One of the best things about summer is the plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables, so delicious and all filled with amazing health benefits. Read on to find out some of the healthiest foods you can enjoy this summer.
Watermelon
How can you go wrong with a fruit that’s 92% water, tastes like summer and smells even better? Watermelons help keep you feeling full longer because they’re hydrating foods, which means you curb your hunger and eat less. They also work wonders in lowering blood pressure levels.
In addition, they contain high amounts of antioxidants, as well as vitamins C, A and B6. Plus they have high levels of lycopene, which fights against the damage of free radicals.
Watermelon recipe: Pick Me Up Juice
Tomatoes
Rich in an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic-acid, studies show that tomatoes help fight against high blood pressure levels. The substance surrounding the seeds contains salicylates, which prevent clotting of the blood.
Tomatoes also help preserve nerve and brain tissue, as well as promote the production of collagen in the skin to help keep your skin wrinkle-free while reducing the appearance of fine lines. Studies show that men who regularly consume tomato-based foods are less likely to suffer from prostate cancer.
All that lycopene fights against free radicals and helps protect your skin against sun damage.
Tomato recipes:
Late Summer Risotto
Bruschetta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Warm Potato Salad
Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots (aka stone fruits)
Colourful, juicy and delicious, stone fruits help protect against diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
Peaches contain beta-carotene, which keeps your skin glowing and bright. They also contain iron, potassium, fibre as well as vitamins A and C.
Plums are rich in nutrients, as well as phytochemicals, which help reduce the risk of many diseases and health conditions. And as an added bonus, prunes help ward off bone loss, due to their high levels of potassium and vitamin K.
Apricots are rich in vitamin A, which protects the eyes, and potassium.
Related recipes:
Barbecued Peach Salad
Plum and Amaretto Jam
Courgettes
Loaded with folate, potassium, and vitamin C, this versatile summer vegetable helps regulate blood pressure and contains antioxidants that protect cells from damage. A cup of shredded courgette can be incorporated into any dish, sweet or savoury.
And since courgette contains 95% water, they’re low in calories, have zero fat and cholesterol, and are rich in nutrients. One cup of shredded courgette provides you with 35% of your daily vitamin C needs, and is only 20 calories.
Courgette recipes:
Stuffed Courgettes
Courgette, Pea and Pesto Tagliatelle
Roasted Mesquite Vegetables with Halloumi
Romana Courgette Agrodolce
Courgette and Asparagus Risotto
Pineapple
High in bromelain - a proteolytic enzyme, pineapples help with the digestion process. They’re also an excellent source of antioxidants, which means they ward off free radicals and protect the body from their harmful effects, while reducing the risk of serious inflammatory diseases.
Related recipe: Pineapple Chutney
Sweetcorn
These delicious, yellow jewels contain two natural compounds, lutein and zeaxanthin, that protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. They filter out damaging free radicals that can lead to negative effects on your eyes, such as cataracts.
Corn also curbs your appetite, boosts immunity, and helps control blood sugar levels.
Sweetcorn recipes:
Smokey Sweetcorn Lunch Muffins
Quinoa and Edamame Salad
Super Green Thai Curry
Cherries
The colour of cherries is a clear indication of how powerful its antioxidants are and how much protection they offer against heart disease, mainly due to their high levels of pectin which helps balance blood cholesterol levels. Cherries are also great health-boosters since they contain melatonin, which is known as the “sleep hormone.”
Melatonin is secreted naturally by the body during the night, but foods rich in melatonin can help induce a restful sleep. It’s also a wide-spectrum, potent antioxidant. Moreover, melatonin helps with the conversion process of turning fat cells, which collect under our skin and around our organs, into brown fat cells, which work at burning calories instead of storing them.
