Summer is just around the corner. That means an abundance of beautiful, summer fruits in season. Summer is the biggest growing season of all so you’ll find the greatest variety at this time of year.
Which is great news if you follow Dr. Gundry’s plan of eating only fruits in season.
The Importance of Summer Fruits
Our ancestors ate only fruits in season. They ate fruit only in the late spring and summertime. That’s when fruits were in abundance. Summer fruits helped them fatten up for the winter due to their high sugar content.
In the fall, they’d hunt meat and gather nuts, seeds, and berries. When winter came, their survival depended on eating gathered nuts and seeds. The fat their bodies stored over summer helped too. By spring, plants would start to sprout and the cycle would begin again.
Today we can get fruit from all across the globe, 365 days a year. Which means we’re packing on those rich calories – aptly nicknamed “nature’s candy” – all year long.
And let’s face it, we’re (on average) a lot more sedentary than our hunting and gathering ancestors were.
The other issue with not eating fruits in season is the drop in nutrient density. Nutrient density declines from the day it’s harvested.
Even traveling across the U.S., your fruit could spend a week in transit. And it may spend another few days on the supermarket shelf. Fruit could potentially spend more time in your fridge. That’s not even taking into account the fruit coming internationally!
An Intro to Summer Fruits in Season
Now that you know to expect some wonderful fruits in season this summer, let’s see what’s actually available. Just remember to eat “nature’s candy” in moderation. You’re not preparing to hibernate this winter!
Here are some of the key summer fruits in season:1
| Apples | Apricots | Avocados | Bananas |
| Blackberries | Blueberries | Boysenberries | Cherries |
| Lemons | Limes | Marionberries | Peaches |
| Plums | Raspberries | Strawberries |
The Best of the Bunch
Dr. Gundry loves two of these fruits in particular. He even recommends that you eat these two fruits (and these two only) all year round! Why? Let’s take a look.
Avocados
Yup, remember avocado is indeed a fruit. In fact, it’s a superfruit! It’s the only fruit that contains virtually no sugar when ripe and it’s packed full of heart-healthy fats. It also has the ability to lower your “bad” cholesterol levels. It might even reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease!2
Green Bananas
Before a banana ripens, it’s very starchy and much lower in sugar. But as it begins to ripen, that starch turns to high levels of sugar. Here’s the thing – you want the starch from bananas, not the sugar!
The starch in green bananas is an amazing way to feed your friendly “gut bugs.” Which helps them to thrive and multiply! That’s why green bananas are considered a “prebiotic.”3
Plus, resistant starches in green bananas may also help to break down fat and reduce fat storage!4
Summer Fruits in Season
So now that you know the key summer fruits in season, you’ll know what’s truly the freshest and most local at your store.
Of course, “local” can vary widely between areas of the country. So, your best bet is to visit your local farmers market. Then you’ll know exactly what’s grown in your region and that it hasn’t been in transit for a week.
Just remember: Fruits in season, but also, fruits in moderation.
Learn More:
Your Guide to In-Season Fruits
Which Fruits are In-Season in the Fall?
Which Fruits are In-Season in Spring?
Sources
1. https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25567051
3. https://www.sciencealert.com/nutritionists-explain-how-ripe-and-unripe-bananas-have-different-health-benefits
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24228189
