Are you wondering why I included these 3 together? I’m glad you asked. I did that because I eat these are what I consider to be my in between meals foods. And all 3 contain numerous healthy ingredients. My number one of course is fruit. It’s easy to grab when you’re in a hurry, or include in a dessert. They don’t even require a detailed, time consuming recipe. And the health benefits are amazing! Here are just a few of what I call “go-to” fruits (along with a few vegetables good for snacking) that will benefit your health:
- Apples: rich in antioxidants and high in fiber. May help prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
- Bananas: May contribute to muscle and nerve health, heart health, cell growth, and bone health.
- Blackberries: One of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits, may help prevent cancer, boost the immune system, aid in digestion and enhance memory.
- Carrots: may lower risk of heart disease and cancer, aid eye and skin health, protect the liver, contains antioxidants.
- Grapes: contain many types of antioxidants which may prevent or slow many types of cancer. May help prevent heart disease, diabetes and allergies.
These are just of few of the snack foods I go to so I won’t be tempted with foods that contain a lot of sugar and are high on the glycemic index. The term glycemic index is a measurement for how quickly a certain food turns into glucose in your body. The term glycemic load is a measurement for how much of that food turns to glucose. White flour and white sugar have both a high glycemic index and a high glycemic load. As mentioned earlier, too much glucose releases insulin which is a fat storage hormone.
And the worst culprit of all is high fructose corn syrup which is found in many of our processed foods. Even foods like barbecue and spaghetti sauce. If I find high fructose corn syrup on the label, I put it back and look for another brand.
To find out the glycemic index and glycemic load of certain foods go to glycemicindex.com.
Another thing I love about fruit and nuts is that they go great with probiotic foods like yogurt. I love scooping organic yogurt into a bowl and top it off with fruit and nuts. The probiotics in yogurt protect me from disease, increase my gut health and the fruit satisfies my desire for something sweet. (If you want more information on probiotics visit Jordan Rubin’s website.)
Resources: Dr Colbert, Dr. Mark Hyman, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch CNC and James F. Balch,M.D.
So, we now find ourselves at the end of the Seven Steps to Better Health. I know we have covered a lot of ground but I hope you have found it helpful. Remember, what I have shared with you has to do with my journey and is not intended as medical advice.
You should always consult your healthcare professional or certified nutritionist for advice on dietary changes. I was thankful to find both of these who knew about and believed in the benefits of whole foods and how they could improve my health.
If you need a review of any of the steps go to Step One and click through to the step you wish to review.
But before you go, I would love to hear about your journey. Please leave a comment below and tell me how your health was improved by changing your eating habits and any steps you took which I may not have already mentioned.
