Thursday, September 12, 2013

Must – Eat – Vegetables for Wellness: Part 2

Wellness is defined as the condition or state of having good physical and mental health, especially as the result of deliberate effort that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life by proper diet, exercise and maintaining good health habits, as opposed to treating diseases.

When I was growing up, my grand mom and mother used to say “Eat your veggies, it will keep you strong and safe” or they’d say “Eat your salad, you won’t turn into a rabbit instead you will be as strong and as fast as a horse”. To be honest, I grew up liking vegetables due to repetition, being a writer-researcher has opened my eyes to the miracles of plants, vegetables and fruits. 

Wellness has now become a popular topic for people around the world. Social media has made it possible for people to read health tips from their mobile devices or chancing about their friends’ latest fruit “Like” and more. People have the power to “share” the things they like or articles they think would help other people stay healthy and glow with beauty. Below is my personal list of veggies our fridge often has an abundance of; I recommend you do the same and you will feel light and healthier even more.

Here are my most recommended wellness vegetables:

2. Tomatoes
In an article written by award-winning physician and medical journalist, Dr. Julie Lynn Wong published by www.abcnews.go.com last Oct. 2012, it was stated how tomatoes are linked to lower stroke risk. The article discussed a research conducted by Jouni Karppi, lead study author of the University of Eastern Finland showing the evidence that diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risk of stroke. Karpi confirmed that eating tomatoes and tomato based food reduce stroke risk. Men with the highest blood level of lycopene, followed over an average of 12 years to see if they would develop a stroke, were 55 percent less likely to have a stroke. Statistics confirm every four minutes, someone dies of a stroke. Lycopene found in vegetables like tomatoes may help reduce risk of stroke by preventing the formation of blood cloths that can obstruct the brain’s blood supply, Karppi mentioned in an interview.

A very exciting medical find that support the cardiologist recommendation that people consume fresh fruits and vegetables rather than nutritional supplements. Tomatoes are always plentiful and cost-efficient.

Dubbed as the “golden apple” or pomi d’oroback in the 1500s by Pietro Andrea Mattioli, this red fruit of the Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant, has been around since the time of Mesoamerica. Aztec people used it in their cooking by 500 B.C. and they believed that those who witnessed the ingestion of tomato seeds were blessed with powers of divination. Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes may have been the first to bring this red orb to Europe after he captured the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, in 1521. Good for the heart, the face and the whole body. Not only should you consider the tomato an important part of your everyday diet but also include tomato based products available in the market. This salad-making necessity is a big hit in the wellness community. These gorgeous little red-orange spheres are jam-packed with lycopene that have anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. Though categorized as a fruit, it is usually treated as a vegetable. Who would think that these little red planets are bursting with vitamins from A to K. So to live long, eat your tomatoes.

No comments:

Post a Comment