Enjoy these in-season fruits and vegetables!
Add these five in-season fruits and veggies for their amazing health and nutritional benefits.
Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to improve your health and well-being. Unfortunately, nine out of 10 adults fail to meet the minimum recommendation of getting three servings of veggie and two fruit servings a day.
In fact, our produce intake has fallen significantly in the past 20 years, according to national food consumption data. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that 95% of U.S. adults said they ate some amount of vegetables on any given day, while just 70% said they eat some fruit – that’s a significant drop from previous national food surveys.
Here are five of the healthiest fresh picks for summer to add to your meals and snacks – starting today:
1. CHERRIES
A serving of cherries (21 cherries or about 1 cup) provides 90 calories, three grams fiber and is a good source of potassium and vitamin C. Cherries are also a great source of anthocyanins, which offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, cardiovascular and other benefits.
Research also shows that the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin along with the powerful flavonoids make sweet cherries a delicious superfruit. A review article published in the journal Nutrients reported that cherries reduce oxidative stress, exercise-related muscle soreness and blood pressure. They also improve sleep.
Research also shows that cherries can help those who suffer from gout, a painful form of arthritis.
2. Leafy greens
Leafy greens have about 10 to 20 calories per cup and provide several nutrients that help stave off conditions like heart disease, certain types of cancer, age-related macular degeneration and many other conditions.
Leaf lettuce, romaine, arugula, watercress are in-season and available at your local supermarkets or farmer’s markets.
3. Strawberries
Strawberries are a true superfruit providing an array of shortfall nutrients including vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, potassium and beneficial phytonutrients.
A cup of strawberries has just 45 calories and provides more vitamin C than an orange. Numerous studies show that strawberries may decrease harmful LDL cholesterol, blood glucose levels, insulin resistance and risk factors for other chronic diseases.
New research recent reported in the journal Nutrients now links a specific amount of strawberry (2.5 cups daily for four weeks) with improved insulin response and cholesterol markers of heart disease in at-risk adults.
4. Tomatoes
Summertime tomatoes are superior to tomatoes that you can buy at any other time of year. Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber and extremely low in calories, weighing in at a mere 20 calories per medium-sized tomato.
They’re the most significant source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant that helps protect your eyesight, provides anti-cancer properties and heart health benefits.
A recent meta-analysis published in Food Chemistry found that lycopene intake was inversely associated with death from all causes, prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and male infertility.
5. Watermelon
A quintessential summer fruit, watermelon is always a fan favorite. Filled with vitamins A, B6 and C, the minerals potassium, magnesium and phosphorous, as well as lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids.
Water is 92% water by weight, so it’s a great way to help you rehydrate when summer heat and humidity soars. Watermelon also contains more beneficial lycopene than any other fruit. Numerous studies show that carotenoids, including lycopene, can help protect against many chronic diseases, as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
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