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What is in a Cup of Tea?
Are
You Getting Enough Color in Your Diet?
—by Jean Fisher
Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber--the good guys
in the food we eat. They make our bodies strong to help us
fight disease and slow the natural aging process. So how do
you know if you are getting enough of these food superheroes?
Think color!
White
- Bananas are well-known to be an excellent source of potassium.
They are also high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and
manganese. One large banana contains 15% of the recommended
daily allowance of fiber.
- At just over 6 calories, one-quarter cup of raw cauliflower
provides almost 20% of the daily recommendation of vitamin
C and is high in fiber. Cauliflower is also an important
source of folate. A member of the cruciferous family of
vegetables, it is recognized as possessing cancer-fighting
properties.
- Adding onions and garlic to your meals can boost calcium
intake, and provide chromium, a trace mineral important
in maintaining blood sugar levels. Regular consumption of
onions and garlic has been shown to significantly lower
cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
- America's favorite white vegetable, the potato, is an
excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B6, niacin
and thiamin. (Don't think that makes it okay to pig-out
on fast-food fries, or bury your baked potato under butter
and sour cream! You know better.)
Today's Dietitian Magazine
Yellow/Orange
- Yellow fruits, such as pineapple, and papaya, contain large
amounts of both vitamin C and vitamin A giving a generous
boost to your immune system. One half cup of pineapple delivers
almost half the daily recommendation of manganese yet weighs
in at only 40 calories.
- Think yellow bell peppers for vitamin C. A one-half cup
serving provides 300% the daily recommendation of vitamin
C. That's a lot of antioxidant power.
- Most of us associate beta-carotene, one of the earliest
identified anti-oxidants, with carrots. But you can also
find beta-carotene in oranges, apricots, squash and other
orange fruits and vegetables.
- Not just candied yams at Thanksgiving anymore, sweet potatoes
are an amazing package of vitamins and minerals as well
as being high in fiber. One baked sweet potato with provide
significant amounts of phosphorus, vitamin E, thiamin, iron,
copper, magnesium, pantothenic acid, potassium, vitamin
B6, manganese, vitamin C and vitamin A (over 1,000% RDA).
Are you getting enough color in your diet? - Page 2
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