Are You Eating Enough?.....Fruits and Vegetables That Is!

Most Americans do not eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables daily. These foods contain valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber and other naturally occurring substances that can help protect your body from developing chronic diseases, such as stroke, other cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer. Research shows that our body gets greater benefit from eating whole fruits and vegetables compared to taking supplements containing the same nutrients.

Depending on your age, gender and activity level, the USDA recommends 5 to 9 servings per day of fruits & vegetables combined. For example, older women and younger children need 3 vegetable and 2 fruit servings, while active men and teen boys need 5 vegetable and 4 fruit servings daily. To determine how many fruits & vegetables you need, go to the Center for Disease Control website at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

What is a serving size?
Vegetables: ½ cup; or leafy vegetables 1 cup (i.e. spinach, lettuce, collard greens, etc.)
Fruits: ½ cup slice, 1 medium, or ¼ cup dried

Remember to THINK COLOR when choosing fruits and vegetables to maximize the variety of nutrients you get . Examples include red strawberries, green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, purple plums, black beans, yellow corn, and white onions.

Focus on Fruit as One Way to Improve Your Health and Reduce Risk of Stroke

In keeping with National Stroke Awareness Month, May is a perfect time to embrace a fresh new beginning as gardens and grocery stores alike begin to blossom with the color of seasonal, fresh fruits and vegetables. There are many ways to add this color to your diet and benefit from the many nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. These foods are not only great sources of potassium, our nutrient of the month, but are also rich in dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They are naturally cholesterol-free and low in fat, sodium, and calories. Adding more plant-based foods to your diet is not that difficult and has many benefits beyond reducing your risk for stroke, including lowering risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity and maybe even improved brain performance, vision, and bone health.

Focusing on one new healthy behavior, such as increasing one food group at a time, is a good way to start improving your diet. For example, one easy tip for incorporating fruit into your diet is to focus on fruit as a “topping” at each meal. Fresh or dried fruit is very tasty as an addition to cereal, yogurt, smoothies, sandwiches (try fruit with tuna or peanut butter!), salads, rice dishes, crepes, low-fat baked desserts, sherbet, or low-fat ice cream . Get creative and see if you can come up with new ideas for adding fruit to each meal or snack. Pretty soon you will be benefiting from adding a rainbow of color and an assortment of nutrients to your diet!

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Did you know there are many things you can do to help manage your risk factors for stroke? High blood pressure is one of the leading controllable causes of stroke and a diet low in sodium and high in potassium can help to reduce blood pressure. So try limiting the salt shaker and processed foods, while adding potassium-rich foods to your diet to help lower your blood pressure and risk of stroke! Bananas, cantelope, tomatoes, cucumbers, oat bran and lima beans are just a few of the delicious foods that are high in potassium.

Did you know high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity are also controllable risk factors for stroke? By incorporating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes into your diet, you can help to reduce cholesterol, better manage your diabetes and drop a few pounds.