Fit & Happier

We’re in the thick of it now – the summer harvest. Here’s what’s in-season this month. To learn how each listed nutrient boosts health, see the summary following this post.

CUCUMBERS

These members of the squash family are more than just for pickling. Their flesh sports vitamins B-5 and K, potassium and plenty of carotenes. Eat them with the peels to add fiber, silica, molybdenum and more potassium to their offering. Cukes also have high water content which, when coupled with the potassium they contain, makes them great helpers in blood pressure control.

NECTARINES

It’s a common misconception nectarines are hybrids of peaches. While nectarines are related to peaches and, visually, are identical to peaches in every way, save for the lack of skin fuzz, they’re actually a separate fruit in their own right. They pack vitamins A, B-3, C and E and minerals copper, phosphorus and potassium. Like most yellow-orange produce, nectarines offer lots of carotenes.

PLUMS

Plums’ dried variety (aka prunes) are plentiful year round and well-known for intestinal health due to their high fiber content. But, it’s a nice treat to have the fresh version available, if only for a short time. In addition to the aforementioned fiber offering, plums provide vitamins A, C and K; copper, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin.

RASPBERRIES/BLACKBERRIES

Like most berries, black and raspberries are phytochemical powerhouses. They’re packed with flavonoids, including anthocyanin, ellagic acid, quercetin and catechins, among others. Add to this list plenty of fiber, vitamins C, E and K and minerals copper, iron and manganese. Blackberries offer bonus nutrients in the form of zinc and vitamin A.

TOMATOES

These red, and sometimes green, gems provide vitamins A, B-6, C and K; minerals manganese and potassium; phytochemicals lycopene and zeaxanthin. The lycopene in tomatoes is one of those rare instances in which the nutrient is more concentrated when cooked as opposed to when raw. But, we have plenty of opportunities to get cooked tomatoes no matter the month. Fresh, raw tomatoes are such a gift in-season, they shouldn’t be ignored.

WATERMELON

As the name suggests, this melon is chock full of refreshing water, perfect for the dog days of summer. They also have copper and vitamins A and C. Watermelon offers carotenes and flavonoids, including more lycopene than is found in raw tomatoes. Interestingly, lycopene fortifies the skin against UV rays and, as such, is believed to provide skin cancer protection. And two of the fruits most ubiquitous in summer (tomatoes and watermelon) contain lots of it. Coincidence? I think not!

YELLOW SQUASH

While its green counterpart, zucchini, arrives early on, yellow squash harvests throughout the heart of summer. Hence its alternative name, summer squash. Some also call it by its shape descriptive name, crooked-neck squash. Whatever your preferred name, this squash contains fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, iron and carotenes. But it’s especially high in the B-vitamin complex, vitamin B-6 in particular.

Vitamins

Vitamin A: Antioxidant promotes immunity function and eye, skin & red blood cell health (fat-soluble)

Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin): Promotes brain function, regulates energy levels

Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin): Aids energy production

Vitamin B-3 (Niacin): Promotes blood health, regulates cholesterol

Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid): Promotes healthy hormone response

Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine): Promotes healthy blood vessels

Vitamin B-9 (Folate): Necessary for healthy blood cells & fetal development

Vitamin C: Antioxidant that boosts immunity

Vitamin E: Antioxidant promotes healthy skin & eyes and boosts immunity (fat soluble)

Vitamin K: Important in protein absorption for healthy blood and bones (fat-soluble)

Minerals

Copper: Antioxidant promotes healthy blood and eye, brain, skin and bone tissue

Iron: Antioxidant necessary for blood health

Manganese: Antioxidant important in bone health and blood sugar regulation

Molybdenum: For healthy enzyme function

Phosphorus: Promotes healthy bones, digestion and hormone regulation

Potassium: An electrolyte that assists in controlling blood pressure

Silica: For healthy connective tissue throughout the body

Zinc: Antioxidant needed for healing and healthy skin

Other Nutrients & Nutrient Types

Antioxidants: Class of nutrients that reduce inflammation and repair cell damage by absorbing free radicals throughout the body. Free radicals are released (oxidized) when cells are damaged due to poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, inhaling or ingesting pollutants and toxins, sun damage, the aging process and infections from viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Electrolytes: Ions (electrically charged molecules) that exist in all bodily fluids; necessary to maintain cell balance

Fat-Soluble Vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E & K need to be consumed with dietary fats in order to be absorbed by the body. Once absorbed, they’re metabolized slowly and, therefore, last longer in body’s systems. All other vitamins are water-soluble, readily absorbed and metabolized quickly and, therefore, need to be replenished daily.

