Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Diane Lassen of Women’s Nutrition Matters and does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of DiseaseProof or Dr. Fuhrman.

When I think about my favorite fruits and vegetables, I realize that my favorites change with the seasons. I do my best to eat locally, and plan my meals around those things that are ripening as we speak. Right now, I have only one thing on my mind—BERRIES!

Berries—I can’t get enough of them. They are antioxidant powerhouses, brimming with fiber and wonderful flavor. Did I mention versatile? You can literally eat berries in every meal. I eat them in my breakfast cereal. I add them to my smoothies and toss them into salads. I wander the woods seeking raspberries and blackberries, and have been known to return to work from my lunch break with purple-stained fingers after finding a mulberry tree with low-hanging branches. They are nature’s perfect snack food; portable, packable and freezable.

Strawberries are still available for self-picking in the New Jersey area, and blueberries are soon to follow. I have been picking strawberries at the local CSA for almost a month now! Black and red raspberries are making their appearance in a few weeks as well. Plus, there are so many other berries to try, like gooseberries, cloudberries, wine berries and currents. Many recipes calling for one berry can be easily made with whatever berry is on hand. If you are lucky enough to find a surplus of berries, freeze them! Simply spread them out on a baking sheet. Place them in the freezer and then bag them up when they are frozen. So you can eat berries all year long!

I love my berries in the early summer. They are a breath of fresh air after a long winter of apples and pears! Berries are a perfect cleansing food, full of nutrition and fiber, and can help shed the winter pounds in a very tasty way.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Bloggy McBloggenstein of Stop Being So Fat! and does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of DiseaseProof or Dr. Fuhrman.

If I don't have one everyday I feel incomplete. I couldn't think of a better snack to have while on the go that doesn't leave me feeling like I've overloaded on salt or sugar, which most snacks do.

Bananas are the ultimate convenience food! As far as fruit goes (or for that matter any "snack" food) bananas require no washing, cutting, peeling, storage, or packaging. They come in their own biodegradable wrapper that can be removed by hand! What more could you ask for in a convenience food?

Just don't leave the peel lying on the ground. Comedy and/or bodily injury may occur!

And they're so cheap! At least in my neck of the woods, they are usually around $.50 a pound, which can get me 3 or 4, depending on the size. That sure beats spending a dollar at the vending machine for a candy bar that will probably make me feel poorly afterward.

The influence of the Western diet in the past few decades has lead most people's diets to become lacking in enough highly nutritious foods to thrive, especially fruit. Bananas are notably helpful in combating the typical Western way of eating in that they are good sources of several vitamins and minerals that actually help reverse the negative effects of eating too many processed, and not enough whole foods.

Those nutrients include Vitamin C, the great antioxidant; vitamin B6, important for amino acid metabolism as well as even reducing depression for some that are deficient. The minerals potassium and magnesium help to reduce blood pressure, which is great since hypertension rates are skyrocketing mostly due to high sodium intake. Oh, and we can't forget fiber!

With all of these good things to say about bananas, there's really no excuse to not have some on hand.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

New findings in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reveal quercetin—a nutrient in red apples, berries and broccoli—boosts oxygen uptake and exercise endurance. Study participants followed their regular routines and diet for 7 days and then did the same thing for another 7 days, but this time they consumed 500 milligrams of quercetin. While on quercetin people had nearly 4% more oxygen uptake and took longer to become fatigued during exercise. However, participants got quercetin from Tang, which stinks; Reuters reports.

But still, quercetin is great mojo! According to Dr. Fuhrman, blueberries are packed with quercetin and other healthful flavanoids. He recommends eating blueberries everyday. That’s why you’ll find quercetin in Dr. Fuhrman’s Pixie-Vites, along with other nutrients found in watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, beets and many other amazing fruits and vegetables.

And don’t forget, last year researchers found antioxidants and nutrients in carrots, spinach, kale and collard greens help health improve eye health and stave off age-related vision loss.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link