• Bananas do not produce seeds because they are genetically sterile. They have three sets of chromosomes instead of the normal two.
• Technically, cucumbers, avocados, eggplant and tomatoes are all fruit.
• The largest cucumber grown weighed 59 pounds. It was grown by Mrs. Eileen Chappel of Bowen Hills, Queensland, Australia in March, 1988.
• The heaviest apple weighed 4 pounds, 1 ounce, grown in Hirosaki City, Japan in October 2005.
• The largest bowl of strawberries had a net weight of 2.19 tons (4832 lbs).
• Apples, pears and strawberries are all members of the rose family.
• Once picked, grapes can no longer ripen, but bananas can.
• The name pineapple was the original name for a pine cone from the pine tree. Because the fruit pineapple resembles a pine cone, it too was called pineapple.
• Apricots were first grown in China more than 4,000 years ago.
• Blackberry juice has been used to dye cloth navy blue and indigo.
• Figs were a favorite fruit eaten by ancient Greeks and Romans.
• A cupful of apple seeds is sufficient to cause death.
• Grape seeds have been found in remains of lake dwellings of the Bronze Age in Switzerland and Italy and in tombs of ancient Egypt.
• The Kiwi fruit originated in China and is also called Chinese Gooseberry.
• 20 to 25 percent of an apple’s volume is air, which is why they float. The cells in apple tissue fit imperfectly together and air sits in the spaces between the cells. This also accounts for that cracking sound as you bite into an apple.

For more great info on fruit, here’s a link to a comprehensive website called Fruits Around The World

Research from a British University found that a preservative ingredient found in some sodas, pickles, salad dressings and other foods can actually switch off vital parts of DNA. The problem, usually associated with aging and alcoholism, can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. The ingredient is sodium benzoate, found naturally in berries but used to prevent mold in some soft drinks and other foods. A professor of molecular biology and biotechnology and an expert in aging at Sheffield University tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his lab and was alarmed to find that the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA. “These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether. The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it- as happens in a number of diseased states – then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA – Parkinson’s and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all, the whole aging process,” said Professor Piper.

A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health organization in 2000 concluded that it was safe, but they added that scientific evidence of its safety was “limited.” The US Food and Drug Administration also proclaims the safety of sodium benzoate, but professor Piper calls the US safety tests, “out of date.” He says, “By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago.” He advises parents to think carefully about buying sodas with preservatives until the quantities in products are proven safe by the new tests. “My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts, ” he said. Check your ingredients labels on foods and drinks for sodium benzoate.

It’s officially summertime and time again to dig through my drawers and get re-aquainted with my bathing suit. I like to try on my swimsuit well before I actually have any plans to wear it. That way, I can see how I look in it, decide if it’s time to buy a new one and also decide if I need to shed a few pounds to look my best at this year’s pool parties and beach picnics (under an umbrella, of course). After a thorough examination in the mirror from all angles, if I do decide that a few extra pounds crept on while I was sleeping last night, I’ll eat only salads for lunch and dinner for a week or two.

Here are my Top Five Aging Backwards Summertime Tips for enjoying light and healthy salads:

1) Use the dark green leafy lettuces instead of Iceberg lettuce for your base. Then, add taste and antioxidants to your salad by going for the reds – make sure to add in plenty of red veggies and fruits, like tomatoes, beets, red peppers, radicchio, red cabbage, apples and strawberries.

2) Thin your salad dressing with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I love the creamy salad dressings, so here’s what I do: I buy a light, but heavily-flavored salad dressing like Caesar Light. I pour some of the creamy dressing in a bowl, then thin it with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Not only does it taste yummy, but it cuts the amount of the creamy dressing I use in half (thus cutting the fat in half) and also allows the dressing to spread more evenly on my salad.

3) Use my crouton trick. Now that you’ve mixed up that healthy, delicious salad, you can add even more flavor with my Aging Backwards Crouton Trick. I buy a bag of the most flavorful croutons I can find – something very garlicky. Then I pour the croutons in a big zipper baggy, take out my meat mallet and start hammering away. I crush the croutons to the point where they are very small crumbs, about the size of Grape Nuts Cereal. By the way, this doubles as a great stress reducer. Once your salad is tossed with your lemon juice/creamy dressing mixture, spoon a teaspoon or two of crouton crumbs over the top for a zing of extra flavor with practically no added calories or fat.

4) Go nuts! Add a small amount of raw or lightly toasted nuts to your salad for extra crunch and nutrients. Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, calcium, iron and they even contain a small amount of protein. Sesame seeds are considered one of the highest sources of calcium in the world when the husks are intact (dark brown in color). Find them at your local health food store. Walnuts are the only nuts that contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for good health.

