6 of the Best Fruits and Vegetables with Health and Fitness benefits

We have an epidemic like problem with millions of people being seriously over weight or obese. So some people attempt to put a band aid on the issue by jumping on the newest fad diet. Let me ask you something, Do you really think that a lifetime of horrible eating habits and bad choices can be corrected by going on a diet for 90 days? The answer is emphatically No! Somehow, there are many people who have gotten the impression that if they get on a diet, which any diet is only temporary, a band aid in fact, that after they lose a few pounds that this will make them healthy and fit. Now being healthy is one thing, being fit is something totally different. Your goal should of course be both. There are individuals that work out on a regular basis, have a pretty high muscularity level and are still not healthy and there are those that might appear to not work out as much and be fit and healthy. If you are maintaining a regular exercise regime and keeping healthy eating habits, you are well on your way to being both fit and healthy. The body is very complex and it takes more than the basic macro-nutrient breakdown that's designed for your body, lots of other things are needed. These 6 fruits and vegetables assist in maintaining the body health and supports over all fitness.

Whether your a fitness fanatic or just wanting to be healthier overall, celery should definitely be on your daily list of foods to eat. If your anything like me and consume a lot of eggs and meat or if your just genetically predisposed to have high cholesterol, celery has the ability to reduce your cholesterol by way of bile acid secretion. Studies have shown that bile acid synthesis controls cholesterol secretion. Celery also comes filled with calcium, magnesium (will help you sleep better at night), potassium (which aids in cramping), coumarins and anti-oxidants that remove the free radicals in the blood stream that damage cells and can cause cancers, and compounds called phthalides that relaxes the muscles of the arteries, creating a larger dilation of the blood vessels which results in the lowering of the blood pressure. If you are a gym rat and hit the weights hard and heavy on a regular basis, then you are well aware of the inflammation of the joints and tendons. As you routinely pound on your muscles in an attempt to make them bigger and stronger, the joints and tendons remain the same size. Celery contains anti-inflammatory properties that help diminish the pain and prevent future pains and conditions. The one downside to celery is that it has zero net calories. Your saying to yourself, how is that a downside? well because of zero net calories, it cannot be used as a primary source of carbohydrates, you need carbohydrate calories for energy. You will actually burn more calories digesting celery than you will receive from the celery it self. You can always eat celery with peanut butter (added protein and flavor), that's how I get my daughter to eat it.

Kale is kind of like a diamond in the rough, it's a lesser known vegetable that really hasn't hit the mainstream yet. Many people who aren't health nuts have probably never even tried it. Kale is low in carbohydrates, is packed with vitamins A, C, K, and calcium (which assist in numerous body processes), it actually contains more iron in it than beef does, more calcium than the same serving of milk, potassium that helps with cramping, anti-oxidants that prevent you from getting sick, anti-Cancer properties and kale comes with approximately ten times more vitamin C than that of spinach, which is king of vegetables. Spinach does contain more protein and other vitamins and minerals. The toxins that build up with the fitness lifestyle can be hard on the body, so we have to combat this by consuming foods that distribute anti-toxins. Kale is one of those foods and it's low in fats, calories and carbohydrates.

Many people do not understand the link between exercising and your daily eating habits. There is a common misconception that if you exercise regularly that this will automatically make you healthy. Intense, constant exercise can be really stressful on the body and cause damages to it, which your healthy diet should repair and rebuild these damages. This is why just exercising alone does not always equal weight loss. When you stress your body, the result of the stress is damage to your cells, which makes the body more susceptible to cancers. Pomegranate has shown capabilities to diminish the detriment caused by your intense work out routines. Pomegranate also assists the cells of the brain, other major organs, muscles and body recover a lot faster. If your a man over the age of 40, then this super fruit should definitely be in your daily eating habits as it contains ellagitannin antioxidant compounds that research has shown to inhibit prostate cancer. In fact, the juices of the fruit act as a natural chemo prevention treatment. Pomegranate is filled with Iron, vitamins A, C, and E. It also increases your antioxidants, so if your one of those people that get sick frequently, eating this fruit can have you feeling a lot better, faster. Pomegranate has often been referred to as a fountain of youth, I wouldn't take it that far and say that, but it will definitely assist in alleviating the harm suffered by the rugged fitness lifestyle.

Plums have numerous benefits to the fitness fanatic to aid in recovering from those intense workouts. For one, they will provide oxygen based maintenance to the damaged cells of the body. They improve the immune system, augments the absorption rate of iron, and they contain vitamin A, C, fiber and potassium which will assist in the prevention of cramping. Plums are also a good source of the B complex group, B-6, niacin, phytonutrients, chlorogenic, acid, and pantothenic acid, which will lower your blood sugar and have your digestive system running more efficiently. A plum is approximately 35 calories and many athletes do not like the sugar content. Look at it this in a positive way, it contains about 9 grams of carbohydrate and your a muscle building machine that will burn more calories than that sitting at home posting on Face book. Plums are delicious all by themselves, but personally I like to throw them into my whey protein shakes or a bowl of oatmeal.

Related to the plums, these little cherries come with big benefits in terms of health and fitness. One of my favorite benefits, because in my fitness lifestyle I do consume a lot of meat and other toxic foods that cause chaos in the digestive track is it's ability to help reduce the risk of colon cancer. If your diet is anything like mine and you consume lots of eggs and beef, then your cholesterol levels might be a concern. Cherries have the capabilities of lowering cholesterol naturally. Pain and soreness will always come along with the fitness lifestyle, as you punish your body on a regular basis. The anti-inflammatory properties found in cherries will aid in alleviating the soreness from those rugged workouts. When your attempting to grow and build muscle, the muscles don't grow in the gym, they grow when you are asleep. Cherries contain melatonin which relaxes the body, resulting in better sleep each night. Studies have also shown that cherries improve brain function, memory, and oh yeah, they increase the libido, so maybe you should add them to your grocery list.

Like I stated previously, healthy eating habits should be synonymous with fitness. If I could eat meat and potatoes everyday I would, but for optimum health you have to seek out other means, like organic foods to keep the body running efficiently. Wheat grass is an organic food with major health and fitness benefits, but I'm not even going to try to lie to you, it doesn't taste very good. At least not to me. While steak and potatoes are very good for muscle gains, the fats and toxins contained in them, coupled with the amino acids, muscle fiber damage and the process it takes to repair is hard on the body. Wheat grass has the ability to release enzymes into the body, enhancing the digestion process which is often hampered by the protein heavy fitness diet. It's oxygen content and anti-inflammatory properties will raise your energy levels allowing you to train longer and more intense. Studies on wheat grass have also displayed the ability to slow down the aging process, restores alkalinity to the blood (meaning it helps keep blood pH to an acceptable level), and increases weight loss.This isn't like the fruit that can be eaten alone, at least not for my taste buds, I usually mix them into a protein shake or throw it in with a salad. Any way you want to look at it, you should be eating some wheat grass.

Being healthy and fit isn't always about having the biggest muscles. The body is very complex and requires a lot more than just a proper ratio of macro nutrients. For optimum health and fitness, these 6 items are a must on everyone's grocery list.