Lettuce For Healthy Aging

 Lettuce is loaded with nutrients. There are many different varieties of lettuce and they are all rich in vitamins A, C and K, and in dietary fibers.  Minerals, especially iron, are also found in lettuce.

It seems that the romaine or cos salad, as it is called, has the highest level of nutrients among the green leaf lettuces.  However, the mixture of green and red small leaf salad found today is the most valuable because of the phytonutrients – the mixture of colors. The darker the leaves the richer the lettuce is in nutrients.

To enhance the nutritional value use olive oil in the dressing.

Grandma Nature

Mother Nature entices us to try all of her fruits and vegetables with their bright and various colors when we see them displayed at outdoor markets and food shops. Their beautiful colors mingled together remind us of a secret garden, all in bloom.

Today it is known that these colors, phytonutrients, are beneficial in preventing heart disease and cancer, among other illnesses.  The darker the color the more important they are to the body. Yellow and orange vegetables are full of vitamin A and beta-carotene, a wonder drug in preventing cataracts and retina problems. Vitamin A is known to help control lung cancer.

What is even more important is to combine them together and eat various colors at the same time.  This is easily done, for example, with a mixed salad of dark red tomatoes, bright orange carrots and bell peppers, dark green lettuce and white onions and garlic which enhance the immune system and increase memory capacity.

Dark blueberries and blackberries are full of a nutrient effective in helping to offset the anti-aging process as well as circulatory problems.  And these precious little berries can be mixed with other fruits of a different color.

A couple of dishes consisting of several different colored vegetables are ratatouille and a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad. Just use your imagination when shopping and pick up whatever you find in season. Your body will then be filled with valuable nutrients to keep you fit.

Grandma Nature