Have you eaten a whole orange, peel and all? Give it a try and reap the benefits of this polyphenol-rich food, starting with better skin and eyesight. Learn more.
Did you know most of the nutrients from an orange or in the peel? Yet, most of us who eat oranges are peeling and discarding the best part. I ate a whole orange, peel and all, for an entire month and was amazed at how quickly I noticed improvements in my skin, hair, and eyesight. That's because the peel contains important nutrients called flavonoids -- polyphenol molecules that signal cells to heal and thrive.
This post is dedicated to the late Homer and Annette Thompson of Winter Haven, Florida.
So, who put the idea into my head to eat a whole blended orange? My parents retired and built a home on a lake in Florida in the 1990s. When I went down to visit, I'd meet many of their friends.
Homer and Annette were the owners of one of the largest commercial orange groves in the state. I found it fascinating what Homer did with all those oranges. Of course, they squeezed them for juice and sold it to local juice bottlers. Orange juice is super high in fructose, by the way, and should never be consumed alone EVER! If you want to spike your blood sugar, drink a glass of orange juice! You're much better off eating the orange with fiber to offset the sugar.
After Homer squeezed all those oranges, what was left over were tons (literally) of peels. Homer told me that supplement companies were buying up all the peels to extract the flavonoids and put into capsules. He talked about all the research and medical studies showing the health benefits of these super polyphenols. Citris flavonoids in particular have numerous health bennies including antioxidant effects, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-atherosclerosis activities.
Particularly, hesperidin and hesperetin are flavonoids in the orange peel that help fight neurodegenerative diseases, memory loss, cancer, oxidative stress, depression, and other chronic inflammatory morbidities.
Another flavonoid in orange peel is naringin and naringenin. In studies, these natural compounds metabolic syndrome and a cluster of diseases including hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity.
Carotenoids are also present to the tune of up to 340 grams per orange. Carotenoid gives the orange its deep rich color. And, it's the carotenoids in oranges that I attribute to my improved eyesight as studies show these compounds decrease the risk of certain cancers and eye disease.
Of course, oranges have lots of vitamin C. And did you know that the peel contains 3X the vitamin C than the inner fruit? The peel also contains 4X more fiber. Isnt' that amazing? So eat the peel!
I don't know why it took me so long to do this, but better late than never. I must warn you, the first frozen blended orange tasted VERY bitter. I still liked it, but it took some getting used to. The second one, tasted better. By the third one, I actually enjoyed the bitter orange flavor. And on the fourth day, I looked forward to drinking my afternoon frozen drink treat. It's become my daily routine.
After one month, my skin was noticeably clearer and brighter. My hair was shiny, thick, long and strong. My mind was (even) sharper. And, my eyesight improved. I've always had excellent 20/15 vision. But at around age 50 I needed reading glasses to see up close. After 30 days, I noticed I didn't need them. But if I skip a week, my eyes go back to their old "reader-needy" selves. So, now I never miss my daily blended orange.
Now, before we get to the recipe, let's talk about organic vs. organic oranges. Dr. Gundry says that buying organic isn't necessarily as important if you peel and discard a shell or outer layer of a food before eating it. So, in the past, I'd just buy non-organic oranges because I never ate the peel. But for this recipe, I recommend spending the extra few cents a pound for organic oranges because we are eating the surface that would otherwise be sprayed with pesticides. If you can't find organic oranges, or they're too expensive, scrub the peel really well in warm water before using to remove most of the chemicals from the peel. That said, organic is still best if you can swing it.
You'll also want to invest in a work horse of a blender if you don't already have one. Blendtec and VitaMix are both great choices and can be found on Amazon for around $300. If you're going to commit to doing this every day, a wimpy blender won't do. Here are links if you want to check these blenders out:
So, let's get to the recipe so you can reap the benefits of a daily frozen blended orange.
The Recipe
LFG Frozen Blended Orange
1 Large Organic Orange
1/2 Cup Crushed Ice
Step 1: Slice the orange
On a cutting surface, lay the whole orange on its side, and slice thinly with a sharp knife from the naval to the stem.
Step 2: Blend orange with ice
Toss the entire sliced orange, and any juice on the cutting surface, into the blender. Follow with 1/2 cup of crushed ice. Place lid on blender. Starting at lowest speed, turn blender on. Increase one speed gradually. You may need to insert the tamper into the center hole of the lid if the blender jams. Blend until the orange is blended smooth and looks like an extra fine frozen blended drink.
That's it! Pour or scrape into a glass, insert straw and sip. Give it 30 days. This refreshing whole blended orange will become part of your daily routine after you see the benefits.
ENJOY!