Discover the Power of Pomegranate

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey there , sister , I was just enjoying the most delicious , fantastic , flavorful fruit you can imagine . It was in my bowl and before I knew it , it was gone . It literally took me one minute to prepare it and then I was enjoying a tasty treat that lights me up and makes me smile , and I want to share that treat with you today . But the reason we're talking about this specific fruit is because I have a feeling that you're avoiding it . Many people we know avoid this fruit because they're not sure how to prepare it . They don't know what it tastes like because they've never tried it before , and if they have tried it , they don't know other ways to use it to spice up their meals . And so the fruit that we're talking about is pomegranate . I cannot wait to dig into these delicious seeds of goodness with you . So let's get started .

Speaker 1 0:48

Hey sister , welcome to the Power on Plants podcast . Are you tired of staring into the fridge wondering what to eat so you can just feel better ? Do you want to avoid spending hours in the kitchen making complicated meals in the name of health ? Would you love to leave fatigue behind and finally have the energy to do all the things you want to do ? Hi , we're Jared and Anita Roussel Christ followers , healthcare professionals , parents of four and big fans of great tasting food .

Speaker 1 1:16

We too tried exercising more , eating natural and clean foods , but we still found ourselves struggling with what we thought were changes that come with age or bad genes , and we weren't finding answers the traditional route . So we dug into the research and created our secret nutritional weapon sustainable plant-based living . The truth is , you can eat more whole plant foods , and it's not hard . You just need the way . That's realistic and delicious , so you never feel deprived . If you're ready to enjoy your meals , no longer be held back by your health struggles and actively live your life , then you're in the right place . So grab your favorite plant-based cup of happy pop in those earbuds and let's get started .

Speaker 1 1:58

Hey there , friend , we're so glad that you're joining us again today for Power on Plants , and we are talking about a delicious , nutritious fruit that I have a feeling you might be passing by , and I know the reason why . What used to happen to me when I saw pomegranate in the store is I would walk by it thinking what is that ? Or once I reached the point where I knew what it was , I'd say I don't know what to do with that . It kind of scared me a little bit . Maybe I didn't actually think in my mind it scares me , but I think looking back it actually felt intimidating or overwhelming a little bit .

Speaker 2 2:31

It's not particularly scary looking . It's not like when you see a dragon fruit and you think , good Lord , what is that ? I've never seen anything like that before in my life , because the pomegranate kind of looks like maybe a citrus fruit where it has a peel and if you've ever gotten one , cracked it open . That's when the intimidation happens . How do I get these seeds out of here ? How do I actually eat this ? It's not something I can just bite into like a standard apple or banana .

Speaker 1 2:55

Honestly , if you started digging your fingers into the fruit once you cut it open and tried to fish out all the little seeds in there , you would want to pull your hair out and scream and then run off going . There's no way I'm ever going to do plant-based again . This is just way too hard . These are the things that keep you stuck that are so simple Once you know how it's going to blow your mind .

Speaker 2 3:14

And it's not that getting the seeds out as difficult as getting the seeds out without hit .

Speaker 1 3:19

Yeah , I know , I hear you . I mean it is . If you digging into it , though , it takes a while just to get the seeds out , period , like if you're trying to just fish those out and they're in all the little cracks and crevices of the fruit . There is such an easy method , but I can't really describe it to you . You have to see how it's done . And if you want to know how that's done , all you need to do is be the first one to go grab a pomegranate at the store and then come into our free group podcast insiders , experience at power on plantscom , forward slash P I , e , and when you get in there and you join us , just quickly share . Hey , I listened to the podcast . I have my pomegranate here . Show me how to open it and I will get that video posted for you in no time . I'll show you exactly how to open it and I will get that video posted for you in no time . I'll show you exactly how to do it , literally .

Speaker 1 4:08

I was just in my kitchen before this episode . It's what I had for breakfast . The pomegranate was done in under a minute . The whole thing , the whole fruit in my bowl , fresh . I didn't have to buy them pre-done and out in a little tiny container . I mean , you can use one pomegranate and have a big size bowl of the seeds and the fruit . That is just so delicious and you're going to want more than that little tiny container that they give you , that are so ridiculously expensive just because they've cracked it open for you .

Speaker 1 4:37

Now , I'm all for saving time and getting things pre-done , but I promise you you can learn how to open a pomegranate in one try and have the seeds out within a minute . Two tops and you're eating it with a spoon and you're thrilled because you're thinking why have I not done this before ? Why has someone not shown me ? These are the questions that our clients and our patients ask over and over again . We see them get set free because in their mind they think this is so complicated , it's so difficult . There are so many lies that you believed about whole food , plant-based living or what it takes to get healthy that need to get undone .

