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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.

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.

No matter what kind of party you may be having adding some naval orange slices, peel or juice will spruce it up and turn it into a healthy concoction. There are so many ways you can turn a naval orange into a party selection: drinks, fruit salads, appetizers and much more. The selections are limited only by your imagination as a hostess. Even recipes you use every day will taste different if you add some navel orange peel or juice. There are very few people who do not enjoy the taste of fresh oranges, so your dishes will have immense success.

One of the most popular party treats is the Jell-O mold. Many people prefer to buy the mold at a party or other store rather than spend the time to make it. You are at the mercy of someone else when you do that since you will not have a say in the type of fruit that is used to create the mold. Making your own Jell-O mold for your party means you can add navel orange sections or peel in order to give your mold just the flavor you want to achieve.

Beverages are a major part of any party. It doesn’t matter whether you are serving alcoholic beverages or not, you can definitely add navel orange juice to any drink concoction. If you live in a hot weather climate, serving navel orange slushies is a great idea. They taste great and are refreshing. Your guests will thoroughly enjoy them. If you are having a large party, you can make punch with navel orange juice as a main ingredient.

If you’re serving Screwdrivers for your party, why not use navel orange juice instead of buying a commercial juice? You will have a healthy foundation for the mix—the alcohol will add enough calories to the drink without the extra sugar content of commercial juices. Besides, you will have better control over all the ingredients by taking it upon yourself to create the drinks instead of buying them commercially. It may be more work, but your guests will appreciate your efforts. After all, a party is not something you hold every day, so taking extra time once or twice a month doesn’t take much effort.

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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.

People who are trying to lose weight will try just about anything. Putting lemons or limes in their water is a very common occurrence, you see it all the time in restaurants and even on TV and in movies. Some people do it simply for the flavor, but many do it for the metabolism boosting effect that citrus fruits have. But what about the grapefruit? A grapefruit would be a nice twist in your water routine and is just one of the many ways to eat grapefruit to fight fat.

Squeezing a slice of grapefruit into a glass of water is by far the easiest and most obvious way to eat grapefruit to fight fat. But you can also add grapefruit to your diet in other ways. Take peeled and skinned segments and add them to a salad. Those boring heads of lettuce will brighten up with the tart and sweet taste of grapefruit. If you do not want to eat them in a salad, how about adding them to a vinaigrette as a new way to eat grapefruit to fight fat? The tang of the grapefruit tastes great with olive oil and vinegar and is still heart healthy and delicious.

Dessert can be hard on people trying to fight fat, but there are ways to eat grapefruit with dessert that are sweet, tasty and still help rev up your metabolism. One suggestion is to add grapefruit to fruit salad, which is both low in fat and calories and makes a great snack. Another option is to chop up some peeled grapefruit and place the grapefruit on top of a slice of cheesecake. Adding grapefruit to cheesecake helps cut some of the fat and also makes you feel fuller faster, so only a small slice is needed. You can try low fat or even a soy based cheesecake to keep to your diet plan even better.

Adding just a touch of sugar or syrup to a halved grapefruit and broiling it is another great way to eat grapefruit.If you are worried about calories in the sugar, try using a low cal alternative instead. You may not get the crunchy texture of broiled sugar, but the sweetness will be there and make for an exciting dessert that fights fat and tastes delicious at the same time.

Another of the many ways to eat grapefruit to fight fat is to freeze it into snacks and desserts. Lime sherbert is a nice citrus treat but why limit it to limes? Try grapefruit sherbet or a sorbet if you want to be fancier. Grapefruit ices are a great way to eat grapefruit to fight fat and satisfy that sweet tooth before it derails all the hard work you have don on your diet plan.

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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.

If you’re looking for a healthy snack but don’t want to have the same thing all the time, there are many different ways you can enjoy the benefits of a Texas navel orange. There is no reason you need to eat fruit the same way all the time; the benefits of a navel orange are there whether you eat the fruit or drink the juice. There are many different ways you can consume navel oranges even within the scope of eating the fruit or drinking the juice; you are not limited to one or two choices.

While making orange juice from a navel orange is certainly a good way to use the juice, if you are one of those people who enjoys making fruit salad, especially the tropical variety, you can use the navel orange juice in your salad instead of just mixing the juice from the other fruits you use in your salad or fruit combination. While either way provides a healthy fruit mixture provided you choose fresh fruit and not the varieties that have additional sugar, choosing the navel orange juice will give you the sweet flavor you seek without the additional sugar you may need with some other fruit varieties, especially if you add grapefruit juice to your fruit.

By adding navel orange juice or peel to your baked goods, you will develop flavors that both your family and friends will enjoy. Additionally, you will gain the benefits of the navel orange at the same time. Depending on the recipe, and depending on how much citrus flavor you want, will depend on how much navel orange you add. You can make your recipe as tangy or as subtle as the dish requires.

