Beauty for Breakfast: The Benefits of Fresh Fruit

As the mornings get warmer and the sun rises earlier, I’ve been switching my breakfast from warm steel-cut oats to bowls of fresh fruit! I love scanning the farmers market for fruits fresh off the trees and newly in season, imagining the rainbow I can create on my plate. One of the easiest and most beautiful breakfasts to make, I feel like I’m being transported to a seaside resort or tropical jungle with each burst of sweet strawberry or creamy banana. For maximum flavor, choose fruits that are in season, locally-sourced, organic or sustainably-grown, and ripe. A ripe strawberry is deep red all the way through and smells like heaven! Here, I topped my strawberries, raspberries, blueberries & banana with fresh mint leaves!

Easy to digest and full of beautifying antioxidants and cleansing fiber, fresh fruit is an excellent, body-honoring choice. Fiber is an ESSENTIAL part of the diet, and can only be found in plant foods . It is recommended that we get at least 30 g of fiber daily, but most Americans fall short of that and experience the full-body short & long-term effects (constipation, blood-sugar swings, cravings, high cholesterol & blood pressure).


So, how do you get enough fiber? Eat your plants!!! Raspberries, for instance, have 8 g of fiber in one cup! Insoluble fiber - which increases gut motility by creating the “bulk” of stool - is found in fruits with peels like pears and apples (eat the peels but choose organically grown!). IF is also found in oats, rice, nuts, and vegetables. Soluble fiber - which pulls water into the stool and softens it so it can pass easily, in addition to mitigating blood sugar levels - is found in all fruits (and vegetables, grains!). SF also feeds our essential gut microbes, allowing them to create short-chain fatty acids, which are the fuel source for our hard-working colon cells (among many other roles in the body, including in the liver). Both types of fiber are KEY components of a functional digestive tract!

For those of you avoiding stores right now, check out the open air farmers markets or farm box deliveries that may exist in your area. Click on the Resources tab to learn more about where to find a farmers market or a produce delivery service near you!

Treat yourself to this petit plaisir!