Speaker 1 5:15

That is what we're going to be doing inside Accelerator , our course that's coming out at the first of the year . So if you want to start the year right , you want to feel your very best , this course is for you . It is going to help you get on the track where you have more productivity because you finally feel great and that's in your personal and your professional life . This is going to change your life because it's going to give you your time back . It's going to give you your freedom to be able to do all those things that you want to do , because you're not feeling sluggish and losing all your time trying to figure out how to feel better . It's frustrating when you try all these things , like opening a pomegranate , and it takes so long . It's like do I need a chisel ? Do I need , like , a special pomegranate tool ? You don't need a special tool . You really don't . It is so simple . You won't believe when you see it , but I'm going to show you how to do that inside our free group podcast insiders experience .

Speaker 2 6:07

No tools required , although we're not against tools , like we have a favorite avocado tool that we absolutely love and it makes avocados super simple . But you don't need that with pomegranates . I'd say no specialized tools required .

Speaker 1 6:19

You're going to have what you need to get the job done . There are a couple of little tools that make it easy . You need something for it to fall into and something to get the seeds out , which you're going to already have . Once you learn this simple strategy for moving these seeds in under a minute , I want you to post a photo of your bowl of seeds and tell us what you thought about them . If this was your first time to try them , we want to know what you thought about them , and we also would like to hear what you tried it in . If you try it in something different , if you're just eating them with a spoon , you post that Because I'm telling you , I don't think it gets any better than that .

Speaker 1 6:53

Really , it's nice to have these other options , to know different ways that you can use this delicious fruit , and we're going to be sharing those with you today , but sometimes all you need is a bowl and a spoon to light you up . Simplicity , honestly , where else can you get breakfast in under a minute that you're not eating something nasty out of a package that makes you crash before noon , gives you brain fog , makes you ache all over , have low energy and end up with a slew of health issues and prescriptions . It's the five power foods that are the answer to the top chronic and I'm doing air quotes air quotes to the top .

Speaker 1 7:30

Chronic air quotes , diseases of our time . Right , we know this to be a fact . It is proven by research . So get the pomegranate after this episode today . We don't ever want you to walk by pomegranates , particularly at this time of the year when they are in season , because when you can get them , just like getting an apple in apple season , if you get a pomegranate in pomegranate season , you are set You're going to feel so good . These are like the blueberries of this time of the year , packed with incredible nutrients , which we're going to tell you about now . And we're just scratching the surface here when we share this . Really , there are so many wonderful benefits here and you've got to think about what all did God put in there that we don't even know about . There's a lot in there that we don't know about . These are just some of the things that we do know about .

Speaker 2 8:19

I was thinking the same thing . If you're listening to this , when this podcast is released , we're going into the fall season here in the Northern Hemisphere and we have pomegranates around us and they're in season . So , yes , this is the optimal time to get it .

Benefits of Pomegranates

Speaker 2 8:32

But one little helpful hint is that when you're walking through the supermarket or wherever you see it , you want to pick it up and feel it to see . Does it feel heavy ? Does it feel like it's well hydrated ? As they get older , they can tend to feel a little bit lighter , can even look a little bit shriveled , even though you have the skin and that helps to protect it from happening . With time , as they get older , it will lose some of that water content and that'll make it feel lighter . That also make it maybe feel a little bit mushy , like it gives , almost like an orange . That's older .

Speaker 1 9:02

They should be pretty firm yeah .

Speaker 2 9:04

They should be pretty firm . As of right now . They've been fantastic , but later in the season you will start to see that they seem a little bit older and if you follow those rules you should get a pretty awesome pomegranate .

Speaker 1 9:16

Yeah , and you may even see a few little brown spots , but really the brown spots . If you see a lot of those , that's a sign that the seeds are starting to get older . It's been off the plant longer , so it should be more of a bright , reddish burgundy . What ?

Speaker 2 9:31

did you say it's not burgundy ? Burgundy is like a dark red .

Speaker 1 9:34

It's just more of a bright or a true red , maybe with a little bit of a yellow mixed in . They're just beautiful . You'll know when you see them if they're ripe . If you're not sure , ask us inside the community .

Speaker 2 9:51

We'll be glad to share it with you , you can , we could use that as an excuse to go to the store and take a picture of one and then grab some more and bring them home . We'll grab a picture of one and say this is a perfect pomegranate , this is how they should look .

