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| Is it just me, or does this look a little dirty? Source |
In an effort to be healthier and to make some new friends, That Sprout and I are signed up for 2nd Brigade Walk to Afghanistan. My manageable, yet noble goal has been to log 3 miles per day. Sadly, we are on day 11 or so of the challenge and I've yet to log any miles at all. I need to start walking, or playing catch-up is going to be brutal. Luckily, I can get miles from running, walking, skipping, or crawling indoors or out. Treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, skates, even swimming is allowed. So, hopefully I won't have too much catching up to do. I'll keep you updated on my progress, to be sure. If any of you are interested in joining, I'm sure it can be done. Just leave me a comment and I'll get back to you with the details!In the meantime, I want to talk to you about my favorite healthy powerhouse food: the humble grapefruit.
My love for grapefruit knows no bounds. I love everything that is grapefruit, tastes like grapefruit, smells like grapefruit, or even looks like grapefruit. If I see grapefruit candy, soda, or pastries they are quickly bought and devoured. I'll buy grapefruit soaps and hand lotions, should I find them. If there were ever a grapefruit handbag, it would be mine. I had grapefruit cupcakes for my birthday this year. I will even drink an IPA beer (a variety which I despise) if it is advertised as having "a hint of grapefruit". Pink, white, ruby, I don't care. I love the perfect blend of bitter, sour, and sweet that these large citrus wonders have hiding beneath their soft and thick peels.
I have living a sad and mostly grapefruit free existence for a while now. I take a couple of medications that say "do not take with grapefruit". In the interest of my health, I have abstained. But recently, I got desperate. There is nothing healthier and more enjoyable than a bowl of oatmeal and a half a grapefruit in the morning. I need to start amping up my vitamin C intake, as winter will soon be upon us and I don't like being sick. I figured a combo of kale oats and grapefruit would be a great way to achieve this without supplements. I'm doing good to remember the essential pills I need to take everyday. Vitamins and supplements are assuredly doomed to failure. I decided to talk to my pharmacist to see if there was some way I could add the banished fruit back into my diet. There was! She said as long as I don't eat an excess of grapefruit on one day and then none for a few days, I should be fine. A half for breakfast would post no problems, no matter what the consistency.
You better believe I made my way down to the supermarket ASAP and bought some fruit! I decided to take things slow, and only bought two to begin with. I decided I wanted pink ones. I thought they would look pretty. Then next morning, I was shocked to see that they were not pink inside, but white. No worries, it tasted good. Maybe all the citrus got mixed up on the stand or something. The next time I went to the store, I decided to get a bag of Ruby Red ones. They were on sale. How could I resist?
Yesterday, I was having PMS cravings and in order to keep myself from baking 4 dozen chocolate chip cookies and eating them all at once, I opted to eat me a grapefruit instead. I sliced it open, expecting to see the pretty red color inside. This did not happen. It was white. Again. Now, this time, it was not a mistake on my part. When I say I bought a bag, I mean they were already in said bag, sealed, and with a little tag that said "Ruby Red Grapefruits". So, either the people sorting the fruit are color blind or corporate farmed grapefruits are milktoast in the color department.
Maybe I'm just spoiled. I grew up in rural Florida. Everyone had citrus trees and in the winter you would see old men on the side of the road with net bags full of oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits. They were fresh off the trees, juicy, vibrant, and always, always, delicious. Storebought citrus, it's just not the same.
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