'Eat seasonal' is the advice that a lot of us have received from our elders at home. Many doctors and nutritionists also tell us to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season for a particular time. Seasonal fruits and veggies are said to have a whole range of nutrients that can help equip the body to stay healthy during the season. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar is among the foremost and staunch advocates of consumption of local and seasonal food in India. Diwekar has an impressive list of clientele including Bollywood divas Kareena and Karisma Kapoor, as well as Varun Dhawan, among others. Diwekar reminded us of a delightful seasonal fruit- custard apple or shareefa- recently through her post on Instagram.
Posting a picture of a basket full of custard apple fruit, Rujuta Diwekar pointed at the various benefits of the fruit, which has a hard, green, scaly shell for cover. Diwekar reminded her Instagram followers that the fruit is in season right now and therefore, it is the right time to stock up on it.
Also Read: Why Are We Always Told to Eat Seasonal Food?
Check out what she wrote about sitaphal or custard apple on Instagram:
Custard apple flowering season begins in the months of April or May and the fruits start appearing between August and November. Here are some benefits of the seasonal fruit as highlighted by Rujuta Diwekar:
1. Heals ulcers and prevents acidity.
Also Read: Make These Yummy And Creamy Desserts From Custard Apple (Sharifa)
2. Betters skin health. Diwekar says that custard apple has "micronutrients that give you a smooth skin tone, better than any liquid foundation."
3. Improves eye and brain health.
4. Helps improve Haemoglobin (Hb) levels.
5. Helps fight chronic illnesses including obesity and diabetes. According to Diwekar, custard apple has bioactive molecules that have "anti-cancer properties".
Also Read: 5 Surprising Benefits of Custard Apple Leaves
Custard apple is rich in Vitamin C, which helps boost immunity and collagen production as well. It also contains good amounts of dietary fibre and almost no fats. You've got to add it to your bag of fruits on your next grocery run!
(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)