I love grapes (eh-hem…could you not tell???)

What can I say? I have always been a sucker for the grape. Once you pop them in your mouth they dance, sing, and finally burst with simple sweet natural goodness that awakens the palate, quenches thirst, and dents hunger. Grapes are my all-time favorite fruit … no joke! I just can’t resist them or their name! For example, in elementary school I named my neighborhood kickball team the Green Grapes! My softball team–the Green Grapes! My basketball team–uh, can you guess … the Green Grapes! Why, you ask??? Because I LOVE green grapes and those 2 words, “green” + “grapes” just sound so darn good together!

I tried to keep this “team name” going in high school, but, as you may imagine,  it didn’t go over so well. Hence, I decided the perfect place for my Green Grapes dedication would be my health blog!

Now that you have a little background of the GGB name, we need to talk about something. Are you sitting down? No, just kidding–not that serious. But, kind of…

Ms. Healthy Blog Snack and I were chatting–as usual–and she filled me in on some grape slander. Apparently, on The Bonnie Hunt Show someone commented that “grapes make you fat.” NOOOO!!! WRONG!!!! Then, just the other day, grapes got a bad rap on The Biggest Loser, which does NOT make me a happy grape eater! These comments got me VERY concerned!

Why??? A) wrong nutrition information is being given; B) wrong nutrition information is being highly promoted; C) grapes are tiny, tasty tots of joy, health, and delight. AND, they  just so happen to be a fruit! How can people be raggin’ on a pure, simple food from nature? It is just wrong! You can see for yourself! Check out the nutrition 411 on table grapes below: 90 calories per serving, 0 fat grams, 1 gram of fiber … this is GOOD!!! Yet, people continue to diss grapes! So frustrating…

People have argued the following points with me:

1. Grapes are higher in sugar than other fruits, such as berries
2. Grapes are “high calorie”
3. Grapes don’t provide much fiber

My responses to the above:

1. Grapes have about 20 grams of sugar per cup verse 8 grams per cup in berries, BUT people this is a natural sugar…ain’t no high-fructose added junk here!
2. Grapes are NOT high calorie!!! If we say you need 2000 calories per day, 1 serving is only 4.5%  of your total calorie needs. 2 servings= 9%…Get the point?
3. Grapes may not be a SUPER FIBER PROVIDER, but this should not be an issue! You should be eating other foods (not just grapes) that get you to your fiber quota.

I will now tell you a secret … Did you know that I can see the search terms that people use to find GGB? And, the TOP SEARCH item was, “Do grapes make you fat?” Poor grapes! My instinctive answer was NOOOO!!!!!!! Then I thought, WOW, so many aren’t showing grapes the love … BUT then I discovered that some may be showing grapes TOO much love.

On various web discussion forums MANY people were writing in that they ate 8 to 12 cups of grapes per day, meaning they were consuming about 800-1,200 calories in grapes ALONE per day! This amount of grapes may put a dent in your weight efforts and may just cause your stomach to be mad (did I mention “grapes and diarrhea and constipation” were also top search terms people used to find GGB?). If you are suffering from stomach distress after your daily grape fix, you might want to cut back. But, you don’t need ME to tell you that! Basically, show grapes LOVE–they are a HEALTHY food and WILL NOT make you fat!!!! Just don’t go downing 10 plus cups per day???? Ya, feel me?

Before I sign off on this post, I must tell you why grapes are a nutritional powerhouse…

• Grapes of all colors, red, black, green–no discrimination here–contain antioxidants! In other words, grapes are protecting your cells from damage and keeping you a lean, mean, disease-fighting machine!
• Grapes keep your ticker tickin’ by helping lower blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and inflammation (Yea!).
• Grape skins–again of all colors–are the main dietary source of Resveratrol. You’re like, what the heck is that??? Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that has shown potential in battling Alzheimer’s, cancer, and may just help increase your time on this planet … so you can eat more grapes of course … just kidding:)
• Grapes deliver the nutrients needed to keep your eyes healthy. This one may not sound too exciting to you, but I don’t need to blog about how important your eyesight is for you to “get it.”

Bottom Line:

• Grapes are a natural, whole food! What more can you ask for?
• Grapes will not make you fat!
• Grapes are antioxidant powerhouses!
• Grapes are delicious!
• I LOVE grapes!

Check out this AWESOME recipe search from my home state’s Grape Commission–California Table Grape Commission. HERE you can find tons of Recipes that incorporate grapes into any dish–an appetizer, entree, side dish, dessert, or salad. Plus, you can choose if you want a quick, featured, or low fat recipe! I plan on making the sea scallops with red grapes, avocado, and pea shoots–YUM!

Go out & Healthify and show grapes some LOVE while you’re at it!

Your grape defender,

Corinne

home-pressed olive oil!

