Fla-Fla-Flavorosa (republished 6/12/06)

The folks around the office make fun of me when the flavorosa pluot begins to come in. I must have some synaptic cross-wiring because when I bite into the sugary-sweet flesh of the purple-plum looking flavorosa The Knack overwhelms me. The rock-steady beat of “ma-ma-ma-myyyy… Sha-rona,” takes over, and I’m singing: “fla-fla-fla flaaaa-vor-osa.” These flavorosa pluots (a cross between a plum and apricot that seems more plum than apricot) are from orchards here in California. The skin is tart and offsets the super sweet interior. Don’t be put off by the initial sour notes, stick with it and you’re rewarded with the quintessential summery flavor of sweet plums. The flavorosa pluot is a staff favorite here at the FruitGuys. Enjoy!

Life Expectancy

by Deb Herlax, The FruitGuys nutritionist.

Now that I’m officially “almost” middle-aged, life expectancy is something I think about. A growing threat to our life expectancy is overeating. Being overweight/obese shortens life expectancy by increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and many types of cancer. Having a “healthy lifestyle” is essential to lengthening our life expectancy. Dr. John Abramson, researcher, physician, and author of the book, Overdosed America, states it this way:

“It turns out that taking the most expensive drugs and having the latest tests and procedures can be helpful or lifesaving sometimes, but for most people, most of the time living a healthy lifestyle does far more to protect your health. About 80% of heart disease risk has to do with lifestyle, but most of our attention is focused on taking drugs to lower cholesterol”.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine (March 2005), Obesity is now impacting the American life expectancy by 4 to 9 months. Here are some lifestyle reminders that can help. (You’ll be quizzed later).

If you smoke, quit.
Eat a minimum of five fruits and veggies each day.
Sleep seven hours a night.
Slow down while eating. Don’t be an unconscious eater. If we eat too fast or eat while watching T.V. or driving, then we don’t realize how much we’ve eaten or when it’s time to stop.

Enjoy and be fruitful! – Chris Mittelstaedt chiefbanana@fruitguys.com