As June is National Fruit and Vegetable Month, what better time to sing the praises of these antioxidant-bearing goodies?

Daily Dangers

Every day, oxidants, or toxins, enter peoples' bodies. Ways this happens includes eating fatty foods, smoking, and drinking alcohol. But they also arrive via less controllable avenues such as second-hand smoke, car exhaust, aerosols and other poisonous elements in your environment. So you cannot fully control what enters your body. And over time, oxidants can build up and cause cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments.

Veggies & Fruits Fight for You

Fortunately, you can prevent and control illness by neutralizing oxidants with (duh) antioxidants, which fruits and vegetables are packed with. By creating a regime of regular anti-oxidant intake, you help your body fight off ailments such as cancer and heart disease and preserve your eye sight, memory and motor skills.

A Rainbow Diet 

More good news: eating healthy is easy. By adding color to your plate, you increase the antioxidants your body takes in and help it stave off future health risks. Keep the following food colors in mind to help maintain a healthy diet:

• Red: Tomatoes, strawberries and other red fruits and veggies can reduce the risk of heart disease and several types of cancer.
  
• Orange: Carrots and sweet potatoes help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of stroke and prevent heart disease.
  
• Yellow: To protect your eyes against macular degeneration, eat corn and bananas.
  
• Green: Dark, leafy greens like spinach and broccoli help prevent cancer.
  
• Blue: Blueberries protects memory and motor function as you age, fights cancers and prevents heart disease.
  
• Purple: Concord grapes and grape juice help reduce the risk of heart disease.

 Superhero Supplements

These foods are rich with key vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy longer. Don’t forget to dig into these during the day!

• Lutein for healthy eyes: spinach, brussel sprouts, corn
  
• Calcium for good bones: oranges, kale, spinach
  
• Vitamin C for overall health: oranges, potatoes, kiwi,
  sweet peppers, broccoli
  
• Vitamin E for skin/body: avocado, nuts, peanut butter, kiwi, mango