Leafy greens, citrus fruits and broccoli aren’t really that important, are they?
You bet they are!
Maybe you haven’t given much thought to eating fruits and veggies or maybe you love to eat these nutritious foods! Regardless, eating an assortment of fibrous, vitamin rich, colorful foods are so important to our health. In fact, eating the right foods, mainly plant-based including fruits and vegetables, can be the ultimate source of healing, energy and sustained health.
Let’s dive in a little deeper!
The power of fruits and vegetables is truly amazing. Proper nutrition can build immunity, ward off disease, fight cancer, improve gut health, aid in hormone balance and boost energy.
Maybe you’re ready to add some more color and nutrition to your diet, so you may be asking, where do I go from here?
Firstly, eat real food and add more plants. This means avoiding sugar, processed and fried foods, etc., as harmful bacteria and yeast feast off of sugar. So, what foods should we be actively seeking out at the store?
It’s all about the color! Strive for eating whole, unprocessed, top- quality, plant- based foods. Most of the shopping trip will be spent in the produce section, followed by making way around the outer perimeter of the store, avoiding the middle isles of “junk food”.
Below are a few foods listed by health goal to help guide you.
Some fruits and veggies for immunity building and disease prevention include:
Red Bell Peppers
Strawberries (Did you know strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges?)
Broccoli
Citrus Fruits
Dark Leafy Greens (Kale remains king of the forest!)
Nuts and Seeds
Some fruits and veggies for hormone balance include:
Broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Seaweed
Spinach
Bell peppers (all colors- red, yellow & orange!)
Kale
avocados
Some fruits and veggies for improving gut health include:
Oranges
Kale (wow yet again, Kale for the win!)
Carrots
Spinach
Tomatoes
Strawberries
In addition to loading up on fruits and veggies, next, add in some nuts and seeds (walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, cashews, chia seeds), nut butters, beans, whole grains (oats, quinoa, rice) and plant based milks. Oh and water, lots of water! Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water is vital for our bodies to function optimally.
Ask yourself: How colorful was your lunch today? Did you include fruits and veggies in every meal? Did most of my plate include plant-based foods? Maybe it’s time to help our systems along in the daily battles against the sneaky pathogens we are exposed to. We could not emphasize enough the power that fruits and veggies have on our health.
So, we challenge you: how colorful can you make your plate? Have some fun, try new recipes, include the kids in making dinner and teach them the art of smoothie making. You’d be surprised how many different varieties of fruits and veggies you can add to make a flavorful combo. If you decide to add in some more plant-based foods to your diets, we know you too will start to experience their amazing benefits!
As inflammation is the root to many arthritis symptoms, the main treatments available look to reduce inflammation in the body as much as possible. While arthritis is not reversible, many treatments have been shown to reduce symptoms and improve overall quality of life.
Alcohol has a great prevalence in our culture today both in regards to ingesting and for topical use. How often do you go to a social gathering where they are serving a variety of alcoholic drinks? Maybe its wine, hard alcohol or even beer. It seems to be the norm to have one, two or three drinks. If we aren’t careful this can lead down a slippery path as our bodies are not made to consume alcohol in excess.
The vast number of commensal bacteria living inside the gut also help the immune system by competing with invaders for attachment sites and nutrients, and producing antimicrobial compounds that destroys pathogens. They also help educate the immune system from birth, thus teaching it to distinguish between commensals and intruders.
