The term salad evolved from the Latin word sal, which means salt, an important ingredient in salad dressing. Bringing out the natural flavor of fresh ingredients is the secret to creating salads, and salt is a historically vital aspect in flavor enhancement. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians not only adored salads and salted salad dressings; they consumed the most coveted of all salad ingredients, lettuce. While you may think of raw salads and fancy dressings as modern ideas, ancient cultures reveal that humans have long appreciated the value and versatility of fresh produce.(Salads by Aysha Schurman)Why is it important to eat fruit?Eating fruit provides health benefits people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.Nutrients

Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. None have cholesterol.

Fruits are sources of many essential nutrients that are underconsumed, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid).

Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Fruit sources of potassium include bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and orange juice.

Dietary fiber from fruits, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole or cut-up fruits are sources of dietary fiber; fruit juices contain little or no fiber.

Vitamin C is important for growth and repair of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development. Health benefits

Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall

healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.

Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.

Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Eating vegetables and fruits rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss.

Eating foods such as fruits that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.

Eating raw fruits and vegetables will keep you feeling better, look more fit, become healthier and live longer. Listed below are twenty health benefits of eating salad. Hopefully this will encourage you to add salads as a staple to your diet.Salads Are DeliciousFresh fruit and vegetables are delicious, so mixing them in an array of different combinations to create a salad ensures exciting meals. Salads are delicious and knowing that they are also good for you, adds to the delicious factor.Salads Are Visually SatisfyingFirst, you eat food with your eyes. Salads have varied textures, shapes, sizes and colors which make them visually appealing and satisfying. We enjoy foods that are entice our eyes and also eat more of them.Eat A Different SaladA salad does not have to be just lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. There are thousands of ingredient combinations possible for making a salad. You could have a different salad every day for years! Not only are the ingredients in the salad numberless, but there are also many salad dressing combinations that can spice up a salad.Eat Salads To Decrease CaloriesAs long as you dont add a bunch of fried ingredients that swim in dressing, salads are low in calories and can help you lose weight. Adding fruit and good fats such as olive oil, nuts and avocados to a salad enable the body to absorb lycopene (in tomatoes), lutein (in dark green vegetables), iron (in spinach) and other nutrients.Salads Add FiberEating healthy foods aid in helping the body feel energetic and filled with vitality. Salads add fiber to the diet which reduces cholesterol and constipation. High fiber salads eaten before a meal tend to help you consume less of the higher calorie foods served afterward. This fiber fullness side effect will help you lose weight.Crunch And MunchEating a variety of textures keeps mealtime interesting. Salad ingredients can add a nice crunch which is much better for you than munching on cookies or potato chips.Eat Salads To Stop The CravingIf you have a sweet-tooth that craves sugar and candy, add fruit or a fruity dressing to the salad. Not only will this satisfy your craving, but it tastes refreshing and will re-energize you.Salads Are FastCompared to making homemade lasagne or waiting for Chinese food to be delivered, making a salad is relatively quick. The basic salad only requires that you wash and cut the vegetables. No baking is required. After buying vegetables, washing and storing them in the refrigerator decreases the time it will take you later to prepare a salad.Salads Are HealthySalads are high in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin A (immunity), vitamin C (fight infection, boost iron absorption, maintain healthy bones, gums and skin), vitamin K (strong bones, heal wounds, assists blood to clot), calcium (build strong teeth and bones, assists blood to clot, nerves to carry messages, muscles contract), alpha- and beta-carotene (antioxidant that help protect against cancer and heart disease), iron (maintain healthy blood) and many other vitamins and minerals.Eat Salads Because It Is Hot OutsideStifling heat in the summer not only curbs the appetite, but also lessens the desire to slave over a hot stove. That makes eating a salad the perfect meal when it is so hot in the summer months. Since there is no cooking required to make a salad, you wont have to worry about adding extra heat from an oven.Eat Salads To Increase Vegetable IntakeThe perfect way to increase the number of vegetables in your diet is to eat a variety of salads often. Eating plenty of raw vegetables ensures that you are getting the benefit of the enzymes found in them. These enzymes enable your body to absorb the nutrients found in the food. More nutrient absorption leads to better health.Everyone Can Make A SaladYou simply cant go wrong when adding basic salad ingredients, so it isnt necessary to be a chef or even know how to cook in order to make a delicious salad. Children can easily assist in preparing salads. It is also the perfect meal to motivate children towards eating a variety of vegetables since they are more apt to eat what they help prepare.Salads UnlimitedThere is no end to the number of recipes for salads and dressings. The only limiting factor is your imagination. Start with fresh greens like arugula, spinach and Romaine, then add a variety of colorful vegetables.Salads TravelSalads can be packed easily and travel well because they wont leak all over. They are compact and great for lunch or a snack. It also doesnt matter if the salad gets tossed around.Be The FarmerIt is possible to grow most, if not all, the vegetables in a salad. Not only is it convenient to pick the amount of vegetables needed for a salad from your own garden, but you will know exactly how everything was grown. As an added bonus, you will feel a sense of pride at being able to provide for yourself.Salads Clean The RefrigeratorSince there are so many ways to make a salad, every couple of days it is easy to clean out the refrigerator of everything that might go bad soon. Not only is it frugal, but will add variety to the salad diet and help keep it balanced.Salad Diversity Makes Everyone HappyThere are numberless types of salads which means that everyone can have a different salad at the same table by simply adjusting the ingredients
according to their likes and dislikes. Mealtime should be a pleasant experience and encouraging salad individuality will also cause children to want to try new things. You know how it goes I want what he has in his bowl!Salads DigestDo you hate that super full feeling and the bloating that happens after eating a fatty meal? Well, salads do not cause bloating and that is akin to winning the golden ticket in Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Salads help to fill you up, but they do not feel heavy nor do they make you feel lethargic.Salads Ward Off DiseaseSalads help protect the body from diseases such as cancer and heart disease because they are high in fiber which improves digestive health. The raw fruits and vegetables in a salad also are antioxidants. Just add a hand full of blueberries and walnuts to a salad to up the health factor significantly. Research has also shown that people who consume plenty of raw vegetables and good fat (olive oil) have a reduced mortality! Salads will help you live longer!Salads Are ExcitingSalads are so varied, that they are exciting. Really! Think about it! You never know what you will find under the next leafy green.Obviously, I love making and eating salads. Hopefully after reading the twenty health benefits of eating salad, you will feel more inclined to add salad as a regular item on your daily menu. Excuse me for a little bit. Ive got to leaf you, so that I can get dressed and eat my salad.

