A Guide to Summer Food [Infographic]

A Guide to Summer Food - Infographic from HealthCentral.com

Summer is fast approaching and if you are striving to eat a healthy, whole food diet, you are also striving to eat seasonally and, if at all possible, "clean", organic and locally grown or sourced, food.

This infographic entitled A Guide to Summer Food from Health Central beautifully illustrates some healthy summer seasonal foods:  fruits and vegetables that are highly nutritious, providing the body with an array of naturally-occurring essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, bioactive compounds, dietary fiber and other nutrients needed for achieving and maintaining optimal health, including weight loss and proper weight maintenance.

The summer foods covered in this infographic are:

❤ Avocado
❤ Cucumber
❤ Summer Squash
❤ Tomatoes
❤ Cherries (Red, White, Yellow)
❤ Melons
❤ Strawberries
❤ Peaches

Related:
Top 10 Superfoods for Exceptional Health
15 Foods to Include in an Everyday Diet
7 Superfoods to Power Up Your Life
8 Produce Picks for Better Blood Pressure
SuperFood Salad:  Best Ingredients

Infographic source and more information about health, diet, nutrition, exercise and fitness:  Health Central - A Guide to Summer Food.

All About The Fabulous Mango [Infographic]

All About the Fabulous Mango - Health Benefits, Nutrition, Varieties
Infographic from PlantChallenge designed by Sergio Abadias

Mango is one of those foods that frequently pops up on many recommended food lists.

This infographic entitled The Most Fabulous Mango is all about this fruit: health benefits, nutrition facts, popular varieties, stages of ripeness and how to cut.

Mangoes are not only delicious and versitle in the ways they can be eaten, they are very nutritious.  

Because mangoes are rich in important antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients like Vitamins A and C, Potassium, Calcium, Folate, Vitamin B6 and Copper, their consumption has been linked to numerous health benefits including:

❤ Cognitive and neurological development and function

❤ Healthy cardiovascular function

❤ Improved immune function

❤ Maintenance of bone health

❤ Normal blood sugar levels maintenance

❤ Formation of red blood and protection of DNA

❤ Vision health and protection of eyesight

❤ Collagen formation and healthy skin support

❤ Increased absorption of iron

❤ Weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

Mango is a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Research indicates that soluble fiber is an important component in weight loss because it entraps food, sugar, cholesterol and fats in the stomach, slows their absorption by the body and carries them out through the digestive tract.  Fiber also has a satiating effect - leading to consumption of less calories.

Related:

Top 10 Healthy Foods Rich in Vitamin C
15 Foods to Include in an Every Day Diet
15 Foods that Boost Metabolism
12 Healthy Reasons to Eat Fruit
The Benefits of Going Green

Infographic source:  published by PlantChallenge, designed by Sergio Abadias.

Diet and Lifestyle for Eye Health [Infographic]

Diet and Lifestyle for Healthy Eyes
Infographic from Ultralase

When you make healthy food and other lifestyle choices, you can expect your general health status to improve, have more energy, and lose or maintain weight.  But diet and lifestyle affect every organ and body process.  In the field of nutrigenomics, experts believe that the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients found in certain foods have a profound effect our epigenome.

This infographic entitled "Love Your Eyes" illustrates and provides some key facts and tips to inspire you keep your amazing human eyes healthy and protect your eyesight.  These tips include:

❤ Eating a healthy diet of foods that are high in Vitamin A and Beta Carotene, Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Zinc, Selenium, Omega-3 fatty acids and other micronutrients.

As an example, excellent vegetable sources of Vitamin A and Beta Carotene include:

✿ Carrots
✿ Cabbage
✿ Watercress
✿ Squash
✿ Sweet Potatoes
✿ Melons
✿ Pumpkin
✿ Tomatoes
✿ Broccoli
✿ Apricots
✿ Papaya
✿ Mangoes

The body does not generate Lutein (a powerful antioxidant) so its necessary to obtain it from our diet. Fortunately, many fruits and vegetables contain Lutein.  Some of the best sources are:

✿ Leafy Green Vegetables
✿ Cabbage
✿ Spinach
✿ Broccoli
✿ Cauliflower
✿ Kale

For more information regarding nutrition and eye health, visit All About Vision - Nutrition and Vitamins for Your Eyes and American Optometric Association - Diet and Nutrition.