5) To help you curb your appetite and stick with your resolve to lose those pounds and eat salads for lunch and dinner, there’s a centuries-old plant that can help and it’s not hoodia. It’s called Caralluma fimbriata and it works – I’ve tried it. Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant in the cactus family that has been used in India for ages as a natural appetite suppressant. Like hoodia, caralluma has been used to suppress hunger and as a portable food for hunting. It’s sometimes called the “famine” food, used by people in rural parts of India to get them through periods of famine. Caralluma can be cooked like a vegetable and used in chutneys or eaten raw. It is believed that it blocks the activity of several enzymes, which then blocks the formation of fat, forcing fat reserves to be burned. It also naturally suppresses the appetite. The plant is non-toxic and there are no known adverse effects from ingesting it. The caralluma product I’ve tried that suppressed my appetite is called GenaSlim by Country Life. It’s very affordable at Amazon.com. Only $17.99 for 60 capsules.

As luck would have it, our coach arrived at Rancho La Puerta just in time for lunch. A beautiful array of salads and raw veggies in every color of the rainbow lined the lunch buffet, along with several dishes of cooked vegetable medleys. That’s also the day I was introduced to the Ranch’s home-baked bread, which I began to look forward to at every meal. Topped off with some thick and tangy Acidophilus milk, said to restore a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut, and herbal coffee, lunch was very satisfying.

After all the wonderful workout classes, walking around the Ranch’s acreage, fresh air, tennis classes, etc., I think I was first in line for every meal.

One highlight of the week at Rancho La Puerta with 18 wonderful women bloggers was the hands-on cooking class at the Ranch’s organic garden & kitchen with Chef Michel Stroot of The Golden Door and the Ranch’s lovely kitchen staff.

I was assigned to the bread station, along with Sandi McKenna, Beth Rosen and Beth’s mother Joanie. Together, we made fresh Rosemary Garlic bread from scratch. The main dish was delectable wild salmon served with a fresh salad, side dish, the hot bread and a decadent warm chocolate cake for dessert, all prepared by our blogger group. It was a delicious meal and a delightful bonding experience.

Thanks to my good friend Julie Gallaher and the fabulous Rancho La Puerta, I was on a fantastic healthy holiday with 18 women bloggers as a guest in Tecate, Mexico.

Check back here soon for the Cats of Rancho La Puerta.

Photo: Chef Michel Stroot. Credit: Gail Goodwin

One of the most common complaints health care practitioners hear is that of a lack of energy. Getting more sleep, regular exercise, reducing stress and improving diet play a role in fighting fatigue. Improving one’s diet involves meeting your daily caloric requirements, limiting highly refined, processed foods, emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, good fats and maintaining adequate hydration. To maintain energy throughout the day, it is necessary to meet your daily caloric needs. On the other hand overeating can deplete energy levels by overwhelming the ability to digest and absorb the large amounts of food consumed. In addition, the resulting overproduction of insulin can leave too little sugar for immediate energy. Eating small frequent meals helps keep blood sugar levels in check, thus avoiding sugar highs of lows.

Caloric requirements are determined by many factors such as gender, age and activity level. In general, 1,600 calories per day is the estimated requirement for many sedentary women and some older adults. Most children, teenage girls, active women and sedentary men need about 2,200 calories a day. Teenage boys, active men and some very active women need about 2,800 calories per day.

Dehydration can lower energy levels and blunt your ability to concentrate. Do not wait until you’re thirsty since the thirst sensation doesn’t occur until you’ve lost two percent of your body weight; dehydration is defined as fluid losses greater than one percent of body weight. In addition to off-setting dehydration, water is necessary for proper elimination, metabolizing stored body fat and suppressing appetite.

Feelings of fatigue occur to most of us at some point in our lives. Emphasizing a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, “good” fats, and water in addition to adequate sleep, stress reduction, and exercise all play a role in combating fatigue.

Barbara Freedland is a registered, licensed dietitian with over 25 years of experience including clinical, public health, home care and consulting. She currently has a private nutrition practice specializing in gastro-intestinal disorders in addition to counseling those with weight issues, diabetes, and other health conditions. Barbara received her B.S. in Dietetics from Michigan State University and her M.S. degree in Nutrition Education from Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago. She can be reached at (727) 846-7031.

Dr. Joel Furhman, famous for the books “Eat to Live” and “Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right,” has introduced a new snack product that he says “tastes better than any candy bar, and they are real health food, not just a treat.” They’re Dr. Fuhrman’s Chocolate Date Nut Pop’ems. They’re bite-size balls that you can even eat for breakfast or anytime you like. The Chocolate Date Nut Pop’ems are made by grinding up raw nuts and seeds into a fine powder, kneading it with fresh dates, then mixing in all-natural cocoa powder, which we know by now is full of antioxidants. “Nuts and seeds are nature’s perfect food, without contamination.” Dr. Fuhrman said. He recommends you “cut out the dairy fat and get your healthy fats from raw nuts and seeds.” His Date Nut Pop’ems also come in Original and Cinnamon flavors. Here’s a link to check ‘em out: Dr. Fuhrman’s Chocolate Date Nut Pop’ems Have an Aging Backwards day!