Sugar Blossom

Eat Your Veggies (and More) for Optimal Nutrition

You can usually get all the essential vitamins and minerals (i.e., micronutrients) that your body needs to function optimally through a healthy and varied diet (see Tables 1.2 and 1.3 later in this chapter). For example, the B vitamins are necessary for the body to effectively process carbohydrates in your diet as well as proteins, and some of them even assist in the production of red blood cells to carry oxygen. In general, consuming a wide variety of vegetables and fruits in suf? cient quantities (i.e., a bare minimum of ?ve a day, but likely much more) is a smart practice. Focus on dark green, leafy vegetables (e.g., lettuces, kale, broc­coli, spinach), orange-yellow varieties (such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, squashes), and tomatoes for optimal nutrition. Eat them raw, lightly steamed, baked, or microwaved to preserve their nutrient content, because boiling them leeches out impor­tant micronutrients into the water. The other sure? re plant-based foods to include regularly are legumes (e.g., black, navy, kidney, and garbanzo beans and lentils), whole grains, fruits of all colors, and a wide variety of nuts.

Harness the Power of Phytonutrients and Natural Antioxidants in Plants

In addition to containing many vitamins and minerals (including iron and calcium), plants also contain special compounds called phytochemicals, or phytonutrients. There are so many of these compounds that scientists still haven’t identi?ed all of them or their exact health bene?ts. Some, like lutein found in cooked tomato products (like sauce and paste), lower the risk of prostate cancer in men. Phytonutrients found in onions lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes. These compounds appear to work best synergistically, meaning that consuming them together naturally in foods is preferable.

The human body constantly produces unstable molecules called oxidants, also known as free radicals. To become stable, oxidants borrow electrons from other nearby molecules. In the process, oxidants can cause damage to cell proteins and genetic materials (DNA and RNA), leaving cells vulnerable to cancer and in?ammation. A large number of phytonutrients have anti­oxidant qualities, so they help prevent oxidative damage in your body that can cause long-term illness. Flavonoids with potent antioxidant properties are found abundantly in cocoa beans, red wine, tea, cranberries, peanuts, strawberries, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables. For example, sweet potatoes are packed so full of antioxidants that they rank number one among vegetables; blueberries win as the fruit with the biggest antioxi­dant punch.

Action Steps for Better Health Tip

Eat plenty of dark green, leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts to prevent vitamin and mineral de?ciencies and to ? ll your body with healthy phytonutrients. Antioxidants that protect against premature aging are also abundant in dark chocolate, tea, blueberries, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and many other fruits and vegetables.