While on the journey to find the benefits of colored foods in our diets, our next stop is green foods; which also means leafy foods like lettuce and spinach. Many doctors say we need to have leafy foods in our diet. Nutritionists says eat more salad and less fatty meats like hamburgers and the such. Dark green foods contain an antioxidant called Lutein that helps our eyesight, so eating foods with a high content of Lutein can help reduce your risks of going blind later in age. It can also help prevent the development of cataracts on your eyes. Green foods also help boost the immune system and eliminate the toxins that may be in one's body. Lets look at some of the green foods one an easily add to their diet.
Lettuce
Lettuce is low in calories which works great for those who are on the Weight Watchers program. Different lettuces provide different benefits, Romaine on one hand provides more nutritional benefits than say iceberg. The darker the green the better it is. Lettuce and other salad greens are notable for having a high content of vitamin C, Folic Acid, and fiber. The folic acid in lettuce can help prevent numerous birth defects in the beginning stages of pregnancy.
Spinach
While we are on salad greens, fresh spinach makes a salad have that extra punch in flavor and health benefits. Extracts from spinach have shown to help slow down the division of cancer cells in the stomach and skin cancers. Spinach can help defend against a wide variety of other diseases as well including osteoporosis and arthritis. Vitamin K in spinach helps the calcium in your bones to create stronger bones.
Peas
Peas are the only vegetable to have the highest content of thiamin. They help promote intestinal health and are a water-soluble vegetable. They slow glucose in the blood which boost your energy level. One should avoid canned peas as much as possible because they lose their nutritional value in the canning process and they are preserved in salt.
Broccoli
Like many of the other vegetables that promote good health and help the body fight against cancer, as does broccoli. Broccoli has iron needed to help fight anemia as well as lessens the risk of spinal bifida as well as many other diseases. To get the most out of broccoli you should boil or steam it. Adding broccoli to your diet can help fight against the risk of a stroke.
Kiwi
Kiwis are a wonderfully sweet fruit that can quench that sweet tooth one may have. Kiwis are rich in vitamin C, which we all know is very beneficial to our health. Kiwis help with respiratory tract health. They are also very rich in antioxidants and vitamins that our bodies need.
One could easily add a salad with their meal with various leafy greens and some peppers and other salad vegetables. Or one could have a fruit salad for dessert with kiwi, grapes, pineapples and more. It doesn't take a lot to add new colors into your diet for their nutritional benefits that they hold. The more colors we have the more beneficial they can be.
