Catherine Saxelby

Nutritionist, Blogger, Award Winning Author
  • 18 September 2023

    Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces

    What’s in your favourite tomato pasta sauce, and how much of it? Here are the most popular sauces reviewed for your reading ple...
  • 21 June 2023

    The Foodwatch site is closing

    From the end of June 2023, nutritionist Catherine Saxelby will be retiring. It's been an action packed whirlwind of activity ov...
  • 14 June 2023

    Protein-rich foods – serve sizes

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  • 07 June 2023

    The truth behind coconut oil

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  • 31 May 2023

    Gardening – is it really exercise?

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  • 17 May 2023

    Plant-based meat substitutes

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  • 10 May 2023

    The truth about lecithin

    What IS lecithin, I hear you ask. A popular “health food” supplement, lecithin is a type of fat called a phospholipid, which ha...
  • 03 May 2023

    Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction

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  • 26 April 2023

    Reduce your risk of a knee replacement - if you lose weight

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  • 19 April 2023

    Brighten your diet – eat by the rainbow

    What’s the first thing that strikes you when you walk into a fresh produce store? If you’re imagining the rainbow of colour…so ...

Super foods, the ultimate health foods – Grapefruits (and other citrus)

Written by Catherine Saxelby on Thursday, 26 February 2009.
Tagged: antioxidants, breakfast, diet foods, diet meals, diets, fibre, fresh food, juice, super foods, vitamins, weight loss

Super foods, the ultimate health foods – Grapefruits (and other citrus)
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Grapefruits get the thumbs up from every nutritionist, myself included. I love to kick off my day with a pink grapefruit that I peel thickly, cut into segments and add a thin sprinkle of brown sugar. Nothing nicer before my muesli!  Here's all the reaons why I've classified grapefruits as one of my 20 super foods ....

Packed with vitamin C 

Like other citrus, grapefruits are packed full of vitamin C, providing an entire day's needs in just half an grapefruit. This vitamin can enhance iron absorption, speed up wound healing and assist your immunity so your body is better able to ward of colds and flus.

Soluble fibre

Containing little in the way of fat, sugar or protein, grapefruits are high in water (over 85 per cent of their flesh is water) with natural fruit sugars (fructose).

They give us sizable quantities of a type of fibre that's rich in soluble fibre including the gelling fibre pectin and several gums - well known to home marmalade and jam makers.

 

Great source of potassium

They offer much potassium and smaller amounts of other minerals as well as vitamin B1, making them a nutritional all-rounder. Few other fruit can match this overall nutrition profile.

Cancer prevention

They contain natural compounds that research shows can help prevent colon cancer and reduce the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Even the peel contains nutritional ‘goodies' that lower cholesterol or ward off cancer, so use it wherever you can in desserts or as a marinade.

Go easy on the juice

Ideally go for whole grapefruits when you can. Freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice is heavenly but lacks the original fibre and is concentrated in kilojoules. A 250ml glass of juice is equivalent to 4 whole grapefruits in kilojoule/Calorie value - a trap for anyone on a diet.

Did the Grapefruit Diet really work?

GrapefruitWay back in the 1970s, I recall how the Grapefruit Diet hit headlines as a way to lose weight quickly. You started each meal with half a grapefruit or 250ml/8oz unsweetened grapefruit juice which the diet claimed had a fat-burning enzyme that speeds up the way our body burns fat and reduces your appetite, resulting in quick and easy weight loss.

This was a fad kickstart diet claimed to help you lose up to 10 pounds in 12 days without any starvation. While the grapefruit is an amazing fruit with low kilojoules and no fat, the claims sound just like a magic wand which doesn't exist! With such a rapid weight loss, you'll lose mostly fluid, not fat. By all means, enjoy grapefruit as part of a healthy, balanced diet but don't expect any miracle weight loss. It needs to be counted as one serve of fruit just like any other fruit. Sorry but true.

Nutrition stats

Per serve:

One grapefruit (weighing 210g) supplies: 1g protein, trace of fat, 13g sugars, no starch, 4g dietary fibre and 265 kilojoules (63 Calories).

Per 100g:

1 per cent protein, trace of fat, 8 per cent sugars, no starch, 3 per cent dietary fibre and 163 kilojoules (39 Calories).


Easy ways to enjoy grapefruits and other citrus

  • Add grated orange rind, orange juice, garlic and Dijon mustard to pork or chicken fillets before cooking.
  • Start your day with freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice or a grapefruit simply cut into quarters.
  • Add a slice of lemon or orange to iced water for a subtle refreshing flavour (you'll drink more water too!)
  • Lemon and honey in hot water can make a soothing and relaxing tea before bed.
  • Chop citrus segments into salads.
  • Use orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit juice to make a dressing with olive oil, Dijon mustard and black pepper. Great over chicken or rice salads with added orange segments.
 
 

Easy recipe to try

Cook up one of my fabulous citrus recipes:  Persian oranges with wine and cloves.

Top image of grapefruits courtesy of www.shutterstock.com.

Reviews

  • Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces

    Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces

    18 September 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    What’s in your favourite tomato pasta sauce, and how much of it? Here are the most popular sauces reviewed for your reading pleasure.

    I’ve rated nine of the most popular tomato pasta sauces in terms of their nutrition, ingredient lists and jar size. You’ll find many of these in your local supermarket. The sauces are ranked:

    • from Italian (Italy grows the reddest full-flavoured tomatoes) to Australian
    • per 100 grams, which is equivalent to 3½ ounces (the standard for comparing food products)
    • by serving size (varies between brands but is generally 100–175 g in size)
    • by ingredient list, jar size and where made (with each product’s website as the source)

    The bottom line

    When you’re next out shopping, run your eyes down the per 100 g column and look for products containing less than 400 mg sodium AND less than 5 g fat (which equals 5% fat). Most of the brands are below these levels. I like Barilla, Sacla, Leggo’s, La Gina and Mutti – but that’s just me!

