It’s that time of the year again that everywhere you look all you can see are red hearts – Valentines month. But have you ever wondered who is that one person who needs your tender, loving care the most? Surprise surprise – it’s YOU!! We have constantly given Love to others, and in this month of Love, let us now begin to love yourselves. In this interesting combination of Self-care and Valentines Month we bring to all our readers a series about loving your body from within and nourishing it with – well you guessed it – RED coloured foods!!
Cherry – When you think of cherries you first think of these little red fruits as topping your ice cream or cake, but cherries have great anti-oxidants which simply mean they prevent or delay cell damage or oxidation. They have the highest amount of anti-inflammatory content of any food.
- Having such a great content of antioxidants also indicates that cherries could have a role in cancer prevention.
- Need peaceful good sleep? Eat up your cherries. Cherries contain Melatonin which plays a role in our sleep cycles and regulation thereby enhancing sleep quality and increase sleep duration.
- Cherries also play a role in heart health, due to an anti-inflammatory effect and they possibly activate PPAR which lowers risk of heart disease.
- Have high levels of uric acid? Or suffering from painful arthritis? Grab that cup of cherries! Cherries lower levels of uric acid in the blood, relieving painful gout. They also reduce pain from inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Cherries can possibly help reduce high blood pressure as they are high in polyphenols.
- Cherries improve muscle recovery after a rigorous workout.
Strawberry – Look at this wonderful heart shaped, immunity boosting fruit, which infact is not a fruit, but a close relative of the “rose” flower, ideal obviously for heart health and an excellent source of polyphenols, strawberries are a tasty treat rich in Vitamin C and K, potassium, manganese, low is sugar and is just perfect for people who are trying to watch their weight.
- Like cherries, strawberries are also rich sources of anti-oxidants fighting against skin ageing and cancer.
- Strawberries increase our good cholesterol and inhibit formation of bad cholesterol. They relax the blood vessels and can possibly keep blood pressure levels normal.
- Planning a baby? Eat up strawberries – which are a rich source of folic acid which helps prevent birth defects.
- They are a superfood for cognitive health by increasing blood flow to the brain and reduce the risk of stroke.
- Strawberries are also natural anti-inflammatory which help reduce symptoms of gout and arthritis.
- A supreme power packed source of natural beauty treatments, strawberries help treat acne, hyperpigmentation and are beneficial for the skin.
- Because this little fruit is responsible for anti-ageing it also helps to manage eye health and prevents degeneration of optic nerves and dry eyes.
Tomato – This plump fruit is actually wrongly thought of as a vegetable. A super food packed with nutrients, anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and K, potassium, folate and a low calorie food, tomatoes are a hit with weight loss dieters. Certain studies show that tomatoes increase the body’s ability to burn fat by as much as 28%.
- Several studies have shown that tomatoes reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of blood clotting and support heart health.
- Lycopene is abundantly present in tomatoes which helps lower the risk of certain cancers and is responsible for healthy, glowing skin.
- Being a great source of chromium and low in calories it is a perfect snack for everyone who needs to maintain their Blood sugar levels, be it girls battling Poly Cystic Ovaries or people with Diabetes.
