Which Color Vegetables are Best for Your Health?

I love this time of year when we can start getting fresh local produce or growing our own. With the typical choices available, which vegetables or fruits should you eat to have the healthiest diet? The answer is simple: eat as many different colors as you can. The more vibrantly colored the vegetables and fruits are, the richer they are in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

First you should focus on getting your daily dose of vegetables and fruits.

Based on the food pyramid, you should be eating up to nine servings of vegetables and fruits every day. Recommendations include filling at least three-quarters of your plates at lunch and dinner with vegetables. Instead of high-sugar snacks or desserts, use fresh fruits to give you that sweet treat. My favorite snack has to be fresh raspberries. Choose at least one vegetable from each of five color groups to get a wide range of healthy nutrients.

Why is it important to eat a variety of colors?

Fruits and vegetables get their coloration from phytochemicals and phytonutrients, which are natural bioactive compounds produced by plants. People who eat diets rich in phytonutrients have lower rates of heart disease and cancer, which are the two leading causes of death in the US. You need a variety of these phytonutrients and don't need an excess of any one of them. That's why the variety of colors is important.

What do the colors mean?

There are 5 major color groups for vegetables and fruits. Different colors come from different phytonutrients and phytochemicals, and they each have different health benefits. Here are the different color groups:

• Red – includes fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, beets, red peppers, red lettuces and cabbage, red beans, and more. They are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and antioxidants such as lycopene.
• Yellow/orange – includes sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, squash, pineapple, and more. They are also loaded with vitamins C and A, B vitamins, calcium, iron, and potassium, as well as antioxidants like alpha- and beta-carotene. They can benefit your brain, skin, lung, and eye health. One baked sweet potato provides all the vitamin A you need for the day and is richer in potassium than a banana.
• Green – includes broccoli, cabbage, kale, salad greens, sprouts, collard or turnip greens, and more. They are rich in potassium, vitamin K, magnesium, iron, calcium, vitamin A, and fiber. Dark green, leafy vegetables have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fiber.
• Blue/purple – includes eggplant, purple grapes, raisins, and many vegetables that come in blue or purple varieties, such as carrots, cabbage, potatoes, asparagus. They contain nutrients that improve memory, boost urinary health, and promote healthy aging.
• White (or light green) – includes parsnips, garlic, onions, celery, turnips, fennel, and more. They contain compounds called flavonoids, such as quercetin, kaempferol, and anthoxanthins, which have a range of healthful properties, such as decreasing inflammation in the body.

Eating a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables will not only improve your health, but it can also make your meals more vibrant. Kids can often be enticed to eat more vegetables if they are different colors. Our bodies prefer to get nutrients from foods, rather than supplements, and you can provide all the nutrients needed by choosing the rainbow of colors available in the produce aisle or your local farmers market.

If you have any questions about healthy fruits and vegetables, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

What is Mindful Walking, and Should You be Doing It?

Mindful walking, sometimes called walking meditation, has been studied over the last several decades. Research indicates that it can help improve multiple physical and psychological or emotional symptoms, and significantly improve your health. Let's talk more about why you should be doing it.

What is mindful walking?

Essentially, this is a walk at an unhurried pace, during which you try to take in what's going on around you, what you are experiencing through your senses, and what is going on with your body.

What are the benefits of mindful walking?

Research shows that mindful walking can help us to:

• Manage stress and anxiety
• Improve sleep
• Reduce blood pressure and heart rate
• Reduce chronic pain
• Improve depression and mood
• Strengthen our concentration and attention,
• Improve our overall life satisfaction

This can start with the first walk but gets better when you do it regularly.

How do you start?

Mindful walking does not have to take up much time or energy. You can start with 10 minutes a day. It can also be done in a very small space. Some people may walk a loop around a neighborhood, but some choose a small path inside or out, and simply walk back and forth. It may seem awkward at first, just because it is different than your normal routine but once you do it a few times, you may be hooked!

Here's how to start:

• Start by leaving your phone behind or silencing it in your pocket. We won't be listening to music or a podcast during a mindful walk. Wear some comfortable shoes.
• As you start, walk at a relaxed, natural pace. Focus on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth a little deeper than you normally do.
• For the first minute or so, pay attention to the sounds that you hear. Listen to the bird songs, the leaves rustling in the wind, children playing nearby, or whatever sounds you hear.
• Then shift your focus to your sense of smell. Do you smell flowers, or maybe food smells from nearby restaurants or a neighbor grilling out?
• Then pay attention to what you see, such as colors, structures, everything around you.
• Then try to focus on your body. Pay attention to your posture. Pay attention to the feeling of each foot lifting off the ground then the sensation in the soles of your feet as they touch the ground heel first. Feel the wind hitting your body or the warmth of the sun on your skin.
• Then, keep this open awareness of everything around you and just walk and enjoy feeling each step you take. Continue for whatever length of time you want.

