Weekend Plus Desk :
iwis are those small, fuzzy, oval fruits made popular in New Zealand but now enjoyed worldwide. Inside the peel is green flesh that’s sweet and tangy. But behind the delicious taste, kiwi packs a lot of nutrition, including vitamins C, K, and E, folate, and potassium. It also has a good deal of fiber and antioxidants, both of which can improve your life significantly.
Even if you haven’t eaten a whole kiwi fruit before, chances are you are familiar with the taste as it is commonly used in combination with strawberry for juices and fruit toppings. Kiwi is also a frequent star in store-bought smoothies. But we’re here to encourage you to bring kiwi home.
Because they are currently grown in multiple world locations, kiwis can be purchased year-round. From November-May you will find kiwi from California, while during the months of June-October, it will likely have been imported from New Zealand.
But wherever it is from, studies show that eating the equivalent of three kiwi fruits every day can have some major health benefits. We were especially surprised by #4. So don’t hesitate – read up on all the great things kiwi can do for your body, then go out and get some!
Meanwhile, dates are the small, oval fruits of the date palm tree, grown in tropical climates. Because of the distance they have to travel to get to American tables, dates are frequently sold dried, which concentrates their sweetness and gives them a pleasing chewy texture. Honestly, eating dates can feel a lot like indulging in gummy candy – except that they are a lot healthier.
The nutritional benefits of eating dates are many. Just one 3.5 ounce serving has about 20 per cent of your daily requirement for potassium along with 7 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and several types of antioxidants. Dates also contain a nice amount of copper, manganese, vitamin B6, magnesium, and iron.
Fresh dates may be bright red or bright yellow in color (or somewhere in between), but dried dates typically have a golden brown hue.
The most commonly consumed varieties are Medjool and Deglet Noor, but there are actually over 3,000 varieties to be found worldwide!
Whatever variety you choose and whether dried or fresh, dates offer some really great health benefits. Try eating just 2 of them every day for one week and see what happens to your body. We’ve collected some of the most exciting possibilities, but honestly, #5 is almost enough all on its own! n
