|  Winter
Nutrition: Warm Advice for Chilly Days.
Ah winter. That time of the year when we are all too happy to get
where we’re going even if we miss the scenery along the way.
Just thinking about winter conjures up visions of dark, cold, rainy
days when most of us would rather cuddle up at home or visit the
local pub rather than go to the gym.
While most people become inactive in the winter months, and may
even put on a few unwanted pounds, an adventurous few dare to defy
the harsh elements to find new challenges and opportunities to stay
fit and strong.
What an exhilarating feeling it is to be flying down the slopes
at top speed on a brand new pair of skis or snowboard. Or to test
your skills on a cross-country snowmobile ride.
Whatever you choose to do this winter, I hope that you will at least
take advantage of the many varieties of fruits and vegetables that
are in season this time of the year. Keep in mind that many foods
are available all year, however, you can easily taste the difference
between produce that are in season and those that are not.
Furthermore, when you eat fruits and vegetables that are in season,
the nutrients are more mature thereby more available to be absorbed
by your body. Here’s a look at some of the many wonderful
winter foods, the nutrients derived from them, and the important
functions they perform in your body.
Winter fruits and vegetables
You may notice that in the summer there is an abundant array of
colorful fruits and vegetables, while in the winter the colors are
much darker. This is because there is more sunlight in the summer
and fruits and vegetables are usually directly exposed to it. Winter
produce, on the other hand, requires less direct sunlight. Therefore
most vegetables tend to be darker in color. Because of the lack
of sun, winter fruits are also not as sweet as those found in the
summer.
Eat your colors
There is convincing evidence that populations that eat more produce
have lower rates of chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease,
arthritis and many others. After years of research, we are finally
learning just what makes fruits and vegetables so beneficial in
preventing these diseases.
Phytochemicals ---the hundreds of different compounds
produced by plants that can protect them from oxygen, sunlight,
bad weather, insects and other sources of harm --- can provide protection
to humans, too.
It is important to include food of a variety of colors as part of
your daily eating pattern because some phytochemicals are responsible
for the pigments in produce. Anthocyanin, the substance that makes
a blueberry blue, for example, has antioxidant characteristics that
can be powerful cancer fighters.
Tomatoes are red because of lycopene, an antioxidant
that has been linked to lower rates of cancer as well as decreased
rates of heart disease. It is important to note, however, that phytochemicals
work in combination with one another. So it's not enough to just
eat red or blue. The idea is to redesign your plate with a variety
of multi-colored fruits and vegetables.
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