When you recall your school years, do you remember that handful of students who never missed a day? Who, when the rest of the class was hacking and coughing, somehow staved off sickness, with nary an absence to their name? Well, folks, I was one of those kids. I rarely came down with so much as a cold, and even when I did, it was minor at best; thus, I maintained a perfect attendance record. (Admittedly, my OCD-esque tendencies also played a role, as a break in routine gave me the heebie-jeebies. But I digress …)
Even now, I rarely succumb to the illness du jour. So when last week I felt a tad under the weather, I fought it tooth and nail. Alas, though, I knew I might not be victorious in my battle. What with the raft of stuff weaving its germ-filled way around my daughter's school — and the fact that I live in the allergy capital of the country, which was posting record mountain cedar counts — I knew my number was up. Defiantly (I'm not a good patient), I popped a few allergy pills, but even the “non-drowsy” ones made me feel like a zombie. An allover feeling of funkiness led me to take my temperature on Sunday night: 99.8. Not too bad, but not too good.
That's when I declared an all-out war. It was time to marshal my last — and, it seems, my best — defense: ironically, a somewhat bullet-shaped fruit that isn't so pretty to look at but packs a powerful nutritional punch.
Behold, the kiwi. No sooner had I eaten a couple of those little 40-calorie buggers than I started to feel better.
Look, I know what you're thinking. Not only do you have a hard time believing kiwi cured me, but you're wondering what in the world you're doing reading a blog about fruit. First off, I'm not contending kiwi is some sort of miracle remedy that “cured” my condition. But I have no doubt that, coupled with a healthy diet rich in other fruits and veggies and good foods, it can help ward off what ails you. According to the California Kiwifruit Commission website, one serving of kiwi has nearly 2.5 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, along with an array of other yummy nutrients that bump up immunity, boost energy and much more.
And besides all that, they're super cheap! I grabbed several at Sprouts Farmers Market (my favorite place to buy produce, incidentally, and a store I’ll be mentioning here a lot). Price? Three for a dollar! No, they’re not as charming as an apple or as eye-catching as an orange, but the humble kiwi can kick some serious butt. I’ll be heading back to Sprouts today for more. Maybe I’ll see you there!
