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Nutrition Information |
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Benefits of a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
We know we need to eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday. Actually now, to prevent cancer, 8 to 13 servings per day are recommended. A serving is one cup of raw fruits or vegetables, or ½ cup cooked. At a recent lecture I asked a lunch audience to raise their hand if they had at least one fruit or vegetable already that day. No one in that group raised their hand. This is not uncommon. Our processed and convenience foods contain very few fruits and vegetables. To prevent chronic diseases, fruits and especially vegetables are very important. Vegetables especially have the antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals in the correct combination that help keep the blood sugar in balance, create better energy in the body, and along with fruits build up the immune system. Each color found in fruits and vegetables focus on building the immune system in its own way. It is important to get a variety of colors, so that you will get a full range of phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) in your daily diet. Research is finding that eating whole fruits and vegetables gives you many more nutrients than you could possible add to a vitamin and mineral supplement. There are over 12,000 phytochemicals, and I have yet to see a supplement, unless it has whole fruits and vegetables in it, have all of the 180 different vitamins or minerals that are required by our body to function daily. The different colors in fruits and vegetables help our immune system react to different stresses in our daily life. So look at the different colors in your diet. See if they include each of the colors listed below. This is one way to know that you are getting the full benefit of nutrients possible in your diet. Green Foods - broccoli, kale, leaf and romaine lettuce, spinach, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Green foods are especially good for the circulatory system. They contain many minerals and B-complex vitamins. Some phytochemicals found in green foods are sulforaphane and indoles that are very powerful anti-cancer compounds. Researchers have tried to use these as isolated phytochemicals but find that they only work while in the whole food form. Red Foods - tomatoes, watermelon, red cabbage. Red foods contain many phytochemicals that reduce free radical damage. The phytochemical called lycopene is especially helpful to prevent prostate problems, and reduce the effects of sun damage on the skin. Lycopene is the phytochemical that make the red foods get their red color. Orange Foods - carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe. The orange foods have the carotenoids the help prevent cancer by repairing the DNA. As our mothers told us, carrots, and other orange foods, are especially good for our eyes, and help with night vision. The deep orange foods help our bodies get the vitamin A we need, without getting excess that can lead to osteoporosis. Green/Yellow Foods - yellow corn, green peas, collard greens, avocado and honeydew melon. This combination of green and yellow foods contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that help reduce the risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. These foods are also helpful in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Orange /Yellow Foods - oranges, pineapple, tangerines, peaches, papaya, nectarines These foods that are orange and yellow in color are high in antioxidants, especially Vitamin C, and help to improve the health of the mucus membranes and connective tissue. They help prevent heart disease by improving circulation and preventing inflammation. White/Green Foods - onions, garlic, celery, pears, chives White and green combination foods contain a variety of phytochemicals. Garlic and onions contain allicin, the anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal phytochemical, and they can act as a poor man's antibiotic. Add garlic and onions in your meals to reduce the effects of potential toxicity of high fat meats. Celery has many minerals, especially organic sodium, that keeps the fluid in the joints healthy. Red/Blue/Purple Foods - red apples, beets, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, prunes, concord grapes, blackberries. These dark colored red/blue/purple foods are very rich in powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that protect again heart disease by improving circulation and preventing blood clots. They have many anti-aging phytochemicals that keep the blood circulating reducing the effects of the Standard American Diet rich in trans fats and processed foods. When you make a salad make sure you have a variety of different colors. Strive to get at least 5 colors on your plate. Use fruits to balance the rest of the colors needed. This way you will get closer to the 8 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables required, and you will get the variety of nutrients you need daily. Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D. is a Traditional Naturopath and Doctor of Homeopathy in southwest Michigan. She is the author of "Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia" and "Natural Choices for Attention Deficit Disorder." She is a professional speaker on natural health topics. She can be contacted at DoctorOelke@aol.com or through her website at http://www.NaturalChoicesForYou.com
