by Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD founder of milkandhoneynutrition.com

We are springing into a new season where the flowers start to bloom, and the air is getting warmer. Citrus fruits are the perfect way to add extra brightness to the season and give you the healthy boost you need as the season changes. Citrus fruits include: sweet oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and a few other lesser known varieties. Not only do they offer delicious taste, but their vibrant colors can brighten up any dish or beverage. You’ll find a huge variety of citrus at your local Sprouts Farmers Market. In addition to their great taste and pretty colors, they also come loaded with an abundance of health benefits.

Nutrients Found in Citrus Fruits

Likely the most well-known nutrient in citrus fruits is vitamin C, which can be found in all citrus fruits. In fact, just one medium orange or grapefruit provides 100% of your daily vitamin C needs. Citrus fruits also contain the B vitamins thiamin, niacin and B6. And potassium, an electrolyte essential for human health, is found in citrus fruits, along with phosphorus and magnesium. Other nutrients to make note of in citrus fruits include antioxidants such as flavonoids and carotenoids.

Potential Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits

Given the powerhouse of nutrients found in citrus fruits, it’s no surprise that there are a lot of potential health benefits when it comes to citrus and their (no-added-sugar) juice counterparts.

Heart Health

Several of the nutrients found in citrus fruits help support a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. Specifically: vitamin C, soluble fiber and flavonoids. In addition, multiple studies have found lower rates of heart disease in people who consume higher amounts of citrus fruits as part of an overall balanced diet. Both the fruits themselves and juices have been found to have positive effects on heart health when consumed in appropriate amounts.

Cancer Risk Reduction

Numerous studies have found that citrus fruits and the nutrients they contain may offer protection against certain types of cancer including: lung, esophageal, breast, stomach and pancreatic cancers. This is likely due to antioxidant activity (certain types of both flavonoids and carotenoids can act as antioxidants) to inhibit cancer growth and repair cell damage, as well as the fiber content. Diets higher in fiber are associated with lower cancer rates.

Brain Health

Some research has shown that citrus fruits may protect our brains against inflammatory conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Flavonoids (specifically hesperidin), found in abundance in citrus fruits, may slow the rate of deterioration, while also delaying the onset of these conditions.

Bone Health

Vitamin C, potassium and magnesium (all found in citrus fruits) play an important role in bone structure, density and strength. And while calcium and vitamin D aren’t found naturally in large amounts in citrus fruits, the vitamin C content of citrus fruits can help increase the amount of calcium and vitamin D we are able to absorb from other foods. This why 100% orange juice is sometimes fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

Kidney Health

People who eat less citrus fruits tend to have higher rates of kidney stones. One type of kidney stone is caused by low levels of citrate in urine. Consuming citrus fruits can help raise the levels of citrate in urine, and thus may help decrease the risk of developing kidney stones.

Iron Absorption

It is hard for our bodies to absorb all of the iron we consume in food. In fact, it’s impossible. Depending on the source of the iron, our bodies will only absorb about 14–18% of the iron in our foods, but consuming vitamin C (which is found in large amounts in citrus foods) at the same time can increase the amount of iron your body is able to absorb.

Immune System Support

Many citrus fruits are in season in the winter time, which also happens to be the heart of cold and flu season. Consuming citrus fruits and juices can increase your intake of vitamin C, flavonoids and carotenoids which help support healthy immune systems by fighting inflammation and helping your body’s cells communicate with each other.

Skin Health

Citrus fruits and juices can improve skin health because of their high vitamin C content. Vitamin C helps protect our body’s cells from damage, and even helps the cells repair themselves. People who consume more vitamin C may have a lower risk of skin damage from the sun (though you should always wear sunscreen!). Your body also uses vitamin C to build collagen which improves skin elasticity and tone.

Respiratory Health

Several studies have linked the symptoms associated with asthma and citrus fruit consumption. Both Both vitamin C and flavonoids, may play a role in decreasing the frequency of asthma attacks and/or improving its symptoms.

Diabetes Prevention and Management

Believe it or not, eating fruit is not bad for people with diabetes and it does not increase your risk for diabetes. Studies have shown over and over that people who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, specifically those higher in vitamin C and fiber, have a lower risk of diabetes. It also should be noted that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and may help prevent or reduce the amount if inflammation present in people with diabetes. So, whether it’s a grapefruit, lemon, tangerine or glass of 100% orange juice, rest assured you’ll do your body some good by reaching for those citrus fruits the next time you’re in the Sprouts Produce Department!

---

Please note: The information contained in this article is not intended to treat, cure, or diagnose any medical condition and should not be treated as such. Please seek out your physician or dietitian before making changes to your diet.

