The benefits of grapefruit – he’s amazing!

Ditch the sour thoughts, and prepare your brain to be blown away by the beauty and benefits of grapefruit. Here at Hello Fresh, we’re not the lying type… To be honest, we need to admit that the poor grapefruit has been left at the bottom of our office fruit bowl a few too many times.

Sure, it’s sour, not the best in a fruit salad and looks a little bit like an anaemic orange, but grapefruit can be really delicious and is great for your health. Here’s why…

1. Grapefruit is incredibly high in Vitamin C

You’re probably thinking “Yeah, so are oranges”, but variety is the spice of life! One grapefruit provides approximately 80% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. Simply add some lemon, tomato, capsicum or kiwi to your diet in the same day and you’re good to go.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which works to counteract exposure to the toxins and pollutants we come into contact with on a daily basis. Isn’t it amazing that essentially we just need to eat a grapefruit to help protect our body from exposure to second hand cigarette smoke (maybe it’s not that simple, but you get my point J).

2. Grapefruit helps to promote weight loss

Fresh grapefruit has been shown to promote weight loss in patients with metabolic syndrome. Along with helping them lose weight, it was also shown to help lower their insulin levels in response to food. Essentially, the grapefruit was shown to have helped keep blood sugar levels stable, ensuring the levels of hunger and satiety in the tested patients were more stable, thanks to the grapefruit.

3. The bitter quality of grapefruit stimulates digestion

Bitter foods like grapefruit help to raise the level of acidity within the stomach, preparing it for good digestion. We need a good level of acidity in the stomach to digest food well, especially animal protein. Enjoying a grapefruit and rocket salad before a large meal, or simply half a grapefruit on its own will ensure your body is well prepared for the meal ahead.

Check out our delicious recipe for a grapefruit and raspberry smoothie, perfect for a refreshing afternoon pick me up or brekkie on the go.

Ingredients

• 1 grapefruit
• 2 kiwis
• 1 cup raspberries
• 300mL plain Greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons honey or more to taste

Instructions:

1. Peel the grapefruit skin and pith and spoon out the flesh of the kiwi from the peel.
2. Combine the grapefruit, kiwi, most of the raspberries, yoghurt and honey in a blender or high
3. bowl with hand blender and purée until smooth. If necessary add a little water to make the smoothie more liquid or leave it firmly so you can ladle it. Add extra honey if you like sweeter
4. smoothie.
5. Pour the smoothie in large glasses, garnish with the remaining raspberries and serve with and straw and a spoon.