A lovely GGB reader asked me to talk about fats. Ask and ye shall receive.

When I think of healthy fats, I immediately think of olive oil. Then, I envision the two bottles of home-pressed olive oil sitting on my kitchen counter (showcased on your left). YES, that’s right…homemade…hmmm, hmmm…delicious! Just close your eyes and imagine this on warm, toasty, garlic bread with just a hint of sea salt and real garlic chunks…mmm, mmm!

Notice–one bottle is empty, but its design is just so pretty I can’t bear to throw it away. Hence, my makeshift flower vase. My darling cousin gave these bottles—filled with healthifying scrumptiousness–as gifts at her wedding. And, after delving into this true foodie delight, I have decided that it should be mandatory for all to give away homemade olive oil at their wedding:)

Now, on to the information YOU requested on healthy fats along with some other lipidicous tidbits.

First–let’s start off with the GOOD fats. Please, give a warm welcome to the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats!

Hello monos–avocado, peanuts, almonds, pistachios! And…Canola, peanut, sunflower, and olive oil!

Hello polys–fatty fish–mackerel, salmon, herring, trout–walnuts, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds!

In short, both the monos and the polys keep your blood easily flowing throughout your body.  They help keep your cholesterol level in-check as well as that nasty LDL cholesterol. This may not sound like such a big deal, BUT…IT. IS. If you eat mostly these fats, your body will thank you later.

Why, you ask??? Well, if you stick to your guns and eat mostly these fats, then you’ll help prevent plaque buildup in your blood vessels. When you have high cholesterol and/or a high LDL, ooey-gooey, sticky plaque can develop in your vessels—just like plaque can build up on your teeth when you continually skip that dentist check-up that is just oh so NOT a pleasant experience. But, instead of getting a cavity…heart disease, heart attacks, and/or stroke may occur. No thank you!

Monos and polys protect against this wacky-plaquey development, keeping your vessels in-check. Plus, foods high in monos are typically high in Vitamin E, which is good news, as most of us aren’t getting enough of this healthifying antioxidant. And, foods high in polys may be wheeling and dealing your daily Omega-3 dose!

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids, since the only way you can get them is through food or supplements. Your body can’t make them, but needs them so you can use your noggin to full capacity, clot your blood if you cut yourself (say while chopping broccoli!?!), and pump your blood effortlessly.

Omega-3s are always “all- up” in nutrition news because of their awesome anti-inflammatory properties. The latest research shows that Omega-3s are not only beneficial in heart disease, but may help those with dementia, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and inflammatory bowel disease. Woo-hoo!  Also, for those with a “bun in the oven”– taking Omega-3 supplements during pregnancy and while lactating may benefit your infant’s cognitive development.  NOTE–the word is not out on directly providing your baby with these supplements, so just make sure YOU are getting enough.

Where to get your daily dose?

Use these throughout your day:

• Soybean oil
• Canola oil
• Flaxseeds
• Walnuts
• Green leafy veggies
• Tofu

AND

Enjoy one of these fish twice a week:

• Mackerel
• Lake trout
• Herring
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Albacore tuna

Hate Fish? Or, pregnant, limiting fish, and watching your mercury intake? Take a 500 mg Omega-3 supplement with DHA and EPA per day. Want more info? Visit one of my favorite sites.

Now, the bad fats– saturated and trans. Saturated fats raise your cholesterol and LDL. These lurk in full-fat dairy products, meat, and processed items. Trans fats, found in packaged foods and at fast food joints, raise your bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease your good cholesterol (HDL)! People this is BAD! Since, HDL prevents plaque build-up in your arteries. Basically, HDL is the toothbrush that scrubs away plaque. But, it can only scrub away so much if it is surrounded by junk. When you eat fast food listen carefully and you may hear your arteries crying.

What does this mean? Watch the processed and packaged foods! The foods you know you shouldn’t be eating. This is where the trans and saturated fats lurk. Nix foods with “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” in the label and make sure the nutrition label (not the front of the package) reads “0” Trans fats. Also, up your fiber, exercise, and omega-3 ante to help decrease cholesterol and increase healthy HDL cholesterol…yea! NOTE–having a glass of wine or 1 drink per day may increase your HDL, but 2 or more will NOT do a body good.

Bottom line:

• Eat the monos and the polys
• Get in your Omega-3s
• Watch the processed, packaged garbage
• Limit saturated fats–buy lean cuts of meat, cut off extra fat, remove skin, and broil, bake or grill! And, choose low-fat dairy!
• Fat is still fat–just because it’s a healthy fat doesn’t mean you should go tripling serving sizes

Off to go buy some sunflowers for my “vase.”

Happy Healthifying!

Keep the comments/questions coming!

Corinne