Better to Prepare than Repair

Food is Our Medicine - Part Two

Over two decades I have delivered a constant message to my clients.  It is far better to develop a healthy lifestyle, which prepares our bodies and prevent disease, then to repair our bodies after disease.  It makes more sense to eat foods to prevent disease, than to turn to them after disease.  What truly amazes me,, is the healing power of foods.  I have witnessed so many be healed of diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyle.  The healing process, just takes longer, than if it had been prevented with a healthy lifestyle.  There is no food source, which better represents disease prevention than dark colored fruits and vegetables.

Dark colored fruits and vegetables are part of the largest group of phyto-chemicals called flavonoids. They are characterized by dark colored fruits and vegetables and the best sources are, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, bilberries, blackberries, apples, red and black grapes, eggplant, peppers, broccoli and onions.

There are more than 4,000 flavonoids and they are broken into subgroups called anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, polyphenolic acid, quercetin, ellagic acid and tannins. Studies show that dark colored fruits and vegetables are powerful anti-oxidants, some having fifty times the antioxidant activity of both vitamin C and vitamin E. Studies show that flavonoids in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancers.

They protect the collagen protein in joints and blood vessels from free radical damage, which reduces edema, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. A recent study reported by Cornell University showed the flavonoid, quercetin found in apples could protect the brain against neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This was a follow up to an earlier study at Cornell University by Professor Lee, who found that the photochemical in apples and berries has a stronger antioxidant protective effect than Vitamin C against colon and liver cancer cells. Blueberries have 40% more antioxidant than the next highest strawberries. Neuroscientist, James Joseph from Tufts University, discovered in addition to fighting disease and cancer, blueberries prevented short-term memory loss that accompanies aging.

Its time to prepare, than repair, and the best sources of prevention are right in the produce section of your local store.  Make time for dark colored fruits and vegtables as part of your daily habit, and you won’t need to make time for repair.  http://www.thefatlosscoach.com