Nothing says summer like a juicy peach, a fresh ear of corn or a vine-ripe tomato. Or how about your pick of fragrantly delicious citrus fruits during the winter months? Eating what’s in season brings you closer to your food.
As snack foods go, popcorn is a prime pick! Surprisingly, popcorn has several health-promoting benefits including curbing your appetite and supplying antioxidants, all for only 30 calories per cup air-popped.
Purple produce has a host of health-boosting perks! The purple color, which is almost a black-blue hue in some fruits and veggies, seen in blueberries, blackberries, purple potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower, eggplant, concord grapes, plums and even black rice comes from anthocyanins. These are special plant pigments that act as powerful antioxidants, which when inside of you, have an incredible array of health benefits.
The likes of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and other summertime berries are sweet nutritional delights. Each 1-cup serving of berries packs about 50% plus of vitamin C needs and a third of fiber needs in only 60 calories or less! Plus, berries’ rich, deep colors come from special compounds called anthocyanins, which research studies show help stave off cancer and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and age-related changes in the brain that lead to memory loss.
Call them what you want… Hippie bowls, macro bowls or glory bowls—just eat them! These one-bowl meals are all the foodie rage and for good reason. A well-designed bowl supplies a filling array of just about every nutrient you need in an easy-to-eat, eye-appealing format that you can take anywhere for munching.
Spring has sprung in our coffee bar and brought a fresh and flavorful menu of amazing juices and smoothies with it! Along with enjoying classics like the Vita-Mint (made with fresh mint, lemon, orange, apple and pineapple), now’s the perfect time to branch out and try some of our newest drinks, like the Cleansing Tonic (made with beet, ginger, lemon, parsley, carrot and apple) and these other springtime sips!
Citrus like oranges, tangerines, pomelos, grapefruits, kumquats and other fruits have a wealth of health-boosting nutrients such as vitamin C (50 to over 100% Daily Value per fruit), fiber and potent cancer-fighting compounds, such as limonene. Check out some other interesting nutritional properties of common citrus fruits!
Turmeric root is a cousin of ginger root and can be used freshly grated in many recipes. Plus, there’s no need to peel the root as the skin is much softer than ginger root’s outer skin. Using fresh turmeric root may provide greater anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potency than dried turmeric powder, but both forms work well in a variety of uses, like these DIY recipes!
Used in Indian curries and other Asian cuisines, turmeric sets dishes aglow with its rich yellow-orange color thanks to a special compound called curcumin. In fact the name curcumin comes from the ancient Sanskrit word for “yellow.” Research studies show curcumin has very strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which means turmeric may “calm” irritated situations inside cells on a microscopic level such as in the heart and brain.
Heart Health Month is here and we’re celebrating with a Heart-Healthy Art Contest just for kids! While this special video and contest are designed for children ages 3-11, kids of all ages can benefit from learning how to treat their heart right! Watch the video to see how you can help take care of your heart with heart-healthy foods and activities!