Fresh fruits in the morning or afternoon can be an ideal meal. They can be eaten as a snack or as a dessert. You can eat fruits without going to the kitchen to cook them, they are ready to eat whenever you want to eat them. Just grab a fruit like an apple, banana, or orange and have it before going to work in the morning. Make sure you have fresh fruits available at home. When you have them available you will choose them over unhealthy choices like chips.
Processed foods are gaining a lot of popularity, especially among children. These have a low nutritional value and can threaten future health. Processed foods mostly contain artificial colors, flavors and have a high-calorie count. Diabetes has shown increased growth in the last few years. Having more fresh fruits in your diet can keep you away from processed foods. Fruits have low fats and so they keep you away from obesity and unhealthy weight gain. They also strengthen the immune system protects against illness. Here are some benefits of having fruits in your diet.
Reduces the Risk of Diseases
People who eat fruits every day have a lower risk of having diseases. A significant effect they have is on the heart. Fruits lower the risk of having heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is one of the major growing problems in the US. While a sedentary lifestyle has a lot to do with it, diet is also one of the major factors. Similarly, diabetes type 2, a popular disease has also reduced incidences in people who take more fruit. Fruits can also play a major role in people who have difficulties regulating normal blood pressure. A number of cancers may also be prevented by having fruits as a regular part of your diet.
Makes Bones Healthy
Fruits along with a balanced healthy diet can make bones and muscles stronger. Many pieces of research have shown that osteoporosis can be prevented by taking dried plums. Avocados with is a favorite fruit of many in the US can strengthen bones and joints. Most fruits are rich in vitamin C like oranges and lemon. Vitamin C is essential to maintain muscle mass and the elasticity of the skin.
Keep you Hydrated
Usually, fruits are very high in water content. Water is essential for our body to keep us physically and mentally fit. If you find it difficult to have plain water to fulfill the daily requirement of water for the day you may have fruits to reach the water recommendation for the day. Some of the fruits with high water content are watermelon, strawberries, and grapefruit. These fruits contain around 90-92% of water. Other fruits like apples contain approximately 86% of water.
Rich in Anti-Oxidants
Free radicals are a component in our body that are generated via certain substances. These are basically unstable atoms that contribute to aging, cancer, and damage to our healthy cells. One way to keep away from free radicals in our body is to have more anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants fight these free radicals reducing their effects on our healthy cells. Fruits are a rich source of antioxidants, especially ripe fruits.
Rich in Fiber
Fruits are extremely rich in fiber. Fiber is an important component of a healthy balanced diet. This is because fiber regulates the function of the digestive tract. Fiber is also essential in reducing cholesterol which is the bad fat in our body. Cholesterol causes heart disease and strokes by causing atherosclerosis. These are fatty clots in our blood vessels that may restrict blood supply to the major parts of our body the heart, brain, and kidneys. The digestive tract also requires fiber to work properly and deficiency of fiber may lead to many diseases. It will also help you lose excess unhealthy weight.
Rich in Vitamin and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are part of the balanced diet, and although a small quantity of them are required. they are still essential. Some minerals like calcium and potassium are extremely important for life. The main minerals required for our heart to pump are sodium and potassium. Bananas, avocados, and peach are rich sources of potassium and can regulate blood pressure and heart function. Every fruit has a number of vitamins. Vitamin deficiencies can be corrected if we have fruits as a part of our diet. Iron is also another mineral that we usually lack in our diet and can easily be taken with fruits.
Good for Skin
Fruits make your skin glow. As mentioned above free radicals are not only dangerous to our body but also make us look older by speeding up the aging process. The skin also ages by the same process. Since fruits contain a high amount of anti-oxidants, they significantly reduce the skin aging process, reducing wrinkles and other signs of aging. Apart from the anti-oxidants, water content of the fruits keep the skin hydrated. Some fruits like avocados can also be a natural sunscreen and help fight the harmful effects of UV light. Vitamin C in fruits helps make collagen, which then maintains the elasticity of the skin and keeps it supple.
Final Thoughts
Fruits have a number of benefits for our health and wellbeing. They offer all the benefits given above. They are easy to have and do not require special preparation. They are an especially healthy snack for kids. Your kids will choose to have them over unhealthy snacks if they are available in the fridge. You may also have fruits in the form of juices, milkshakes, and smoothies. These beverages have become easier to prepare with smart home devices like smart blenders and smoothie makers. You can consider Making a Smart Home so that these mundane tasks can become easier and your children can also have healthy meals.