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MORE RESOURCES: Proposal to tax short-term vacation rentals could be headed for SD ballots Times of San Diego No occupancy caps for short-term rentals in Hilton Head. See what is changing Hilton Head Island Packet The New Way to Score a More Luxurious Vacation Rental Travel + Leisure As housing crisis looms large, Santa Fe candidates see solutions in vacation rental rules Santa Fe New Mexican ACK Now Has It Wrong: Nantucket Vacation Rentals Are No Longer A Good Investment - Nantucket Current 4 A-Frame Florida Vacation Rentals for the Dreamiest Winter Getaway Only In Your State Annapolis City Council passes limit on short-term rentals WMAR 2 News Baltimore California Joins New York, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii on How Hotel and Vacation Rental Taxes Are Crushing Your Travel Plans in the US – Find Out Where They’re Worst Travel And Tour World Scenes from the Southport Yacht Basin area Wilmington Star-News Repeal regressive taxes, but those on vacation rentals don’t qualify San Diego Union-Tribune Dark Money Group Blankets Maui In Ads To Influence Vacation Rental Bill Honolulu Civil Beat 5 A-Frame Wisconsin Vacation Rentals for the Coziest Fall Getaway Only In Your State The One Pennsylvania Airbnb You Need to Book for Unreal Dark Sky Views Only In Your State The One Southern California Airbnb You Need To Book for Mesmerizing Dark Sky Views Only In Your State HomeToGo to Host Analyst and Investor Call on Updated FY/25 Guidance Following Interhome Closing TradingView The Rise Collective's Home Team Luxury Rentals Joins Elite Ranks in the Comparent 100 List Newswire.com City calls on lenders in vacation rental crackdown Hawaii News Now Santa Cruz County supervisors advance new limits on vacation rentals Santa Cruz Local Economic Impact Of Short-Term Vacation Rentals Presented To Council Big Island Video News Commission takes initial step to tap brakes on vacation rentals along Monterey coast Local News Matters Inside The ‘Out-Of-Control’ Debate Over Axing Maui Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Vacation rentals could be banned in one of California’s top coastal destinations San Francisco Chronicle Airbnb for property management: Arbio lands $36M to reinvent holiday rentals with AI Tech Funding News Maui County Council committee approves bill to phase out thousands of vacation rentals Hawaii News Now The One Montana Airbnb You Need to Book for Epic Dark Sky Views Only In Your State Oregon Wildlife Officials Stress 'Don't Feed Bears' on Coast, In Forests Oregon Coast Beach Connection The One Wisconsin Airbnb You Need To Book for Unreal Dark Sky Views Only In Your State The Coastal Commission approves Monterey County’s vacation rental ordinance in a major win. Monterey County Weekly City of Santa Barbara Chips Away at Illegal Short-Term Vacation Rentals The Santa Barbara Independent Thousands of Colorado vacation units were taken off the rental market in June, but visitors are still booking trips VailDaily.com Montana Supreme Court rules restrictions of vacation rentals allowed under subdivision covenants Daily Inter Lake Committee seeks to halt vacation rental requests Evanston RoundTable Sanctuary Vacation Rentals seemonterey.com Main St. request on hold, but ‘Kitschy 2 BR House’ gets vacation rental OK - Evanston RoundTable Main St. request on hold, but ‘Kitschy 2 BR House’ gets vacation rental OK Evanston RoundTable Quintana Roo tourism registry hands over power to municipalities to approve or deny vacation rental property permits Riviera Maya News When it Comes to Identity Verification, Vacation Rental Platforms Need a Timely Solution to an Age-Old Problem Hospitality Net Opinion | Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide The Washington Post Plan To Convert Maui Vacation Rentals To Long-Term Housing Delayed Honolulu Civil Beat Honolulu Sees Doubling Of Vacation Rental Registrations Under New Rules Honolulu Civil Beat Study: Maui Should Phase Out Vacation Rentals With Caution Honolulu Civil Beat Vacation Rental Study in Goleta Tells More About the Neighbors The Santa Barbara Independent Florida vacation rental company files for bankruptcy Gulf Coast News and Weather Maui measure to phase out half of the island's vacation rentals moves forward Hawaii Public Radio How Short-Term Vacation Rentals Impact the Tourism Economy in Greater Palm Springs Palm Springs Life Changes coming to Sarasota's vacation rental ordinance Your Observer Council targets lot sizes, vacation rentals at latest Envision meeting Evanston RoundTable Honolulu Hasn't Fined Airbnb, Vrbo for Illegal Short-Term Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Key amendments proposed for vacation rental phase-out bill ahead of Council committee hearing Maui Now Maui Vacation Rental Owners Poised To Sue Over Ban Beat of Hawaii Maui Council hears another 70 testifiers on vacation rental phase-out bill; still more to come Maui Now The county’s vacation rental ordinance faces one more hurdle for approval. Monterey County Weekly Solvang drafts policy updates that regulate vacation rentals Santa Maria Sun Short-term Vacation Rentals Outperform U.S. Hotels in Q2 The World Property Journal Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Property Owners, Renters Over $1 Million NBC Palm Springs Supreme Court: cities cannot limit vacation rentals based on owner occupancy Idaho Public Television Maui Plan To Phase Out Thousands Of Short-Term Rentals Advances Honolulu Civil Beat Maui panel passes bill to curb vacation rentals and boost housing supply after Lahaina wildfire AP News Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Millions; Riverside DA Launches Investigation After Public Outcry NBC Palm Springs Council to consider vacation rental pause Evanston Now Committee votes 5-0 against couple’s vacation rental request advancing Evanston RoundTable SLO County city is cracking down on vacation rentals with new rules, penalties San Luis Obispo Tribune Maui Council To Take Up Bill Phasing Out Vacation Rentals This Summer Honolulu Civil Beat |
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