These Green Foods Can Boost Your Health
By Paul Rothbart
Good nutrition is a vital part of staying healthy. A proper diet should include foods from all of the groups. One of the most important groups is fruits and vegetables. Within that group, the green varieties are among the healthiest. Green foods are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Here are some you should seriously consider adding to your diet.
Green Beans
Green beans are a tasty and popular vegetable that makes a great side dish. A single cup of green beans contains 3 grams of dietary fiber, which has been shown to stabilize blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. With their low glycemic index, green beans are an especially good food choice for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Avocados
Avocados are good in salads, on sandwiches, or on toast. Then there's guacamole, a staple of Mexican cuisine. You can put it on tacos, burritos, or use it as a dip for tortilla chips. In addition to their flavor and creamy texture, avocados offer nutrition and health benefits. Although avocados contain a fair amount of fat, most of it is monounsaturated which can help lower cholesterol. Vitamin E is another important nutrient avocados are loaded with. This vitamin functions as an antioxidant, fighting free radicals in the body that can cause disease. Avocados also contain lutein, which reduces the risk of macular degeneration and is good for eye health.
Green Tea
All teas have health benefits, but green tea has a few that the others don't. Drinking green tea can increase fat oxidation and metabolism, aiding in weight loss and helping to prevent obesity. Research has also shown that green tea can lessen insulin resistance, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. It is also extremely low in calories, with just 2.4 in a single cup.
Basil
Basil is a delicious spice with a sweetness that is used often in Italian and Thai cuisine. It may seem to be just a way to add flavor, but basil does contain healthy nutrients. The leaves contain the antioxidants caffeic acid and rosmarinic. As with other antioxidants, these compounds help prevent chronic disease. Basil also contains eugenol, an anti-inflammatory oil that can also help fight illness.
Kiwi
The fuzzy fruit from New Zealand is a tasty addition to fruit salads. It's low in calories and high in Vitamin C, folate, and fiber. Kiwi also contains serotonin, a hormone that elevates mood and helps you sleep better. That will certainly boost mental and physical health.
It's important to choose foods that provide nutrition and health benefits. You can't do better than the green fruits and vegetables. Include some every day to help stay in the best of health.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Annapolis, Md.