A lot of people out there are struggling to find out the meaning of healthy living because no matter how hard they try; conditions like cholesterol, diabetes and even cancer are still lurking around them. Going green is actually the simple answer for that big question but the problem is those people are not ready to give up their current lifestyle yet, a kind of lifestyle including eating junk food, smoking and other unhealthy habits. Well, if it is really hard, perhaps you could take a small step today, first thing first. If it is hard to give up on junk food, the list of benefits from fruits and vegetables below may open your mind that sometimes to be healthy is easy; which is just keeping a watch to what you eat.
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Calories from Avocado
When talking about calories, most people will associate it with weight gain. Well, it is actually true that unused calories will be stored into fat cells and cause weight gain, so use it right away as energy after you consume it. One of the health benefits of avocado is from one medium size of avocado you could get enough calories (227 calories) to be burnt into energy you could use to do whatever activities you intend to do. Unlike other calories sources, avocado also contains monounsaturated fat which is also well known as healthy fats.
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Vitamin A from Tomato
Tomato may be commonly found in vegetables salad but it is actually a fruit which is super rich of vitamin A. Do you know that a medium size of tomato contains around 1025 IUs of vitamin A? It is enough amount of vitamin A to fulfill your daily intake. You must have known how essential vitamin A for your vision is and that becomes one of the main tomato health benefits. Furthermore, vitamin A also could help in fighting macular degeneration mostly suffered by senior people.
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Folate from Broccoli
Folate is one of the essential compounds for development and it is quite high found in broccoli. One of the health benefits of broccoli is for mother during pregnancy. Pregnant mother is highly recommended to consume fruits and vegetables that are rich of folate in order to support the optimal development of the fetus especially in the first trimester because during that period brain and nerve system is developing. Folate will reduce the risk of baby born with birth defect. Broccoli is one of the vegetables which are rich of folate, just a half cup of broccoli could give you 89 mcg of folate, higher than turnips and Brussels sprout.
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Iron from Brussels Sprout
Iron is essential minerals which daily intake is supposed to be fulfilled. It is because iron has important role in making sure enough production of red blood cells. Surely you have known how important the role if RBCs are, they are responsible to distribute nutrients and oxygen throughout the body cells. One of the health benefits of Brussels sprout leaves are promoting healthy amount of RBCs due to iron content. Per 100 grams of Brussels sprout you could get more than 1 mg of iron which is enough to fulfill up to 7% of iron’s daily intake.
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Carbohydrate from Potato
Just like calories, carbohydrate also earns its bad name as weight gainer. Well, if you think so and then you thought it wrong. Carbohydrate is the source of energy you need to do activities, the problem is sometimes people are consuming it more but do less activities. Main health benefits of Potatoes are as excellent source of carbohydrate which is later will be turned into glucose and then energy. If you don’t use it as energy, they will be stocked as fat cells.
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Vitamin C from Orange
Well, the fact that orange is rich of vitamin C is no longer a secret because all citrus, including orange is quite rich of vitamin C. So, it is no surprise that one of the health benefits of oranges is as immunity booster because vitamin c is natural antioxidant that will provide protection to your body. Furthermore, vitamin C also has a role to optimize the iron absorption while at the same time promotes the production of collagen for healthy, firm and younger skin. For more vitamin C, you could enjoy fruits from the same citrus family like tangerine, pomelo, lemon and many more.
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Protein from Peas
Most people thought that for protein they should eat red meat. Well, it is not quite true because there are quite long lists of vegetables that are also excellent source of protein and peas are among them. Among the health benefits of peas, protein natural source is one of them. Protein is essential for muscle building. Without enough protein, the workout you do to form your muscle will just burn your calories but with protein and glycogen, will form a thick and hard muscle. So, there is still a chance for vegan to do body building as long as they have peas in their diet.
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Vitamin B Complex from Grains
When talking about vitamin B complex and then you should talk about it a group because there are vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12. Each of them has its own function. However, together they are great for body metabolism, while vitamin B1 – B6 produces certain enzyme for body metabolism, vitamin B9 which is also well known as folate and vitamin B12 responsible to regulating DNA synthesis including brain cells. The question is what you should eat for them? Though most fruits and vegetables contain Vitamin B1 – B9 but vitamin B12 mostly found in meat, eggs and dairy products but you don’t need to worry, yeast and cereal made from grains also contain vitamin B12.
