Fruits and vegetables are good for your health.
But do we really know why? Do we really know their precise benefits on our body?
Is that 5 whole fruits and 5 vegetables a day? How to prepare and choose them?
Here's everything you need to know about fruits and vegetables.
Called "food of eternity" in ancient times, fruits and vegetables have always been prized for their therapeutic properties.
As the main suppliers of vitamins and nutrients, they are essential for healthy functioning of the physiological functions of the organism.
Water
Our body needs at least 1.5 liters of water a day.
And to make sure you aim for this daily goal, we rush on fruits and vegetables.
At the top of the ranking? Cucumber and its 90% water content!
You can also favor apple and watermelon .
Fibers
Rich in fibre, fruits and vegetables promote good intestinal transit.
They provide the colon with immune and protective properties against certain cancers.
Fiber helps lower blood sugar levels , which allows the maintenance of the balance of diabetes and cholesterol .
Vitamin C
Fruits and vegetables have the advantage of naturally supplying vitamin C to our body.
Antioxidant , vitamin C is the ally of our health &beauty .
In addition, it promotes good absorption of iron present in food.
Finally, vitamin C helps to fight against cellular aging, stress, fatigue, the harmful effects of the sun and pollution.
Vitamin A
Fruits and vegetables contribute the most to vitamin A intake .
This vitamin is essential for good vision and good growth of bones and tissues .
The champions of vitamin A content are pigmented fruits , like the nectarine or apricot .
Potassium
A third of this nutrient is provided by fruits and vegetables.
It helps to maintain the water balance of our cells, the quality of the muscles and the proper functioning of the kidneys.
To get the most out of this nutrient, indulge in sweet potato , with pepper or banana .
Calcium
Fruits and vegetables provide a significant intake of calcium , especially for women with dairy intolerance .
With potassium , calcium helps fight osteoporosis et promotes a good acid-base balance in our body .
For a substantial calcium intake, eat spinach and cabbage as often as possible.
Carbohydrates
Fruit are essentially made up ofglucose and fructose , which are so-called simple sugars that play the role of “fuel” in the overall functioning of our metabolism.
A study by the University of Cambridge and York demonstrated that people who regularly eat fruits and vegetables have more radiant skin .
Conversely, people who eat less fruit and vegetables have a duller complexion .
To reduce skin aging for example, an exotic fruit cure , such as guava or kiwi can be excellent given their high vitamin C content.
If you are looking to soothe sunburn and reduce the skin's sensitivity to UV, abuse the tomato because it has a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.
We've all heard the famous "5 a day". But what is it exactly?
This figure was calculated by experts, after studies expressed in recommended daily allowances (RDA) .
Thus, the amount needed to meet your RDA of vitamins, fiber and minerals is about 700 to 800 grams per day .
Knowing that a serving of vegetables or fruit being approximately 150 to 200 grams , the consumption recommendations legitimately suggest eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day.
This is of course a minimum and it is recommended to eat more, to meet your needs in all circumstances, especially for athletes.
A simple way to count your 5 fruits and vegetables without becoming obsessive, is to ensure that half of your plate is in the form of vegetables and fruits, by sight .
It's also about being realistic with the proportions, depending on the fruit or vegetable chosen.
The correct proportions are, for example, the following:two apricots, an apple, a large carrot or a handful of strawberries .
We've all heard of the raw diet , namely those who only eat fruits and vegetables in their raw form.
What can we think?
While much of the nutrients are preserved when vegetables are cooked, this is not the case for all vegetables. Some vegetables are also better assimilated cooked.
Cooking vegetables should be as gentle as possible.
Temperatures below 40° are the most respectful of the nutritional qualities of food, as well as steaming or baking.
To prevent the ripest fruits from rotting, you can also make juices or compotes or incorporate them into baking recipes.
If our body is punctuated by the 4 seasons, fruits and vegetables that ripen in accordance with the energy of the seasons are not our friends for nothing.
Thus, in summer, the skin suffers from the heat:this is the period when fruits rich in water, such as melon or watermelon.
In winter, the body suffers from the lack of light and it should then be given figs and dates, rich in sugars to energize the body.
In addition, eating seasonal products helps reduce the ecological footprint because they do not come from the other side of the world.
They are often cheaper because the producer does not pass on the cost of transport.
Seasonal products are also tastier because they have traveled less and have retained more flavor.
They didn't require a greenhouse and matured in real sunlight, which affects their taste.
The choice of fruits and vegetables depends on how often you shop.
If you do your shopping often and consume your fruits and vegetables quickly, you can choose them when ripe .
For the fruit , it will usually be the smell that will tell you if they are ripe when you have to rely instead on the color for vegetables.
If the fruit is a little misshapen, don't run away from it, as this is a sign that it has been organically grown, without chemicals.
Fruits or vegetables can also be a little damaged because they have fallen from the tree or been mishandled during transport, which does not affect their taste or their nutritional benefits.
Keeping fruits and vegetables in the fridge extends their shelf life but loses their flavor.
There are fruits and vegetables called "climacteric" because the ethylene gas they release allows them to ripen, even after picking.
These include tomato, avocado, nectarine, kiwi, plum and melon.
For example, you can ripen fruits and vegetables that are still green by placing them near climacteric fruits or vegetables!
While fruits and vegetables can be good when incorporated into a healthy diet, they can also be good spread on the skin or hair.
Here are a few:
If while doing fruit-based beauty treatments, you accidentally got some on your clothes or towels, here's how to remove a fruit stain.
