Strawberries – indulgent and healthy

I don’t know that I’m a typical dietitian because I don’t always make food selections based on health. Sometimes it’s purely for pleasure.Strawberries are an exception because I choose them for both pleasure and health! They taste sweet and almost too indulgent yet they are packed full of nutrients.Strawberries are in season, too, so now is a great time to add them to your shopping cart.Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C. They are a good source of manganese, a trace mineral involved in many enzyme systems in the body. Strawberries are a very good source of fiber, iodine, potassium, folate, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, copper, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin K as well as energy-promoting vitamin B2 (riboflavin) an

d vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid).

Berries are so healthy, according to research, that some recommend including them three to four times a week as your fruit servings.Strawberries are considered the fourth most powerful fruit for antioxidants, behind blackberries, cranberries and raspberries. Oxidation happens with all living things, resulting in aging and contributing to diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.Someone once compared oxidation in our bodies to cars rusting over time. That seemed like a nice way to illustrate why eating fruits and veggies is so important to health. Would you agree that cars rust more quickly if they are exposed to the elements (air, rain)? Compare this to our bodies aging more quickly when overexposed to the elements (pollution, stress).