Healthy, Green Foods

It’s March! That means spring is starting to peek through the veil of winter and little green shoots are nudging their way toward the heavens. Spring means a new beginning for nature, and as we celebrate National Nutrition Month, we look at brightly-colored foods (green, yellow, orange and red!) that will give us a fresh start this spring, too.

Most of us instinctively know that green foods are healthy, but this doesn’t mean they are always tasty. Packing our diets with enough leafy, green vegetables can be a challenge. However the health benefits are tremendous when we eat the recommended amount of green – allowing us to be more active, have more energy and generally just feel better. And believe it or not, the green foods are the most filling choices we can make in regard to satisfying the urge to eat, and they can help burn more calories by activating metabolism.

A few green foods that should be part of your regular diet include:

1.Celery: While celery often is the red-headed stepsister of the vegetable platter, it is actually quite a star in the food world. Full of potassium, celery is good for both your body and your blood by lowering blood pressure.

2.Peas: Good for your immune system due to their high levels of Vitamin C, they also support good bone health due to its levels of manganese and Vitamin K.

3.Broccoli is also chock full of Vitamin C to help bulk up your immune system and create strong bones. It also contains high levels of folate which are important nutrients for regulating cell growth.

4.Kale: It’s the new spinach! Part of the cabbage family, kale contains cancer-fighting compounds and Vitamin C, Vitamin K and even anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

5.Kiwi: Yes, kiwi! For a little sweet and break from the veggies, kiwi is an amazing source of fiber that also provides 230% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C. That’s twice what you get from an orange. Kiwis also contain loads of potassium, Vitamin E and folate.

Beyond the green cornucopia of food selections, other brightly-colored foods also pack a healthy punch. Colorful plant-based foods are full of phytonutrients – not essential to life, but they do play a powerful role in preventing disease and keeping your body in working order. One type of phytonutrient is carotenoids which act as antioxidants to rid your body of free radicals that damage tissues in our bodies.

There are multiple kinds of carotenoids. A few that may sound familiar are beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein.

1.Beta-carotene, found in pumpkins and carrots, yellow peppers and other yellow and orange foods is converted into Vitamin A, which is an important vitamin for a healthy immune system.

2.Lycopene: this carotenoid gives the beautiful hue to pink and red foods like grapefruit and tomatoes. Lycopene has been linked to lower levels of prostate cancer.

3.Lutein is found is spinach and kale, and helps protect our eyes from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Avocados are another way to get lutein in your diet and help protect eye health. Rich in Vitamin E, avocados also have properties associated with lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Looking for something a little sweeter? Ellagic acid, a phytonutrient found in strawberries, pomegranates and raspberries. Ellagic acid is being researched for its ability to slow the grown of cancer cells.

Whether you choose kale, spinach, kiwi, raspberries, grapefruit or tomatoes, the point is that healthy eating is a good menu choice for everyone, at any age. Seniors can especially benefit from a balanced diet to help improve their immune system which naturally breaks down with age. During the month of March, take a pledge to replace one non-healthy item each meal with something a little greener, a little healthier. Your body will thank you.