eat your fruits and veggies Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Top 20 Summer Fruits and How to Add Them to Your Diet

The AHA! Team — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 05:18:41 +0000

Christine Ruggeri, CHHC via Dr. Axe – In the summertime, things get a whole lot more colorful, including your plates. With so many fruits and vegetables in season throughout the warmer months, it’s time to crowd those meals with fresh, delicious and nutrient-rich summer fruits. They can be added to salads, spreads, smoothies, cocktails, sauces and desserts and are at peak flavor. These tart, sweet and juicy foods have never made it so easy to eat seasonally and keep it healthy, too. 1. Strawberries Strawberries are one of the most well-loved fruits and during the summer months, as we get to enjoy them right off the vine. They are sweet, juicy and can easily be incorporated into recipes. Plus, strawberry nutrition is quite impressive, offering plenty of vitamin C that will meet your daily quota with just one to two cups. Strawberries are rich in antioxidants that work as one of the body’s first lines of defense against disease. One fun way to get in your strawberries is a strawberry lemonade mocktail. 2. Blueberries Blueberries are considered a superfood, and for good reason. These antioxidant-rich berries help fight harmless free radicals in the body. Because they also provide dietary fiber, blueberries can help with weight loss by moving slowly through the digestive tract and improving satiety, and they’re known to help improve glucose management and memory, too. 3. Raspberries For many people, raspberries are a summer favorite. They are loaded in phytonutrients that provide their dark red color and health benefits. Like most berries, raspberry nutrition has been shown to boost heart health and metabolism, while easing inflammation. 4. Blackberries Blackberries are known as one of the top antioxidant foods, and they are rich in important nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. Among the many health benefits of blackberries are their ability to boost immunity and protect the body from chronic inflammation. 5. Mango Mango is a tropical fruit that’s described as a cross between a peach and pineapple. It provides over 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin E. It also features fiber, which helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, promote digestive health and improve satiety. 6. Papaya Papaya is native to the tropics and grown in subtropic areas of the United States. It provides enzyme compounds that can help the body break down and use proteins properly. Research shows that this makes papaya beneficial for digestion, and it also helps slow signs of aging (because of its vitamin C and vitamin A content), fight viral infections and boost heart health. 7. Pineapple Pineapples are propagated year-round, but the best time of year to buy the fruit is during the spring and summer months. Pineapple is nutrient-rich, offering a good supply of vitamin C, manganese, thiamine and vitamin B6. Studies indicate that the benefits of pineapple include its ability to boost immune system, heart and digestive health. 8. Plums Plums are in the same fruit family as cherries and peaches, and their taste ranges from tart to sweet. Like all summer fruits, they are an excellent source of antioxidants and provide dietary fiber, allowing plums to improve satiety and help with weight loss or maintenance. Plum benefits also include their ability to support cognitive health with its phytonutrients. 9. Peaches Peaches are a favorite summer fruit that have a fuzzy skin and sweet, juicy flavor. They provide a good amount of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium, and studies have shown they can help reduce inflammation. Peaches also contain the powerful antioxidant lutein, which helps to protect eye and skin health. 10. Nectarines Nectarines are genetically identical to peaches, but they have a smooth skin and range in color. They, too, provide antioxidants, enhance eye health and strengthen the immune system. The nectarine is also related to pears, raspberries and apricots. 11. Apricots This summer fruit has a tart flavor and distinct color. Not only does it make an excellent ingredient in jams and baked goods, but apricot nutrition is also quite impressive. It’s a good source of fiber and even provides some protein, along with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin K. 12. Cherries There’s something about serving a bowl of cherries that reminds you of summertime. Cherries have preventative health benefits because of their bioactive components, which include the antioxidants anthocyanin and cyanidin, along with melatonin, a molecule that has proven to be critical for regulating your sleep-wake cycle. 