Eat your fruits and veggies. It’s the most stated fact of healthy living. Unfortunately, it’s falling on deaf ears.
Fruits and vegetables are the backbone of a healthy diet. They are almost always low in fat and calories, and packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and so much more. And oh, there’s no cholesterol.
But, according to the 2009 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, only 14 percent of American adults are eating the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The government study says that even less (10 percent) of high school students are getting enough fruits and vegetables.
The report is meant to shine a light on a campaign to get at least 75 percent of Americans to eat two or more daily servings of fruit, and for at least 50 percent to consume three or more daily servings of vegetables.
Our bodies naturally produce cholesterol. The amount is dependent on genetics. It’s not inherently bad. You need cholesterol for various bodily functions. However, too much cholesterol can be unhealthy. The American Heart Association established a range for your daily intake:
- Less than 200 mg/dL is considered healthy.
- 200 to 239 mg/dL is borderline high cholesterol.
- 240 mg/dL and above is an unhealthy cholesterol level.
Many of our favorite foods contribute to high cholesterol. But there are some foods that can lower your cholesterol levels. Here are the top five as recommended by the Mayo Clinic:
In recent years, the health benefits of tomatoes grabbed some headlines. What got particular attention was lycopene, a bright red carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables.
Lycopene has antioxidant properties. Research has shown that it helps combat cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even male infertility. If tomatoes aren’t your thing, you can get lycopene from carrots, watermelons, papaya… or in a tomato pill.
What is Potassium?
It’s an element and an electrolyte. Your body needs potassium for proper growth and maintenance; it helps keep water balance between cells and body fluids, plays an essential role in response of nerves to stimulation and contraction of muscles. Potassium is crucial in proper heart function, put simply it triggers your heart to beat and pump blood through your body. Lower levels of potassium have been linked to increased or high blood pressure. Research has shown that individuals that consume adequate amounts of potassium have a lower risk of having a stroke. Also, there has been no clear link between potassium and lower cholesterol, but cholesterol–lowering diets that contain high amounts of potassium have been shown to be beneficial.
Packaged foods can present misleading health claims, cleverly tip-toeing around the laws that govern them. But sometimes, the FDA will say enough is enough.
Cheerios, the long-time favorite breakfast cereal, is making a claim that the FDA just can’t let fall through the cracks. The agency sent a warning letter to General Mills, telling them that they can’t label Cheerios as a treatment for high cholesterol and heart disease.
The FDA points to language on the Cheerios label:
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