My Favorite Foods Part 3: ALMONDS

Almonds are delicious! Whether in milk form, or in whole nut form. While they are expensive, they have a lot of nutritious benefits!!!

Almonds are full of nutrients!

Per 0.25 cup:

• Vitamin E: 44.8% of daily value
• Manganese: 45% of DV
• Vitamin B2: 17.6% of DV
• Calories: 11% of DV
• Potassium: 276 mg 
• Magnesium: 24.7% of DV

Almonds lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease!

• high fat food but good for your health
• high in monosaturated fats, which are health promoting fats that reduce risk of heart disease
• substituting nuts for carbohydrates in diets results in 30% less heart disease risk
• the Vitamin E works as an anti-oxidant 
• magnesium is a calcium channel blocker which relaxes veins and arteries and improves flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body 
• potassium is an important electrolyte, and almonds promote your cardiovasular health by providing only 0.3 mg of sodium and 257mg of potassium

Almonds are al-mazing!

My Favorite Foods Part 2: Apples

I have been eating so many apples lately, because they are an amazing fruit in the falltime. I was curious to see their nutrition benefits!

Apples:

1 Large Apple:

• 116 calories
• 3 calories from fat
• 31g of Carbs (10% of daily value)
• 5g of fibre (21% of daily value)
• 23g of sugar <- this is often seen as a downfall of apples
• 1g of protein
• 17% vitamin C
• 2% vitamin A
• 1% Calcium
• 1% Iron
• 7% Potassium 

Cool information about Apples:

• reduce risk of Dementia 
• help produce healthy saliva to reduce tooth decay and breakdown bacteria
• reduce risk of Parkinson's
• reduce risk of Cancer
• reduce risk of Diabetes
• reduce cholesterol levels 
• high soluble fibres to reduce risk of heart disease
• reduce risk of gallstones
• fibre found in apples can help with bowel movements (LOL)
• neutralize IBS
• control weight, with high fibre content to fill you up for less calories overall
• detoxify the liver (help with hangovers) 
• boost your immune system
• prevent cataracts and reduce risk of vision problems

Bananamazingness :)

I don't know about you but I LOVE BANANAS. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

 THEY SO GOOD FOR YOUUU!!!

• They are healthy for you and have so many other added bonuses.

• They are high in energy and potassium for the body. One banana can provide enough energy for a strenuous 1 hour workout.

•  Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.

• Eating high fiber foods, such as bananas, helps prevent heart disease.  

• In addition to these cardiovascular benefits, the potassium found in bananas may also help to promote bone health. Potassium may counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the high-salt diets typical of most Americans, thus helping to prevent bones from thinning out at a fast rate. 

• Bananas have long been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. 
• Bananas are a smart move if you suffer from elimination problems. A bout of diarrhea can quickly deplete your body of important electrolytes. Bananas can replenish your stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance. 
• Bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber (called a hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation.  

• Yes, enjoying bananas frequently as part of your healthy way of eating can help improve your body's ability to absorb calcium via several mechanisms. 
• Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms.  

• Some banana cultivars are also rich in provitamin A carotenoids, which have been shown to protect against chronic disease, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. 
• Bananas and many root vegetables contain especially high amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds.  

• If you need to hasten the ripening process, you can place bananas in a paper bag or wrap them in newspaper, adding an apple to accelerate the process. Ripe bananas that will not be consumed for a few days can be placed in the refrigerator. While their peel may darken, the flesh will not be affected. For maximum flavor when consuming refrigerated bananas, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come back to room temperature.

SO GRAB A BANANA AND LET'S GET HEALTHY!!!

yeaaaaaaah buddy.