The fact is, we humans are designed to eat these foods by
the fistful every day. Our bodies are meant to be flooded with a daily deluge of
amazing chemicals called antioxidants that protect cells from damage. And we
need them now more than ever. Modern life triggers the production of more free
radicals in our bodies than ever before - thanks to fried foods (and simply to
overeating!), to more pollution, to the fact that we're living longer, and
perhaps even to a thinning atmosphere.
Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd
number of electrons. They form naturally when we digest food, convert blood sugar
into energy, or are exposed to sunlight or pollution. Free radicals destroy
cell walls or even worse, DNA itself. The result? Increased cancer risk,
cholesterol that's more likely to burrow into artery walls, and damaged
cartilage that can't cushion joints properly. Your body uses the antioxidants
in fruits and vegetables to neutralize free radicals before they can do harm. Shortchange
yourself, and you're essentially letting rogue elements take over your body.
Fruit is simple to eat: Just grab a banana or an orange,
peel, and enjoy. It also transforms meals. Think about the juicy crunch of
grapes in chicken salad or the burst of sharp sweetness a few strawberries add
to cereal. With a little creativity, vegetables can be just as delicious – think
of ripe red tomatoes dressed with basil, zucchini fresh off the grill and
dusted with a touch of sea salt, and roasted sweet potatoes with a pinch of
cinnamon or nutmeg.
Putting nature's original gourmet treats on your plate may
take more time than zipping through the burger-stand drive-through or tossing a
frozen entree into your microwave, but it's worth it in terms of both
satisfaction and health. And thanks to a host of prewashed, precut produce
available in the supermarket, you'll be surprised how easy it really can be.
Try these strategies to get your fill.
Assign specific servings to each meal. For example, you might
always have a small glass of orange juice plus a handful of berries or a side
of melon at breakfast, start lunch with a salad (two servings of veggies), have
fruit as a snack, and serve one cooked veggie and one raw veggie at dinner.
That's seven servings!
Always have two
colors of produce on your plate. Start breakfast with a spinach and red pepper omelet, have carrots and
black beans (yes, they count as
vegetables) on your lunchtime salad,
and top your pasta with chopped tomatoes
and steamed broccoli at dinner. It's an automatic two servings per meal and floods your body with a wide variety of antioxidants
and other beneficial
phytochemicals.
Double each vegetable
portion you'd normally eat. This is a good approach if you're already eating several servings a day.
Load up on
ready-to-use produce. Try cans of fruit in light syrup or juice, frozen
plain (no sauce) vegetables, frozen berries, and pre-sliced, pre-trimmed
vegetables. We also love pre-washed spinach that you can microwave right in the
bag.
Keep salads
interesting. Plain green salads get boring, but just one new topping can
make them seem new again. Try roasted sesame seeds, canned artichoke hearts, a
few olives, sliced cucumbers, red peppers, hot peppers, or even a few
raspberries. (‘Simple Health Secrets’,
by Reader’s Digest)