Speaker 1 10:05

Yeah , listen , you don't want to just buy one , because you'll be crying Once you get into it and you learn the easy way to get these open . You'll be crying that you didn't get more , because you're going to have to go back to the store unless the store's right across the street . Then you might not cry . You might just be headed over there really quick . But keep in mind , there's a reason that this fruit has been valued by many cultures for its health benefits .

Speaker 2 10:25

It's often considered a superfood , and one thing they're rich in is antioxidants antioxidants like anthocyanins , which we typically will see with fruits and berries that have those rich colors in them . It also has oligotannins in there , and when you're talking about it being prized in many cultures , it's even referred to biblically .

Speaker 1 10:47

It's even in the Old .

Speaker 2 10:48

Testament . So pomegranates have been around , obviously we know , since the days of creation , but they have been enjoyed for many , many thousands of years .

Speaker 1 10:57

Yes , and valued . Highly valued . I mean where you see them in the Bible , what they're hanging on . Look them up . I'm not going to tell you , but look them up how they were used . They were highly valued .

Speaker 2 11:08

So what are the benefits of the oligotannins and the anthocyanins ? Well , they help to reduce inflammation , which inflammation is involved in so many different destructive processes in the body . When it goes on for too long , inflammation is not bad . It is part of our healing process . But if we eat foods and we're exposed to chemicals in our environments , things that keep an inflammatory process going on nonstop weeks , months , years then it does create damage within our bodies . So these foods help to reduce and even eliminate inflammation , which then helps to protect our body from the free radical damage that goes on .

Speaker 2 11:46

Antioxidants also may have anti-cancer properties , with some research suggesting that pomegranates could play a role in preventing or even treating certain types of cancers in the body . In addition to the antioxidant content , pomegranates are high in fiber , vitamin C , supporting overall health and digestion . For individuals with diabetes , it has been shown to help improve fasting blood sugar levels , which I think a lot of that is in part because of the fiber that helps to lower the rate of absorption of sugars in our gut . So that way we don't have those huge sugar spikes . You have a more even and consistent energy source .

Speaker 1 12:22

Yeah , when you start looking at fiber and how fiber is only found in plant food , it is not found in animal products at all . So you think , dairy eggs , milk , meat , cheese , all those different types of dairy , the meats , the cheeses , all those things none . There is zero fiber in them , none . And it is crucial for your digestive system and for so many other things that we know are linked to gut health . If you don't have the food that your good gut bacteria need , which is the fiber , you are not going to feel good , you are going to be having health struggles .

Speaker 2 12:59

Now you may be saying , jared , what about muscle fibers ? Fibers in the muscles are actually just very , very long cells . So instead of just being a round or elliptical type cell , these are very long cells and we call them quote unquote fibers . But it's not the exact same thing . It's not even anywhere related to plant fiber Completely different things . So don't let that mislead you in thinking that you're getting what you need from that , because really the big thing with animal products that people say is oh , what about protein ? We do not have a protein issue in our society and really anywhere in the world where someone is getting enough food intake to meet their energy requirements . What we do have is a very , very high fiber deficiency in our society and really across the world anywhere that a plant-based diet is not standard .

Speaker 1 13:49

I'm going to tell you , fiber is literally life-changing . It will change your life and it will free up your time in more ways than you can imagine . And that's all I'm going to say about that .

Speaker 2 13:59

You won't have as much time to scroll on your phone , no , and that's a good thing .

Speaker 1 14:04

And so heart health is another area where these amazing fruits shine . Studies have shown that pomegranates can be significantly beneficial in managing cardiovascular conditions Heart conditions like high blood pressure , high cholesterol , arterial diseases , cardiomyopathies , heart attacks , stroke , aneurysm , heart plaque , enlarged heart , heart failure , heart complications from diabetes , drug-induced heart problems and heart enlargement . I feel like I just did what they do at the end of a medication ad , except these are all beneficial things , right ? These are good side effects . Let's just think of these as side effects that we actually want to have in our lives and that don't require more things to cover up and treat those side effects .

Speaker 2 14:56

And then when you get to the end of that list , you don't feel like there's just no hope in continuing going on Right , like I'm taking this drug and it's going to kill me . Like , no , you're eating this food and it's going to preserve you , it's going to give you life , give you energy .

Speaker 1 15:10

Fuel your body optimally . I mean , and that's what we're after we want to finally feel good so we can live for crying out loud . We want to be outside , active , enjoying life , serving others , living out our God-given purpose , and we can't do that when we don't feel good . And these are the foods that were naturally created to power our bodies to function in the way we were created to move , live and be .

