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If you’re getting serious about getting ready for the summer bathing suit season eating grapefruit is the best thing you can do.  Eating grapefruit can help you lose weight because it’s high in fiber, it’s low in calorie, and it can kick start your weight loss.  People have been using the Grapefruit Diet to lose weight for decades because it works, and it’s easy to do.  If you can eat grapefruit everyday for several weeks you can shed ten pounds or more, in a  healthy way that won’t make you ill. You don’t need pills or shakes or other diet foods to lose weight. You can lose it naturally with grapefruit.

You already know that in order to lose weight you have to put out more calories than you take in. The trick to losing weight is taking in fewer calories without starving yourself. Eating foods like grapefruits and oranges and other citrus fruits can help you with this because they are low calorie but high in fiber. Fiber will help you stay full so that you don’t want to snack and don’t want to eat a lot at meals. High fiber low calorie foods like grapefruits and oranges are the best snacks that you can eat while you’re dieting.

But eating fruit as snacks isn’t enough to lose weight.  Grapefruit has a natural enzyme in it that can tell your body to burn stored fat for energy. So eating grapefruit everyday can help you lose more weight than just cutting calories.  Eating the same food everyday can get boring, no matter how healthy that food is. Most people know that grapefruit is healthy for them and can help them lose weight but get bored eating the same fruit everyday.  The best way to incorporate grapefruits and other citrus fruits into your daily diet is to use these strategies:

Eat different types – There are three types of grapefruit, so don’t eat the same type every day. Buy a box of assorted grapefruits so that you can eat different types of grapefruit instead of eating the same one every day.  You can also add in other citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines to keep variety in your diet.

Prepare the fruit differently – One day try baked grapefruit. Another day make a grapefruit compote.  There are dozens of different ways that you can prepare the fruit so everyday make it a new way so that it always seems like a fresh and exciting dish.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com for more information.

Springtime is coming, and parents are already picking out items to put in Easter baskets. But this year is the perfect time to do something different and give your family fruit baskets instead of traditional Easter baskets.  Easter baskets are usually full of high calorie and high fat chocolates, sugary jelly beans and other candies that are bad for kids.  With the huge increase in the amount of obese children in the US giving traditional Easter baskets full of junk food is something that parents worry about because they make it difficult for parents to limit a child’s sugar intake.  Giving fruit baskets and instead of candy filled baskets is a smart way to give the kids delicious treats without giving them fat and calories they don’t need.

Even though fruit baskets are healthier than candy filled baskets some parents might have a tough time selling the idea of eating fruit instead of eating chocolate to their kids.  To make it easier to get your kids to accept fruit as a treat instead of a basket full of chocolate choose a fruit basket that some chocolates in it, or nuts, or even a limited amount of sugar jelly candies.  That way your child will still get some of the chocolate and candy that he or she associates with the Easter holiday but will also get some healthy fruit too.  And you won’t have to worry about regulating how much your child eats when your child is eating delicious oranges and tangerines because those fruits usually have less than one hundred calories and are packed with vitamins and minerals your kids need to stay healthy.

Hiding fruit baskets is actually easier than hiding chocolate baskets since fruit, especially hardy citrus fruit with a thick peel, will stand up well in any type of weather.  It doesn’t matter if Easter is cold or hot where you live you can hide fruit baskets outdoors instead of candy baskets and be sure that the fruit will look just as appetizing and delicious after three hours outside as it did when it first arrived.  You can also hide fruit baskets in sneaky spots that are not appropriate for chocolate, like in the oven or outdoors in a warm place. Your kids will be very surprised to see fruit baskets in the places that they used to find candy baskets. But giving them healthy citrus fruit instead of candy will help them stay healthy and make better food choices in life.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

Florida oranges are well known around the world because they are so juicy and delicious. Even in countries that specialize in growing citrus fruits, like Spain, Florida oranges are well regarded. What makes Florida oranges so distinctive? More than one hundred years of citrus expertise make citrus fruits that come from Florida tasty treats that are in high demand all over the world.  Florida citrus fruits are often given as gifts because they are consistently high quality and people know that Florida oranges and grapefruits come from citrus experts.

Citrus fruit has been a major industry in Florida for more than one hundred and fifty years. Originally citrus trees were brought to Florida by explorers who came to Florida from the Caribbean. The tropical climate of Florida turned out to be the perfect climate to grow oranges and grapefruit and citrus farming became a solid industry.  The only real risk to the citrus groves was an occasional freeze in the Florida winter.  The tasty and delicious Florida oranges that were being grown by the grove owners were in demand from the very beginning. Initially, the greatest problem the growers faced was shipping the perishable fruit to the rest of the country before the citrus fruit spoiled. With the development of the railroad system, the grove owners were able to utilize this transportation to ship their citrus fruit across country and to major sports for international shipping. With modern technology and transportation, grove owners can ship their fruit and it reaches the consumer within days so the fruit always arrives at its peak of freshness.

