Are you one of those people that do circles around the house opening the fridge, cupboards and jars looking for something sweet to eat? You’re not the only one. Now this action can be a hard habit to break, but the best way is finding healthier alternatives to help satisfy that sweet tooth. The best alternatives that I choose are fruits! Fruits are high in sugar, but are loaded with nutritional value unlike refined sugars. Fruits also contain 5 essential nutrients that are needed for digestion, absorption and transportation. These 5 components are the following:
1) Vitamins
2) Fiber
3) Water
4) Antioxidants
5) Minerals
In this short article I will reveal my 3 favorite fruits that I eat on a regular basis and dissecttheir benefits on the human body!
1)Watermelon:
This enormous fruit is my top pick. For one, it’s absolutely loaded with water that gives you a refreshing feeling every bite. It may help with the cardiovascular system because of the chemical called citrulline that helps with vasodilation of the arteries. This means the arteries get larger in diameter, which helps pump blood more efficiently. Also, it is one of the highest fruits with lycopene, which is great for bone health. Lycopene helps prevent osteoporosis and bone loss.
How to serve:You can eat this fruit in a fruit salad, smoothie and/or on its own. My favourite is eating the fruit sliced up without the hard skin
Micronutrients:Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Pantothenic acid, Copper, Potassium, Biotin, Magnesium.
2) Kiwi
Kiwis are one of those sour fruits that are annoying to peel, but once they’re ready to go you can’t stop eating them. This acidic fruit is said to have high levels of serotonin, which can help with insomnia. Normal sleep needs serotonin at certain stages to carry out a healthy sleep.
How to serve: Awesome fruit to eat in a fruit salad, smoothie and/or just on its own. You can eat the fruit with or without the skin. The hairy skin is a great source of insoluble finer, which will help with bowel movements.
Micronutrients: Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Copper, Fiber, Vitamin E, Potassium, Manganese,
3) Mangos:
The mango is just one of those fruits that you can eat until your stomach is filled to the rim. It’s one of the higher sugar containing fruits, but have wonderful benefits. This fruit can protect against breast, prostate, colon and blood cancer because it’s high in pectin and phenolic antioxidant.
Mangos have high vitamin A levels, which helps with maintaining and improving vision. Vitamin A is essential for the surface of the eye and preventing macular degeneration.
Lastly, mangos may help improve memory and support brain function because of its levels of glutamine. This chemical is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain that helps excite the cells. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send signals from cell to cell to carry out brain functions such as memory.
There is an enormous amount of fruits in the world and they are all loaded with positive health benefits. So when you’re thinking of a little sweet treat say yes to fruits and no to Reese’s cups!