Did you enjoy opening holiday presents? Why stop? Keep getting great gifts and unwrapping them every day. They'll fit into your food budget and make you happy and healthy. They come already wrapped in skins of blue, yellow, orange, and red.
Maybe you’ve guessed that I’m referring to nature’s gifts, fruit and vegetables. What do you get out of them? A wealth of what you need for wellness. Specifically, foods that give you lots of antioxidants, polyphenols, flavenoids, and fiber.
Nature provides convenient clues to fruit and vegetables that contain these treasures: their colors. Usually, the brighter and more varied the better. A popular saying is “eat a rainbow.”
But what exactly are these treasures? Antioxidants like vitamin C or E remove agents called “free radicals” that our body functions produce. They damage our cell membranes and contribute to heart and other diseases. Foods that stand out in counteracting free radicals include red fruit like tomatoes, light yellow like onions, green, yellow, and orange like spinach, corn, carrots, and squashes, and purple like grapes and berries. For more information, go to https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants
Polyphenols are micronutrients from plants. They have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. They have shown effectiveness in strengthening the immune system, promoting good gut bacteria, and balancing blood pressure and blood sugar. There are thousands of them. Examples are spices like oregano and thyme, berries, dark chocolate, chili peppers, vegetables and whole grains. Get more information at https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-polyphenols#
Flavenoids have powers that limit harmful enzymes. They have shown benefits with heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancers. Their properties are antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic and antiinflammatory. They stand out in bright colored fruit and vegetables, like kale, parsley, citrus fruit and peels, onions, bananas, peaches, apples,and pears, among many others. For more technical information go to: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465813/
Keep on opening nature’s gifts. They can give you and yours a happier, healthier new year. Best wishes.
They come already wrapped in skins of blue, yellow, orange, and red.
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