Daily Tip #8 Power of Colorful Berries and Veggies
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[00:00:00] Welcome to Functional Medicine with Dr. Var. This podcast is to help you explore the underlying root causes of your chronic symptoms and health challenges. Reset your health and reclaim your life.
VARSHA: You might be missing out on one of the most simplest and powerful ways to boost your brain and body. That is to eat blue, black, or purple foods.
These deeply beautiful pigmented foods aren't just pretty on your plate, but they're loaded with compounds called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins belong to a group of plant compounds called polyphenols. Now, polyphenols have been well studied for their ability to support long-term health.
They do a lot for you. They act as antioxidants to help neutralize free radicals. And free radicals are substances that are produced with many chemical processes that occur in the body. And if left unchecked, they [00:01:00] can cause damage to your DNA and tissues.
Polyphenols also help reduce inflammation and even help your body's detox pathways. And on top of that, they serve as prebiotics. Polyphenols are a food source for the good bacteria in your gut to keep your gut microbiome in check. And when you keep your microbiome happy, you keep the rest of your body happy.
They have done several studies on blueberries, that help with memory learning and cognitive performance, especially in older adults.
They're also fantastic for heart health. They help dilate your blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce oxidation of your LDL cholesterol because when your LDL is oxidized, that can be dangerous for developing heart disease. They also help balance your blood sugars by improving insulin sensitivity.
Making it easier for your cells to respond to insulin and keep your blood sugar stable.
Now here's the cool part. Polyphenols are also what give the foods their rich, [00:02:00] vibrant colors. In fact, the darker, the purple blue or black, the more anthocyanins or polyphenols that the food has. So the more beneficial it is for you. So where do you find these foods? Well, you all probably already guessed blueberries, but there are other foods that have it as well,
such as blackberries. Purple cabbage, purple sweet potatoes or purple potatoes, eggplant with the skin on.
There are other foods such as black rice and black beans. that are also rich in these polyphenols.
So today's daily habit challenge is to incorporate a serving of a blue, purple, or black food in your diet somewhere today.
Add some blueberries to your breakfast. You can toss blueberries or black beans into a salad or make a roasted purple sweet potato [00:03:00] with your dinner.
Even one serving can start creating positive changes for your brain, your heart, and your gut.
Boost your brain today and get some of these purple, blue, or black foods to help your brain health and reduce neuroinflammation.
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Thanks for listening or watching, and have a fantastic day and stay tuned tomorrow for another daily tip and habit challenge.
