Health Benefits of Broccoli

There are so many great health benefits of broccoli.   In fact, it has been said to be the most nutrient dense vegetable there is.  To name a few, broccoli is loaded with vitamins C and A, calcium, folic acid, and fiber. 

Broccoli contains phytochemicals that have been linked to better health and to the reduction of some cancers.  Broccoli reduces the risk of heart attack by boosting the body's ability to fight off cell damage and prevents the build-up of free radicals to help reduce cancer risk.  The calcium in broccoli assists with building strong bones, helps control high blood pressure, and helps battle against colon cancer.

Broccoli may even help reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies.  The phytonutrients in broccoli and broccoli sprouts may help protect your nasal passages by activating a natural anti-inflammatory reaction to help reduce the amount of irritants in your airways and to help fight off infection.

So your mom was right...you need to eat all of your broccoli!

Healthy Food Cures

We all know that eating healthy is so important.  Eating a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains has many healthy benefits including reducing our risks of certain cancers, heart disease and diabetes.  But did you know certain foods can help reduce wrinkles, help heal cuts and  bruises and more?  Here are some great tips I read from prevention.com:

Add Red Peppers to Scrambled Eggs: Tossing in 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers delivers more than 100% of your daily Vitamin C needs-which spells good news for your skin.

Add Wheat Germ to Your Smoothie: 1/4 Cup of wheat germ gives you half of your daily need of zinc, which boosts your immune system and can help you heal faster.

Add Sunflower Seeds to Your Cereal: 1/4 Cup of sunflower seeds added to your wholegrain cereal or oatmeal can give you almost 100% of your daily need of vitamin E, an important antioxidant  believed to protect cells against cancer and heart disease.

Add Fresh Spinach to Your Sandwich: Spinach is loaded with vitamin A which helps protect your eyes, helps you see better in the dark, and helps protect your eyes against disease and vision loss.