Diet Food Nutrition

Best summer diet foods

This entry was posted on Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 09:47 and is filed under Diet, Health, Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

You can start your summer diet by enjoying these low-calorie foods that are high in fiber, calcium and essential nutrients. High-fiber foods help in weight control as they promote a feeling of satiety.

Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants that help slow aging, protect against cancer and stroke, improve blood pressure and keep your heart healthy.

1. Tomatoes and peppers are a rich source of vitamins A and C. Studies found that consuming a diet rich in tomatoes helps reduce the risk of prostate and other tract cancer. This is because tomatoes and processed tomato products contain a nutrient called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that gives some fruits and vegetables their color.

Peppers also contain antioxidants, such as beta carotene, that helps boost the immune system and prevent the cell damage. Peppers are also high in vitamin C. Just a half cup of fresh peppers have more than 230% of your daily vitamin C requirement and has only 20 calories.

2. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber. Berries can help prevent urinary tract infections and lower cholesterol. Blueberries also help improve memory.

3. Beans or legumes such as: peas, lentils, black beans, butter beans, lima beans are very rich in nutrients, fiber, iron and protein. These foods have little or no fat and also can help you feel full longer. Most beans are a great source of folate that may help keep your heart healthy and strong and essential for expectant moms. Studies show that folate helps reduce certain birth defects in a growing baby.

4. You can also benefit from mangoes, as they contain more fiber than most of the fruits, are low in calories, fat and sodium, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in beta carotene. Mangoes are also a great source of vitamins A and C. They contain antioxidants that help boost your immune system and repair the cell damage that can lead to disease, such as cancer. Mangoes are also loaded with potassium that helps regulate blood pressure and heartbeat.