Cherry recipes:
Cherry and Almond Tray Bake
The Ultimate Cherry Crumble
60+ Cherry Recipes
Related posts:
How to Freeze Fresh Fruit
Stewed Fruit Recipe
Mixed Berry Cheesecake
How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally
How to Eat Healthily on a Limited Budget
Pin it:
Watermelon
How can you go wrong with a fruit that’s 92% water, tastes like summer and smells even better? Watermelons help keep you feeling full longer because they’re hydrating foods, which means you curb your hunger and eat less. They also work wonders in lowering blood pressure levels.
In addition, they contain high amounts of antioxidants, as well as vitamins C, A and B6. Plus they have high levels of lycopene, which fights against the damage of free radicals.
Watermelon recipe: Pick Me Up Juice
Tomatoes
Rich in an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic-acid, studies show that tomatoes help fight against high blood pressure levels. The substance surrounding the seeds contains salicylates, which prevent clotting of the blood.
Tomatoes also help preserve nerve and brain tissue, as well as promote the production of collagen in the skin to help keep your skin wrinkle-free while reducing the appearance of fine lines. Studies show that men who regularly consume tomato-based foods are less likely to suffer from prostate cancer.
All that lycopene fights against free radicals and helps protect your skin against sun damage.
Tomato recipes:
Late Summer Risotto
Bruschetta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Warm Potato Salad
Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots (aka stone fruits)
Colourful, juicy and delicious, stone fruits help protect against diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
Peaches contain beta-carotene, which keeps your skin glowing and bright. They also contain iron, potassium, fibre as well as vitamins A and C.
Plums are rich in nutrients, as well as phytochemicals, which help reduce the risk of many diseases and health conditions. And as an added bonus, prunes help ward off bone loss, due to their high levels of potassium and vitamin K.
Apricots are rich in vitamin A, which protects the eyes, and potassium.
Related recipes:
Barbecued Peach Salad
Plum and Amaretto Jam
Courgettes
Loaded with folate, potassium, and vitamin C, this versatile summer vegetable helps regulate blood pressure and contains antioxidants that protect cells from damage. A cup of shredded courgette can be incorporated into any dish, sweet or savoury.
And since courgette contains 95% water, they’re low in calories, have zero fat and cholesterol, and are rich in nutrients. One cup of shredded courgette provides you with 35% of your daily vitamin C needs, and is only 20 calories.
Courgette recipes:
Stuffed Courgettes
Courgette, Pea and Pesto Tagliatelle
Roasted Mesquite Vegetables with Halloumi
Romana Courgette Agrodolce
Courgette and Asparagus Risotto
Pineapple
High in bromelain - a proteolytic enzyme, pineapples help with the digestion process. They’re also an excellent source of antioxidants, which means they ward off free radicals and protect the body from their harmful effects, while reducing the risk of serious inflammatory diseases.
Related recipe: Pineapple Chutney
Sweetcorn
These delicious, yellow jewels contain two natural compounds, lutein and zeaxanthin, that protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. They filter out damaging free radicals that can lead to negative effects on your eyes, such as cataracts.
Corn also curbs your appetite, boosts immunity, and helps control blood sugar levels.
Sweetcorn recipes:
Smokey Sweetcorn Lunch Muffins
Quinoa and Edamame Salad
Super Green Thai Curry
Cherries
The colour of cherries is a clear indication of how powerful its antioxidants are and how much protection they offer against heart disease, mainly due to their high levels of pectin which helps balance blood cholesterol levels. Cherries are also great health-boosters since they contain melatonin, which is known as the “sleep hormone.”
Melatonin is secreted naturally by the body during the night, but foods rich in melatonin can help induce a restful sleep. It’s also a wide-spectrum, potent antioxidant. Moreover, melatonin helps with the conversion process of turning fat cells, which collect under our skin and around our organs, into brown fat cells, which work at burning calories instead of storing them.
Cherry recipes:
Cherry and Almond Tray Bake
The Ultimate Cherry Crumble
60+ Cherry Recipes
Related posts:
How to Freeze Fresh Fruit
Stewed Fruit Recipe
Mixed Berry Cheesecake
How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally
How to Eat Healthily on a Limited Budget
Pin it:
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