Florida citrus fruit production also sets Florida oranges and grapefruits apart from the fruit shipped by growers in other states.  Because citrus farming is one of the biggest industries in Florida growers in the state work hard to stay on the cutting edge of advances in the industry. Organic farming, faster shipping methods, and exploring new variations of citrus breeds that are better adapted to dealing with the tropical climate of Florida are all areas that Florida citrus growers are making huge gains in everyday. If you want to give a gift that will impress your family, friends, and business associates with its quality giving a gift of Florida oranges or other citrus fruits is the perfect gift to give.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

One of the most popular fruits is the navel orange. Perhaps it is because of its larger size compared to other varieties of oranges or because the navel orange is usually seedless. The navel orange is well known for its size and the fact that it has what appears to be a navel on the outside, thus the name “navel orange.” The “navel” hides another small orange within the skin which is another reason this orange variety is larger than some of the other varieties you might find in the food market or at produce stands.

Because of the climate oranges are available in Texas all year although the peak season for navel oranges is November through early May. During August and September the market tends to slow down although it is still possible to find an abundant supply of navel oranges in some places throughout the United States. Texas is only one of the four states that grows and harvests the oranges that are shipped to various states on both the east and west coasts. The availability depends largely on the type of weather growers must endure during the peak growing season. Changes in temperature can negatively affect the number of navel orange crops the trees will produce.

There are several other varieties of oranges available in Texas but the navel orange is one of the most popular. Whenever consumers are unable to obtain navel oranges, they usually resort to the Valencia orange which is the one which manufacturers most commonly use for manufacturing commercial orange juice. While both varieties tend to be seedless, it is not uncommon to find a few seeds in Valencia oranges. Another attractive component of the navel orange is the ease with which you can remove the peel and separate the orange sections.

The location where you live quite often determines where the navel orange you buy is cultivated. This is not necessarily a guarantee, however; it is quite possible you can closer to the east coast and purchase navel oranges that were cultivated on the west coast. One important thing to keep in mind is when it comes to eating any kind of orange, they are very healthy and have an abundance of vitamin C—important for those who live in changing climates that may cause the development of many weather-induced illnesses. Adding navel oranges to your daily diet will help boost your immune system especially during cold and flu seasons.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com/ for more information.

Most nutritionists want you to lower your cholesterol, unless it is already at a great level. But lets face it – most diets today are quite high in cholesterol. In todays busy society, fast and convenient foods are what the masses use to eat. Unfortunately, a lot of these foods have high fat and cholesterol levels. You can go to the doctor and have them prescribe something to take care of this, or skip the big drug and doctor bill and try grapefruit pectin instead.

What is grapefruit pectin? It is a type of soluble fiber that can be found in the flesh, skin and pith of a grapefruit. Now, before you start gagging at the thought of eating the white chewy pith of a grapefruit, it is important to know that there are many more ways to get grapefruit pectin than just these methods. These will be discussed in more detail later in this article. First, the benefits of grapefruit pectin should be discussed.

There are many advantages to adding grapefruit pectin to your daily diet. The greatest benefit is that grapefruit pectin assists in reducing cholesterol levels as well as preventing cholesterol from binding to the walls of your arteries. Grapefruit pectin helps reduce the bad cholesterol, or HDL, while leaving the good cholesterol, LDL, in place. 

What are the ways you can add grapefruit pectin to your daily diet? As the article title implies, there is more than one way to get grapefruit pectin into your daily diet. The first would be the most obvious, which is through actually eating grapefruit. It is inexpensive and available almost year round in most places in North America, which is the biggest grower and exporter of this tangy citrus delight.

Many adults and especially children do not like the taste of grapefruit. If the taste of grapefruit is not for you, there are grapefruit pectin supplements you can try. These supplements are available in both pill and powder form. Although you do get benefits from these pill and powder forms, you get the most benefit by adding fresh grapefruit to your daily diet.

You can always sweeten grapefruit by adding some sugar, honey, nectar or more. Just be careful, because too much sugar can start to negate the health benefits of grapefruit pectin. The good news about this is that grapefruit pectin can help reduce blood sugar glucose, which is important for diabetics. But again, too much sugar and you negate even that benefit. You could also try red or ruby grapefruit to get your grapefruit pectin instead of white or yellow grapefruit. These are naturally sweet and have a very different taste from standard grapefruit. This may make them easier to eat for many, especially young children who may not like the tartness of most grapefruit.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com for more information.