13. Watermelon Watermelon is a summertime staple that’s cool and hydrating. Perhaps the most well-known watermelon benefits are its ability to aid hydration, digestion and detoxification, being that it’s about 91 percent water, and that it helps you get rid of excess fluids in the body. Watermelon can also help with weight loss because it promotes satiety and curbs cravings. 14. Honeydew Honeydew is a sweet and creamy summer fruit that hits its peak season in late summer through early winter. It contains carotenoids, including phytoene and beta-carotene, which are responsible for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 15. Cantaloupe Cantaloupe is one of the highest fruit sources of vitamin A, and it also provides vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and fiber. Cantaloupe nutrition boasts beneficial carotenoids that boost immune system function and help prevent heart disease, too. 16. Kiwi One cup of kiwi provides a huge amount of vitamin C, making it one of the most phytonutrient-rich summer fruits. Kiwi supplies 20 vital nutrients, and eating it helps counteract aging and improve skin health. Research suggests that eating vitamin C-rich kiwi also improves respiratory health. 17. Apples Apples are available from late July to November, with different varieties ready for harvest at different times. From Red Delicious to Fuji and Granny Smith, apples come in several colors and flavors, making them one of the most versatile summer fruits. When it comes to apple nutrition, the fruit provides fiber, vitamin C, potassium and more, making apples a great food for aiding digestion, fighting inflammation and helping with weight management. 18. Oranges Did you know that oranges are a good source of B vitamins, including folate, thiamine, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid? They also provide antioxidants that boost immunity, skin health and brain function. You can take advantage of orange nutrition by using its juice or peel in summer recipes, from salads to juices. 19. Pawpaw Perhaps the lesser known summer fruit in the bunch, pawpaw fruit boasts a creamy texture and sweet flavor, which is often described as a combination of pineapple, banana and mango. It’s an excellent source of manganese, copper, iron and magnesium, making it a great food for promoting bone health and healthy digestion. It can also help with maintaining blood sugar control. 20. Lemons and limes How can you talk about summer fruits without mentioning lemons and limes? For starters, they are both used in water to make it more detoxifying, plus these citrus fruits have been shown to help enhance immunity and heart health. Adding lemons and limes to your diet can boost weight loss and fight free radical damage, too. How to add to diet There are so many ways to add summer fruits to your diet, especially on those hot, sticky days. They are cooling, refreshing and hydrating, and they can be used in a range of dishes, from enhanced waters to marinades. Here are some things you can make with these fruits: fresh juices smoothies jams and spreads marinades salads ice pops cocktails/mocktails baked goods (pies, cakes, cobblers, etc) parfaits muffins oatmeal bakes or instant oats fruit bars Need some recipes to get you started? Here are some of our favorites: Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie Lemon Raspberry Sorbet Healthy, Homemade Coconut Crumble Strawberry Lime Mojito Cheesecake Baked Spiced Apple Rings Garlic Lemon Chicken Recipe Mango Walnut Spinach Salad Quinoa Salad with Dark Cherries and Kale Risks and side effects Eating fresh fruits is generally considered safe and healthy, but it is possible to have a fruit allergy or sensitivity. If you experience a rash or hives, itchiness, upset stomach, or flushed skin after eating a fruit, stop eating it immediately, and consider getting yourself checked for an allergy. While eating fruit is part of a healthy, balanced diet, stick to consuming it in moderation. It does provide carbohydrates and sugars, so it’s possible to go overboard on fruit if you eat it excessively. Conclusion There’s something about summertime that calls for snacking on fresh fruits and adding them into as many meals as possible. Summer fruits are at their peak flavor between June and August, and they provide a slew of nutrients, including powerful antioxidants. Eating summer fruits throughout the season will give you plenty of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, potassium and more, so find new ways to add these sweet foods to your meals and enjoy. To read the original article click here.

