Thursday, October 29, 2009

Eat More Color!

This came in my mail today from HSI. I am an avid fruit and vegetable eater. Now I would like you to be. Look at what this survey revealed! and read to the end to find out about ovarian cancer and eating plant fiber!

A national nutrition survey revealed troubling results about our eating habits.
Nearly 90 percent of us don't eat enough foods that contain blue/purple phytonutrients
About 85 percent don't eat enough white phytonutrient foods
Almost 80 percent don't eat enough orange/yellow foods
More than 65 percent don't eat enough green foods

So what valuable phytonutrients are we missing out on? Here are just a few:

Lycopene – the cancer-fighting compound that supports heart and prostate health that's found in tomatoes and watermelon
Resveratrol – another cancer-fighter that also might curb the risk of age-related diseases is abundant in blue/purple foods like grapes and blueberries
Quercetin – an anti-inflammatory antioxidant found in white foods such as cauliflower and onion
Lutein & zeaxanthin – antioxidants that support good vision are found in green foods like spinach and kale

Phytonutrients protect your body's cells, putting the brakes on premature aging and disease.

Years ago, I told you about a University of Buffalo study that measured phytonutrient intake for more than 800 women, 124 of them with ovarian cancer.

Results showed that women cut risk of ovarian cancer in half with a high intake of plant fiber. This was especially true of carotenoid vegetables (yellow, orange, and red pigments), and lignan, a phytonutrient in flaxseed.
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