The Healthiest Fruits for You and Your Kids

Few things compare to the sweetness of fresh-picked strawberries or the luscious first bite of watermelon that leaves juice dripping down your chin.

Fruits are not only delicious but healthful too. Rich in vitamins A and C, plus foliate and other necessary nutrients, they may help prevent heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer and guard against vision loss.

If it’s the vitamins that promote good health, you may wonder if you can just pop supplements. Nope. Sun-drenched peaches and vine-ripened grapes contain more than just vitamins; they’re a complex combination of fibre, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals – as well as the vitamins – that work in combination to provide protective benefits. You can’t get all that from a pill.

One of the most nutritious foods available is the avocado. It contains Vitamin E and folate. Avocados contain healthy monounsaturated fats that can help lower cholesterol levels when eaten instead of cancer causing saturated fats. For a heart-healthy boost, replace butter with avocado on your favorite sandwich. Babies love avocadoes because they are easy to eat.

Bananas are also a significant source of folate and potassium. This helps lower blood pressure levels.

Blackberries are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Juicy blackberries get their deep purple colour from the powerful antioxidant anthocyanin, which may help reduce the risk of stroke and cancer.

All cherries are healthy for you but sour cherries are the best. Sour cherries contain more of the potent antioxidant anthocyanin than any other fruit. Anthocyanin may help reduce inflammation and ease the pain of arthritis and gout.

Cranberries are antibacterial and studies show that they can help treat and prevent urinary tract infections. Recent research has also linked cranberries to the prevention of kidney stones and ulcers.

Figs are high in fiber and calcium and help fight disease. They make an excellent substitute for butter or oil in baked goods.

Grapes contain resveratrol, an antioxidant that may help prevent heart disease by reducing blood pressure levels and lowering the risk of blood clots. Resveratrol may also help stop the spread of breast, stomach and colon cancer cells.

With more vitamin C than oranges, kiwis can help in the development and maintenance of bones, cartilage, teeth and gums. They can also help lower blood triglyceride levels (high triglycerides increase the risk of heart disease).

Mangoes are super- high in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect vision and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in adults).

Try snacking on peaches and pears for a nutritious snack. Much of the fibre found in pears is soluble, which can help prevent constipation. Soluble fibre may also help reduce blood cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease.

High in vitamin A, peaches help keep the immune system running well and can help fight off infections.

In the next blog I will discuss even more nutritious fruits that are fantastic choices for you and your kids to eat.

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Foods That Help You Lose Weight

If you are trying to lose weight, either because you were pregnant or just plain overwhelmed from stress and not eating correctly, it is important to eat the right foods to lose weight.

\The idea that eating grapefruit can help you lose weight is NOT a myth. Grapefruit is a delicious and nutritious sweet-tart snack, breakfast side or salad topping. But researchers have also discovered that eating grapefruit or grapefruit juice daily can aid in weight loss, possibly due to a reduction in insulin levels.

Cucumbers are a weight loss food too. They are not that nutritious but they help bulk up a salad so you feel full and eat less.

Lentils are packed with fiber, folate and magnesium. His versatile fat-free legume can be a fabulous supporting player of a slimming healthy eating regimen. Lentils, prepared any number of ways, will have you feeling as if you’ve eaten a meaty, even creamy, dish minus the calories and saturated fat that come with eating meat.

Oats and oatmeal are high in fibre, which helps you feel full – and satisfied – longer. Plus consumption of whole grains has been shown to aid in weight loss. For the best benefits, fill up on oatmeal for breakfast – try steel-cut oats if you’ve got the time, or instant oatmeal if you prefer to eat at work (just try to pick the sugar-free kinds and add your own sweeteners).

Plentiful and versatile, apples can help you satisfy sugar cravings for less calories. Whether eaten fresh as a midafternoon snack in the office or baked for dessert, these nutritional powerhouses will help fill you up and keep you slim.

With an average of 72 calories, a hefty 6 grams of protein, and elements of almost every essential vitamin you need, eggs can be a nutritious (not to mention affordable) part of a healthy weight loss plan. Hard-boiled eggs are perfect for a post-work out snack; poached eggs can be a delicious, filling breakfast.

All nuts are healthy and loaded with good fats and other nutrients, but almonds are the one to go for when you’re trying to lose weight. They’re lower in calories than many of their cousins (that means you, macadamias) and the protein and fat content will help keep cravings at bay.

While not low in calories or in fat, dark chocolate still has two major things going for it. First, it’s very hard to eat large quantities of real, high-quality dark chocolate as compared to its milky sibling; and second, it’s very high in health-promoting antioxidants. It’s no diet food, but eating a few small squares to squelch a potentially much larger scaring of, say, a piece of chocolate cake with icing, is well worth the modest calorie intake.

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