Build your defenses against disease and
illness by enjoying a variety of foods from
each of the four main food groups as recommended
by Canada's
Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
Follow
some of these tips to boost the
amount of nutrients available
for your body to use:
Choose fresh fruits and vegetables
with a variety of colour, with
emphasis on yellow, orange,
red and deep green. This will
help ensure you get the wide
range of nutrients, fibre and
antioxidants your body needs.
Research indicates that antioxidant
vitamins in fruit and vegetables
may boost the function of your
immune system and help reduce
the risk of cancer, heart disease
and stroke.
Vitamin
C helps the body absorb important
nutrients, such as iron. Combine
high-iron foods such as fresh
spinach leaves, chicken and lean
cuts of beef, with foods rich
in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits,
red and green peppers, broccoli,
strawberries and kiwi.
Drink
plenty of water and limit your
intake of nutrient thieves like
pop and coffee. Pop leaches
calcium from your bones, and
caffeine not only dehydrates
your body, but also inhibits
the absorption of vitamins and
minerals.
