FitnessCrew

Whether or not you’re on a diet there are certain foods that are so good for the health that they should be on your shopping list. It’s worth keeping a note of them all together, so in the next few articles I’m going to say what they are and why they’re so good. Some people call these superfoods and today I’ll start with fruit. All of these foods give you the maximum benefit for the number of calories consumed, but they also have extra health advantages.

Some of this fruit will be out of season, but there’s always fruit on this list that you can find, and you can also buy dried varieties. Here they are in alphabetical order, and first up are the apricots. Apricots have fibre, betacarotene which is converted in the body to vitamin A, and they have most nutrients before they get too ripe. Luckily dried apricots are available all year and are also nutritious. Vitamin A can be hard to take as a supplement as you can have side-effects if you take too much (it’s very important to get doses of vitamins right). It’s best to get vitamins from food if possible and Vitamin A is said to help in avoiding some cancers, especially of the skin.

Next up are avocados, which I really enjoy. Along with all the other types of fruit avocados contain fibre, and they also contain an unsaturated fat called oleic acid which helps lower cholesterol. They raise HDL levels in the body – HDL is a form of ‘good cholesterol’ which transports cholesterol to the liver to be eliminated so it’s very good for you.

Cantaloupe melons are another big favourite in our house. They contain both betacarotene and a good dose of vitamin C. Vitamin C and betacarotene are also antioxidants which help protect cells from free-radical damage. In simple terms, they counteract the free radicals that make us look older, so this is an anti-ageing ingredient. Surprisingly, a cantaloupe melon has four times as much potassium as a banana, and potassium helps lower blood pressure. Potassium taken by eating this kind of fruit every day also helps avoid cramp during pregnancy – and this certainly worked for me. Like all the fruits it also provides us with fibre.

Many of these fruits can be blended to make a smoothie, so there are plenty of ways to vary the way you fit them into your diet. One of the best types of fruit drink for the bladder is cranberry juice, which stops harmful bacteria.

Figs are good providers of potassium and fibre, and they also supply vitamin B6. The B vitamins are very important for our moods and a lack of them can make us feel stressed. Vitamin B6 helps us produce serotonin (which makes us feel happier), and it also helps lower cholesterol and is an aid to preventing water retention. If you can’t get hold of fresh figs the dried variety are also nutritious and check the health store if they aren’t in your supermarket.

Lemons and limes are rich in vitamin C, and also limonene and furocoumarins – and if you don’t know what they are then the important thing is that they help prevent cancer. It’s easy to forget to buy lemons and limes, but they’re so handy for squeezing over various types of food from fish to salads, or to put in drinks. Lemon juice can also be added to a cup of hot water in the morning as a cleansing start to the day for your system. It will bring a sparkle to your eyes too!

Raisins are a good source of iron, which is important for the red blood cells and helps the blood carry oxygen around the body. This is especially important for women, and for vegetarians who need a good iron-providing substitute for red meat.

Raspberries are delicious and are another fruit very high in fibre, vitamin C and also ellagic acid which helps prevent cancer. They are very low calorie, but, like all soft fruit, you should buy organic or pick your own. Soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries absorb the chemicals from pesticides and pollution and this can’t be washed off or cut away by peeling, unlike other fruit such as apples.

Tomatoes are amazingly versatile and can be used as drinks, in salads, in sandwiches, cooked in sauces, or sliced and placed on top of hot food like pizza or baked pasta. Tomatoes are a daily ingredient in the Mediterranean menu which is considered healthy, and regular use of tomatoes in your diet is said to dramatically reduce the risk of bladder, stomach and colon cancers. Tomatoes also have lycopene which is a very strong carotenoid, so they also have antioxidant properties which combat the ageing process. In the Mediterranean diet tomatoes are often dressed with extra virgin olive oil, and in fact oil helps us absorb lycopene.

Tomorrow I’ll write about more of the superfoods, but research for today’s article has really shown me how important fruit is in our diets. I’ll be buying more of these superfruits from tomorrow, choosing dried ones wherever fresh ones aren’t available.