Prune power for brains, bones & guts: Episode 98

Natalie Mariani Kling is a fourth generation family member of premium dried fruit company, which was started by her great grandfather in 1906 in what is now Silicon Valley. "My family and I are committed to 'inspire healthy living' and being a real solution for busy families trying to eat a little healthier every day."

Natalie shares different perspectives in the medical and nutritional community about natural sugar vs. added sugar, and understanding how bad certain sugars are for your body. "When natural sugar is combined with a good amount of fiber, your body is able to digest natural sugars found in dried fruit at a slower rate vs. refined sugar which spikes blood sugar.

"Prunes are not just good for gut health and a healthy microbiome, but research shows they are excellent for bone health. Recent research in postmenopausal women found that eating prunes daily both protected bone mineral density and mitigated fracture risk at the hip"

Natalie talked with Michele Payn and Nicole Rodriguez about how dried fruits, such as plums and dates, are incredible for adding a natural sweetness to recipes. "By adding water to rehydrate the fruit, you can create purees/syrups/drizzles out of prunes, and essentially any dried fruit, for baking, stews, even cocktails."

Prunes have an awareness problem. They have been for so long paralleled with digestion, and yet they may be best super fruits on the market - good source of fiber and an excellent source of Vitamin K, an essential bone nutrient. "People have fear and anxiety around buying shelf-stable fruits and vegetables, so they gravitate towards 'keto' and 'paleo' (which have served their purpose) yet they don't consider dried fruit an option to enjoy year-round." Listen in to the Food Bullying podcast for more about this shelf-stable fruit, which extends the fruit season, and provides a convenient grab-and-go snacks.

As a certified clinical nutritionist, she's committed to promoting habits that support healthy children and families; this passion stems from her son who was born with neurological challenges, so she knows the power of nutrition as a foundation for life.

The Mariani Family Packing Company has partner growers (our 'extended family') span the globe, growing orchard fruits (prunes, peaches, apricots), berries, and extending to tropical fruits (mango, pineapple), raisins, dates and others. Natalie shares "Family is our differentiating factor, and we consider our grower partners around the world part of our extended family. We believe in treating others with respect - some of our long-term partners have been with us for multiple generations, e.g., our partnership with Kellogg's has extended +35 years."

Mariani's respect Mother Nature - they have a fun family quote 'We report to Mother Nature.' Natalie reports "We're focused on increasing our sustainability efforts more so now than ever through our solar installation, water purification plant and water usage on the farms, and our growing techniques. We also believe in less food waste - prunes fit easily into a sustainable diet as consumers can eat the entire fruit without worrying about a peel or other inedible plant parts taking up space in their waste cans. Because prunes are simply dried plums, they have reduced water content, making them much lighter in weight and less perishable. This means fewer resources are needed to transport them and less refrigeration is used, resulting in a lower carbon footprint."

Listen in to hear about prunes can help brains, bones, and guts and follow Marianis at www.facebook.com/MarianiFamily on Facebook, www.instagram.com/themarianifamily/ on Instagram, or https://twitter.com/MarianiFamily on Twitter.