Our parents have often reminded us to eat a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, meat and fish. They say they’re good for us and makes us strong. But they never told us how.

In this blog post, I would like to share with you how a balanced diet of foods rich in antioxidants is important to our health.

What are antioxidants and what do they do?

Antioxidants are substances found naturally in the body that reach with foreign elements to neutralize their potentially harmful effects. However, we still need to increase our intake of foods that will provide us with additional protection from free radicals (harmful substances found in the environment and unhealthy foods). This is where foods rich in antioxidants come in.

The aforementioned “free radicals” are harmful substances that may lead to cancer and other illnesses. These free radicals are best handled and fought by antioxidants. So you see, having a diet of vegetables, fruits, meat and fish is really great for our bodies.

Now, the question is…

Where do we get these very important antioxidants?

Beta Carotene

carrots, carrot juice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantalouple, winter squash, fresh apricots, dried apricots, mangoes, persimmon, broccoli

Vitamin C

melons, oranges, grapefruit, red and green peppers, leafy greens, strawberries, papaya, kiwi, mangoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, fortified cereals, tomatoes, sweet potatoes (with skin)

Vitamin E

seeds, nuts, peanut butter, leafy greens, fish, shellfish, avocados, mangoes

Dietary Fiber

dried beans and peas and legumes, prunes, figs, dried apricots, whole grain foods, mangoes, pears, apples (with skin), brussel sprouts, seeds, nuts and peanut butter, grapefruits, oranges, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, artichokes

Our moms were right all along about vegetables and fruits. But now we know why!

What about you? Do you have other healthy diet and eating tips to share? Let the community know by commenting on this post or by emailing me at blog@mommymakeitbetter.com. I’d be so happy to hear from you.