Speaker 2 15:36

I like to make the distinction between you may be living , but are you truly alive If you're watching everything from the sideline , if you're stuck in your home or you're experiencing life from bed on a TV screen because you just don't have the energy ? You hurt too badly to get out of bed , and that was Anita's story for the longest time . So we get it , we understand completely how that feels . But you're living , but you're not truly alive , and we want you to be alive and be out there doing what the Lord has called you to do .

Speaker 1 16:09

And it may surprise you to learn that pomegranates have actually been found to help treat conditions like ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis , due to their anti-inflammatory properties . These two diseases that I've mentioned are autoimmune diseases . They're things that people in our society think once you have it , you have it for life . But it's just not true . We've helped clients and patients reverse these diseases by sharing with them what we've learned and know to be true . So don't feel stuck . We don't want you to feel stuck If you've gotten a diagnosis that you think is chronic . Wouldn't it be crazy if there's something as simple as a pomegranate that could start helping you to feel better ? And what if you just didn't have a pomegranate ? Start wrapping your mind around this . Think this through for a minute . You don't just have a pomegranate . Now you have a pomegranate and a blueberry . And now you have a pomegranate , a blueberry and a pecan . And now you have a pomegranate , blueberry , pecan and a bean . Now you have a pomegranate , blueberry , pecan and another type of bean . And maybe you think well , those aren't foods I eat on a regular basis and I don't see how to live on that type of food . When you learn how to incorporate these foods into your meals and to make them absolutely delicious , or how to get them out of their packaging without having to fish them out and think . It's going to take you 15 to 20 minutes and I don't just have time for that . You're going to be getting the nutrients your cells are craving and you're also not going to be getting the things that are keeping you stuck . So it's like this , what I call a one-two punch . It will change everything for you . Again , we've just shared a couple of the many known ways that this delicious , life-changing fruit can contribute to you feeling better , so you can actively enjoy living your most productive , exciting years yet .

Speaker 1 17:54

And we could do this for every single whole plant food . And if you started getting those into your life , what would that make possible for you ? Start thinking about what would my life look like if these things that I thought were chronic , that I've started taking on as my identity , if I could break free from those things and not have to deal with them anymore or , at the very least , had less of the symptoms . What would that make possible for you ? That is why eating this way lights us up , but why we do it differently , so that you can make it last , so that it's happily sustainable and you actually look forward to eating the foods that fuel your body optimally day after day

Creative Ways to Enjoy Pomegranates

Speaker 1 18:37

. We set it up in a way that you don't have to ever use miserable dieting methods .

Speaker 1 18:43

Jared and I lost 75 pounds together , never going on a diet . You don't have to diet . We call it a diet sometimes because people are out there looking for diets . So Jared and I have to do that from a marketing perspective , so people actually find us . Think about how crazy that is .

Speaker 2 19:01

And there is , of course , the old usage of the word diet , meaning just a way of eating , is of course the old usage of the word diet , meaning just a way of eating , but unfortunately it has become a four letter word . That means deprivation , lack of enjoyment , small portion sizes , I mean , it's just become such a negative connotation . But when you do it right , when you do it the power and plants way , you don't have any of that .

Speaker 1 19:20

Now I do want to point out one other thing that I feel like is really important , because , pomegranate , you open it up and on the inside you have these fruit covered seeds . It's almost like the whole thing is the seed , because there's a large seed but that's covered with this fruit that just burst with juice and flavor . They are beautiful and they're absolutely delicious .

Speaker 2 19:39

They remind me of grapes in that you have that fleshy outer part , and then the pomegranates . We're calling them seeds , and they do have little tiny seeds inside of what looks like a little berry . So the seeds themselves . You chew them .

Speaker 1 19:53

Yes , and this brings me to the point of saying you need to chew your food . Well , you're not going to try to eat this and then spit out the seeds or anything . These seeds are edible and you want to chew them thoroughly because there are many health benefits from the seeds . A lot of times in fruit , the seeds hold some of the most densely packed nutrients that your body requires .

Speaker 2 20:15

And it makes sense because this is what makes a brand new plant . So the outer part the fruit has the energy , but the inner part , the kernel of the seed and I'm sure that's probably not the right terminology but that inner part , the kernel of the seed , and I'm sure that's probably not the right terminology , but that inner part of the seed is where the plant begins . It creates the root and then you have the shoot that comes up and the life comes forth from that . So think about all the nutrients that are in those . If you can chew them well and you release that , then your body has access to those nutrients and that's when things start getting good . So how , in ?