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New Study Reveals: Hidden Risks of Pesticides in Popular Fruits and How to Avoid Them

The AHA! Team — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 08:14:33 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – As a healthcare professional committed to promoting holistic health and well-being, I find it increasingly important to discuss the implications of pesticide exposure from non-organic produce. Recent findings from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and investigations by Consumer Reports have shed light on the concerning levels of pesticides found in both domestic and imported fruits and vegetables, raising substantial concerns about their impact on human health, particularly hormone systems and potential developmental issues in children. The EWG’s 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce highlights that a staggering 75 percent of all conventional fresh produce sampled contains residues of potentially harmful pesticides. More alarming, items on their Dirty Dozen list—which identifies the 12 non-organic fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides—show that 95 percent of samples harbor pesticide residues. Among the most frequently detected are fungicides such as fludioxonil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, and pyrimethanil, with some showing properties that may disrupt the endocrine system and harm the male reproductive system. Furthermore, Consumer Reports’ recent analysis echoes these findings, indicating high levels of pesticide contamination in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, with a significant portion originating from imports. The report highlights that certain produce, like strawberries and green beans, even when labeled organic, still show pesticide levels due to widespread contamination and issues in pesticide regulation enforcement. Consuming too many pesticides in food can lead to a variety of health problems. Neurological Effects: Pesticides have been linked to neurological problems due to their potential to act as neurotoxins. Chronic exposure can impair cognitive function, cause memory deficits, and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease. A study by Freire and Koifman in 2012 found that exposure to pesticides in agricultural settings significantly increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease in individuals. Cancer: Various pesticides have been classified as probable carcinogens. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can increase the risk of cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, and prostate cancer. A significant study by Alavanja et al. in 2013 suggests that high levels of exposure to certain pesticides may correlate with increased risks of multiple types of cancer in agricultural workers. Hormonal Disruption: Pesticides can interfere with hormone function, leading to reproductive and developmental problems. These chemicals can mimic or block hormones, disrupting the body’s normal hormone functions, which may lead to issues such as infertility, birth defects, and developmental delays in children. Research published by Mostafalou and Abdollahi in 2013 highlights the endocrine-disrupting potential of several widely used pesticides and their implications for human health. The implications of these findings are profound, especially for vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women. Fungicides and other pesticides are linked to various health issues, including hormonal disruptions and developmental problems in children. For instance, studies have shown that fludioxonil can act like estrogen and increase the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Similarly, pyrimethanil has been linked to thyroid disruption and may block androgen receptors in the body, posing risks to thyroid health and reproductive functions. The dangers of pesticides extend beyond individual health concerns. The USDA’s tests, which still found traces of 254 different pesticides in fruits and vegetables after washing and peeling, suggest that the current methods of reducing pesticide exposure are insufficient. The presence of multiple pesticide residues can lead to compound effects that are not yet fully understood, potentially making them more harmful than the sum of their individual parts. Three Effective Ways to Reduce Pesticide Residues on Your Fruits and Vegetables To combat these risks, it is crucial to adopt strategies that minimize exposure to pesticides, especially for those most at risk. While washing and scrubbing produce under running water can reduce pesticide levels, no method entirely removes all residues. Thus, opting for organic produce becomes a safer choice. Organic farming not only limits the use of synthetic pesticides but also supports sustainable agricultural practices that benefit the environment. Proper Washing Techniques: Wash strawberries and other produce under cold running water rather than warm or hot, as higher temperatures can cause some fruits and vegetables to absorb contaminants present in the water. Cold water is sufficient to remove surface dirt and some residues. Scrubbing firm produce with a brush and soaking delicate fruits like strawberries in cold water for a few minutes can help remove additional pesticides. Use filtered or reverse osmosis water if possible, as it’s free from potentially harmful contaminants commonly found in tap water, ensuring that you’re not adding more pollutants while trying to clean your produce. Natural Cleaning Solutions: Consider using a natural produce wash, which can be more effective at removing residues than water alone. You can make a simple and effective wash at home by mixing one part vinegar to three parts water. Soak your fruits and vegetables in the solution, then rinse thoroughly with cold, filtered water. The acetic acid in vinegar helps to break down pesticides and remove bacteria and viruses. Peeling and Trimming: While you might lose some fiber and nutrients, peeling fruits and vegetables can remove pesticides that linger on the skin. For strawberries, since peeling isn’t an option, remove the leafy cap and any white flesh directly beneath it, which may hold more residues. This step can be useful for produce where the outer layer or skin is not typically consumed. As we continue to uncover the long-term impacts of pesticide exposure, it becomes clear that current standards may not adequately protect our health, particularly that of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other health organizations recommend minimizing children’s exposure to pesticides, citing links to developmental delays and various health disorders. While the health benefits of consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables remain clear, the potential risks associated with pesticide exposure cannot be overlooked. It is imperative for consumers to be informed and cautious about their produce choices, opting for organic when possible, and for policymakers to enforce more stringent controls on pesticide use. By taking these steps, we can help ensure a healthier future for ourselves and our children, free from the hidden dangers of pesticide contamination. To read the original article click here.

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How to Eat to Reduce Cancer Risk

