December 5, 2019/
By sweetbrands
- 0
You are always one decision away from a healthier you!
How about adding dried fruit to your snacking regimen?
Here are some reasons you should add dried fruit to your diet ASAP.
1. Digestive Health
Dried fruits are packed full of fiber, which is essential for regulating your digestive tract. In fact, dried fruit contains almost 3 times as much fiber as fresh fruit, so they’re an awesome source of fiber.
Dried fruit also helps balance the good bacteria in your gut, which leads to a healthier system overall.
2. Natural Energy Boost
Dried fruits are full of natural sugars, which provide a much needed burst of natural energy. Dried fruit is also calorie dense, which means that it’s digested slowly. This provides long term energy as well. So, you get the immediate burst of energy that a sugary snack would provide, but without the sugar crash that goes along with the empty calories of other sugary snacks.
Because dried fruits give this natural energy boost they’re the perfect snack for the mid-afternoon slump. Instead of grabbing another cup of coffee, you can reach for a bowl of dried fruit to get you through the end of the workday.
3. Super Antioxidants
We’ve all heard about how good antioxidants are for our bodies, but why are they so important? Antioxidants help combat free radicals in the body.
Free radicals are basically the buildup of nasty stuff in our bodies. They’re what’s left behind when we consume anything toxic to the body like alcohol, cigarette smoke, chemicals, and even certain foods. Buildup of free radicals in the body can lead to all sorts of diseases including cancer.
Antioxidants work with the body to eradicate these free radicals, so they’re kind of a big deal. Consuming foods with lots of antioxidants on a regular basis is super important for disease prevention and overall health.
Dried fruits are high in antioxidants, so adding them to your diet on a regular basis is a great way to get more antioxidants.
4. Lots of Vitamins and Nutrients
One of the main reasons that it’s recommended we get five servings of fruits and veggies each day is because they’re filled with vitamins and nutrients. These vitamins and nutrients are essential for a healthily functioning body.
Dried fruits have gotten a bad rap in the past when it comes to their vitamin and nutrient content. While it’s true that the dehydration process causes dried fruits to lose some of their vitamins and nutrients, most dried fruits still have a very high concentration of the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need. And dehydration processes have improved, so dried fruits now retain more of their vitamins and nutrients.
In some cases, the dehydration process actually concentrates the vitamins and nutrients in dried fruit, making them a better source of these essentials.
Dried fruits are packed full of potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. They’re also great source of Vitamin A and complex B vitamins. Potassium is essential for muscle growth and health as well as central nervous system functioning. Calcium and iron are key for bone growth and health, which is especially important for kids since their bones are still growing.
5. Reduces the Risk of Disease
Another reason it’s important to get enough fruit in your diet is because they help our bodies fight disease. Luckily, dried fruit is just as good as fresh fruit when it comes to disease prevention.
Consumption of dried fruit has been linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Studies also suggest that eating dried fruits can lead to lower blood pressure. Raisins in particular have been linked to both better blood sugar levels and lower blood pressure.
Many dried fruits also contain polyphenol, which can help reduce systemic inflammation. Since inflammation is linked to many different diseases the anti-inflammatory properties of dried fruit contribute to disease prevention.
As previously mentioned, dried fruits also contribute to a healthy digestive system, which is key in preventing all kinds of disease.