What if your mind wanders?

Your mind is bound to wander sometimes, it's perfectly natural. When you notice your mind wandering, just try to focus again on the feeling of your feet touching the ground and expand your sensory awareness from there.

What if you feel stressed or anxious?

When you are feeling stressed, your body produces hormones that give you extra energy (it's the body's way to prepare you for fight or flight). This extra energy can make it harder to focus or relax. If you are stressed, start walking quickly for a minute or two, then gradually slow the pace down. This can release some of that extra energy and help calm your nervous system, allowing you to focus your mind more easily.

I would encourage you to try mindful walking. I think you will find that it helps your body and soul.

If you have any questions about mindful walking, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Are Gas Stoves Bad for Your Health?

I'm sure you have all heard the rumor that gas stoves are going to be banned. The uproar surrounding those rumors was significant. To clarify the rumors, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that it is only planning to collect public comments on the stoves and is not considering a ban. However, there are a growing number of studies that show health risks associated with the indoor air pollution linked to gas stoves. Let's talk about what you should know.

What do we know about the health risks of gas stoves?

For the last 50 years or so, researchers have shown that exposure to gas stoves can be harmful to humans. There were two new studies published in 2022 that highlighted the risks associated with the noxious fumes from gas stoves.

There are two basic categories of concerning fumes related to gas stoves. The first is the unburned natural gas that can escape before a flame ignites, or can leak from a gas hook-up. This gas is over 90% methane and is a potent greenhouse gas. The second category includes the indoor pollutants created by the combustion of gas when the burner is on. The most concerning of these are nitrogen oxides, including nitrogen dioxide.

One study, looking at the nitrogen oxides produced when using a gas stove, showed that families who use gas stoves in homes with poor ventilation, or without range hoods, can go well past the national standard for safe hourly outdoor exposure to nitrogen oxides within just a few minutes. This study also showed that more than three quarters of methane escaping from gas stoves does so when it is NOT in use, most likely through imperfect pipe fittings. Only one stove, out of well over 50 tested, did not leak when turned off. This is generally at levels not noticed by the residents of the home.

The other recent study showed trace quantities of 21 different hazardous chemicals in the indoor air of homes with gas stoves.

Why is this important?

Even short exposures to high levels of nitrogen oxides can aggravate symptoms in people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma and COPD. In addition, there is substantial evidence that long-term exposure increases the risk of developing asthma in people with no underlying respiratory problems. This can affect both children and adults but is certainly a big concern for children.

The 21 different toxic pollutants found in one study includes known carcinogens.

Of course, having a gas stove does not mean you are guaranteed to develop asthma or cancer, but it does increase your risk.

Research shows that when a gas stove is used to cook dinner, more children need to use their inhalers that night.

What should you do to reduce the health risks associated with gas stoves?

There are several ways to approach this issue.

You might want to consider switching to an electric or induction range when you are in the market for a new stove, especially if someone in your household has any respiratory conditions.

For those who have a gas stove currently and want to continue to use it, here are some ways to lower the risks associated with it:

• VENTILATE - Try to ventilate your kitchen as much as possible when using your stove, and even when it's not in use by opening windows or doors.
• Use your exhaust hood EVERY TIME you use your stove - Most people only turn the vent hood on when they are cooking something that smokes or has a strong smell. You should be using it every time you turn on the gas, even if you're just boiling water. This works best when the hood blows the air outside but can still help even if it doesn't. If your hood does not vent the air outside, or you're not sure if it does, open a window near the stove and consider putting a fan in the window. If you do not have an exhaust hood, you should seriously consider having one installed.
• Try to use the stove less often - Consider an electric kettle to boil water. I have one and absolutely love it. Think about using the microwave or toaster oven as alternatives when you can. You can also get a single portable induction burner, a rice cooker, or other small electric appliance alternatives.
• Consider an air purifier - An air purifier with a HEPA filter can reduce the level of nitrogen oxides within the air in your home. If you get one, put it in or near your kitchen for best results.
• Outdoor cooking - When the weather allows, cooking outdoors on a grill is another way to limit the use of your gas stove. Just be sure the grill is far enough from open windows or doors so that fumes from the grill are not entering the house.

By following these few simple steps, you can decrease the effects of emissions from a gas stove.

If you have any questions about gas stoves, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor