Improve Your Health With Food
5 Simple Choices To Get You On The Path To Better Living
If you aren't quite ready to give up your burger that drips with cheese, then add something else to your plate to counter its negative effects!
To begin immediately improving your health, start adding one, or all, of the foods below to your diet on a daily basis.
1. Peppers: Red, green, orange, yellow, hot, sweet. Peppers come in all shapes and sizes, and are loaded with vitamins and nutrients. In fact, according to the USDA Nutrition Information Center, a sweet red pepper has 3 times as much vitamin C as an orange! Peppers have been shown to have a host of other benefits as well, such as high fiber content to help ward off colon cancer and lower cholesterol levels, improving eyesight thanks to high vitamin A content, and improved lung function, also thanks to Vitamin A. If you smoke, be sure to add red peppers to your diet, as the benzopyrene in cigarette smoke can lead to vitamin A deficiency.
2. Mushrooms: Mushrooms are loaded with selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that helps us maintain beneficial antioxidant levels, which help protect us from many forms of cancer. Mushrooms also contain the B vitamins niacin, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. Niacin helps reduce cholesterol levels, pantothenic acid aids in the function of the adrenal glands and helps prevent fatigue, while vitamin B6 helps control damage to blood vessel walls. Let’s not forget zinc! Zinc is an essential mineral that supports the proper functioning of our immune system.
3. Onions: Onions not only add some spice and flavor to foods from salads to sandwiches, they pack a punch of health benefits to your daily diet as well. Onions are rich in chromium, a mineral that aids in the regulation of blood sugars. An article by Richard A. Anderson, PhD, FACN, published by the American College of Nutrition not only states the link between chromium and healthy blood glucose levels, but mentions that there are at least 8 studies that have been done with chromium that show it also lowers blood cholesterol.
4. Garlic: We’ve heard of the benefits of garlic for a long time, from grandma to our doctor and everyone in between. But do we really stop and consider its positive effects on our health? Garlic lowers blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, guards against cancer, is an anti-inflammatory, and recent studies have shown that it can help prevent weight gain.
5. Berries: Another good for you food that comes in an array of colors and tastes. Berries are an excellent source of fiber, antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, which carry with them a host of benefits from cancer protection to improved vision. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes that “The consumption of moderate amounts of berries resulted in favorable changes in platelet function, HDL cholesterol,and Blood Pressure. The results indicate that regular consumption of berries may play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.” Berries should be selected at the peak of being ripe to get the full beneficial effect of their health promoting properties.
All of the foods listed should be eaten in raw/fresh state for optimum benefits. Make a large green salad and add the peppers, mushrooms, garlic and onions fresh instead of frying or grilling. Then top off your meal with a handful of berries for dessert.
Better health is attainable by everyone, whatever physical condition you find yourself in. Adding one or all of these foods to your diet daily will start you on the path towards wellness.