Fruit Salad NutrientsEating fresh fruit salads regularly, as part of a well-balanced diet, can help lower your risk of chronic diseases. The USDA reports that the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in fresh fruits can cut the risk of cancer, obesity, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stones, bone loss and cardiovascular conditions like heart attack and stroke. In a 1-cup bowl of fruit salad made from 1/4 cup of bananas, 1/4 cup of cantaloupe, 1/4 cup of blueberries and 1/4 cup of apples, you'll get about 1 gram of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 300 milligrams of potassium, 30 milligrams of vitamin C and 70 micrograms of vitamin A.One of the many benefits of eating fruit is the fiber it contains. Eating foods that contain fiber is one way to reduce the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, the ChooseMyPlate.gov website reports. Fiber also promotes normal digestion, so you're less likely to get constipated when you eat plenty of fruit.

Why fruits?Fruits are natures wonderful gift to the mankind; indeed, they are life-enhancing medicines packed with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and many phyto-nutrients (Plant derived micronutrients). They are an absolute feast to our sight, not just because of their color and flavor but for their unique nutrition-profile that help human body free from diseases and keep it healthy!

Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of simple sugars, fiber, and vitamins, which are essential for optimizing our health.

Fruits provide plenty of soluble dietary fiber, which helps to ward off cholesterol and fats from the body and to help in smooth bowel movements as well as relief from constipation ailments.

Fruits compose of many anti-oxidants such as poly-phenolic flavonoids, vitamin-C, and anthocyanins. These compounds, firstly, help human body protected from oxidant stress, diseases, and cancers, and secondly; help the body develop capacity to fight against these ailments by boosting our immunity level. Many fruits, when compared to vegetables and cereals, have very high anti-oxidant values, which is measured in terms of their "Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity" or (ORAC).

Anthocyanins are flavonoid category of poly-phenolic compounds found in some "blue-fruits" like blue-black grapes, mulberries, acai berry, chokeberry, blueberries, blackberries, and in many vegetables featuring blue or deep purple pigments. Consumption of fruits rich in blue pigments offers many health benefits. These compounds have potent anti-oxidant properties that help remove free radicals from the body, and thus offer protection against cancers, aging, infections, etc. Majority of these pigments in the fruits tend to concentrate just underneath their skin.

