The winter time brings low temperature and along with it a higher risk of us getting a cold and/or flu. This way a few measures should be taken in order to fortify our immune system and avoid missing Jiu-Jitsu classes in this period.

According to the Havard Medical School, “Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward keeping your immune system strong and healthy.” Thus, the best way to boost your body’s defense is adopting healthy-living strategies like:

• Don’t smoke.
• Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Control your blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
• Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.

Knowing that diet is a main factor to one’s health, researches indicate that some vitamins and minerals play an important role in armoring your body such as: Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Zinc.

Also, some supplements have drawn attention from researchers that might help strengthen our defenses but they need further studies to prove its efficiency such as: Aloe Vera (topical), Astragalus, Echinacea, Garlic, Ginseng, and Probiotics.

For more information on how to get the proper daily amount of vitamins and minerals, and how to use supplements and dosage, talk to your doctor or a specialist.

Mix of fresh fruits

The urge to restrain sugar from our diet knowing that its excess contributes to obesity and other health problems is causing many people to wrongly avoid eating fruits.

The New York Times published an article in 2013 called “Making the case of eating fruit by Sophie Egan” in which, many experts say that fresh fruit should not become a casualty in the sugar wars. Actually, Dr. David Ludwig, the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital said studies have showed that increased fruit consumption is tied to lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity-associated diseases.

“Whole fruits, he explained, contain a bounty of antioxidants and healthful nutrients, and their cellular scaffolding, made of fiber, makes us feel full and provides other metabolic benefits. When you bite into an apple, for example, the fruit’s fiber helps slow your absorption of fructose, the main sugar in most fruits. But fiber is not the full story. You can’t just take an 8-ounce glass of cola and add a serving of Metamucil and create a health food,” Dr. Ludwig said. “Even though the fructose-to-fiber ratio might be the same as an apple, the biological effects would be much different.”

Read full article here. 

The USDA recognize fruits are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, vitamin C and folic acid, which are vital to maintain our body functioning well and healthy. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. Besides that, diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is also important for proper bowel function and fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.

Thus, doctors advise that is preferable to opt for whole or cut-up fruits as sources of dietary fiber, instead of drinking the fruit juice. According to Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, Chewing the whole fruit slows down consumption compared to when you take an 8-ounce juice and just pour it down the hatch, which not only makes it easier to ingest more calories, but releases fructose faster into the bloodstream. Plus, he said, with juicing, “you reduce some of the metabolic benefit of the fiber by pulverizing it so fine; it changes the physical structure.” Commercially produced juices are particularly concerning since they are often filtered removing fiber altogether. If you opt for juice, tossing whole fruit in a blender rather than squeezing it offers the best chance of retaining most of the fiber, vitamins and minerals.

This way, it is recommended that you eat one to 2-1/2 cups of fruit each day and choose a variety in order to get the most benefits by absorbing different types of antioxidants and nutrients from different types of fruits.

Below, watch a video to find out what are the top 10 healthiest fruits on the planet:

Sources:

http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/All-Star-Foods/Fruits.aspx

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits-why.html

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/making-the-case-for-eating-fruit/