Tag Archives: prunes

Eat Right With Color: Blue and Purple Fruits and Veggies

Jane Schwartz Harrison is a registered dietitian and lifestyle writer for www.myOptumHealth.com. She is also the editor of their Nutrition and Healthy Weight, Healthy Kids hubs, and provides nutrition expertise through writing articles, developing menu plans and recipes, and supporting a nutrition column. Working in the nutrition field for the past 20 years, Jane has maintained a successful private practice and lectures regionally.

Feeling blue? In nutrition circles, this would be considered a good thing! Blue and purple fruits and veggies are colored by natural plant pigments called “anthocyanins.” Anthocyanins, part of the flavonoid family, are powerful antioxidants.

A recent survey found that adults who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables have reduced risk for both high blood pressure and low HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind); they are also less likely to be overweight.

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5 Foods to Add to Your New Year’s Diet

By Jessie Gorges

When you walk down the aisles of your local grocery store, you’re immediately bombarded with food advertising that promises to provide a healthier option. Certain brands make claims like: “20 percent less fat,” “fewer calories than other leading brands,” or “has a full serving of Vitamin C.” While these claims may be true, you never really know if you are picking out the best foods for you and your family. Shopping for the right food can really be a headache, but there are certain foods in all brands that will improve your diet.

Check out this list of foods that should be stocked up in your fridge or cabinets.

Mangoes: Throw them in a blender for a fruit smoothie, or eat them plain. Either way, this tropical fruit is rich in Vitamin E and could help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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The Nutritional Power of Prunes

prunes

Prunes aren’t on the top of everyone’s favorite snack list. But the dried plum, often relegated to a snack that only our grandparents nosh on, should be on your menu as well.

Plums aren’t just good for regularity. Research shows that they also promote bone and heart health. A study revealed that the polyphenols, a chemical substance found in plants, found in prunes boosted the formation of bones and increases their density. (more…)