❤ Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.

❤ Protecting your eyes from the sun, never looking at the sun directly.

❤ Exercising on a regular basis - choose exercise levels and duration appropriate to your level of conditioning.

Related:

Top 10 Superfoods for Exceptional Health
15 Foods to Include in an Everyday Diet
7 Superfoods to Power Up Your Life
8 Produce Picks for Better Blood Pressure
SuperFood Salad:  Best Ingredients

Infographic source and more information on eyesight and eye health:  Ultralase

Top 10 Healthy Foods Rich in Vitamin C [Infographic]

Top 10 Healthy Foods Rich in Vitamin C
Infographic from Health AliciousNess.com

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin and an important antioxidant.

The RDA for non-smoking adult men and women is 60 mg. However, recent scientific evidence indicates that an increased intake of Vitamin C is associated with a lower risk for cancer, cataract, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Increasing Vitamin C intake may also be indicated if you smoke, drink alcohol on a regular basis, suffer from chronic stress or eat fried food, as all of these factors are thought to inhibit the absorption and/or utilization of Vitamin C by the body.

Although Vitamin C can be taken in the form of supplements and the ascorbate form (calcium ascorbate and magnesium ascorbate) is readily tolerated by most people, nutritionists and other integral health experts advise getting Vitamin C from foods whenever possible, particularly from certain fresh fruits and vegetables that are known to be high in Vitamin C.

It is thought that the bioflavonoids and other micronutrients present in fruits and vegetables promote the absorption and use of Vitamin C by the body.

This infographic entitled Top 10 Healthy Foods That are Rich in Vitamin C from Health AlciousNess.com illustrates excellent food sources of Vitamin C:

❤ Red and Green Chili Peppers
❤ Gauva
❤ Bell Peppers
❤ Fresh Herbs
❤ Dark Leafy Greens
❤ Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts)
❤ Kiwi Fruit
❤ Papaya
❤ Citrus Fruit (Oranges, Clementines)
❤ Strawberries

Other excellent sources of Vitamin C are:

❤ Watercress
❤ Cabbage
❤ Lemons
❤ Limes
❤ Peas
❤ Melons
❤ Grapefruit
❤ Tomatoes

Related:

15 Foods to Include in an Every Day Diet
15 Foods that Boost Metabolism
12 Healthy Reasons to Eat Fruit
The Benefits of Going Green
Low Calorie, High Fiber Summer Fruits and Veggies
7 Superfoods to Power Up Your Life

Infographic source and more information at:  Health AliciousNess - Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin C.

Reference:

Toward a New Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin C Based on Antioxidant and Health Effects in Humans (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

Health Benefits of Seeds [Infographic]

Health Benefits of Seeds - Infographic from Yoga By Candace

MS and inflammation?  Eat the seeds!  Lung Cancer?  Eat the seeds!  ADHD?  Eat the seeds!  Dementia?  Eat the seeds!

Well, you get the message.

This message, in fact, comes from Dr. Bradford Weeks who was interviewed by Ty Bollinger for The Truth About Cancer - a video series about the current and projected cancer pandemic and alternative treatments.

For information about the science behind eating seeds for health (including achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight, i.e., weight gain prevention, weight and fat loss), check out Dr. Week's website:  WeeksMD.

Many seeds are, in fact, on the list of superfoods because they are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients and, in recent and ongoing scientific research, have been linked to numerous health promoting benefits - as this infographic entitled Health Benefits of Seeds for Yoga By Candace illustrates.

According to the natural  and holistic health and nutrition community, some of the healthiest seeds you can eat are:

Apricot Seeds
Black Cumin Seeds
Black Raspberry Seeds
Chia Seeds
Flax Seeds (Flaxmeal)
Grape Seeds
Hemp Seeds
Pomegranate Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds

Related:
Six Food Based Medicines That May Save Your Life
15 Foods to Include in an Every Day Diet
15 Foods that Boost Metabolism
12 Healthy Reasons to Eat Fruit
8 Produce Picks for Better Blood Pressure
The Benefits of Going Green

Infographic source and more information at YBC - Health Benefits of Seeds.