AHA Publisher — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 08:00:30 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What does the best available balance of evidence say right now about what to eat and what to avoid to reduce your risk of cancer? In 1982, a landmark report on diet, nutrition, and cancer was released by the National Academy of Sciences. It was “the first major, institutional, science-based report on this topic.” The report started out saying that “scientists must be especially careful in their choice of words whenever they are not totally confident about their conclusions.” For example, by that time, it had become “absolutely clear” that cigarettes were killing people. “If the population been persuaded to stop smoking when the association with lung cancer was first reported, these cancer deaths would not be occurring.” If you wait for absolute certainty, millions of people could die in the meantime, which is why, sometimes, you have to invoke the precautionary principle. For example, “emphasizing fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of several common forms of cancer.” We’re not completely sure, but there’s good evidence—and what’s the downside? “There are no disadvantages for healthy people eating more fruits and vegetables,” as I discuss in my video The Best Advice on Diet and Cancer. The 1982 National Academy of Sciences report continued: “The public is now asking about the causes of cancers that are not associated with smoking. What are these causes, and how can these cancers be avoided? Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to make firm scientific pronouncements about the association between diet and cancer. We are in an interim stage of knowledge similar to that for cigarettes 20 years ago. Therefore, in the judgment of the committee, it is now the time to offer some interim guidelines on diet and cancer.” The committee raised concern about processed meats, for example, and, 30 years later, that concern was confirmed. Processed meat was officially declared “carcinogenic to humans.” Maybe if we had listened back in the early 1980s when the red flag first started waving, then we would have been spared Lunchables, about which a CEO of Philip Morris said: “One article said something like, ‘If you take Lunchables apart, the most healthy item in it is the napkin.’” The findings of this landmark 1982 diet and cancer report “generated a striking level of disbelief from the cancer community and outright hostility from people whose livelihood depended on foods in question and the food industry whose products were being questioned.” In fact, one of the authors of the report was “accused of ‘killing more people than those being saved,’” and there were formally organized petitions to expel the researchers from their professional societies. Indeed, “clearly a very sensitive nerve was touched.” The American Meat Science Association and other members of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology criticized the report and released “Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer: A Critique” in 1982. They agreed that perhaps lives would be saved, but argued that the recommended “reductions in meat consumption would sharply reduce incomes to the livestock and meat processing industries….The fruit and vegetable industries would clearly benefit from the expanded demand for their products if consumers were to implement the guidelines. However, fruits and vegetables account for less than 15 percent of cash receipts for U.S. agriculture.” Most of the money is in “cattle, hogs, poultry products, feed grains, and oil crops.” This reminds me of the tobacco industry memo where Philip Morris spoke of the tobacco industry going bankrupt. Maybe it’s not the meat that’s causing cancer, the industry critique continued, but all the marijuana people are smoking these days. “How then can one argue that such an abundant diet causes cancer? Or is this only some jealous attack on the goodness of our diet, like that of the Reverend Jonathan Edwards in Puritan times who condemned bear baiting, not because of the pain for the bear but because of the pleasure of the spectators.” You can’t tell us to cut down on meat, they argued, “one of mankind’s few remaining pleasures is that of the table.” The day the National Academy of Sciences’ landmark report was published was “The Day That Food Was Declared a Poison” according to Thomas Jukes, the guy who discovered you could speed up the growth of chickens by feeding them antibiotics. How dare the National Academy of Sciences recommend people eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains daily, which were said to contain “as yet unidentified compounds that may protect us against certain cancers. How can one select foods that contain unidentified compounds?…This is not a scientific recommendation; it sounds like ‘health food store’ literature.” My favorite critique, though, told us to think about the human breast. How can animal fat be bad for us if breast-feeding women create so much of it? Women are animals, and their mammary glands make fat for breast milk. Therefore, we shouldn’t have to cut down on burgers. Huh? Enough of that. What does the latest science tell us about nutrition and cancer? I’ve just talked about eating more fruits and vegetables. What are the other five recommendations that invoke the precautionary principle? Consumption of soy products may not only reduce the risk of getting breast cancer, but also increase chances of surviving it. In terms of dietary guidance suggestions on foods to cut down on, where evidence is sufficiently compelling, recommendations included “limiting or avoiding dairy products to reduce the risk of prostate cancer; limiting or avoiding alcohol to reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx [throat], larynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, and breast; avoiding red and processed meat to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum; [and] avoiding grilled, fried, and broiled meats to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, prostate, kidney, and pancreas.” In this context, the researchers are talking about all meat, including poultry and fish. Look, we all have to make dietary decisions every day and “cannot wait for the evolution of scientific consensus.” Until we know more, all we can do to protect ourselves and our families is “act on the best available evidence” we have right now. The level of evidence required to make decisions depends on the level of risk. If we’re talking about a new drug, for example, given the fact that medications kill more than a hundred thousand Americans a year—which is Why Prevention Is Worth a Ton of Cure—you want to be darn sure that the benefits outweigh the risks before you prescribe or take a drug. But what level of evidence do you need to eat broccoli? Do you need randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials? (How would you even design a placebo vegetable?) Even if all of the evidence suggesting how powerful broccoli is turned out to be some crazy cruciferous conspiracy, what’s the worst that could have happened? It’s healthy anyway! That’s the beauty of safe, simple, and side effect–free solutions provided by the lifestyle medicine approach. They can only help. I have so many more videos on diet and cancer for you. How Not to Die from Cancer may be a good place to start before you check out some more in related videos. Key Takeaways Waiting for absolute scientific certainty may result in avoidable disease and even death. For example, had no-smoking efforts taken off when the association between smoking and lung cancer was first reported, instead of waiting for the link to be “absolutely clear,” lives could have been saved. The National Academy of Sciences released a landmark report on diet, nutrition, and cancer in 1982, which included interim guidance. Concerns were raised about processed meats, which were confirmed three decades later. Processed meat has been officially declared “carcinogenic to humans.” The 1982 report’s findings “generated a striking level of disbelief from the cancer community and outright hostility from people whose livelihood depended on foods in question and the food industry whose products were being questioned.” Invoking the precautionary principle, the latest science tells us to eat more fruits and vegetables, consume soy products to reduce breast cancer risk and increase chances of survival, and encourages “limiting or avoiding dairy products to reduce the risk of prostate cancer; limiting or avoiding alcohol to reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, and breast; avoiding red and processed meat to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum; [and] avoiding grilled, fried, and broiled meats to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, prostate, kidney, and pancreas.” In this context, the researchers are talking about all meat, including poultry and fish. We don’t have to wait, nor should we wait, for scientific consensus. We can and should “act on the best available evidence” we have right now. The beauty of safe, simple, and side effect–free solutions provided by the lifestyle medicine approach is that they can only help. To read the original article click here.

