Everyone is seeking a healthier lifestyle.  We all want to eat well and exercise daily to look and feel better.  Eliminating empty calories is one of the first ways people reach for good health.  Adding fruitcake as a snack is an excellent way to enjoy a treat without all the guilt.

Foods with empty calories deliver no nutritional value.  You eat the and pack on the pounds for no good reason.  While some foods with empty calories may satisfy your taste buds, they ultimately lead to poor health.  Fruits, vegetables and smart snacks on occasions such as fruitcake make a major difference.

Let's consider a few of the fruits used in popular fruitcake recipes and the nutritional value these fruits give our bodies:

Cherries – Most types of fruitcake contain distinctive red cherries.  These fabulous little fruits contain Vitamin C, beta carotene, iron, fiber, folate and magnesium to improve memory and sleep patterns and reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Coconuts – Coconuts are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals including lauric acid and helps to stimulate thyroid, maintain cholesterol levels and increase immunity.

Dates – What old-fashioned fruitcake recipes doesn't contain dates and nuts?  Dates contain fiber, calcium, iron and sulphur and work well as a laxative for proper internal cleansing.

Guavas – In exotic tropical fruitcake, you might find seductive guavas.  Guavas contain Vitamins A and C, iron and pectin to aid digestion and improve heart function.

Lemons – Citrus fruitcake might also have lemons or citrus rind.  Lemons contains Vitamin C to build immunity and help aid your digestion.

Oranges – Citrus fruitcake often has oranges as a main ingredient.  Oranges have plenty of Vitamin C to help build your immune system.  They also have antioxidant abilities to help relieve your body of toxins.

Pears – Pears are another popular fruit used in fruitcake.  Pears contain Vitamin B2, C, E, potassium and copper to promote colon and cardiovascular health.

Pineapples – Tropical fruitcake would not be the same without pineapples.  These tangy fruits have an enzyme called bromelain as well an antioxidant Vitamin C to boost healing with natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Prunes – Besides raisins and dates, prunes are a leading ingredient in many fruitcake recipes.  Prunes have fiber and sorbitol to promote internal cleansing and colon health.  They are also high in Vitamin A and beta carotene with excellent antioxidant properties.

Raisins – Sticky sweet raisins are an important ingredient in many types of fruitcake.  Raisins are rich in potassium and iron to promote relief from constipation, anemia and other ailments.

Nuts also add nutritional value to fruitcake such as:

Almonds – Tasty almonds contain statins to help reduce cholesterol levels for optimum heart health.

Hazelnuts – Robust hazelnuts have calcium, potassium, magnesium oleic acid to lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

Walnuts – Meaty walnuts contain Vitamins B and E, fiber, magnesium and Omega-3 fatty acids to encourage improved heart health and lower cholesterol levels.

Fruitcake is a thoughtful, health-conscious gift for yourself and the people you care about.