Strawberries and our health
Ever wonder what a glass of strawberry juice can do to our body? Well, in essence strawberry is a fabulous fruit that is packed with important nutrients for our health. Among other fruits (pears, cherries, apples, grapes, oranges and other commonly eaten fruits), strawberry is in the top list in regards to protection power to our heart and artery walls.
The first factor to consider from this fruit is its content of antioxidant. Strawberry is loaded with flavonoids particularly ones called quercetin and kaempferol. The antioxidant helps protect our body against oxidative damage. Remember our story about LDL cholesterol? The antioxidant keeps the LDL from oxidizing and becoming detrimental to our artery walls. In particular, quercetin and kaempferol prevent blood plattelets from clomping together. This capability minimizes the formation of blood clots --the number one enemy for your heart-- thereby reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Another goody from strawberry is vitamin C. For one cup of serving, you will have about 140% of your daily needs. Now, with all these facts, start having a bowl of fresh strawberries for your powerful breakfast. You can also have them for dipping in our favorite yogurt. If you are fans of morning cereal, you might want to add slices of strawberry. Not only that your breakfast will look more appetizing, it is also doing wonder to your health.
Photo by Charlene
Dates: fruits of the tree of life
Do you know that dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits in the world? The date palm was known in the past as the tree of life. The name is not an exaggeration, since this wonderful fruit is extremely nutritious brimming with important nutrients for our health. A research published in Int J Food Sci Nutr showed that The fruits of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) contain a high percentage of carbohydrate (total sugars, 44-88%), fat (0.2-0.5%), 15 salts and minerals, protein (2.3-5.6%), vitamins and a high percentage of dietary fibre (6.4-11.5%). The fruits contains more natural sugar than any other fruits. Ten medium sized dates contain a generous 25 percent of fiber needs and 15 % of daily potassium needs.
The potassium help control your blood pressure in check. In addition, dates contain elemental fluorine that is useful in preventing teeth from decay. Another element in date, selenium, help prevent cancer and important in immune function. Study in Harvard School of Public Health demonstrated relation between date and blood pressure level. The researcher found that men eating a fruit-rich diet had lower blood pressure readings than men who consumed little fruit.
There are three main kinds of date: soft, hard, and semi-dry. If you go to your local grocery store, most likely you would find the third kind which are more aromatic but are less sweet than the other types. The good news for date fans is that they are available in packaged from year round. Use dates for your favorite meal:
- topping off your cereal
- mixing it with almond or walnut half for munchies, fruit salads, bread recipes, muffin
- adding it to vegetables, rice, beans or meats
Kiwi, the wonder fruit for your heart
Who does not know kiwi? Go to your local super market, you can easily spot this wonderful fruit. They are soft with fuzzy brown fur on the outside. Its flesh is bright green loaded with heart-healthy vitamins and minerals. The mineral contents (magnesium, calcium and potassium) help keep our blood pressure under control. Meanwhile, one serving of kiwi has over 130 percent of aily need of vitamin C, an antioxidant that prevent the LDL holesterol from damaging our artery walls. Unlike many other ruits, kiwi also contains vitamin E which also keep the the bad cholesterol from oxidizing and becoming detrimental to your heart.
According to the study from Rutgers University in New Jersey, among 24 frequently eaten fruits (including apples, oranges, and bananas), kiwi was found to be the most nutrient laden fruit. And that is not all. Each piece of kiwi also provides us with over 10 percent of fiber needs.
So, what are you waiting for? Go grab them now. You can use them to top off your smoothies, salads and pasta. Surely you can also have the wonderful fruits with yogurt, waffles or cereal.
Why we should eat more vegetables and fruits
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the
The DASH study found that eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods with reduced saturated and total fats significantly lowers blood pressure. DASH diet recommends 8 to 10 serving of vegetables and fruits daily which is twice current recommendation set forth in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid.
The result of the vegetable-fruit charged diet is a drop in blood pressure equal to that seen with medications.
So try more zucchini, spinach, kale and other fruits/vegetables now as part of your diet.
The tropical magic called guava
Imagine a glass of iced pink guava juice on a hot sticky day!
Very tempting for sure ...
But there is a lot more about it.
Guava comes laden with vitamin C, fiber and potassium, the three players to help combat heart disease and hypertension.
A medium size guava offers a staggering 275% of our vitamin C needs, 20% of our fiber needs, a load of potassium all in an only 45 calories.
In a 12-week study, a group of participants were asked to eat 4-7 guavas a day.
The result was stunning!
Cholesterol level dropped an immense 10% translating to 20% reduction in heart disease. HDL went up while the blood pressure fell.
Is there any better combination you can ask for a glass of guava juice?
Demystifying avocado
Contrary to what many people tend to believe, avocados are friendly to our heart. One medium black bumpy type avocado has a staggering 340 calories, 70% of it coming from fat.
The fat however is the heart-friendly monounsaturated.
According to research, in fact, eating one or two avocado a day lowers LDL cholesterol.
Hmmm...so delicious guacamole, when properly prepared with fresh
vegetables and fat-reduced chips, can be good for your artery.