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Calcium from Kiwi
Calcium is essential mineral for bone health and kiwi is one of the fruit with excellent source of calcium. So, one of the health benefits of kiwi fruit is as alternative solution for those with lactose tolerance condition who cannot consume dairy products of the sake of its calcium. Per 100 gram serving size of kiwi, you could get about 34 mg of calcium. Furthermore, kiwi is also rich of vitamin C and excellent source of several powerful antioxidants. Consuming them in daily basis will only make your diet menu more vary and tasty.
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Potassium from Sweet Potato
One of the ways to keep your heart in healthy condition is by consuming foods rich of potassium. Potassium has essential role in managing the excessive sodium found in the body. Now you know that one of the health benefits of eating sweet potato for breakfast is it is not only giving you the carbohydrate to be burnt into energy but also potassium that your heart really needs to work optimally. Surely you aware of the fact that all foods rich of potassium are great for heart and sweet potato is among them.
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Vitamin E from Swiss Chard
One of the health benefits of vitamin E is no a secret because vitamin E is one of the powerful antioxidant that could act magically as the elixir of youth. You want to stay young a bit longer with a firm, healthy and radiant skin, what you need is daily intake of vitamin E and then you could take advantage of the health benefits of Swiss chard which is one of the vegetables that are rich of vitamin E. Well, actually all green leafy vegetables are rich of vitamin E but Swiss chard is among the best sources. Though there are a lot of supplement you could consume but natural way always the best.
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Vitamin K from Spinach
Why do you think Popeye loves spinach so much? Most people will agree that one of the health benefits of spinach is as excellent source of iron but it is also excellent source of vitamin K. Per 30 g of spinach contains around 145 mcg vitamin K, which is more than enough to fulfill your daily intake of vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential for bone health, so it is not only calcium that you need to protect your bones because for women, vitamin K also reduce the risk of hip-fracture, a case commonly found suffered by middle-aged women.
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Fiber from Coconut
The Chinese always believe that the source of your health is in your stomach. That’s why before you are talking about healthy metabolism; you should talk about healthy digestive first. Fiber is essential compound that cannot be absorbed by the body but indeed has important function to bind unnecessary properties inside the intestine to be washed out. The effect is healthier bowel movement and healthy digestive system. Fiber found in coconut is among the highest you could get to fulfill your daily intake.
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Omega 3 Fatty Acid from Soybeans
Omega 3 fatty acid is commonly found in seafood but for those who have problem eating seafood, due to allergic or other reasons don’t need to worry anymore because soybeans also contain quite high amount of omega 3 fatty acid to fulfill your needs. Omega 3 fatty acid has essential function to optimize the function of brain cells and nerve system. That’s why foods that are rich of omega 3 fatty acid considered to be super food for brain. Furthermore, soybeans also could be made into soy milk and recommended for those who have lactose tolerance condition.
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Beta-Carotene from Carrot
Beta-carotene is a pro-vitamin A which mostly found in fruits and vegetables with bright color and carrot is among them. Some of the health benefits of Beta-carotene are that it has important role in maintain the vision health as well as protecting the body cells by reducing the risk of macular degeneration diseases. Beta-carotene found in the pigment color of carrot that’s why it is better to consume carrot along with its skin.
Below is the list of benefits from fruits and vegetables you may interest to find out more about:
- Health Benefits of Bitter Melon Fruit
- Health Benefits of Okra
- Health Benefits of Water Apple
- Health Benefits of Purple Yams
- Health Benefits of Mulberry Fruit
- Health Benefits of Bitter Greens
- Health Benefits of Savoy Cabbage
So, from where you will get antioxidants to protect you from free radicals? It is actually a rhetoric question because all included in the list of benefits from fruits and vegetables mentioned above contain super powerful antioxidants and organic compounds to protect you from free radicals, they also provide you natural booster to your immunity system as well as one layer protection to viral infection and entirely covering your need of healthy lifestyle. One more thing you should do to balance them all is doing regular exercises.