Tango with your taste buds

Straight from the central valley of California comes this weeks fab-four of summer taste explosion. Enjoy and as always – let the peaches ripen until they give slightly to the touch. Pluots and nectarines can be eaten in varying degrees of firmness.

The Flavor-Supreme pluot is the healthy version of the red, white, and blue rocket-pop kids buy from the ice-cream man every summer. This pluot is super sweet. Its exterior is a blend of green color dappled over a warm burgundy flesh. Inside is a clean and tasty mix of white and deep red shades that visually accentuate the pockets of sugar and juice.

The Sweet Scarlet Peach is delicate with light hints of peachy-cinnamon. It surprises you with a long aftertaste that lingers with a satisfying finish like browned sugar on Creme Brulee.

The Ivory Princess is a white peach that is fragrant with fresh-floral and lightly perfumed flavors. It has a deep cream colored flesh and red-pink satiny skin with ivory colored leaf shadows. Let it ripen, and it will fill your office with a peachy-rose aroma.

The Diamond Bright nectarine is so full of sugar that you can not help but close your eyes and imagine lying in the warm June sun while the gentle lap of pool water lulls you into relaxing. Off in the distance is the sound of dancing while nectarine infused taste-buds sing GET UP AND TANGO – IT TRULY IS SUMMERTIME!

by Chris Mittelstaedt, chiefbanana@fruitguys.com

Fruits, veggies, estrogen & PMS

by Deb Herlax, The FruitGuys nutritionist. deb@aboutworkfit.com.

Whether you are or are not a woman, you probably have one in your life either at work or home, and they may experience some of the symptoms of PMS. PMS affects about 30-40% of women. The primary causes of PMS are excess estrogen and deficient progesterone. When a woman has too much estrogen in her system, PMS symptoms can result.
Modern medicine really does not have a method for helping to rid the body of excess estrogen (not one that does not cause side effects). But there is an alternative, eating more fruits and veggies. Eating more fruits and veggies can help your body process and get rid of excess estrogen. Vegetarian women have been shown to remove three times more estrogen from their bodies when compared to women who eat more meat and fewer fruits and veggies. Is it possible to add more fruits, veggies, and grains for a few months and see how you feel? This is a potential solution to a very challenging problem.*

*It is suggested that you check with your doctor before starting any new nutritional program. Sources: Preventive Medicine 1987; 16: 525-531; Textbook of Natural Medicine, Pizzorno & Murray. Pg1504-1506