Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Grapefruit A Burst Of Sunshine

There’s nothing like a grapefruit to dispel the winter chill. This bright sunny fruit is a reminder that there are warm breezes and sunny skies somewhere in this wintry world. It’s not only delicious but light in taste and in calories. Grapefruit is a wonderful escape from all those heavy holiday foods.

Grapefruit received it’s name from the fruit growing like grape clusters. However it was called the unbecoming name of shaddock after Captain Shaddock, who first bred the fruit in Jamaica in 1750. It was one fo the world’s first hybrid fruits being crossed with an Indonesian pomelo and the Jamaican sweet orange. It was brough to Florida in 1823 by the Countess Odette Phillippe. It’s one of Florida’s top products besides oranges. Grapefruit flesh usually comes in three colors, red white an d pink. The most famous is the blood red pulped Ruby Red which is grown in Texas where it‘s known as the official state grapefruit The taste varies from bitter and sour to slightly tart. Grapefruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C and lypocene. The latter helps prevents certain cancers such as prostrate. Since it has only 97 calories it’s makes an excellent diet food.

I love grapefruit for its‘ taste and it’s aroma. I‘ve just discovered that freshly squeezed grapefruit juice is an excellent addition to hot or cold tea. It makes either kind of tea refreshing. One of my favorite desserts is grapefruit slices dipped in Splenda. It’s a nice alternative to cakes and cookies as well to everyday fruits such as apples and bananas.

Grapefruit is a fresh , sunny pick me up during all this winter coldness. It‘ s like a miniature sun bursting with goodness. It’s as refreshing as breeze s on a sunny Caribbean or Florida beach.It’s just the perfect thing for these wintry times.

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