Speaker 1 20:46

the world do you use them or eat them ? That then your body has access to those nutrients , and that's when things start getting good . So how in the world do you use them or eat them ? Again , one of my favorite ways is straight out of the bowl . So when you use my method , you'll be releasing the seeds from the fruit straight into a bowl . It's not difficult . I mean seriously . I've seen so many different methods that people use online and I'm watching it going . Why ? Why so many steps ? Why it's like when I watch people make recipes . Why are there these three steps that are so similar ? Why are these done in this order ? I'm going to be spending two hours making this thing . It makes absolutely no sense . So we must get rid of the ways that we do things that are robbing us of our time .

Speaker 2 21:23

Actually , I think this way is actually kind of fun .

Speaker 1 21:27

It is . It's honestly good for stress relief . It could be . It really could be .

Speaker 2 21:34

Mom , that's your six pomegranate today .

Speaker 1 21:36

I just really like them .

Speaker 2 21:38

They're great . Mommy has a pomegranate deficiency . Leave me alone .

Speaker 1 21:46

That is awesome .

Speaker 1 21:47

I love it , okay Once you watch the video , that'll make complete sense and you'll laugh again you honestly have to come into the group just to see that happen , just to see how we do this , to think about what Jared just said , because that's hilarious . So you can eat them by the handful or straight out of the bowl with the spoon . I sometimes just grab them in my hand . You have to be careful that they can stain your clothes . Okay , so I'll give you tips for how to avoid that , also inside the group . But buy the handful . On salads they are so wonderful on salads , sprinkling them on there with your fall fruit salads , with the apples and the pecans .

Speaker 2 22:23

Yes , because it has a sweet yet slightly tart flavor . So it goes wonderfully with those fall salads , like sometimes we'll cut up apples real small , so you would use this kind of in the same way and even together .

Speaker 1 22:36

I would say even together .

Speaker 2 22:37

We've done them together too .

Speaker 1 22:38

And the colors are gorgeous . I mean , where else do you get that bright pinkish red color from a food that you throw on your salad ? Maybe from a red apple a little bit , but there's nothing else I know of that looks like this . So we love using them on salad . Another way is vegan charcuterie boards . This is such a great addition to your charcuterie board . If you are doing a plant-based , and it's the time of year , fall , where these are in season , it's especially wonderful to throw them on there because they're going to add that pop of color and flavor . And it's very unique because , again , most people will look at it and go what is this ? When they're shopping in the store or they know what it is , but they're just scared or feel overwhelmed . I think that's a lot of times what the issue is , holding you back from doing whole plant foods and feeling like you can actually make it sustainable , because you don't know the methods that make it simple and save you time and make it really taste good .

Speaker 2 23:38

And it may not even be fear per se , but it may be just uncertainty . You see it , you think I don't really know what to do with that next . And then you go on oh , banana , I know exactly what to do with that . So that's why we love sharing these things with you . So you know , oh , this isn't difficult . This is easy , and then that allows you to get a much greater variety , and then that's going to boost your health and your enjoyment .

Speaker 1 24:00

Absolutely , and you can also sprinkle these on your grain bowls . They're a wonderful addition . I just smile when I think about all the ways . It just makes me so happy . All the different ways that you can take one ingredient and use it .

Speaker 1 24:15

And people say this way of eating is boring . Are you kidding me ? It is the most exciting option-packed way you could possibly eat . If you don't like eating the same old thing all the time , this will work for you . If you like eating the same old thing all the time , this will work for you . Either way , it doesn't matter . You can have those go-to favorites .

Speaker 1 24:35

But when you get tired of eating that same go-to meal all the time , you're going to learn the ways to make your dishes flavorful , colorful , different . You're going to be picking up new ingredients that you never thought about trying before , or you've thought about trying for years , but , like Jared said , you just didn't know what to do with it and so you skip by it . We don't want that to be your story anymore , and there is always something new to try in this space . These are just a few of the simple ways to enjoy this amazing healing food .

Embracing the Blessings of Pomegranates

Speaker 1 25:08

I want you to take a moment and think about all the incredible blessings that have been placed inside these five power foods that God has made for you to enjoy . They've been specifically put there by the one who created every cell in your body , the one who loves you most , to optimally power you so that you can actively live your purpose . And , as you think , on all these blessings , take some time to thank him today . How blessed we are , sunshine , know that we are praising him with you and we're super excited for all the wonderful kingdom things that he created you to accomplish . So , sister , do not be overwhelmed by the pomegranate anymore . Start buying it , getting it home . Let us show you how , inside pie at powerandplantscom forward slash P I E , how to open that puppy up and get those seeds into a bowl where you can be enjoying them within a minute or two . Tops . You are prayed for , you are loved and we look forward to seeing you again very soon . Thank you .