Fiber: Technically not a nutrient but essential for digestive health & an aid in weight control

Phytochemicals/Phytonutrients: Powerful antioxidants found in small amounts in most plant-based foods. Over 25,000 individual phytonutrients have been identified thus far and many are sub-divided into categories such as phytoestrogens, carotenes and polyphenolics. The largest category of phytochemicals are known as flavonoids:

Anthocyanin: anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial
Carotene (Alpha & Beta): convert to vitamin A; anti-aging & eye health
Catechins: flavonoid showing anti-cancer promise
Cryptoxanthin: anti-inflammatory carotene
Ellagic Acid: non-human studies show promise of anti-cancer properties
Epicatechin: flavonoid may lessen risk for heart disease, diabetes & cancer
Lutein: carotene for eye health
Lycopene: anti-UV ray properties, prostate health
Quercitin: heart & respiratory anti-inflammatory flavonoid
Zeaxanthin: carotene for eye health

Sources: visualnews.com, wisebread.com, nutrition-and-you.com, Harvard.edu, WebMD

Here’s what’s in season and what these ten nutrition dynamos have to offer:

The first five fall into one of two categories, berries and stone fruits.

Berries: All berries are nutrition heavy weights, packing plenty of satiating digestive aids (fiber) and disease-fighting cell boosters (antioxidants) in small, low-calorie packages. Strawberries are sunsetting at the moment, but two others are in season right now:

Blueberries: Their beautiful, bright hues give clues to the nutrition contained within. In addition to fiber and antioxidants (vitamin C), blueberries help with protein absorption (vitamin K) and healthy bones (manganese).
Raspberries: Raspberries contain a triple punch of antioxidants offering vitamins A, C and E. Like blueberries, they pack plenty of fiber and manganese. They also contain copper which aids iron in promoting healthy blood.

Stone Fruits: Pitted fruits like cherries and nectarines are considered stone fruits. They’re naturally sweet, juicy and so delicious. Consume with their peels to take advantage of their fiber content. They also pack the antioxidants vitamins A and C. They have a short harvest season and are difficult to find out of season, so get them while you can and consume in abundance. Once the season is over, you’ll have to wait another year to indulge again. Cherries are ending their harvest but these are prime for eating now:

Apricots: This delicate stone fruit also contains potassium, an electrolyte known to help regulate blood pressure, and copper.
Peaches: These juicy gems are nutrition powerhouses. In addition to the fiber and vitamins A and C contained in other stone fruits, peaches have a third antioxidant, vitamin E, as well as vitamin K, copper and manganese. They promote bone health (calcium), blood health (iron), skin health and healing (zinc). As if that weren’t enough, peaches also contain phosphorous and magnesium which both provide benefits to numerous systems in the body, including blood pressure regulation, enzyme function, hormone balance, cell repair, and nerve, blood and bone health.
Plums: Sweet-tart plums contain fiber, potassium, iron and vitamins A and C.

The final five don’t fall into any common category, other than they’re all available fresh and delicious in July:

Corn: Sweet corn on the cob is a summertime favorite for the young and old alike. Corn is a food hybrid in that it fulfills the definition of both a vegetable and a grain. Indeed, ground corn is a healthy whole grain and eating whole kernels, whether off the cob or popped, packs a terrific amount of fiber for digestive health. Corn contains B vitamins common in other grains, such as thiamin (B-1), which aids the body in utilizing carbohydrates for energy, and folate (B-9), which promotes blood health and is essential for fetal development. Yet corn has other nutrients in common with its veggie cousins, such as antioxidants like vitamin C.
Cucumbers: The flesh of cukes are mostly water but do contain antioxidants (vitamins A and C) and folate. But the skin is where it’s at for cucumbers. Eat these vine veggies with the skin on and you’ll score fiber, potassium and magnesium. Cuke skins also contain silica, needed in connective tissue throughout the body, and molybdenum, which promotes enzyme function.
Summer Squash: Comma-shaped, yellow squash contain many of the nutrients common in berries and stone fruits, such as fiber, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamins A and C. But they also offer the B vitamins riboflavin (B-2), folate (B-9) and B-6. Riboflavin and vitamin B-6 help to boost energy levels.
Tomatoes: There’s nothing quite like a tomato eaten fresh off the vine. Take advantage of it while you can and benefit from the folate and antioxidants (vitamins A and C) they contain. Tomatoes also contain lycopene, believed to be a cancer-fighting antioxidant. What’s notable about lycopene in tomatoes is it becomes more concentrated when the tomatoes are cooked. A rare instance in which a nutrient is more prevalent in a food when cooked as compared to raw. My advice – enjoy them raw in season, a short-lived treat, and consume them cooked the rest of the year.
Watermelon: Like corn on the cob, watermelon is synonymous with summer. Fitting, given how much cooling, refreshing water they contain. But there’s more to this ruby-colored melon than water. Watermelon packs fiber, lycopene and vitamins A, B-6 and C.

An important reminder that several vitamins and nutrients, like lycopene and vitamins A, D, E and K, are fat-soluble. Which means they need the presence of dietary fat in order to be absorbed by the body. So try to consume these awesome summer fruits and veggies as part of a meal or snack that contains healthy fats. Examples are nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut, avocado, beans, dairy (not fat-free), whole eggs, fish and unprocessed meats.

Click here to see my recipes utilizing most of the summer produce highlighted in this post. Happy summer!

Sources: share.com, fitday.com, livescience.com, healthcastle.com, whfoods.com, wisebread.com

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