Keep Yourself Fit as a Fiddle with Fresh Citrus Fruit

Founded on July 1, 1946, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal agency that guards public health and safety through education, information, and recommendations on critical health decisions in the United States. Although it was originally established to fight communicable diseases like malaria, the organization has spent most of its time and money in recent years battling non-infectious conditions, particularly obesity.

The agency’s Healthy People 2010 Program was aimed at increasing the number of fresh fruits and vegetables in the average American’s diet. The goal was to get at least half of the country to eat the three or more daily servings of vegetables and 75 percent of them to enjoy two or more servings of fruit each day. Unfortunately, the well-intentioned program has fallen far short of its goal.

At last count, only one-quarter of Americans eats enough veggies and one-third consumes enough fruit. What does this have to do with obesity? The United States is now the fattest developed nation on Earth, and diet is almost entirely to blame for our growing rotundity. Fast foods, snack foods, sugary sodas, and other unhealthy comestibles have transformed a once fit nation into a fat camp.

How can citrus help?

While it is true that Americans do ingest more fruit than veggies, the way they absorb it should not be ignored. Most of the folks who eat enough fruit get citrus in liquid form, which is not nearly as healthy as eating it whole. When oranges and grapefruit are sent to the processing plant for juicing, essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are inevitably lost.

It is also important to note that most fruit juices contain twice as much sugar as the fruits they were derived from, since they are often from concentrate or sugar was actually added. For example, the average orange contains just seventy calories, but a glass of OJ has a whopping 140 calories! Not to mention the fact that all of the dietary fiber and some of the vitamin C are lost during juicing. In other words, there is no comparison between actually eating an orange and drinking its juice. Whole oranges are far better for you than OJ.

With the help of influential public health officials, including the U.S. Attorney General, the CDC is desperately trying to spread the word that fruit really should be consumed in its natural form. It is far too soon to say if their efforts will be effective or will fall on deaf ears. But we can say that the folks who are looking out for the health of the nation are doing their best. They know that Americans must choose oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits over potato chips, pretzels, and other unhealthy snacks if they want to lose weight and keep it off.

Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.

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