Health

Health Benefits of Dried Fruit

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2021

Fruit has long been seen as nature’s own candy. It’s tasty, delicious and good for us in so many ways. One issue with fresh fruit, however, is its shelf life. This is where dried fruit comes into play. A collection of organic dried fruit on the shelf can serve a source of daily snacks for much longer than fresh, while still packing great flavour and nutrients.

Dried fruit actually comes with a raft of its own health benefits. Whoever said that making food more convenient and lasting had to take away from the nutritional value?

1. More Nutrients Packed In

In terms of weight, dried fruit boasts as much as 3.5 times the vitamins, minerals and fiber that you get in fresh fruit. The nutrients get a lot more condensed when the fruit is dried. You do sometimes lose out on some select nutrients like vitamin C, the content of which is reduced during the drying process. However, other nutrients such as fiber, and antioxidants like polyphenols are in particular abundance, all of which bring positive benefits to you.

Polyphenol antioxidants can improve your blood flow and your digestion, and in doing so can help to lower the risk you might have of getting certain diseases. The additional fiber that you get can help to fight heart disease and obesity, as well as some types of cancer.

2. Sweet and Tasty with No Added Sugar

Dried fruit is a great way to indulge one’s sweet tooth without overdoing it in the sugar department. Some care is required on the part of the consumer to make sure that what they are purchasing is indeed free from added sugar. Dried fruit retains its own natural sugars for a sweet taste, but some manufacturers do add extra sugar, which negates some of the health benefits. When you get the pure fruit with no added extras, however, the sweet taste is often amplified in dried fruit, making it a more satisfying way to enjoy healthy food.

3. Can Boost the Immune System

There are some claims that certain dried fruits such as dried goji berries can boost one’s immune system thanks to their elevated content of iron, vitamin A, as well as vitamin C. They’re also lower in calories than other fruits, as well as in carbohydrate content. Those select dried fruits that don’t lose as much vitamin C during the drying process make them an easy source of vitamin C, with huge amounts loaded into one fruit packet.

4. Can Promote Weight Loss Through Boosted Metabolism

Some dried fruits out there can work wonders in boosting your metabolism, which in turn can deliver more energy and help the process of weight loss. It’s not to say that simply eating dried fruit makes you lose weight, but it can be a great ally in your dietary arsenal.

Snacking on dried fruits like apricots, dates, and raisins can reduce your cravings for unhealthy snack foods. Taking on vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from dried fruits while satisfying your hunger is much better than taking on the salt, sugar and fat of other snack foods.

5. Great for Skin Health

Another area of your body that loves your intake of dried fruits like mangos, raisins and others is your skin. Many dried fruits contain elevated levels of omega 3 and other fatty nutrients that provide a boost to your skin health. Raisins, for instance, even have resveratrol, which acts as an aging inhibitor on your skin.

Despite some claiming that dried fruit isn’t as healthy as you might think, the consensus among medical experts seems to be that while consumers have to be mindful about added sugar and preservatives, dried fruit on balance is a healthy food and a great source of many beneficial nutrients.

Health

The Subtle Cues in Our Environment that Encourage Healthier Living

Published

2 weeks ago

November 26, 2023

Michelle Langton

The choices we make each day regarding our diet, activity and lifestyle habits ultimately determine our health and wellbeing. Nonetheless, the surroundings we inhabit also actively influence those decisions, whether we realize it or not. Our built environment contains many subtle cues that either promote or impede healthy behaviors. With thoughtful awareness, we can leverage and shape these cues to nudge ourselves toward more positive choices.

Architectural Cues for Active Living

Urban design and infrastructure elements play a major role in our activity levels. Visible, accessible staircases encourage climbing over passive elevator use. Features like centrally located, attractive stairwells bathed in natural light make stairs hard to ignore. Artwork beautifies the ascent while music enlivens acoustics. Placing stairwells near prominent gathering areas also maximizes exposure and use. Conversely, hidden dreary stairwells discourage climbing. Building layouts should make stairways the default for short trips. Thoughtful design embeds activity into daily routines.

