New Year, New You! 2021 has officially rolled around, and if you’re reading this the chances are you’ve made it a priority to improve your health and change your lifestyle in the New Year.
Go you!
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet will go a long way to making you look and feel your best, but figuring out exactly which foods are the best for you can be hard. Ensuring that you get enough vitamins and minerals as well as the required daily intake of fruit and vegetables can make meal planning complicated, but there are five particular foods high in vitamins and minerals that will help you look and feel your better.
Whether you want to lose weight, have better skin, improve your immune system or protect yourself against heart and bone conditions, these five super foods can help contribute towards making sure you’re healthy.
1. Stone Fruit
If you’re a fan of stone fruit, we have some good news for you. They love your body just as much as you love them!
Currently in season until approximately April, peaches, plums, nectarines and cherries are all the perfect addition to your 2021 meal plans, incredibly high in Vitamin C and simple to add for any meal.
Eating just one cup of stone fruit each day can provide a huge range of health benefits, supporting everything from your immune system to your heart and mental health. It also provides you with 20% of your daily recommended Vitamin C intake, as well as plenty of antioxidants and potassium to help keep any anxiety away and your blood pressure in check.
Research has shown that consistently adding plums to your diet may not only help to reduce inflammation and heart disease, but it may help clear your body of excess sodium, lowering your blood pressure and reducing your risk of stroke. (1)
For those looking to get a healthier glow, stone fruits are also fantastic for helping in collagen production, keeping your skin looking healthy, supple and better for longer.
Simple to throw in a smoothie, add to a meal or just snack on during the day, stone fruits are one of the best and most versatile foods you can add to your diet in 2021, and your body will thank you for it.
2. Citrus
Who doesn’t love a big glass of orange juice on a hot, summer day? Nothing tastes better than freshly squeezed OJ and it’s incredibly refreshing. Whether you juice citrus fruit or eat it whole, Earth Markets always has a plentiful supply when they are in season.
Containing up to 100% of your daily Vitamin C intake in a single fruit, oranges and grapefruits are some of the best fruits for supporting your eyesight, skin and immune system in the New Year.
Furthermore, they’re also a fantastic source of fibre and flavonoids. A naturally occurring chemical compound found in aromatic plants such as mint, tea and citrus, research has shown that flavonoids may help to regulate cellular activity, providing support against cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems (2).
Coming into season during autumn and winter, citrus will be more common at our Earth Markets stores from May through to October. Delicious and fantastic for your body, citrus is one of the best foods you can eat to support your system.
3. Greek Yoghurt
Want to get just about every nutrient you need in one bowl of breakfast?
Just add a bowl of Greek yoghurt to your diet!
Containing calcium, Vitamin B12, magnesium, protein and important probiotics, Greek yoghurt is a simple super food that will ensure you both look and feel your best going into the New Year, containing all of the vitamins and minerals that you need to take care of your body.
A study conducted in 2016 found that increasing your daily intake of calcium may assist with reducing symptoms associated with Osteoporosis, while eating 100 grams of probiotics each day may help you to experience less stress, depression and anxiety.
Furthermore, research also suggests that eating a diet high in protein may help to boost your metabolism and burn more calories in the day, all while helping to reduce your appetite and feel fuller for longer. It’s a win either way! (3)
4. Berries
Everyone loves berries. You can eat them on their own, add them into muffins and cakes, blend them into smoothies or sauces and you can use them as toppings on top of your morning cereal.
Berries are such a delicious and versatile little fruit, and now you have a reason to eat them more often. They’re great for your health as well!
Blueberries contain the highest amount of antioxidants found in any commonly-eaten fruit and are the super food of the berry world. Not only do they have a strong positive impact on your immune system, but they may also reduce the risk of developing chronic heart conditions and memory issues.
Similarly, strawberries are also fantastic for your health and contain plenty of fibre and Vitamin C, these sweet and juicy, strawberries are a fantastic addition to any meal of the day!
5. Broccoli, Spinach & Kale
Everyone remembers being told to eat their greens when they were younger, and for good reason!
High in fibre, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, following your Mum’s advice and eating your greens is one of the easiest ways to improve your health.
Loading up your plate at lunch or dinner, including a handful of green vegetables in your morning smoothie or adding spinach to your favourite dish is a simple way to get more fibre into your diet.
Broccoli, Spinach and Kale are all fantastic options for you to add into your diet, providing a strong amount of fibre and Vitamin K to ensure strong bones and a healthy digestive system. Kale is also considered to be one of the vegetables highest in Vitamin K, so if you’re concerned about your bones, adding more Kale to your meals is a great idea (4).