Heart-Healthy Snack: Grapes!

Become a member | Learn more | Member sign in   February 11, 2015 Hungry for more information that will make your weight loss journey easier and fun? "Like" The New Sonoma Diet on Facebook for daily food and eating tips! Heart-Healthy Snack: Grapes! The Greeks and Romans considered grapes a gift from the gods. And why not? There's something miraculous about a gnarly black vine producing generous clusters of bright pearls of fruit, each bursting with pure goodness. These ancient Europeans appreciated the power of grapes as fruit, but they positively worshiped them for what they would eventually become — fine wine. Grapes deliver virtually all of the nutrients that wine does, so you'll still reap the health benefits even if you cannot (or choose not to) drink a daily glass of wine. Grapes and wine are among the main reasons that modern researchers became curious about the Mediterranean diet in the first place. Why, they asked, did southern Europeans suffer so few heart attacks even as they ate so richly? A big reason, we know now, is the special potency of the heart-protective nutrients in the grapes and wine they consume so liberally. The phytonutrients in grapes work to keep your entire cardiovascular system healthy. They protect the blood vessels and heart muscle itself from tissue damage and "rusting" caused by free radicals. Grapes are one of the Top Twelve Sonoma Power Foods that can be enjoyed starting in Wave 1. Grapes are the very symbol of Sonoma's healthy way of life. Members Get More! Sign Up Now! Tomorrow:  Create Your Dream Dining Room  Enjoying this newsletter? Sign up for other free newsletters. More from The New Sonoma Diet!   Connie's Tip of the Day Whole Grapes for Whole Health Grapes make a great argument for the whole-foods approach to weight loss. Studies abound that confirm the heart-protecting benefits of eating grapes and drinking wine. There's much less evidence, however, that the powerful nutrients in grapes can act in isolation — that is, as a supplement — to protect the heart. Red and purple grapes are richer in flavonoids than the white and green varieties, but we're not going to hold you to that. Grapes of any color are Power Foods, period. Your Sonoma Diet Tools   500 Recipes   Wine Guide   Online Dietitians   Weight Tracker   Message Boards   Shopping Lists Advertisement