Autumn Eats: 10 Superfoods to Help You Keep Healthy This Season
Just because Florida doesn’t experience true fall weather, doesn’t mean us Floridians have to miss out on all the goodness of the season. In effort to switch up your daily eats and keep your immune system hearty - enjoy these festive superfoods!
PUMPKIN
The darling of the season. If you aren’t sick of pumpkin flavored everything, then add the real thing to your grocery cart. A form of squash, it offers lots of VITAMIN B and makes a perfect main component for pies, cakes, cookies, pudding and the like.
APPLES
You know what they say about apples! Gala, envy, red delicious, honeycrisp, granny smith, Fuji, and the list goes on. Make sure you eat the skins of these crispy treats - that’s where all the FLAVONOIDS (powerful antioxidants) are stored!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Don’t scoff. These mini-cabbage-look-alikes are delicious in a skillet with some olive oil, salt and pepper, or whatever your favorite seasoning it. Have about half a cup for a good dose of VITAMIN K, FOLATE and IRON.
SWEET POTATOES
Veggie chips, anyone? Sweet potatoes taste excellent when sliced and roasted, and maintain more nutrients than when boiled. Their color comes from carotenoid beta-carotene, a FREE RADICAL FIGHTING antioxidant.
CAULIFLOWER
Cauliflower hosts compounds thought to be CANCER FIGHTING, and PHYTONUTRIENTS helpful in lowering cholesterol. Eat mashed in place of potatoes for a great comfort-side dish, or steamed with turmeric for ANTI-INFLAMMATORY benefits!
PARSNIPS
These pale, sweet carrot-cousins have a seasonal nuttiness going for them, along with a rich amount of POTASSIUM.
POMEGRANATE
Pomegranates boast a mega amount of ANTIOXIDANTS as well - even more than red wine! Enjoy a pure juice, or snack on the seeds. Just watch out for that intense color - it stains!
PEAR
For a juicy, sweet intake of vitamin c, add these to a salad, or eat sprinkled with nutmeg or cinnamon in place of ice cream. Gotta love a healthy dessert!
WINTER SQUASH
These gourds are in season right now, despite their name sake. And wow do they make a divine soup. Great for an simple, hearty dinner when you need a warm up and boost on your Omega-3 fatty acid intake.
DATES
However, too much of a good thing is, in this case, too much sugar. So keep your intake of these moderate, and avoid them altogether if you are insulin resistant.
Resources:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20307323,00.html
http://www.livescience.com/52524-flavonoids.html
