| It's no secret that eating healthy colorful | | | | it's one of the reasons American's are unhealthy. |
| vegetables and 1 serving of fruit a day will | | | | Too much sugar, and chances are, you didn't |
| support your health, but it may also help you lose | | | | even know you were consuming it. Carrots are |
| weight. Changing your lifestyle eating habits is | | | | also high in sugar, so keep these to once a day in |
| paramount to health and fitness. | | | | place of fruit. |
| Americans are eating themselves sick. They | | | | Dark blue and purple vegetables support anti-aging |
| consume an average of 2-3 pounds of sugar per | | | | Deep blue/ purplish-blue fruits and vegetables (i.e. |
| week. This can have an impact on breaking down | | | | deep purplish-blue Belgian endive, blueberries, |
| the immune system which can lead to all kinds of | | | | purplish-blue eggplant, purplish-blue potatoes, |
| illnesses. Sugar laden food is a major cause of | | | | purplish-blue asparagus, purplish-blue cabbage and |
| diabetes in adults and more and more children. | | | | purplish-blue peppers) include |
| Too much sugar causes cardiovascular disease. | | | | doctor-recommended nutriants such as quercetin, |
| Sugar raises the insulin level in the body which is | | | | lutein, zeaxanthin, the C vitamin, resveratrol, |
| linked to supporting certain cancers. | | | | flavonoids, fiber and ellagic acid. These nutrients |
| Americans also consume at least 2 teaspoons of | | | | support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost |
| salt per day, twice the recommended daily | | | | the immune system activity, support healthy |
| allowance. This over-consumption can lead to | | | | digestion, improve calcium and other mineral |
| heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure | | | | absorption, fight inflammation (which can cause |
| and stroke. | | | | cancer), reduces tumor expansion, acts as an |
| The culprit is not in direct consumption of salt and | | | | anti-carcinogen in the digestive tract, and limits the |
| sugar, but in the processed foods we consume | | | | action of cancer cells. |
| every day. Condiments, cereals, breads, pastas, | | | | Healthy Green Vegetables |
| refined grains, canned sauces, restaurant food, | | | | Green vegetables and fruits contain lutein, |
| microwaveable meals all contain far more salt and | | | | chlorophyll, fiber, calcium, zeaxanthin, folate, the C |
| sugar than any person needs to maintain good | | | | vitamin, Beta-carotene and calcium. The nutrients |
| health. | | | | found in green vegetables reduce the risks of |
| How can we support our bodies in maintaining | | | | cancer, lower the blood pressure and LDL |
| health? Getting back to basic whole foods is one | | | | cholesterol levels, regulate digestion time, support |
| good way to accomplish this. Eating a variety of | | | | eye health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, |
| colorful vegetables and a limited intake of fruits | | | | and improve immune system activity. |
| will benefit your body in so many ways. | | | | Green vegetables offer the following variety such |
| Eating more colorful veggies and fruits will make | | | | as arugula, avocados, artichokes, broccoflower, |
| you feel better. They produce energy in your | | | | asparagus, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, broccoli |
| body and create less fatigue than processed | | | | rabe, celery, Brussel sprouts, chayote squash, |
| foods. You will have fewer allergies and fewer | | | | cucumbers, green apples, endive, green beans, |
| headaches because your body is getting the | | | | green cabbage, green grapes, green onion, green |
| nutrients it needs to work at optimum levels. | | | | pears, green peppers, leeks, leafy greens, lettuce, |
| Fruits and vegetables are filled with water, fiber, | | | | limes, okra, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress and |
| and nutrients for every organ in the body. | | | | zucchini. Keep away from peas as they are high in |
| Choose five servings of the deepest colorful fruits | | | | sugar and starch, reacting just like pasta or |
| and vegetables per day. (Read no iceberg lettuce!) | | | | dessert! |
| These colorful fruits and vegetables provide a | | | | Red and Yellow Vegetables |
| broad range of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, fiber, | | | | Red vegetables and fruits offer nutrients such as |
| and phytochemicals your body needs to maintain | | | | quercetin, lycopene, hesperidin and ellagic acid. |
| optimum health. | | | | These healthy doctor recommended nutrients |
| Getting back to basics and including fruits and | | | | reduce blood pressure, lower the threat of |
| vegetables in your diet offers you endless | | | | prostate cancer, LDL cholesterol levels, diminish |
| benefits. Here is a list of just a few of those | | | | tumor growth, decimate harmful free-radicals, and |
| benefits: | | | | support join tissue in arthritis. Yellow and orange |
| - Rids allergens | | | | vegetables and fruits contain lavonoids, |
| - Lower risk of many cancers | | | | beta-carotene, flycopene, zeaxanthin, potassium, |
| - Maintains healthy digestion | | | | and the C vitamin. These nutrients help minimize |
| - Raises memory function | | | | the threat of men's prostate cancer, decrease |
| - Keeps the urinary tract healthy | | | | age-related macula degeneration, reduce LDL |
| - Slows the aging process | | | | cholesterol and lower your blood pressure, |
| - Maintains healthy vision | | | | promote collagen formation and healthy joints, |
| - Great for a healthy heart | | | | fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline |
| - Lowers cholesterol levels | | | | balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to |
| - Strengthens the immune system | | | | build healthy bones. |
| - Maintains strong bones and healthy teeth | | | | The best of these colorful red vegetables are |
| One secret is to eat perhaps one fruit a day by | | | | radicchio, pomegranates, radishes, red onions, |
| itself, with no other food. Give yourself an hour to | | | | raspberries, red chili peppers, red bell peppers, red |
| digest food before consuming any fruit. Fruit | | | | grapes, red pears, red peppers, red potatoes, |
| contains enzymes that immediately start digesting | | | | rhubarb, strawberries and tomatoes. The yellow |
| foods quickly and can give you gas if consumed | | | | varieties are butternut squash, pumpkin, |
| with other foods. Most fruits contain a lot of | | | | rutabagas, sweet potatoes, yams, yellow beets, |
| sugar, so 1 serving a day is recommended for | | | | yellow peppers, yellow potatoes, yellow summer |
| health and weight control. | | | | squash, yellow tomatoes and yellow winter |
| Another secret is to keep the vegetables you eat | | | | squash. |
| to the dark green, purples and reds. The darker | | | | With so many choices of healthy vegetables to |
| the color vegetable, the more healthy it is. Corn | | | | choose from, you'll have no trouble replacing the |
| should be avoided as it is really a sugar (fructose) | | | | processed foods you eat with tasty steamed |
| and is not healthy for your body. Manufacturers | | | | vegetables. Limiting your fruit and increasing your |
| put high fructose corn syrup in tons of packaged | | | | vegetables can support your health and help you |
| foods. We grow a lot of corn in America and that | | | | lose weight. |
| is because it's easy to process and package but | | | | |