Outside, continuous sidewalks and protected bike lanes provide clear cues that active transit is safe and expected. Ample parking signals driving is preferable. Traffic calming measures like speed humps and narrowed lanes imprint mental cautions for vehicles to accommodate bikes and pedestrians. Sidewalk street furniture and plantings buffer walkers from traffic. Crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and refuge islands imprint rights of way. Complete Streets redesign allocates fair space for diverse safe use. Our infrastructure surroundings can literally pave the path for active living.

Office and Home Cues

Subtle factors within buildings also affect activity and diet. Kitchen placement, for instance, affects our choices. Research shows open concept kitchens integrated into living areas encourage more healthful cooking and family meals than closed off kitchens. Islands and open shelving provide visual snack cues that can either prompt cravings or showcase fruits, nuts, and other healthy grabs. Kitchens sited near entries or offices also maximize visibility and food prep use rather than distant basement kitchens.

At offices, centrally located shared spaces like break rooms, cafes and snack nooks encourage communal meals, informal gatherings and refueling walks to retrieve snacks. Providing showers, bike racks and lockers signals active commuting is valued. Standing and treadmill desks prompt movement during sedentary work, while choice architecture guides selections from communal food areas. Simple environmental adjustments nudge better decisions.

Nutritional Cues at Markets and Restaurants

Eateries and markets harbor cues that stimulate cravings along with willpower depletion. Certain lighting, music, and décor stimulate overindulgence. Cues that unconsciously hurry patrons undermine reasoned decisions. Scented air surrounding baked goods stalls awakens salivation and desire. Strategic menu design also sways choices. Listing unhealthy items first or at eye level suppresses willpower. Descriptive names romanticize less healthy options. Menu formatting can also highlight nutritious dishes and portion guidance. Markets use product placement for maximizing impulse grabs. Though subtle, environmental exposures across stores and eateries significantly sway our eating choices.

Cues for Hydration and Rest

Proper hydration and sleep are imperative for our wellbeing but are easily overlooked when immersed in urban settings and schedules. Environmental design can combat these gaps through strategic cues. Plentiful public water fountains provide visual refreshment reminders throughout cities, while placing restrooms near fountains links the hydration notion. Cafes position chilled water dispensers up front for thirst-quenching without calories. Homes and offices forget hydration less with decorative pitchers and glasses on tables. Lighting design is key for sleep cues. Dimming lights in workplaces and warm home lighting provide visual preparation for rest. Cool-toned blue hues stimulate and signal awakening. Our surroundings can cue us to drink and sleep wisely.

Signage and Sensory Cues

Explicit signs offer direct visual cues to healthier behaviors – such as a no smoking sign that prompts at entrances. Staircases could feature plaques tallying burned calories. Cafeterias may display encouragements to take smaller portions or try vegetable sides. Signs foster mindfulness and restraint at choice points. Sensory cues also guide behaviors. Smells eliciting happiness or calm can de-stress environments. Soothing natural sounds and music relax tense settings. Harsh lighting and noise stimulate frenetic energy and impulsiveness. Pleasant sensory experiences invite more mindful, deliberate choices. Uplifting cues infuse healthy messaging into spaces.

Art and Nature Cues for Wellbeing

Artwork carrying uplifting themes or depicting healthy activities, fruits and vegetables, serene nature and joyful gatherings infuses visual positivity into surroundings. Murals and wall graphics remind us what truly matters for wellbeing. Images are digestible in passing, sinking into the subconscious. Vibrant, thriving plants and greenery provide natural visual relief and comfort that lower stress. Decor mimicking natural materials brings warmer textures. Spatial flow mimicking nature’s curves calms minds. Natural light and windows boost mentality and sleep cycle regulation. Thoughtful touches of art and nature foster mental balance, positivity, and healthy choices.

Conclusion

Our everyday surroundings contain many subtle influences on our diet, activity, sleep, and lifestyle, either promoting or hindering health. But heightened awareness of these cues allows us to consciously reshape environments for encouraging wiser choices. Simple changes to architecture, office layouts, signage, lighting, art, and nature contact encourage movement, nutrition, and wellbeing. Our minds absorb ambient cues, so design wisely. When supportive healthy cues surround us, positive habits become a little easier, more inviting, and purposeful. Think about cues you could shift for better living. Small nudges in public spaces and our homes can guide us all toward healthier, more thoughtful lives.