Essential Foods To Help Ensure Good Health

It has become increasingly evident that nutritious food has disease fighting potential.

Eating well and good health are seemingly intertwined. While eating right cannot prevent or cure every illness, eating nutritious foods will help to give us long-term good health. For a number of chronic conditions, including or excluding certain foods in your diet, will help ease symptoms or even reverse the progression of certain diseases. Listed below are some general guidelines for eating for good health: n Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and grains n Eat a variety of colorful vegetables, and for leafy greens– the darker, the more nutrients n Eat red meat sparingly n Eat fish two to three times per week, and fatty fish such as salmon or tuna are beneficial n Eating super foods such as yogurt, berries, salmon, dark leafy greens and beans and legumes are packed with nutrients and offer a variety of health benefits.

We will explore a few essential foods for good health, and list their benefits, as well.

Apricots – Are full of beta-carotene and other carotenoids and antioxidants. Some of apricots’ carotenoids offer more antioxidants than be- ta-carotene, making them even more powerful as cancer fighters. Apricots contain some vitamin C, which keeps skin and tissues healthy. They are also rich in heart healthy fiber, which lowers blood cholesterol levels and helps individuals with diabetes maintain stable blood sugar levels.

Carrots – Offer a natural defense against heart disease, strokes, cancer, cataracts and constipation. Studies have shown carrots can reduce the risk of heart attacks in women by 22% and can also reduce women’s stroke risk by 68%. Women who did have a stroke or CVA were less likely to become disabled or die.

Garlic – Can reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Garlic is a powerful antioxidant, which includes vitamin C which helps to reduce the damage that LDL (Lousy) cholesterol can cause. Garlic has also been shown to make small improvements in blood pressure, by increasing the blood flow to the capillaries.

There are many more healthy foods to explore that are not listed in this brief article.

We all want to enjoy good health for as long as possible and by making small incremental changes in one’s diet, it’s taking the right step forward!~

Editor’s Note: This article was submitted by Olidia Home Health, 763-634-5994, olidiacare.com. See ad on page 95.