That's Fit

When I eat a kiwi, I do everything in my power to remove every bit of the skin. Frankly, I'm disgusted by the texture of it, I don't know why. However, an article in the most recent issue of Women's Health magazine suggests that when we don't eat the skin of a kiwi -- as well as many other fruits -- we're squandering a great deal of their antioxidants and healthy compounds.

Here is a quick breakdown of what we''re missing by removing the skin from our produce:

Apples - A Cornell University study revealed that 87 percent of an apple's cancer-fighting phytochemicals are found in the skin, not the crunchy white flesh inside

Eggplant - Remove the skin of this favorite vegetable of many Italian grandmothers (mine notwithstanding) and you remove 300 milligrams of brain-cell preserving antioxidants in the process

Cucumber - Experts suggest that you consume at least five milligrams of silica a day -- the amount found in the skin you just peeled off that cucumber

Kiwi - Yeah, the fuzzy outside is pretty gross, but it has been found to contain healthy compounds that fight off bugs like staph and E. coli

Orange - Researchers from the University of Arizona found that orange skins contain high amounts of a d-limonene, which has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of skin cancer by 30 percent. Maybe that's why oranges grow in such sunny places.

I have to be honest, even knowing this information, I'm still not sure I can bring myself to eat the skin of a kiwi. Fortunately, the article in Women's Health makes a helpful suggestion: dump the whole kiwi into a blender and make a smoothie out of it. This way, you don't even notice the pulverized pieces of skin. For more tips like this on ways to include the skins of fruits into your meals (without wanting to gag), click here.