    Read more
  • Product Review: Low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer

    Product review: Low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer

    1 March 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    Want something to drink before dinner? Something that’s LOWER in alcohol than wine? To match his beer? Then look no further than Bundaberg’s low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer.

    You can drink Bundaberg low-sugar ginger beer straight from the can, or pour it into a long glass over ice with a slice of lime.

     

  • Product snapshot: Khorasan Macaroni

    Product snapshot: Berkelo’s Khorasan Macaroni

    14 September 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    I’m loving this macaroni from Berkelo. I was sent a sample for Whole Grain Week 2022 by the Grains Legume Nutrition Council. I cooked it up and found that it was just divine! Read on for more …

  • Product Review: super-high-oleic-safflower-oil

    Product review: Super high-oleic safflower oil

    11 May 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    “What does super high-oleic mean?” I hear you ask.  Also, “I haven’t heard of safflower for ages. What’s the deal?” Read on and all will be explained.

  • Product Review: Healthy Life Food Tracker

    Product review: Healthy Life Food Tracker

    6 April 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    When I was first asked to write this review, I thought, Not another tracker.

    After all, there have been several in recent years, such as My Fitness Pal and Everyday Diet Diary. But this one is different. It works by using your Everyday Rewards card AND your shop at Woolworths.

  • Product review: Lite n' Easy

    Product review: Lite n' Easy

    20 October 2021 by, Catherine Saxelby

    With home delivery on the rise, this post is reviewing none other than that stalwart Lite n’ Easy. We all know their meals are good for weight loss (which we all need after COVID-19!), but did you know they’re also good for general health and wellbeing ? Eating well to nourish yourself – putting your mental health and wellbeing at the forefront – is gaining momentum. Lite n’ Easy meals also ensures you satisfy your need for vitamins, minerals, fibre and phyto-compounds, such as sterols and carotenoids.

    clipboardThis post has been sponsored by Lite n' Easy.  

     

  • Product review:  Birds Eye Plant Based range

    Product review: Birds Eye Plant Based range

    15 September 2021 by, Catherine Saxelby

    When you think of Birds Eye, their frozen peas and fish fingers probably come to mind. But I bet you’d never think of plant-based products!

    clipboardThis post has been sponsored by Birds Eye. 

Healthy Weight Loss

  • Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction

    Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction

    3 May 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    As you probably know already, intermittent fasting (IF) has gained favour as an alternative regimen to daily caloric restriction (DCR). Fasting is shown to extend the lifespan of rats, and has been associated with metabolic benefits in humans, yet the results so far have been inconsistent. So, which regimen is best for healthy weight loss?

    Read more
  • The lifestyle diet craze

    The lifestyle diet craze

    15 March 2023 by, Catherine Saxelby

    What sort of a diet should you follow to lose that excess weight? These days, it’s pretty confusing with high-protein Keto advocates clashing with plant-protein followers … as well as intermittent fasters, juice-only dieters, no-carb dieters and no-animal (aka plant-based) dieters. Plus all the ads for anti-hunger supplements, meal-replacement shakes and home-delivered meals, more of which somehow appear every day. So, what sort of diet should YOU follow to lose that excess?

  • Protein shakes for weight loss

    Protein shakes for weight loss

    9 November 2022 by, Catherine Saxelby

    These days, protein shakes aren’t bought by just body builders – they’re so popular that you can readily buy a 400 g tub at your local supermarket or service station. And with tempting claims such as ‘Facilitates muscle toning’, ‘Contains transformation-making protein’ and ‘Tastes incredible, mixes easily’, why wouldn’t you grab one? But protein shakes aren’t the magic answer to all your weight-loss woes. Let’s take a look at what you get for your money.

    Guest post by dietitian Zoe Wilson APD

  • What is your relationship with food and eating?

    How to beat those cravings

    20 January 2021 by, Catherine Saxelby

    Many of us have cravings from time to time and for different reasons. One thing is certain, they can sabotage all your best efforts at a healthy diet and/or weight loss. The good news? You CAN beat them. I’ll tell you how.

  • What is your relationship with food and eating?

    How to lose weight WITHOUT going on a diet

    14 October 2020 by, Catherine Saxelby

    The word 'diet' is a turn-off for most people. It sounds hard, unpleasant and unpalatable. Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard AND it doesn’t have mean sticking to a 'diet'. You can forget Paleo, Keto, Vegan and Raw, Gluten-free and Intermittent Fasting. To lose weight, you don’t have to follow any specific diet. What you need is simple, healthy, nutritious food and a few tips and tricks.

  • What IS a healthy balanced diet for weight loss?

    What IS a healthy balanced diet for weight loss?

    16 September 2020 by, Catherine Saxelby

    Healthy weight loss happens when you lose weight slowly and steadily (around 1 kg or 2 pounds weight loss a week). Your goal is to lose weight while still getting your essential nutrients but from smaller portions. You certainly don’t want to be tired with no energy! That’s why you need regular healthy meals and snacks on hand to ensure your vitamins, minerals, omega-3s and fibre needs can be easily met. There is a new range of healthy weight loss meals available and it’s one that I’d like to recommend. With these ready meals, you’ll say goodbye to meal planning, shopping, meal preparation and cooking.

    This post is sponsored by Chefgood 

  • Kitchen make-over for the New Year

    Kitchen make-over for the New Year

    8 January 2020 by, Catherine Saxelby

     “This year, I'm going to lose weight!”, or “This year I’m opting for a healthier lifestyle!” Is your 2020 New Year's resolution something like one of these? If so, how is it going to happen?