Instead of wasting money on decorations for outdoor events that will only wilt or fall apart use fruit baskets to decorate your next outdoor event. Fruit baskets are sturdy, pretty, and provide great healthy snacks for your guests.  Because there are so many different styles of fruit basket and so many different types of fruit available you can find fruit baskets that will enhance any occasion even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on decorations. And, since fruit baskets are both decorations and food you are saving money.  Graduation parties, backyard barbecues, wedding receptions, baby or wedding showers, and birthdays are all great occasions where fruit baskets can be used as decorations.

One of the reasons  why fruit baskets are the smart choice for decorating outdoor events is because citrus fruit holds up exceptionally well in extreme weather. It doesn’t matter if the weather is hot or cold, the protective peels on citrus fruits will keep the fruit delicious and looking great even if the baskets are left outside for hours.  For winter weddings baskets of bright oranges packed with some Christmas greenery are beautiful centerpieces, and if you put one near the door of the reception hall it will look great all night no matter how many times the door is opened or closed.  For summer barbecues fruit baskets of fun citrus fruits placed strategically around the party area will give guests treats they love that will help them stay hydrated and full while they are waiting for burgers and hot dogs.

Fruit baskets are easy to customize, which makes them idea for corporate picnics, retreats, and other outdoor gatherings.  You can use ribbons in the company colors, or ribbons printed with your corporate name or logo on the basket to advertise your business and give clients and employees alike a great impression of your company.  If you’re planning a corporate event that clients will be invited to you can put out fruit baskets and your staff won’t have to constantly check them or replenish them the way they would have to do with flowers or other decorations.  That means your employees can spend more time paying attention to your customers, which will ultimately help your business.

Flowers are beautiful, but if you’re planning any kind of outdoor event fruit baskets are the event planners first choice for decorating.  Next time you’re planning an event buy some citrus fruit to decorate with and you and your friends and family will love the results.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information

Gourmet experts say fruit baskets are the hot trend for Valentine’s Day this year.  Spending hundreds of dollars on roses and chocolates is simply not in the budget for many Americans this year. If you don’t have the budget for fresh flowers and overpriced candy send your family and friends fruit baskets this year.  Delicious fresh citrus fruit is always a great gift, and you can customize your gift with chocolate, candy, nuts, or other treats too.  Combining exotic and delicious citrus fruits with gourmet sweets is the perfect way to let your family and friends know you care without blowing your gift budget for the entire year. 

Valentine’s Day fruit baskets are designed by gift professionals to be romantic, sweet, and to convey your love and affection.  You can find a fruit basket that will fit into any budget, so even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend you’ll find the perfect gift for a spouse or loved one. If your butdget allows for it, spruce up the gift basket by adding some fun extras like gourmet chocolates, tasty preserves or an assortment of nuts. You don’t have to chose a fruit basket, the fruit can be presented in such things as vases, boxes or dishes. Another great plus is that the oranges, grapefruits and other delicious citrus in the basket will last a lot longer than flowers, so your Valentine can enjoy them for weeks.

The gift of citrus fruit is more appropriate when you are giving a gift to friends or extended family members or even someone you’re dating but not in a serious relationship with, instead of giving traditional flowers and candy. A citrus fruit gift basket is a nice gesture when you are in a new relationship. A beautiful fruit basket filled with tasty citrus fruit is a more relaxed gift that is perfect for new relationships or acquaintances.

If you plan an giving Valentine’s Day gifts to coworkers, fruit baskets are a great idea. Since it’s important to have a sense of decorum in the workplace and many people want to maintain professional but not necessarily friendly relationships with co workers fruit baskets are the perfect way to let your coworkers know you appreciate them without crossing any personal or professional boundaries.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.



A great way to use up all of your Florida oranges before they spoil is to use them to make preserves. Orange marmalade is a tasty treat that everyone in the family can enjoy.  Orange jelly or marmalade is very versatile and can be spooned into yogurt, used as an ice cream topping, mixed with sorbet, served over bread or pancakes, or used in dozens of other ways.  Making preserves is easier than you might think, and it wasn’t that long ago that most people made their own fresh jams and jellies every year from fresh fruit.  The art of canning preserves is making a real comeback as more and more people try to save money and make more sustainable food choices.  This year you should order a box of Florida oranges and make your own orange preserves.

Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never made preserves before. Making preserves does not require hard to find ingredients or any type of special equipment. The ingredient that makes the preserves gel is Pectin. Pectin is found naturally in the orange peel, but you can also add pectin and sugar to make sure the preserves gel. When selecting the citrus fruit you are using for your preserves, research which citrus contains more pectin. For instance, Clementines naturally have higher amounts of pectin than Florida oranges so they are an easier fruit to make preserves with. You will also need canning jars and lids that have seals. It is important that the lids of the jars have seals. Make sure you read up on how to create a hot water seal before you start making the preserves. Having the right seal will allow the preserves to stay fresh for up to a year.  

The most important ingredient you need to make orange preserves is high quality Florida oranges.  The quality of the fruit that you use to make the preserves will play a large role in the taste of the finished product. Using oranges that have been shipped to commercial stores and have been treated with sugar and preservatives will result in jam that doesn’t taste exceptionally well because those fruits are already at an advanced stage of spoiling.  The best oranges to use to make marmalade or jelly are Florida oranges that are shipped directly from the grower.  Those oranges, along with grapefruits and tangerines, are shipped just after picking and will arrive at your house fresh, natural, and totally preservative free.  If you want to make stellar tasting jam and preserves use the highest quality fruit you can buy.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

Grapefruit is one of the healthiest things that you can eat. Low in calorie, high in fiber, and packed with vitamins and minerals that can keep your body strong and your mind energized grapefruit is sometimes called a super fruit. But despite knowing how healthy grapefruit is many people don’t eat it enough because they think they would get bored eating it every day, or because they think that grapefruit is just too sour, or for many other reasons.

But eating grapefruit everyday can change your body and can improve your health in ways you may not even know about.  Eating citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits can reduce your risk of certain cancers, lower your cholesterol, and help prevent heart disease. You can also lose weight and boost your immune system.  If you’ve been avoiding eating grapefruit, oranges or other citrus fruits because you are not sure how to work them into your daily diet here are some tips from nutritionists that will make it easy for you to incorporate citrus fruits into your everyday diet.

Cook with juice – You don’t have to eat the actual fruit to get the benefits of grapefruit.  Using grapefruits, oranges, orange juice, or a mixture of citrus fruits to cook with instead of using water will give you the benefits of the fruit without having to eat the actual fruit. Simply substitute fresh juice for water in your favorite recipes.

Drink your fruit – Drink fruit juice instead of soda. A healthier option is mixing fresh grapefruit juice with seltzer water. It has the same carbonation as a soda, and its cheaper. Get a few of those portable insulated bottles and have some filled with the grapefruit juice and seltzer mix so you can have it whenever the mood strikes you.

Keep fruit handy – When that mid-day hunger hits you, you will grab whatever snack is close by. Reach for a grapefruit or another citrus fruit instead of having the donut in the breakroom or raiding the snack machine. Make sure you pack a few pieces of fruit  to take with you so that during the day you have easy access to them. Fresh citrus fruit can stay fresh for up to eight weeks when stored properly so invest in some citrus fruit and invest in your health.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com for more information.

This winter Florida citrus can help you and your family stay strong and healthy. The holidays are over, and it’s the time of year when people tend to get sick.  In the letdown that occurs after the holidays people tend to get depressed and when they’re depressed their immune systems don’t work as efficiently.  That depression, combined with the germs and viruses that are swirling in the cold of winter make it more common for people to get sick.  However, eating plenty of Florida citrus will help your immune system stay strong enough to fight off colds and viruses so that you and your family don’t get sick.

Florida citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are full of Vitamin C, which has been proven throughout the decades to help boost the immune system. When your immune system is working the way it’s supposed to small colds, viruses and other illnesses don’t stand a chance.  Just one piece of citrus fruit per day can be enough to keep your immune system working in perfect order.  Fresh citrus juice can also help you stay healthy, but eating a piece of citrus fruit like an orange or grapefruit is better than drinking just some citrus fruit juice. However, if you’re someone who is always on the go and don’t have a lot of time you can get all the benefits of the vitamins and minerals in Florida citrus fruit by replacing the water in your morning smoothie with fresh orange or grapefruit juice.  You can also keep a few oranges in your desk at work to make sure that you get a healthy snack during the day.

In addition to Florida citrus keeping you healthy through boosting your immune system, they also help your body fight free radicals. Adding citrus fruit to your diet will help your body heal damaged tissues and muscles.  Improving your body’s overall health will help keep you healthy during cold and flu season. Citrus fruit also helps children fight off the germs they may encounter in the classroom. Make sure to add a piece of citrus fruit to your child’s lunch box, or put some in a brown paper bag in their backpack for snacks throughout the day. The vitamins and minerals they get from adding citrus fruit to their diet will help them avoid getting sick from the germs and viruses they come across at school.   

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.