Three dried calimyrna figs weighing approximately
1.1 oz. contain 110 calories, or about 37 calories per fig. As a dried
fruit, the calimyrna fig is a calorie-dense food because of its low
moisture content. As a calorie-dense food it has a high calorie content
relative to its serving size. However, as a fruit, the calimyrna fig
makes a healthy calorie choice compared to other calorie-dense foods
such as cookies or candy bars.
Macronutrients comprise a food item's fat, protein
and carbohydrate content. The calimyrna fig is fat-free and not a good
source of protein, but it is a good source of carbohydrates. One serving
of calimyrna figs contains 26 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of fiber, 20 g of
sugar and 1 g of protein. The carbohydrates in the fig provide your
body with energy. While most of the carbohydrates are in the form of
sugar, fruit sugar, known as fructose, is not the same as table sugar
and does not raise blood sugar levels.
Calimyrna figs are high in fiber, with 5 g per
1.1-oz. serving, meeting 20 percent of your daily value. The percent
daily value is a consumer information tool designed by the Food and Drug
Administration that you can use to help you make healthy food choices.
Found on food labels, it's based on a 2,000-calorie diet for healthy
adults. The fiber in the figs slows digestion, helping you feel full
longer. Fiber also adds bulk to your stool, improving bowel movements.
In addition, including more high-fiber foods in your diet lowers your
risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Calimyrna figs can also help you meet your daily
potassium needs. A 1.1-oz. serving contains 240 mg of potassium.
Including more potassium-rich foods in your diet helps lower blood
pressure, according to the American Heart Association. However, if you
have kidney disease or a history of high blood potassium levels, you may
need to limit the amount of potassium in your diet. Talk to your doctor
about your daily potassium needs before increasing your intake.
Calimyrna figs also help you meet your daily
calcium and iron needs. A 1.1-oz. serving meets 6 percent of your daily
value for both calcium and iron. Calcium is important for bone health,
and iron is necessary for oxygen transport throughout your body.
14 Key Reasons Why You Should Go Organic1) No chemicals Organic food is free of chemicals such as pesticide residues, artificial colourings, preservatives, flavourings, trans-fats, enhancers, stabilizers, fillers, sweeteners and other food additives that could have cumulative health effects.
2) Healthier Kids Feeding our kids with organic food will significantly reduce their exposure to pesticide residues. Infants and children are more susceptible to the effects of chemicals due to their larger intake of food per kilo of body weight, narrower range of food consumed, increased intake of fruit and vegetable, and the reduced ability of their developing vital organs in eliminating toxins.
3) No Antibiotics, Hormones or Pathogens Organic farming does not allow livestock to be routinely given antibiotics or feeds that contain animal by-products which could have been contaminated with pathogens. Organic livestock have lower levels of pathogens due to high animal welfare standards. If you are eating organic meat, you are much less likely to be eating food that contains antibiotic residues or pathogens.
4) Better Nutrition Organic farming produces healthier plants as they are grown on nutrient rich soil, which in turn produce healthier foods that give our bodies the nourishment to function at an optimum level. In contrast, the use of synthetic fertilisation of soil, early picking, over-processing and extended storage of food in conventional farming depletes their nutritional value.
5) No Genetic Modification The only way to be sure you are not eating genetically modified food is to buy certified organic food. Genetically modified food has not been independently tested for their long term effects on our health.
6) No Irradiation Organic food cannot be irradiated. Irradiation causes changes to both macro and micronutrients in foods and creates free radicals. These free radicals can combine with existing chemicals such as pesticide residues in food to form new chemicals called unique radiolytic products. There are limited scientific studies on the long term effects of these new chemicals, especially on babies and children.
7) Better Taste Higher soil nutrients, healthier plants grown in season, fewer early pickings, reduced time in storage, lack of over-processing, higher natural sugar content and happier animals raised in a natural environment, all contribute to a better quality and flavor in organic food.
8.) Safer Home By choosing organic, you will live in a safer home where indoor pollution and toxic chemicals play little part in your daily life. The garden will be a safer place for your children and pets to play in.
9) Better Future Buying organic products increases the demand which in turn, encourages farmers and food processors to produce more organic products. This will make organic products more readily available, less expensive and therefore more affordable to all. Increasing demand will also lead to the reversal of conventional farming practices and the harmful effects they are having on our health and environment.
10) Healthier Ecosystems Organic farming practices reduce the amount of toxic chemicals used and help to eliminate chemical leaching, thus protecting and conserving our environment and water resources. Organic farmers also create healthier habitats for native animals which in turn, help to promote the re-establishment and balance of the native ecosystems that have been lost through decades of conventional farming practices.
11) Sustainable Future Organic farming practices are considered to be highly sustainable and are based on the principal of building and nurturing the natural biodiversity and structure within the soils and the surrounding environment.
12) Biodiversity Conventional farming is about killing everything that poses a threat to the maximum yield of the crop being produced. Organic farming is about preserving and nurturing life and promoting diversity within the environment. It encourages natural biodiversity and preservation of the natural genetic variety of plants, insects and animal species
13) Animal Welfare Organic livestock practices are more humane and allow livestock to grow in a natural environment with free access to fields or outdoor areas, natural bedding and plenty of indoor areas. They are not mutilated, confined or caged. They graze on organic pasture and are fed organic feedstuff that has not been contaminated with chemicals, animal by-products or genetically modified foods.
14) Farmer Wellbeing Conventional farmers and their families are exposed to toxic chemicals and pesticides. In this world of chemical-driven mass agricultural production, organic farming is a survival means for small, independently owned family farms. Every time you purchase organic food, you are investing in the future of our country, and its hard working and caring farmers and their families.
As TheOrganicsInstitute says: "This is a future we can ill afford not to invest in and we have the power in our own hands every single day of our lives to make this difference. If it is one thing we actively and positively do every day of our lives, it can be this simple act of asking for and purchasing organic products".