---

 

Article by Dr. Josh Axe You’ve read about the keto diet, what to expect when you’re eating keto and have your keto shopping list—now you’re ready to start the keto diet. Here are six great tips for keto diet success.

1. Start by doing a kitchen clear-out and overhaul

So that you’re not tempted to eat sugary foods and carbs that are off limits, get rid of anything you’ll be avoiding on the keto diet. (It’s understand-able that you may still need to keep some things at home for others you live with, but try to keep big temptations out of the house.) Foods you’ll want to dispose of include: all sugary foods/desserts, sweetened drinks, grain/wheat products, foods made with corn and potatoes, sweetened dairy products, and ideally all processed foods made with synthetic ingredients or artificial sweeteners too.

2. Stock your kitchen with healthy fats & keto-approved foods

Head to Sprouts and seek out healthy fats/oils, quality proteins, lots of different veggies, as well as condiments and seasonings that will make keto meals taste great. (Check out the Keto Diet Food List for a comprehensive list of what to stock in your kitchen when eating keto.) How can you enhance the flavor of keto meals? Use all types of herbs/spices, real sea salt, olive oil, good quality butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, stevia extract, hot sauces and lemon juice.

3. Write out meal and snack ideas

Because the keto diet will likely be very different than the diet you previously ate, you’ll feel more prepared if you can meal-plan for the first couple weeks. Look for inspiration for keto recipes online on keto-focused web-sites, Pinterest or in low-carb cookbooks/magazines. Create a plan to get you started, so you can stay on track. In terms of keto-snacking, you may find that your appetite is suppressed and you’re not hungry between meals. But if you find yourself needing something to hold you over, try keto snacks like deviled hard-boiled eggs, half an avocado, some nuts, bone broth, beef jerky or a keto smoothie.

4. Keep a food journal to help troubleshoot

Grab a journal or create a document on your computer where you can write out what you’re eating each day and how it’s making you feel. If you’re willing to test your ketone levels (by using urine strips, a blood test monitor or a breathalyzer) you can record how your meals are affecting your ketone levels, which gives you real-time feedback.

5. Finding that you’re not feeling satisfied after meals, overly hungry or just plain tired?

Try increasing the amount of fat you eat, and make sure you’re not drastically under-eating calories depending on your needs. You can also benefit from adding more veggies to your diet, since they are your best source of many essential nutrients like fiber and antioxidants, support digestion, lead to satiety and help reduce inflammation. Even though fats are king on the keto diet, keep eating several servings of veggies per day (a serving is about one cup).

6. Continue to practice self-care

Of course, the types of meals you eat are very important on the keto diet, but other lifestyle factors can also affect the results you’ll experience.

• Be sure to drink lots of water (check out the best keto drinks)
• Get plenty of sleep (important for regulating hunger hormones)
• Stay active in a gentle way such as by walking, doing yoga, leisurely biking, etc.
• Carve out time for relaxing and restorative activities such as reading, napping, exploring the outdoors, getting a massage, etc.

All of these can help to reduce any keto side effects you might encounter and will keep your energy level up, giving you the best chance of sticking with the diet.

Final Thoughts on Planning Keto Meals

To do the ketogenic diet correctly, so that you enter into nutritional ketosis and start burning fat for energy, you’ll need to get roughly 75% or more of your daily calories from healthy-fat sources.

• About 20% of your daily calories should come from protein. Fat will be your primary source of your calories, not protein, so aim to eat smaller amounts of healthy protein sources throughout the day.
• Just about 5–10% of your calories will come from carbohydrates, mostly non-starchy vegetables.
• Overall, the goal is to keep your daily net carb intake—meaning the total grams of carbs you eat per day minus the grams of fiber you eat—to just 25–50 grams.

  Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist and author with a passion to help people get well using food as medicine. Author of the books Eat Dirt, Essential Oils: Ancient Medicine and the upcoming Keto Diet: Your 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Balance Hormones and Reserve Disease (February 2019), he also operates the number-one natural health website in the world at DrAxe.com, with over 15 million unique visitors every month. He’s a co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, a health company where the mission is to restore health, strength and vitality by providing history’s healthiest whole food nutrients to the modern world.

Article by Dr. Josh Axe

The whole point of the keto diet is to enter and then remain in the metabolic state called ketosis, in which you burn fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates (glucose). Over the past 100 years, researchers have discovered that ketones have some pretty amazing attributes—such as enhancing fat loss, suppressing our appetites, increasing mental clarity, and decreasing the risk for a number of chronic diseases.

