Summer Foods That Should Be on Every Woman's Radar
By Sara Butler
As far as nutritional needs are concerned, men and women need a lot of the same nutrition to obtain optimal health. But there are a few differences between men and women too. For example, pregnant women need more minerals and vitamins than other adults. But the differences don't stop there. Here are a few summer foods that every woman should incorporate into her diet this summer for better health.
Cherries
Cherries are bountiful in the summertime and are great for you, too. They contain a compound called anthocyanins. It's what gives them their signature red hue and also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits for your body to help reduce your risk of chronic disease.
You can enjoy fresh cherries in a variety of ways. Try making some salsa out of them or adding some to your morning oatmeal or smoothie.
Walnuts
Walnuts go in a lot of dishes -- and should be incorporated whenever you can fit them in. That's because walnuts are showing some promising results in preliminary studies linking their consumption to survival rates of breast cancer. It's thought that the variety of nutrients found in the humble walnut such a fiber, polyunsaturated fat, and antioxidants, contribute to the positive impact. Go ahead, enjoy some walnuts as a snack!
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a favorite summertime food but not simply because they're fresh. They're also good for you because they're full of lycopene, a nutrient that's believed to help women lower their risk of heart disease and cancer.
Pair your tomatoes with a healthy fat such as olive oil to unlock the power of lycopene, which is a fat-soluble nutrient. Try your hand at homemade salsa or pasta sauce.
Watermelon
Watermelon is great in the summer because it contains so much water, as its name implies. It can help you to stay hydrated when it's hot outside. It's also full of lycopene, just as tomatoes, and has potassium to help you balance your fluid levels in the hot weather. It's low in calories too, so you can enjoy a lot of it without blowing your calorie intake up.
Avocado
Avocados are full of fats that are healthy for your heart, but the benefits don't stop there. You can also get quite a lot of your daily intake of magnesium, folate, and Vitamin B6 in avocados. These assists your body in hormone production, especially important during pregnancy.
If you're a woman, then take advantage of all the bounty this season has to offer!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.