Use nature’s fast food to keep you healthy

We are so excited to present our first-ever guest post to our blog. It is from registered dietitian Grace A. Derocha. Grace is a health and wellness social media analyst at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan, where she also is involved with wellness care management and health promotion program development and consulting. We had the opportunity to meet Grace when we served with her on a social media panel at a presentation for the Social Media Club—Great Lakes Bay Region.

Use nature’s fast food to keep you healthy
Fruits and vegetables are nature’s fast food. They offer a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant nutrients to aid in better health. Summer and autumn offer a wonderful array of produce in Michigan. Incorporating a variety of color in your diet is a great way to enjoy different fruits and vegetables and gain health benefits at the same time.

Enjoy the rainbow
The goal is to have at least 5 fruit and vegetable servings daily. Research shows that the more produce you can incorporate the better. One serving of fruit is generally ½ cup to one cup of fruit or a medium piece of fruit, like the size of a baseball. One serving of vegetables is 1 cup of raw vegetables or ½ cup cooked vegetables. Remember it takes 20-30 times to try something before you acquire a taste for it. So if you don’t like broccoli you have to try it 20 times before your taste buds will enjoy it.

In my household, my husband and I have a goal to have a rainbow of fruits and vegetables daily. We challenge each other to have at least one of the following colors, red, orange/yellow, green, blue/purple and white. Remember to lead by example to get your family to eat healthy daily.

Fruits and vegetables are known to protect the body from and help reduce the risk of a variety of cancers, by battling free radicals in the body. Produce also helps lower blood pressure and LDL to protect the body from heart disease. In general, fruits and veggies help boost the immune system and help to keep you regular with fiber too.

Red
Some red fruits and vegetables include tomatoes, cherries, apples, red pepper, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, beets, and radishes to name a few. This red produce offers lycopene, ellagic acid, quercetin, hesperidin, fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. In turn, it is known to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Orange and yellow
Some orange and yellow fruits and vegetables to include in your diet include citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, tangerines and grapefruit. There are also carrots, cantaloupe, mangoes, yellow and orange peppers, corn, bananas, nectarines, peaches, papaya, pineapple, summer, butternut and acorn squash. This bright sunshine color offers zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which is vitamin A. With these nutrients, it aids in eye health and reduces the risk of macular degeneration.

Green
We can’t forget about our green produce. There are so many to choose from including green leafy vegetables, spinach, greens, broccoli, apples, honeydew, grapes, pears, green pepper, zucchini, and celery, just to name a few. Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Green fruits and vegetables aid in weight loss and weight management goals.

Blue and purple
Even though there is not very many blue and purple fruits and veggies, there are still a few great ones to choose from, such as, blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, purple broccoli, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, plums, currants, prunes, grapes and elderberries. They have lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, Vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. These help to fight inflammation and improve the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

White
Many people consider white not to be a color, but when it comes to fruits and vegetables, they have a lot to offer, such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignins. These nutrients help to balance hormones, which in turn reduces the risk of many cancers relating to hormones. Moreover, they have the ability to activate the B and T cells which help battle cancer in the body. They also help our immune system which is always a good thing. Think onions, potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, ginger, garlic, jicama and white nectarines.

So with all of this being said, don’t forget about the rainbow of color that fruits and vegetables have to offer. What are your favorite fruits and vegetables? Do you have any favorite recipes? I would love to hear from you.

For more great blogs about nutrition, fitness, health and wellness information check out the A Healthier Michigan website.