Eating foods that taste good and are GOOD for you are daily decisions we all make.  Oftentimes, we make food choices unconsciously.  It’s the reason FruitFast suggests we all pay attention to food labels to get in the habit of doing what’s right for our bodies.

Food labels don’t tell us what foods to eat, but they contain vitally important information in making your decisions of what to buy and consume. 

Basically there are two important parts to reading a food or supplement label; the nutrition or supplement facts and the ingredients.

Nutrition and Supplement Facts -  The nutrition or supplement facts tell us the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, sugars, fiber,  saturated fats, vitamins and minerals that a product contains per serving.  Be sure to note the amount of sugars, saturated and trans fats as these compounds should be limited, according to the USDA.

Ingredients List -  The list of ingredients is key to note when purchasing any type of food or supplement.  It lets you know what a product contains, such as unhealthy chemicals.  If a label contains more than a few unpronounceable compounds, chances are it’s not a nutritious choice.  The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to list the ingredients with the largest quantities first and the smallest quantities last.

Read and compare our FruitFast labels with others.  Take, for instance, our juice concentrates, they contain only one ingredient – 100% juice without added water, fillers or preservatives.  And our proprietary line of fruit softgels, like CherryFlex, Wild Blueberry and Pomegranate, contain USA grown pure fruit as their first listed ingredients.

FruitFast recognizes the importance of letting our customers know the nutritional facts and ingredients in all our products.  You’ll find certificates of analysis conducted by outside professional laboratories posted on our website.  Have  questions about our product ingredients?   We invite you to give us a call toll free at 1-877-591-3101.

A 2009 survey shows that Americans are connecting the dots when it comes to recognizing the link between food they consume and their overall health.  Here at FruitFast, it’s the basis of our business!

Conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), survey findings indicated that 89 percent of respondents agree certain foods have benefits beyond basic nutrition.  And this is a significant increase from just two years ago, says the IFIC.

The Health Consumer Trending Survey found Americans making the connection that they are what they eat.  Elizabeth Rahavi, RD and associate director of wellness at IFIC, said “Consumers’ awareness of many food and health relationships has reached an all-time high.”

According to the survey, the top functional foods named by consumers are: 1) fruits and vegetables; 2) fish, fish oil, seafood; 3) dairy (including milk and yogurt); 4) meat and poultry; and 5) herbs/spices, among others. But beyond consumer interest in individual foods, research shows people are increasingly associating nutrients with specific health benefits for:

• bone and heart health
• antioxidants for protection against free radicals
• healthy immune systems
• omega 3 fatty acids for cognitive health 1

But as you might expect, saying and doing are two different things.  Maintaining a healthy diet – that includes plenty of fruits, antioxidants, beneficial oils and phytonutrients – is the key.

We invite you to browse our website and research the natural goodness that can always be found in FruitFast products.

1   www.foodinsight.org/

Put on a few pounds over the Holidays?  Well, you are not alone.  Isn’t it amazing how easily it goes on – and how tough it is to take off?  Common sense tells me a bit of dedication and a fair share of commitment are what’s needed.

Regular exercise is part of the answer, says the online health site WebMD, along with diet and good sleep habits.  It doesn’t mean you have to buy a costly gym membership necessarily, but chances are you will only stick to your fitness regime if you enjoy what you are doing.  Whether it’s walking, biking, running, tennis, or just taking the steps instead of the elevator, you have to  make it an ongoing part of your lifestyle.  Exercising with a friend is another suggestion to help with the consistency, too, and keep you moving.

When it comes to diet,  a healthy dose of willpower doesn’t hurt either.  Eat well-balanced meals three times a day, control your portions and no binge eating.  That last one’s tough, too.  Stay away from the junk food, and as my boss says, if a product has a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, don’t eat it!

FruitFast has some excellent choices when it comes to healthy foods to include in your daily diet.  I’ll be happy to tell you about our Super Fruit juice concentrates in great tasting flavors like tart cherry, pomegranate and wild blueberry, or our line of popular fruit softgels and our low calorie FruitFast bars.  Talk about good for you – these are delicious and make adding more fruit to your diet easy for you and your family.

So give us a call … toll free at 1-877-591-3101 … and we’ll help you on your way to a healthy 2010!

October’s falling temperatures signal the end of the growing season in northern parts of the country.  This bumper crop season for tart cherries, apples and wild blueberries in our fruit-producing region has been a result of near perfect growing conditions.

Fall also signals the harvest of pomegranates in the San Joaquin Valley of California where another plentiful crop is expected.

During October, FruitFast’s featured special is our Wonderful Pomegranate Liquid Fruit Supplement at a 25% savings, only $14.95 per 10 ounce bottle. Each bottle contains 60 teaspoon-sized servings that are 10 calories each and offer 150 mg of Anthocyanins. Made from a combination of our Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Concentrate and our Wonderful Pomegranate Fruit Paste, it mixes into your favorite beverage, yogurt or smoothie. Many of our customers take a teaspoon straight from the bottle or add this healthy liquid to recipes.

Just as delicious and versatile are FruitFast’s CherryFlex and Mixed Berry Liquid Fruit Supplements, an innovative way to pass along the health benefits of these dark-skinned fruits to keep your family in peak condition this winter.

Special pricing continues of $15.95 for our Cranberry Softgels, and we want to remind you of our new, lower prices for most of our fruit juice concentrates.
Like tart cherry juice and wild blueberry concentrates, FruitFast is passing savings on to customers this month as a result of these plentiful fruit harvests.

Wait no longer!  Contact us today and enjoy the harvest.

Smoothie popularity continues to grow nationwide as a commercially-made beverage that’s a healthy alternative to sugary soft drinks.  But they can just as easily be created right in your own kitchen.

When I think of smoothies, several thoughts come to mind;
• A healthy drink
• Easy to make
• Inexpensive

Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast supplies our delicious and nutritious Fruit Juice Concentrates and popular Liquid Fruit Supplements to smoothie outlets, health clubs, restaurants and natural food stores.  So if you have a favorite eatery, gym or grocery store that you wish would carry the FruitFast line to improve their smoothies, tell them about www.brownwoodacres.com.  Or let us know and we will contact them for you.  Just call us toll free at 1.877.591.3101.

There really isn’t anything tricky or complicated when it comes to creating your own smoothie right at home.  I recommend starting with your favorite ingredients – which we know will include our FruitFast concentrates and liquids – and ones you typically have on hand.

Start with the fruit, water, milk or juice, ice cubes and then get creative!  For an extra healthy treat, flaxseed, wheat germ or whey powder can be added for a boost.  Low fat yogurt adds nutrition with fewer calories or the reverse can be the goal when you add nuts, ice cream or chocolate syrup.  Then you have dessert in a glass.

FruitFast’s gourmet cook, Debbie Colaianni, can get you started with a recipe for a Pomegranate and Mixed Berry Smoothie that’s on the FruitFast Recipe Blog.

And yes, do share your favorite smoothie recipes with us.