Do you eat enough fruit?

And no, I am not talking about dried fruit, canned fruit, frozen fruit, fruit juice, fruity drinks, or fruit-flavored anything.

I am talking about real, honest-to-goodness, fresh, organic, live, whole, unprocessed FRUIT.

Well, frozen fruit can be acceptable (especially frozen wild blueberries, which are available year round), but only when you can’t get fresh fruit, or when the fresh fruit that’s available isn’t very good.

There is some contention in the nutrition world about fruit, because some say the fruit we have today is not the same as the fruit our caveman ancestors ate. It contains more sugar.

But as long as you don’t juice your fruit or otherwise separate the sugar from the fiber, you’ll be fine, especially if you eat it with a meal so that you’re not putting too much sugar into your bloodstream at once.

And while I’m a big fan of smoothies, like lots of people are, it is generally best to eat your fruit whole rather than blending it, which breaks down the fibers somewhat. Better to break them down with your teeth and saliva than with a blender.

Most experts say you should eat two to three servings of fruit per day. If you have more than that, you might get too much fructose.

A fruit serving is about 6 oz., which is roughly equivalent to a normal-sized apple or orange, a large handful of berries, or a generous slice of melon. If you have a digital kitchen scale, you can measure. Or, just eyeball it.

Of course when it comes to vegetables, you should eat more than that. The USDA’s MyPlate recommendations call for 5 to 9 servings of fruits/veggies per day. So, that would be 2 to 3 servings of fruit, and 2 to 6 servings of vegetables.

Note that if you’re watching your weight, it’s best to stick with non-starchy veggies most of the time.

That applies to fruit, too — don’t have two or three bananas a day, for instance, because they are starchier, heavier, and more caloric. They are also nutritional powerhouses, so don’t eliminate them — just stick to having no more than three or four per week.

Here are five reasons why you should eat fruit everyday:

1. Antioxidants 

These anti-aging compounds are crucial to our health — they prevent or slow down cellular damage. And many fruits are loaded with them. (So is Micronized Purple Rice!)

Fruits with a lot of antioxidants include blueberries (especially wild blueberries), acai berries, goji berries, blackberries, cherries, dark-colored grapes, apples, apricots, plums, prunes, and red berries such as raspberries, cranberries, and strawberries. 

2. Reduces inflammation

As our bodies age, inflammation takes its toll on most of us, so we need to do everything we can to counteract it. Antioxidants in fruit are just one of the helpful compounds that help with inflammation.

Many other compounds in fruit, some of which have not even been identified yet, help with inflammation, too. That’s why it’s best to eat whole fruit rather than taking vitamin pills.

Other things that help to counteract inflammation are Matcha tea (a type of powdered green tea from Japan), dark chocolate, and many herbs and spices, including turmeric, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and garlic.

Fermented foods help a lot with inflammation, too. You can even find fermented lemons in some gourmet or health-food stores!

3. Liver cleansing

The liver is one of the most crucial organs in the human body, and fruit is one of the foods that help to keep it in tip-top shape. It is one of the foods that stimulate the liver’s ability to clean toxic wastes from the body.

The best fruits for liver cleansing are lemons, limes, grapefruit, apples, and avocados.

In addition, herbs and spices such as garlic, turmeric, and ginger help, as do vegetables such as carrots, beets, cruciferous veggies, and leafy greens.

4. Clears our lymphatic system

Most of us don’t give much thought to our lymphatic system, but it is vitally important to our health. Think of how a pond goes stagnant when the water is not moving. A similar process happens in our bodies when the lymph is not moving.

One of the most important things lymph does is carry away toxins and free radicals. Especially when you’re eating Micronized Purple Rice, which flushes toxins out of your cells, your body needs those cellular wastes to be carried away. Fruit helps with that. It is very cleansing!

Another great way to get your lymph moving is with rebounding, with a mini trampoline. In addition, this helps improve muscle tone. And, it stimulates your mitochondria as well!

5. Increases alkalinity

Some fruits help the body to be more alkaline, which many health practitioners believe is more healthful.

Examples of fruits that contribute to alkalinity include lemons, limes, grapefruit, coconut, and avocados.

Drinking room-temperature lemon or lime water throughout the day can help increase your body’s alkalinity. Be sure to use a straw, though, because it can be hard on your tooth enamel.

What’s your favorite fruit? Let me know in the comments below!