Increase your vitamin C intake with a host of citrus fruits. Red and green peppers, strawberries, kiwi fruit, cruciferous vegetables, papaya, and cantaloupe can be just as good. Even kitchen mainstays like green leafy vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes pack in a hefty vitamin C kick.
Vitamin E and vegetables may not be synonymous, but leafy greens like spinach, beet greens, and turnip greens are a great way to get in the nutrient. Asparagus, broccoli, squash, and sweet potatoes are crowd pleasers that can help. And don’t forget herbs like basil, oregano, or parsley which contain the vitamin too!
Fruit can be a surprisingly good source of vitamin E, especially when you are eating an avocado, kiwifruit, mamey sapote, or mango. And let’s not forget those fruits that you may have labeled as vegetables – olives, red peppers, and tomatoes which are good vitamin E sources too.
Red grapes contain protective antioxidants that can do you a wealth of good. Research shows that they help fight inflammation, lower cholesterol levels, keep your blood vessels healthy, and protect your vision. They may also help with weight loss, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. They also show promise in fighting cancer and neuropathy.
Fat-soluble vitamin E is present in very high amounts in vegetable oils, nut oils, nuts, seeds, and nut butters. Fish and abalone are other good sources. But don’t write off fruit and vegetable sources like avocado, butternut squash, red peppers, and spinach on this front – they contain more vitamin E than you’d think.
Vitamin K may not get as much attention as some other vitamins but it is just as important. Kiwi, prunes, and avocados are a good bet if you want to load up on this nutrient via fruits. Blackberries, blueberries, grapes, pomegranates also offer up vitamin K. So do tomatoes, dried figs, pears, and apricots.
Despite being an indispensable ingredient of the human diet, table salt is not the healthiest way to meet your body's sodium needs. Studies have found that excessive table salt intake is a major risk factor for high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Immediate effects of high-salt intake include bloating and dehydration. Some studies have linked excessive salt in the body to stomach cancer and dementia.
Calcium-rich sources in your diet aren’t limited to dairy or fortified foods. Citrus fruits are a surprisingly good source of the mineral and so is rhubarb. Exotic fruit like jackfruit, guava, papaya, custard apple, and prickly pear round off the list along with staples like berries, prunes, dried figs, and dried apricots.
