Eat to live. That’s the way it should be. The foods we eat and how we treat our bodies significantly impact the quality of life we enjoy. Whole foods naturally have nutrients that work to make us healthy (or not healthy). Below is a list of health benefits we may experience when we eat foods containing certain nutrients, along with some Blendtec smoothie recipes that help with each benefit.
Immunity Boost – certain nutrients provide better immune protection than others. The nutrients to look for when considering an immunity boost include protein, vitamins A, C, and E, and zinc. Look for fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein.
Skin Health – antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E help quench free radicals that cause damage such as signs of aging to skin. Healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids work to keep the skin strong and intact. Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds to improve skin health.
Energy Boost –Foods with energy boosting nutrients include bananas, leafy greens, berries, nuts, and seeds. Energy-boosting nutrients are B vitamins, magnesium, natural sugar, fiber, and other vitamins.
Diabetes Management – choosing foods with a moderate amount of carbohydrate, fiber, protein, good fats along with other nutrients help to keep blood sugar levels under control and in a healthy range.
Cardiovascular Health – the heart is the powerhouse of the body so it’s crucial to keep it strong and healthy. Phytonutrients such as Quercetin, polyphenols, and other nutrients including folate, magnesium, fiber and healthy fats all aid in keeping the heart healthy from lowering LDL cholesterol, raising HDL cholesterol, to lowering blood pressure. Look to apples, berries, garbanzo beans, oatmeal, leafy greens, nuts and seeds to find some of these great nutrients.
