Real Food, Real Health
Let’s face it, you are what you eat!
If you are what you eat, does that mean you’re a stock of celery? A tomato? Or a hotdog?! No silly! But what you eat does determine how healthy you are.
It all comes down to the good guys and the bad guys.
If you eat lots of healthy nutritious food with tons of superheroes in it, you can be one of the good guys too!
So who are these superheroes?
The heavy hitters are called Phytonutrients and Anti-oxidants! And, where do they live? In fresh colorful fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that they have huge benefits for the body. They save your body from all kinds of bad guys called free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that have to do with cancer, heart disease and the bad parts about getting old. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, keeping you healthy!
KSPS Fit Kids Episode 65: My Plate
FIT KIDS 49 You are what you eat
A close friend to our first two superheroes is whole grains! They're great for your body.
Just to give you an idea of the many disguises whole grains take, here is a list of some common ones...
Barley- Brown rice
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Whole-wheat pasta or couscous
- Flaxseed
And what does eating whole grains do for you? Many studies of these good guys show that they reduce...
- stroke risk 30-36%
- type 2 diabetes 21-30%
- heart disease 25-28%
- and help with better weight maintenance
So who are the Bad Guys?
Some bad guys are: fatty foods, especially when they come from a fast food restaurant. But wait, aren’t there some good things about fatty foods? The answer is yes! You just have to know the difference between the good ones and the bad ones! So, how do we know? We look at what kind of mask they are wearing! Here are some examples of each kind…
Fats - Good Guys!
Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are two of the good guys. They're found in olive oil and fish. They help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease! They also help keep your skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel for your body and mind!
Fats - Bad guys!
Saturated fats and trans fats are some of the bad guys. They're found in fast food and processed foods like donuts, cookies and cakes. They work against the good guys and increase cholesterol and risk of heart disease!
So where does that leave you in this struggle between good and evil? Look at the label! You have to make the healthy choice and make sure you aren’t eating the bad guys! Your body will thank you for it later.