February is American Heart Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the number one killer of
both men and women in America, claiming more than half a million lives each year.
Obesity is a key contributor in developing heart disease, but fighting obesity by incorporating a healthy diet can seem daunting and downright impossible to some. So this month we want to share tips and cooking ideas to help you give your heart a hand!
An Apple A Day
The old adage is true, and fruits and vegetables can make for a healthier person. Fortunately for all of us, N.C. apples are still available. Low in calories and loaded with fiber and vitamin C, apples promote healthy teeth, bone and skin, plus they’re good for your vision. The skin is ripe with antioxidants, so try not to peel apples to gain the maximum health boost.
Apples make for a perfect on-the-go snack and are excellent when eaten “as is”: unpeeled and raw. All apples are not created equal (though they’re all pretty darn good). Some are better for eating fresh, some for cooking and others for sauce. Visit our apples page to see a chart advising which apple to use for what. The video shares information on selecting, storing and preparing apples. You have to start somewhere, and a good old-fashioned apple may be just the place.
Heartfelt Work
Researchers with N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute are hard at work investigating what makes a couple of super heart-healthy foods so good for us while discovering ways to enhance their health-protective properties. We’re talking about blueberries and broccoli.
Dr. Mary Ann Lila, institute director, and her team are looking at the phytochemicals (compounds in blueberries) that confer human health benefits when the berries are eaten. By identifying those compounds and how they work together, Dr. Lila hopes that medical doctors may one day prescribe doses of fruits to treat chronic conditions like Parkinson’s or diabetes. But why wait? She recommends adding at least one-half cup of blueberries to your diet daily! Learn more about blueberry research at the Plants for Human Health Institute by watching this video featuring Dr. Lila and The Produce Lady.
And we must not forget our vegetables. Dr. Allan Brown, a molecular geneticist with the institute, wants to improve broccoli and, in the long-term, human health. He is identifying the compounds in broccoli that are associated with certain health benefits, such as cancer prevention, and aims to produce a broccoli that contains even more of these nutritious compounds. Learn more about broccoli research at the Plants for Human Health Institute by watching this video featuring Dr. Brown and The Produce Lady.
Contributed by Justin Moore
The Produce Lady Blog 