You can make many drinks and desserts from the meat and juice of a Texas navel orange. You can find recipes in books or you can create your own by simply substituting a navel orange for another fruit. No recipe is so “perfect” that you don’t want to go beyond the scope of the ingredients that are already “required” in a recipe. How else are new recipes developed except to take another recipe and change some of the ingredients? Experimenting is the best part of the cooking and food preparation process.

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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.

When you’re hungry and need a snack avoid grabbing cake or candy. Instead reach for a navel orange and preserve not only the calories but avoid any additional sugar and carbohydrates. While you will certainly find sugar and carbohydrates in a navel orange, you will find healthy natural sugar and “good” carbohydrates. While everyone is likely to have the need for snacks during the day, it’s important for each person to learn to eat snacks that are healthy, and eating a navel orange will help you not only get rid of the in between meals hunger pangs but also will provide healthy nutritional balance.

There are a variety of reasons to start adding navel oranges to your daily diet, such as a snack. Navel oranges taste great and are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as antioxidants. When cold and flu season rolls around, having that extra boost of vitamin C is a great benefit. No matter where you live you are prone to the cold and flu season. Adding navel oranges to your diet is a great way to boost your immune system during this season.

Colds and flu are not the only illnesses that will be improved when you eat healthy snacks that boost your immune system. Many serious diseases are caused by a breakdown in the immune system including some cancers. Choosing a navel orange instead of piece of cake will help your body build its resistance to many different illnesses while it will also help you maintain a proper weight because you don’t consume empty calories and excessive carbohydrates that your body turns into sugar. Put the dish of ice cream back in the freezer and choose a healthy Texas navel orange instead.

One of the problems with many healthy foods is their lack of taste. Fortunately for the navel orange it is sweet, juicy and extremely tasty at the same time. Choosing a navel orange dessert will provide you with many health benefits as a result of consuming important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. That doesn’t mean you have to always eat the fruit right from the peel; you can certainly find many creative ways to eat a navel orange that will still provide you with the same nutritional value you would obtain from grabbing a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl when you’re looking for a snack.

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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.

There are plenty of snacks on the grocery aisles that are packaged for convenience. Unfortunately, many if not most of these snacks are laden with preservatives, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and fat. And lets face it, the ones that are supposed to be healthy are usually a little lacking in the taste and texture department. But if you truly need a snack on the go, they are convenient. But fruits are great and healthy and there are ways to eat grapefruit and other fruits on the go.

All it takes to figure out a way to eat grapefruit on the go is a little advance preparation. You can buy an entire bag of grapefruits (which is much cheaper than buying individual grapefruits at the grocery stores) and prepare them all in one sitting. After a little bit of prep work, the ways to eat grapefruit will become innumerable and you will wonder why you didn’t do this before.

One way to eat grapefruit on the go is by freezing some in a freezer bag. All you have to do is peel the grapefruit and then seperate the grapefruit into segments. Place the snack size portion of segments in a plastic freezer bag and store in your freezer. So when you’re running short on time and need to grab a quick, healthy snack, reach into your freezer, grab the bag and you are good to go. 

Another fine way to eat grapefruit is similar to the one above, but instead of freezing segments of a grapefruit, cut each segment into three slices and then mix in with a fruit salad. While it’s true that this is not a traditional way to eat grapefruit, that doesn’t meant that it is bad. In fact, this is a nice citrusy twist to the common fruit salad and is easy to pack into a container and take on the go with you.
 
You can also use slices in tea, this is a new way to eat grapefruit. Why limit your iced tea to simple lemons and limes when other citris fruits are a nice twist? In fact, you don’t even have to stop at slices of grapefruit, try adding some herbs like basil or mint to make a real taste treat. There are so many ways to eat grapefruit, but you can drink it to. And we aren’t talking just grapefruit juice!

Because they can help you lose weight, another great way to eat grapefruit is with a glass or bottle of water. Just keep a resuseable water bottle on hand with a little bit of grapefruit juice or freshly squeezed grapefruit on hand and fill with water to quench your thirst. This may be the easiest yet least used way to eat grapefruit on the go.

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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.

If you are at risk for heart disease, there could be several reasons why. It could be hereditary, and have nothing to do with your diet, weight or any other factors that are usually an indicator of heart disease or being at risk for it. Others have to do with cholesterol. Cholesterol is a plaque that can go through your blood stream and attach itself to the arteries that go through your body, particularly through your heart. Fortunately, there are many ways to try and lower your cholesterol, and one of them is through the use of grapefruit pectin.

Grapefruit pectin is a type of fiber that is found mostly in the thin skin that surrounds each segment of grapefruit and in some of the white pith and flesh of the grapefruit as well. All in all, a half of a medium grapefruit can have up to six grams of this grapefruit pectin. Why is this important for you to know/ Because if you have high cholesterol, consumption of these parts of a grapefruit can mean lower artery clogging, which is mostly caused by cholesterol in the blood. If you eat grapefruit pectin,  most of the cholesterol in your blood that is pumped through the arteries of your heart will bind to the grapefruit pectin instead of the arterial walls. This means less cholesterol in your blood and arguably more importantly, no new cholesterol sticking to your arteries.

