Spring is in the air! The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the gentle rain is giving the plants some much needed water in order to grow.
When I think of springtime, many benefits come to mind. There is a greater emphasis on community with more people outside, walking and enjoying the fresh breeze. Spring can also be symbolized by regeneration. Many people are recovering from the challenges winter has brought us, and are eager for some sunlight, warmth, and a leisurely springtime jog.
Growth, new beginnings, peace, and serenity are the words I would use to describe the blissful presence of a new spring morning. You also have your springtime foods, which bring plenty of growth and new beginnings. Early springtime is the time of year when you will begin to get your garden ready for the bountiful harvest to come.
Here Are 3 Healthy Foods That You May Eat During Spring
Artichokes
When it comes to healthy foods, artichokes are brimming with health benefits. During the winter months, you may have been eating way too much, especially during the holidays. The fiber content in a four-ounce serving of artichokes contains 10.3 g. The fiber helps with a lot of health concerns, including digestive health maintenance, reducing blood cholesterol and heart disease risk, and with prevention for various types of cancer. Artichokes are also known to be one of the best antioxidant healthy foods available.
It’s best to purchase fresh artichokes for maximum health benefits and they taste well combined with a variety of healthy foods such as brown rice, organic chicken, and steamed vegetables.
Beets
Now that winter has officially beat it, you can beet it as well—with the food that is. There are plenty of health benefits of beets, which are great to obtain, especially at the start of spring. Beets are considered a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and iron.
Beets mix well with rainbow carrots, both shredded together to make a colorful salad. Beets also taste great as a juice and the iron within these healthy foods can help give you energy and fight anemia. They are also known to boost your stamina prior to daily exercise activity because the oxygen cost is reduced from the beets’ nitrates converting into nitric oxide. The nitric oxide also helps blood flow and reduces blood pressure. Beets are also known to fight inflammation and cancer and are a great vegetable to have on hand for detoxification support.
Radishes
Radishes are another springtime food you should be eating. They are often eaten raw, which makes them an essential part of a springtime salad. They are even a good veggie to eat whole as a snack or feel free to dip them in some hummus or baba ghanoush. They are highly nutritious and can help you reduce your cardiovascular disease risk, along with other root vegetables. They are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and folic acid. Other beneficial nutrients found in radishes include magnesium, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and riboflavin.
Radishes are a naturally cooling vegetable, which helps cool you down when it starts to get warmer outside. The vitamin C in radishes also has a natural cleansing effect, and when you consume them regularly, they can assist with preventing viral infections. Radishes can also help treat jaundice because they help detoxify the body by eliminating toxins and waste. The stomach and liver in general are very grateful when you eat radishes. Other benefits of these healthy foods include cancer protection, indigestion relief, and digestion cleansing.
Spring has sprung and that means there are plenty of fresh healthy foods to show gratitude toward. Love, sunshine, and light are in the air, and your healthy foods thank you for it.
Sources:
Baker, J., “Top 10 Foods You Should Eat This Spring,” Diabetic Living web site; http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/food-to-eat/nutrition/top-10-foods-you-should-eat-spring?page=2, last accessed March 13, 2014.
Mateljan, G., The World’s Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the healthiest way of eating (Seattle: George Mateljan Foundation, 2007), 244, 251, 367.
“8 Health Benefits of Artichokes,” Eat This! web site, Nov. 10, 2010; http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/8-health-benefits-of-artichokes.html.
Mercola, J., Dr., “Benefits of Beets,” Mercola.com web site, January 25, 2014; http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx.
“9 Reasons to ‘Eat Your Radishes!” Full Circle web site, May 14, 2012; http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/14/9-reasons-to-eat-your-radishes/.
“Health Benefits Of Radishes,” Med-Health.net web site; http://www.med-health.net/Health-Benefits-Of-Radishes.html, last accessed March 13, 2014.
