Fragrant Guava
Guavas are fragrant, delicious tropical fruits that many Americans know only because they are frequently used in jellies. But these red-fleshed (and sometimes white-fleshed) fruits pack an amazing nutritional wallop. New government research demonstrates that guava may indeed deserve a place among the antioxidant elite. On one widely used test of antioxidant power, the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity [ORAC] test, guava beat out strawberries, spinach, and broccoli. (Both the red and white-fleshed types of guava scored in the top ten fruits and vegetables tested, but the red flesh had a higher antioxidant score.)
Lycopene in guava fights prostate and breast cancers. It has a higher concentration of the carotenoid lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable. Tomatoes are the main way Americans get their lycopene, but guavas are an even better source. A cup of guava has 17 percent more lycopene than an equivalent amount of tomatoes. … Cooked or uncooked, you get all the benefits of Guava. This fruit is a potassium heavyweight. One cup of guava cubes gives you 688 mg of potassium—63% more than a medium banana!
(Excerpts from The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, 119, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.)
Strawberry Guava Smoothie
Ingredients
1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
1/2 cup chopped guava (seeds removed first)
1/2 cup frozen mango cubes
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut or other non-dairy milk
If more sweetening needed, add a little honey or stevia drops to sweeten.
Process
- Prepare your strawberries by removing the stems and cutting into quarters. You should have 1 cup of quartered strawberries.
- Prepare your guava by cutting in half, scooping out the seeds, and roughly chopping. Measure out 1/2 cup chopped fresh guava.
- Blend together all ingredients until smooth.