THE “WHAT”
Pineapple isn’t just your average fruit… well, technically, it’s not one fruit, rather 100-200 fruitlets fused together. The draught-tolerant, fruit bearing plant can grow up to eight feet tall. The tropical produce is a fruit with a rough, spiky outer skin. Pineapple is both sweet and tart, and has a slight chewy texture due to its fiber-like pectin content. Native to Paraguay, pineapples got their name from the Spanish word “piña,” meaning “pinecone.” #IfYouLikePinaColadassss #WhyYesWeDo
THE “WHY”
What most people don’t realize about this tasty fruit is that it’s much more useful to humans than just a garnish for tropical drinks! The benefits of pineapple are due to its high supply of Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, potassium, manganese, calcium, and folate, to name a few. Pineapple provides 131% of the daily recommended intake of the antioxidant Vitamin C per serving, which plays a huge role in maintaining our health & immunity! Due to its richness in Vitamin C, pineapple can help your body fight off free radical damage and reduce inflammation, which are known to contribute to the development of cancer. Pineapple also supports heart health because of its fiber, potassium, and vitamin C content. If you take an aspirin a day to lower your risk of a heart attack – pineapple is your natural solution. Bromelain, a powerful enzyme, has been shown to stop blood platelets from sticking together or building up along the walls of blood vessels – both known causes of heart attacks or strokes. Bromelain is also remarkable for healing the gut and increasing the efficiency of digestion & nutrient absorption! While we’re on a roll, these benefits of bromelain can also prevent certain GI cancers & digestive disorders, such as IBS, ulcerative colitis, colon cancer, constipation, and Chrohn’s disease. One more note on how awesome bromelain is: this enzyme works on inflammation by blocking metabolites which cause swelling. Due to this, pineapple is useful to incorporate into your diet to receive the anti-inflammatory benefits for sports injuries, surgical procedures, arthritis, and joint pain. Lastly, pineapple improves mood & fights depression due to its amino acid tryptophan, which is used by the body to produce serotonin, our happy hormone! #NoBadDays
THE “HOW”
The heavier the better when choosing pineapples! Along with dark green leaves and a fragrant smell, these are the signs of perfect ripeness.
Soooo how the heck do you cut this unique fruit anyways?! No worries – We’ve got ya covered! Here’s the step-by-step process: Chop off the top and the bottom. Holding the pineapple upright, slice down the sides, cutting off the skin and the inner spikes. Do this all the way around the contour of the fruit. Once the skin is removed, you can slice it into rings or chunks!
Eat pineapple as a post-workout snack for a refreshing, sweet treat, or you can add it to a savory dish with chicken, shrimp, or pork chops! Our personal favorite – try grilling fresh pineapple on a skewer to boost its flavor… just in time for Memorial Day barbecues! #YUMx10
THE “80” WAY
Our new Spring Menu incorporates pineapple into a few tropical-inspired dishes like our paleo Caribbean Chicken and traditional/paleo Green Curry Chicken!
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