taken up by the intestinal tract and used by the body.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 357 | Iron | 2.7 g |
Protein | 6.4 g | Vitamin A | 360 I.U. |
Fat | 1.8 g | Thiamine | 0.25 mg |
Carbohydrates | 89 g | Riboflavin | 0.23 mg |
Calcium | 245 mg | Niacin | 2.5 mg |
Phosphorus | 145 mg | Ascorbic acid | 7 mg |
Mango
The mango is said to have originated in Burma, Malaya, or the Himalayan region of India. It has been in cultivation for over 4,000 years and has entered prominently in Hindu mythology and religious observances. It is now a familiar fruit to all parts of the tropic zone, and is as important there as the apple is in our more temperate climate.
Although the mango is not top well-known in this country, some parts of the world value this fruit highly. Glowing descriptions of mangos can be found in the literature of these countries. The Turkoman poet, Amir Khusrau, for instance, wrote of the mango in the fourteenth century: "The mango is the pride of the garden, the choicest fruit of Hindustan. Other fruits we are content to eat when ripe, but the mango is good at all stages of growth.
The first attempt to introduce the mango into this country was made in 1833, when plants were transported to Florida from Mexico. These trees died, and another attempt was made thirty years later when seedling trees were introduced. The real success of its culture came at the begining of this century, when choice grafted trees were brought from India. Because of the fruit's susceptibility to frost, its culture is limited to certain sections of Florida, where it is a summer crop only.
The mango tree is a member of the sumac family. It sometimes grows as high as forty feet. Its leaves are shiny and its flowers yellow or of a reddish hue. There are hundreds of varieties of mangos, and they range from the size of plums to that of apples, often weighing a pound or more. The common color of the mango is orange, although the fruit may range from green to yellow or red.
This fruit is available from May to September, the peak month being June. Some varieties are shipped in from China, Jamaica, Mexico, and Cuba. A quality mango has a fairly small seedstone, and the pulp is delicate and smooth. The fruit should be fresh in appearance, plump, and firm to the touch; however, the test of quality is in its taste.
Mangos are best eaten as a fresh fruit. They have a high sugar content, although they are slightly acid in taste. Mangos are good used in combination with other fruits in salads, and in some parts of the world they are roasted. Both the flavor and aroma of mangos are spicy and attractive. To conserve the aroma, do not cut until just before serving.
Benefits of Mango
Mangos contain a considerable amount of Gallic acid, which may be binding to the bowels. It is excellent as a disinfectant to the body. Many people claim the mango is a great blood cleanser, and it also has fever soothing qualities. Mango juice will reduce excessive body heat. Mangos are also wonderful for helping to throw off body odors.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories | 198 | Iron | 0.6 mg |
Protein | 2.1 g | Vitamin A | 14,590 I.U. |
Fat | 0.6 g | Thiamine | 0.19 mg |
Carbohydrates | 51.6 g | Riboflavin | 0.17 mg |
Calcium | 27 mg | Niacin | 2.8 mg |
Phosphorus | 39 mg | Ascorbic acid | 106 mg |