Cholesterol sticking to your arteries is often referred to as arterial plaque. The arterial plaque can result in high blood pressure, which can in turn cause heart attacks or strokes. Having a large amount of arterial plaque raises blood pressure and the arteries and veins need to work harder to pump blood through the heart. Putting this stress on the heart eventually takes its toll on a person’s overall health. Medications can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, but they often come with side effects. By adding grapefruit pectin to your diet, you may be able to avoid these conditions.

The best part is that the only side effects from grapefruit pectin are an increase in vitamins, minerals and fiber in your diet. Those can hardly be thought of as true side effects, at least not in the traditional sense. The side effects of grapefruit pectin are actually good for your body. Grapefruit is full of Vitamin C, riboflavin, fiber, and other antioxidants which help kill free radicals in your body. As you can see, eating grapefruit pectin is actually for more than just people with high cholesterol!

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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.

The benefits of grapefruit pectin are many. They help reduce cholesterol levels, prevent high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Grapefruit pectin can help fight free radicals, aid in digestion and even control blood glucose in diabetics. While all of these benefits are wonderful, are they a good idea for kids?

The answer is actually pretty easy—yes. Though things like heart disease and stroke seem like the stuff of older people, the truth is that the best medicine is not reactionary. This means medicine that is given out after one is already sick. The best medicine is actually precautionary—given out before the person gets sick. This is why even children can benefit from grapefruit pectin.

The biggest benefit of grapefruit pectin in children is due to diabetes. In today’s society, childhood obesity is almost at an epidemic level. One of the possible side effects of obesity is a big one—diabetes. Children who are overweight or obese are at large risk for developing diabetes. Since grapefruit pectin helps to control blood glucose, it can be an important part of the daily diet.

Grapefruit pectin aids in digestion because it is a type of fiber. Like most fiber, it helps to keep you ‘regular’, making sure you get regular bowel movement. Children can often eat foods that get in the way of healthy digestion. Grapefruit pectin can prevent this from happening, so no matter what is in your childs diet they will have a healthy bowel function.

Adults are the only group ever talked about when the conversation turns to cholesterol. But cholesterol is something that is dangerous for all ages. As cholesterol in the diet increases, it stays in the blood where it can begin to form a plaque in the arteries. This is dangerous and can lead to all sorts of health and heart problems later in life. So why not prevent it in children by giving them a dose of grapefruit pectin?

Most children seem to hate the taste of grapefruit. They think it is ‘grown up food’. There are ways around this. You can sweeten the grapefruit with sugar, put it in another food (like mixing orange and grapefruit juice) or adding it to marinades or salad dressings. The easiest way though for children may be by using pills and powders. Grapefruit pectin supplements can be used in oatmeal, juice and other breakfast foods. There are a lot of different ways, whether its fresh fruit, pills or powders, to give the benefit of grapefruit pectin to your children.

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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.

Grapefruit isn’t just great for your health, it’s also great for your skin.  Fresh grapefruit juice is one of the best things you can use at home to get beautiful healthy looking skin.  If you’re spending a lot of money on expensive skin care try these homemade beauty and skin care products and you’ll quickly realize that you can save hundreds of dollars each monthand look better by investing more in grapefruit and less in expensive skin care creams and washes. 

Grapefruit Sugar Scrub – This basic scrub can be made with dozens of different ingredients and oils to customize it to your own taste, but many women love this simple scrub just the way it is. You can use it to exfoliate your face and body on a regular basis, and use it to give yourself a home pedicure to get your feet ready for summer. Since grapefruit juice has natural antibacterial properties it’s perfect to use on  your feet in the summertime. In order to make this scrub, first get a large mixing bowl and add in fresh pink grapefruit juice with granulated sugar, or raw brown sugar. Then add a tablespoon of grated grapefruit zest and just enough Sweet Almond oil to give the mixture a nice consistency. After the mixture is completed, pour it into containers. Since the Sweet Almond oil is a preservative, there is no need to store the mixture in the refrigerator. This scrub also makes a great gift when put into a pretty package.

Grapefruit Facial Toner – Another great basic skin care mixture you can make with grapefruit juice is a safe and all natural facial toner. Just mix some Witch Hazel, which is available at the drugstore , with some fresh grapefruit juice and a drop of Tea Tree oil. Mix together well, and store in the refrigerator. This  easy to make toner works on all skin types, and is especially great for people with combination skin.

Grapefruit lip balm – This is super easy to make and it tastes fantastic. It’s also great for keeping your lips smooth and supple all year round.  To make your own lip balm you’ll need beeswax. Beeswax is available at health food stores or food co-ops or you can order it online.  Melt down some beeswax to a liquid state.  Add about a tablespoon of grated grapefruit zest and some grapefruit juice. Pour the mixture into a small pot or container and let it set. Once it hardens you will have your own grapefruit lip balm.

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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.