Guest Blogger Dr. Wayne Geilman shares his ideas for staying healthy this season.
For fresh food enthusiasts, nothing beats the summertime joy of recently picked fruit selections available at farmers’ markets or, better yet, their own backyard. But when winter's cool temperatures set in, gone are the days of flavor-bursting New England blueberries, crisp Washington apples and juicy Georgia peaches.
Winter's first snowfall doesn't have to mean a months-long adieu to all things fruity, however. Whether one longs for fresher seasons in the stomach or in the heart, here are a few tips to help make it through the brisk winter months without the fruit-serving sacrifice:
• Chill out: Prepared and packaged during peak-season months, frozen fruit alone may not pack that just-picked punch. However, it can add a great amount of flavor and appetizing color to smoothies and protein shakes. Cherries and raspberries can also add a touch of sweet or sour to warm, winter-welcome entrée sauces and glazes.
• Focus on what's fresh: Winter may seem like a fresh-fruit hiatus, but many citrus and tropical fruits reach peak during these months. Grapefruit, navel oranges, kumquats, passion fruit and kiwi are all well qualified candidates to fill the winter void.
• Eat the best, preserve the rest: Gather favorite summertime fruits and encapsulate them into yearlong jams, jellies and marmalades. Transform tomatoes, a less obvious summer fruit, into zesty marinara sauces (canned or frozen) and salsa to provide a kick when winter's palate gets monotonous. With proper preparation, canned goods also make a great standby gift.
• Taste the exotic: Potent juice supplements can provide a quick, easy way to meet daily fruit requirements in small-serving liquid form. Consider juice supplements from Pure Fruit Technologies to reap the health benefits and unique taste of several exotic fruits like mangosteen, goji berries, and omega-7-rich seabuckthorn berries.
• Indulge the other senses: For some, winter's restricted daylight and cold temperatures can negatively affect mood and emotions. For those missing the sight and smells of summer fruits, indulge the eye with artificial fruit cornucopias, wreaths and arrangements, or incorporate the colors of favorite fruits through art, accessories or painted walls. Enhance the olfactory senses with fruit scented candles, oils or sprays.
Dr. Wayne Geilman has been a nutrition and food science consultant for 30 years and holds advanced degrees in food science and nutrition, including a doctorate in food science from Mississippi State University. As Pure Fruit Technologies' senior research scientist, Dr. Geilman investigates traditional uses of plants and fruits, then formulates products and develops processes to provide the benefits of fruit consumption worldwide. Dr. Geilman has served as a professor at Utah State University and as a research scientist at Dairy Products Technology Center, California Polytechnic State University.
For fresh food enthusiasts, nothing beats the summertime joy of recently picked fruit selections available at farmers’ markets or, better yet, their own backyard. But when winter's cool temperatures set in, gone are the days of flavor-bursting New England blueberries, crisp Washington apples and juicy Georgia peaches.
Winter's first snowfall doesn't have to mean a months-long adieu to all things fruity, however. Whether one longs for fresher seasons in the stomach or in the heart, here are a few tips to help make it through the brisk winter months without the fruit-serving sacrifice:
• Chill out: Prepared and packaged during peak-season months, frozen fruit alone may not pack that just-picked punch. However, it can add a great amount of flavor and appetizing color to smoothies and protein shakes. Cherries and raspberries can also add a touch of sweet or sour to warm, winter-welcome entrée sauces and glazes.
• Focus on what's fresh: Winter may seem like a fresh-fruit hiatus, but many citrus and tropical fruits reach peak during these months. Grapefruit, navel oranges, kumquats, passion fruit and kiwi are all well qualified candidates to fill the winter void.
• Eat the best, preserve the rest: Gather favorite summertime fruits and encapsulate them into yearlong jams, jellies and marmalades. Transform tomatoes, a less obvious summer fruit, into zesty marinara sauces (canned or frozen) and salsa to provide a kick when winter's palate gets monotonous. With proper preparation, canned goods also make a great standby gift.
• Taste the exotic: Potent juice supplements can provide a quick, easy way to meet daily fruit requirements in small-serving liquid form. Consider juice supplements from Pure Fruit Technologies to reap the health benefits and unique taste of several exotic fruits like mangosteen, goji berries, and omega-7-rich seabuckthorn berries.
• Indulge the other senses: For some, winter's restricted daylight and cold temperatures can negatively affect mood and emotions. For those missing the sight and smells of summer fruits, indulge the eye with artificial fruit cornucopias, wreaths and arrangements, or incorporate the colors of favorite fruits through art, accessories or painted walls. Enhance the olfactory senses with fruit scented candles, oils or sprays.
Dr. Wayne Geilman has been a nutrition and food science consultant for 30 years and holds advanced degrees in food science and nutrition, including a doctorate in food science from Mississippi State University. As Pure Fruit Technologies' senior research scientist, Dr. Geilman investigates traditional uses of plants and fruits, then formulates products and develops processes to provide the benefits of fruit consumption worldwide. Dr. Geilman has served as a professor at Utah State University and as a research scientist at Dairy Products Technology Center, California Polytechnic State University.