​When you think of spinach, do you think of Popeye? Well, spinach does a lot more than give you big muscles! Spinach is great for your skin and hair! It helps keep your hair moisturized, and helps all body tissues, including skin and hair be healthy and grow by increasing collagen. It also contains iron, which prevents hair loss due to deficiency.

Spinach is low in calories, yet high in vitamins and minerals that your body needs.  Spinach contains magnesium that helps reduce the effects of stress on the body by keeping your blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in North Carolina.  By eating 3 cups of spinach, you consume 40 percent of your body’s daily magnesium needs.
​
Spinach is full of chlorophyll, which helps block certain carcinogenic compounds generated from grilling. So, the next time you grill out, enjoy a delicious spinach salad on the side! Spinach also helps prevent asthma, improve bone health and promote regularity.

1 cup of raw spinach contains:

• 7 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams cholesterol
• 24 mg sodium
• 1 gram fiber
• 1 gram protein
• 56% daily value of Vitamin A
• 14% daily value of Vitamin C
• 5% daily value of Iron
• 3% daily value of Calcium
• It also contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin,  Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

You often hear the advice to “Eat your greens!”  However, it’s important to eat food of a variety of colors because they contain different nutrients.  Purple and blue are often neglected colors in the average diet.  In fact, eighty-eight percent of people don’t get enough purple and blue in their diet.  Purple and blue foods only make up three percent of the average diet.  These foods are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants.  Scientists believe that compounds known as anthocyanins, found in these foods, get rid of free radicals and soothe inflammation. 

A study done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who ate blue and purple fruits and vegetables had a lower risk for high blood pressure and were less likely to have low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol.  These people are also less likely to be overweight.  By reducing three of the five risk factors for metabolic syndrome, it is also believed that eating purple and blue foods will reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  

Orange and yellow fruits and veggies are usually colored by beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A.  These foods help keep your eyes and immune system healthy and can help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.  They also often contain vitamin C and folate as well.  Lemons are a good source of vitamin C, which had been found to reduce the risk of death from all causes. 

Red fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients such as ellagic acid, anthocyanins, lycopene and more.  These phytonutrients may help regulate blood pressure levels, lower bad cholesterol, and reduce tumor growth.  Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that help prevent cell damage, help keep your heart healthy, and reduce the pain from arthritis and gout.  Lycopene may help reduce the risk of some kinds of cancer, such as prostate cancer, breast, colorectal, endometrial, lung and pancreatic.  The best way to get your daily dose of lycopene is in cooked tomatoes with a small amount of fat, such as a marinara sauce with a little olive oil in it.  

A lot of research has been done on the benefits of olive oil for healthy people.  It lowers the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.  New research is suggesting that it may benefit those who undergo heart bypass surgery by decreasing the chance that they will die in the month following surgery.  It has been found that those who ate less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil a day were four times more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than those who ate 3 or more tablespoons of olive oil a day.  It is especially beneficial when it is used to replace other fats, such as other vegetable oils, butter and margarine.