How to Eat Keto

In order to make ketones, you need to eat plenty of keto fats while also drastically reducing the amount of carbs you eat. How do you go about getting started on the keto diet? Before diving into the best keto diet foods, here’s what you can expect in terms of what you will and won’t be eating:

• Good-for-you fats will be your primary source of calories on the keto diet, providing roughly 75% or more of your daily calories. Aim to get about 20% of calories from protein, and just 5–10 percent from carbs.
• On a traditional keto diet, the goal is to keep your daily net carb intake—meaning the total grams of carbs you eat per day minus the grams of fiber—to just 25–30 grams. This amount causes your glycogen stores to be depleted fast, so your body starts making ketones.

What Not to Buy

When grocery shopping, you’ll want to avoid buying the following items which are high in carbs and/or sugar: all fruit, anything made with added sugar (white, brown, cane, raw and confectioner’s sugar, syrups like maple, honey and agave), all drinks high in sugar, all foods made with any grains or grain flour (this includes all whole grains and white/wheat flour), corn and all products containing corn, conventional dairy products such as most yogurts, granola bars and most protein bars or meal replacements, most canned soups, many condiments, and many prepackaged meals.

Your Keto Shopping List

Because the foods below are high in fat, low in carbs, plus they supply protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber, these are the best keto diet foods to focus on:

• Healthy fats – Olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, ghee, palm oil, avocado oil, avocado, MCT oil, lard, chicken fat or duck fat (can be bought at a butcher) and all types of nuts and seeds. You can also have full-fat dairy products like butter, heavy cream, sour cream, organic cheeses, and in small amounts full-fat/unsweetened yogurt, kefir or milk. Almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pistachios, chestnuts, pump-kin seeds, nut butters and seed butters, chia seeds and flaxseeds are also good sources of fats (just stick to having about 1/4 cup per day, or 2 tablespoons of nut/seed butter).
• Quality protein – Grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry, cage-free eggs, all types of wild-caught fish and seafood (such as tuna, trout, anchovies, bass, flounder, mackerel, salmon, sardines), organ meats like liver, and turkey, or beef jerky.
• Non-starchy vegetables – Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous veggies, all types of leafy greens (like spinach, dandelion or beet greens, col-lards, mustard, turnip, arugula, chicory, endive, escarole, fennel, radicchio and kale), asparagus, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and carrots (careful to limit veggies that tend to be sweet like potatoes, butternut squash, beets, etc.).
• Condiments and beverages – Water, water with a slice of lemon or lime, seltzer, herbal tea, black/green tea, coffee, bone broth, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, or freshly made vegetable juice. All types of fresh or dried herbs/spices like cinnamon, basil, rosemary, thyme, turmeric, ginger, cilantro, red pepper, etc., hot sauce, apple cider vinegar and other vinegars, unsweetened mustard, soy sauce, lemon/lime juice, cocoa powder, stevia extract, vanilla extract and sour cream.

Article by Dr. Josh Axe Believe it or not, studies show that people consuming a typical Western diet, consume well over 1,000 empty calories each day from ultra-processed foods like sugary snacks, sweetened drinks and processed grains! Sugar is currently the most popular ingredient added to foods in the U.S. This means that the high-carb diet many are accustomed to eating stands in stark contrast to the ketogenic diet—a very low-carb, very-high fat diet that’s been shown to have numerous health benefits. Giving up nearly all carbohydrate foods (grains, fruit, dessert, many drinks) isn’t easy, but the payoffs can be well worth the effort. What types of benefits can you expect to experience on the keto diet? Dozens of recent studies show that some of the most noteworthy include: help with weight loss (particularly fat loss, even while retaining lean muscle mass), reduced risk for metabolic syndrome, improved glucose tolerance/protection against insulin resistance, better appetite regulation and reduced cravings, and even improved mental/neurological health.

Transition Slowly for Keto Success

If you’re willing to give the keto diet a try, know that in the beginning you’ll need some time to adjust, both mentally and physically. This new way of eating requires some trial and error and a little bit of patience, considering your body will be going through some significant metabolic changes—since the keto diet causes you to burn fat for energy, rather than glucose from carbohydrates. Initially this can cause some temporary side effects as you essentially experience carb or sugar withdrawal (often called the keto flu). This transition period lasts about one to two weeks on average, and may cause symptoms such as cravings for carbs, fatigue, headaches and constipation. But once you’re in the clear, you can expect to feel more energized, clear-headed and in control of your hunger levels and cravings. Rather than dropping carbs and sugar cold-turkey, you might choose to slowly start reducing your carb intake over the course of several weeks or so. Begin to experiment with higher-fat meals and carb substitutes, this way your body and mind are less in shock once you fully jump in. Now that you know what to expect when eating keto, check out these tips for keto diet success by Dr. Axe as well!