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. 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. 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.

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.