Canyon Ranch (Arizona)
If you've fallen into the habit of graing a container of orange juice to fulfill your daily need for fruit, you may want to consider the delicious array of alternatives. Juice is convenient, and while it's certainly not devoid of nutrition, when you replace whole fruit with juice you lose some benefits. This is just one example of the general truth that we eat best when we eat foods in their whole, natural forms.

Juice versus fruit
To begin with, you miss out on the whole sensual aspect of one of nature's loveliest creations. Fruits come in a gorgeous range of vivid colors and sensuous textures. When you take the time to peel and slice them, the fragrance of orchards and tropical breezes wafts over you. Simply peel an orange, for instance, and the delicious citrus tang perfumes the whole room. Slow down and enjoy the moment to the fullest.

Making juice from fruit means discarding the fiber and producing a much denser concentration of natural sugars, along with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This may be helpful for people who need to raise their caloric intake, but juices can have a significant glycemic impact. Most of us could use the fiber in whole fruit to dampen the surge in blood sugar levels.

Among the most beneficial fruits you can eat are some exotic selections: guava, kiwi, papaya and mango, along with the more familiar banana and pineapple, and the all-American watermelon. These top "picks" are rich in vitamin C, carotenoids, folate, potassium and fiber, and lowest on the list of commercial produce for pesticide residue. (You can further reduce your exposure to pesticides by washing fruit in a mild hydrogen peroxide rinse, peeling fruit or buying from trusted organic sources.) Other excellent choices for your harvest table include pink or red grapefruit, cantaloupe, fresh or dried (unsulfured) organic apricots, oranges, organic strawberries and organic peaches.

Make fruit part of your life
Keep fruit handy for snacks. (Remember, never refrigerate bananas, and refrigerate melons, peaches, plums and nectarines only after they are fully ripe.) Eat fruit out of hand, or slice bananas and other seasonal fruits over cereal, or top cereals with fresh or frozen organic berries. Fruit can also enliven trail mixes and spice up fresh salsas. It makes a great dessert, whether or not you pair it with cheese. And, of course, everyone loves a smoothie.

For maximum variety - and peak nutrition - explore traditional, heirloom varieties and locally grown produce.

If juice is still your choice when it comes to fruit, try squeezing your own. When making juices at home, try adding carrots, apples or pineapple as sweeteners; berries for their powerful antioxidants; and beets and ginger for their blasts of nutrients. If you're okay with drinking green juice, blend in spinach, kale, collard or mustard greens, watercress, or parsley in combination with fruit.

Squeezing juice from oranges or grapefruits at home can be a delicious option; store-bought "fresh-squeezed" citrus juice may not be a bargain, nutritionally speaking, because vitamin C degrades so quickly. Juice from frozen concentrate may not taste as good as storebought "fresh" juice, but it's probably a better source of vitamins.

Among commercially available juices, blended pomegranate juice is full of antioxidants without a lot of added sugar. Low-sodium vegetable juice is a good source of lycopene - one of the powerhouse phytochemicals in tomatoes -but there is still some nutrient depletion when juice is heat-treated. Supplemented juices are now widely offered, but many are not adequately tested for their nutrient content.

The whole fruit is still the best
You can avoid all the juice confusion by graing a whole piece of fruit instead - ideally locally grown and seasonal. Reach for glorious organic strawberries in June - berries are among the foods you'll want to prioritize in buying organic - honeydew melon in July, juicy organic peaches in August and succulent organic plums in September.

With fruit on your plate daily, you'll approach the end of summer with no regrets.

Canyon Ranch Smoothies
Combine these fruity ingredients in a blender to make your own cool treats.

Orange Blueberry Delight
Fresh grated orange peel
Low-fat blueberry yogurt
Fresh or frozen organic blueberries
Banana and pineapple
Organic apple juice

Raspberry Kiwi Smootharoo
Fresh or frozen organic raspberries
Fresh kiwi fruit
Fresh orange juice
Organic soy milk

Pineapple Coconut Refresher
Frozen pineapple juice
Fresh banana
Light coconut milk
Plain nonfat yogurt
Ice water

http://www.canyonranch.com/
(800)742-9000 (413)637-4100