In summer it is much easier and more pleasant to slim down than in winter, when you just want to "warm up" with rich borscht and a sandwich with bacon. In addition, take a look at the market counters - all of them are full of various vegetables, fruits and berries - our first allies in the struggle for harmony and youth! But they have so many useful properties.
You need to eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day - any nutritionist will tell you. Berries, on the other hand, are one of the varieties of fruits, so in the summer, in season, they should be included in your diet every day, and there are 5 good reasons for this:
Cellulose
Berries are rich not only in minerals and vitamins, but also in fiber. In the summer, we eat porridge less often - hot weather does not contribute to this at all - so actively lean on raspberries, strawberries, currants! Better yet, make a refreshing breakfast smoothie with oatmeal and your favorite berry.
But jelly and fruit drinks are useless in this case: when preparing them, we try to filter out all the small seeds and grains that will get stuck between the teeth, and in fact they contain all the dietary fiber! You can argue and say that there is very little fiber - 2-3 g per serving, just think! But in other vegetables and fruits it is not more, and often less (as is the case with bananas), so do not miss the opportunity to enjoy a berry from a bush: it is definitely tastier than, say, eating bran.
Flavonoids
Yes, these are the very flavonoids that are the most powerful antioxidant found in red wine. Record holders for flavonoid content: blueberries and cranberries - they "bypassed" even tea! Moreover, berries of different colors contain different antioxidants responsible for different functions, so I advise you to collect a whole berry palette on the table!
Pectin
Did you know that raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and red currants are the champions in pectin, which helps lower bad cholesterol? You need to eat 5 g of this useful substance per day, which is about three hundred grams of gooseberries. An excellent and healthy snack!
Phytosterols
Of course, there is not very much phytosterol in berries, and you will only get it if you eat berries with seeds. But the daily intake of a substance is only a gram! Imagine - just a glass of berries daily in the summer - and your cholesterol is always normal! And what are the savings on medicines …
Fructose
Nutritional scientists have mixed opinions about fructose. Some are ready to accuse her of widespread obesity, while others, on the contrary, consider it an ideal sweetener. But this only applies to powdered sweeteners, and the fructose contained in berries is completely safe! Of course, they also contain simple sugars, but do you remember the high content of fiber and pectin? They naturally lower the glycemic index of the product, so you shouldn't deny yourself a glass of raspberries!
A little about heat treatment
You, of course, know that heat treatment often destroys all the useful substances of the product. But this does not happen with a berry! Moreover, the concentration of, for example, pectin becomes higher! So with a clear conscience prepare jam for the winter, the main thing is to know the measure of sugar. Then you will always delight those around you with your wonderful figure.