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Eating THESE Foods Improves Kids’ Mental Health, New Study Reveals

AHA Publisher — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 07:00:28 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – According to the American Psychological Association, children today experience greater levels of anxiety compared to past generations. Perhaps this isn’t surprising – especially now given the far-reaching challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. And while troubling data suggests that our children have become more stressed and even more overweight since the COVID-19 crisis began, there is plenty of hopeful news in the headlines. For example, a large study from the United Kingdom suggests that just by encouraging your kids to eat more fruits and veggies, you could have a dramatic beneficial effect on their mental health. Kids Who Eat More Fruits and Veggies Have Better Mental Health, Reveals New UK Study The study, published in September 2021 in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, looked at data from nearly 9,000 children in 50 schools throughout Norfolk County. Initial data gathered from the cohort was a bit grim. The researchers found that only a quarter of secondary-school kids and 28% of primary-school kids reported getting the recommended five servings per day of fruits and veg. Some children – just under 1 in 10 – reported eating no fruits and veggies at all. But this study also contains evidence that should be inspiring to parents. After the researchers accounted for confounding factors like adverse childhood experiences, they determined that there was a strong link between eating a nutritious diet full of fruits and vegetables and better mental wellbeing. In other words: kids who had better diets also reported better mental health. Eating breakfast – instead of no breakfast or having just a snack or energy drink – was also associated with better wellbeing. A major limiting factor of this study is that diets were self-reported by the children, which notoriously introduces a possibility of bias. But lead researcher Ailsa Welch found their data promising enough to identify nutrition as “an important public health target for strategies to address childhood mental wellbeing.” Do Your Kids Stonewall Fruits and Veggies? These Are Some of the Best Ways to Get Them to Eat Healthier Most parents understand how difficult it is when a child simply will not eat what is put on their plate. But it’s overwhelmingly likely that the foods they eat (or don’t eat) are impacting their mental health. So, how can you get them to gobble up the good stuff? Remember, parents control the options. Present kids with healthy choices – and even give them a couple of options to choose from to help them have a sense of control – and keep the unhealthy treats out of the house. Consider buying unhealthy treats once in a while to reduce the notion of “forbidden” foods, which can drive unhealthy eating behaviors. Make sure you’re eating what you want them to eat. Model healthy eating by maintaining a healthy diet yourself. Don’t force kids to eat, but encourage them to try a small bite or two of the food you prepare for them (ultimately, it’s up to your kids how much and whether they eat). And don’t give up on the first failed meal, either – it may take a few times or a few different preparations for your kids to come around. When in doubt, start with fruits and veggies that most kids really like – including organic fruit, potatoes, and cooked carrot or squash. Sources for this article include: UofMhealth.org ScienceDaily.com APA.org Nutrition.BMJ.org Kidshealth.org To read the original article click here.

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