The Real Good Food series will highlight raw foods that are nutritional powerhouses. In this age of processed garbage, it is still possible to make nutritious meals at home if you use real foods.
"The Apple of the Tropics"
Guavas are believed to have come from Central America and have been domesticated for over 2000 years. Despite their reputation as an exotic food, guavas are actually one of the most commonly eaten fruits in the world, being very popular in tropical regions throughout the entire world. Millions of people eat them on a regular basis, hence the nickname the “apple of the tropics.” Guavas can be eaten cooked or raw, and the skin can be eaten just like an apple. As delicious and nutritious as the fruit itself is, as we will see in a moment, the leaves have been used throughout history for medicinal purposes as well, including various bowel and gastric orders, and to fight mouth sores, bleeding gums, laryngitis and sore throats.
Get Your Guava On
Guavas are not only delicious, but they are relatively unknown nutritional powerhouses too! A single serving of guava contains twice the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C. They are abundant in the mineral potassium, which is important for maintaining healthy blood pressure and which has been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. One cup of guava can contain as much as 60 percent more potassium than a medium banana. That same cup of guava would also contain about 9 grams of fiber--which would be impressive enough by itself. Guava also contains great amounts of folate, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A and beta-carotene. However, the ingredient that makes guava such a superstar is lycopene; yes, the same lycopene that you’ll find in tomatoes. Guava has the highest concentration of lycopene, one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man, of ANY fruit or vegetable, containing 17 percent more per cup than even tomatoes. Lycopene has been shown in numerous studies to help fight prostate and breast cancers, and to prevent the development and spreading of tumors. As an anti-oxidant, lycopene also works to repair damaged cells and protect the body from free radicals, which can cause damage to any of your tissues and individual cells. In fact, guava is so rich in antioxidants that it ranked higher on the ORAC scale (the test to determine how many anti-oxidants a food contains) than broccoli, spinach, and even strawberries. Both the light and red-skinned varieties of guava placed in the top 10 (although the red fleshed type finished higher) is possibly due to the presence of more beta-carotene which causes the colored flesh. The best part about the lycpene in guavas is that it is completely bioavailable.
As we saw with tomatoes, the lycopene content is higher when they are processed or cooked because they have very tough cell walls that don’t break down unless heated or processed. However, the cell walls in guava are much softer and break down when eaten, releasing the powerful anti-oxidant whether they are cooked or not.
While guavas aren’t nearly as popular in the U.S. as in the tropics, you can still find them in grocery stores and they are very versatile. As we said before, you can eat them like an apple, or you can cut them up into cubes for salads. Here is a recipe for a delicious chicken dish using guava that you can try if you are looking to make a meal out of them:
Grilled Chicken with 3-G Trilogy Glaze
4 chicken breasts
2 guavas, seedless and julienned
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, grated
2 oz. Triple Sec
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Lightly season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Grill chicken breasts ‘til golden brown on both sides.
When nearly cooked, drain oil from the pan and deglaze the pan with Triple Sec while the Chicken is still in the pan. The sugars in the Triple Sec will thicken and glaze the chicken.
Turn down heat and add the minced garlic, ginger and guava (what’s called the 3-G Trilogy!). Heat until the dish gets really aromatic and your kitchen is filled with wonderful smells.
Move the chicken to the side of the pan and pour in the butter.
Remove the chicken breasts and pour the guava butter sauce over each breast. The sliced guava is to be used as garnish.
With such flavor and nutritional benefits, you’d be crazy not to try to get more guavas in your diet. Try searching for them at your closest health food store (likely in the exotic fruit section) and start reaping the benefits!
If you have any delicious recipes, please share them in the discussion section!
Resources:
Bowden, Jonny, Ph.D, C.N.S, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Beverly, MA: Fairwinds Press, 2007
Margen, Sheldon, M.D., and the Editors of the UC Berkeley, Wellness Letter. Wellness Foods, A to Z: an indispensible guide for health-conscious food lovers. New York, NY: Rebus, Inc. Health Letter Associates, 2002
Nuwanee Kirihennedige – Is a nutritionist and dietician that works with athletes and health minded individuals on sports performance and weight loss. Nuwanee currently is the nutritionist for the California Strength Academy in San Ramon California. Nuwanee can be reached at nuwanee@californiastrength.com.