Fruits health benefiting properties are because of their richness in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, pigment anti-oxidants. Altogether, these compoundshelp the body prevent or at least prolong the natural changes of aging by protecting from damage and rejuvenating cells, tissues, and organs. Their overall benefits are manifold! Fruit nutrition benefits are emormous! Including fruits in daily diet, you are protecting yourself from minor ailments like wrinkling of skin, hair-fall, and memory loss to major ailments like age-related macular degeneration (AMRD) of the retina in the eyes, Alzheimers disease, colon cancers, weak bones (osteoporosis)etc., and the list of fruit nutrition benefits simply never ends!

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/fruit-nutrition.html5 Skin Benefits of Eating Salad

1. Salad can increase your hydration level.Most veggies are majority water, so when you eat them you naturally hydrate your body. Despite the fact that we know we're supposed to drink a lot of water many people still don't get enough, making consumption of moisture-rich foods a way to add hydration to your system. When your body is dehydrated so is your skin. Dehydrated skin can have an increase in roughness, sensitivity, flaking, and fine lines or even cracking. Both for appearances and comfort and dealing with summer's warm temperatures hydration is required, making fruits and veggies a great way to send your skin the liquid it longs for to perform and look its best.

2. Raw foods in salads mean no loss of vitamins and minerals due to cooking.When you're eating uncooked foods you're giving your body a shot at the maximum vitamins and nutrients available in many foods. It's a rare food that remains unchanged by cooking - only certain very stable nutrients don't degrade or migrate out of foods when they're heated. The actual percentage of raw foods you should consume remains something many experts debate. Overall though it's safe to say that eating some is one of the best ways to make sure every bite is adding a lot of nutrients to your system. Raw foods also contain live enzymes that can assist with digestion, something cooked foods don't boast since enzymes are destroyed by heat.

3. Fiber in vegetables and fruits used for salads cleans the intestines and colon, making nutrient absorption more efficient.If your intestines are gummed up with gooey, fiber-free, processed foods they aren't going to be properly absorbing nutrition. Almost every ingredient in a salad contributes fiber that sweeps through the digestive system, carrying leftover gunk with it and leaving intestinal and colon walls free to absorb all the virtuous vitamins you're eating every day. What good is a nutrient if it never really gets into you? Not much.
We're all supposed to get approximately 25 grams of fiber in our diets per day. Sadly most Americans fall far, far short. There is a fiber supplement commercial that drives me nuts - they show a woman desperately eating an apple and a bran muffin while trying to exercise and work. Honestly, it's not that hard to get your fiber when you actually eat fruits and vegetables. Are we that far gone that we truly think eating an apple is a grueling effort? Apples are awesome!
2 cups of lettuce equals .9 to 2 grams of fiber depending on the variety with delicate green leaf lettuce ranking lower and the stiff, crunchy Romaine ranking at the 2 gram mark. Personally when I make a salad for a meal I use at least 4 cups of greens. If you're making a slaw or salad mixed with cabbage you're adding even more fiber. 2 cups of shredded cabbage adds up to 3.6 grams of fiber.
Other salad additions like carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, and green peas can really bulk up your fiber intake and also make your salads more interesting. For a helpful list of fiber in common portion sizes of different vegetables, fruits, and grains check out this PDF.

4. Use of quality oils in salad dressings can improve absorption of nutrients and provide moisturizing, anti-inflammatory omega fatty acids that benefit skin.This point requires some specificity. Dressings acquired from most average grocery stores are not going to qualify for this healthy advantage. That's because they are made with refined canola and soy oils that may be partly rancid, contain pesticide residue, and have no vitamins of their own. Mass market dressings also commonly contain artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, and other ickies. Either make a visit to your local health food store or order up some individual ingredients and make your own unique and healthful dressing instead.
Salad offers the opportunity for culinary use of oils not generally suited for cooking like hemp seed oil, walnut oil, and pumpkin seed oil. The oils most packed with polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega fatty acids) are the ones you can't heat because heat makes them oxidize, so cold applications are the best way to get their anti-inflammatory health benefits and delicious flavor. Organic sunflower and olive oils are fine general purpose choices as well if you don't have specialty oils on hand.
Oils will increase your absorption of beta-Carotene and Vitamin K which are fat soluble. As much as I enjoy a good smoothie unless folks are remembering to mix in a healthy oil they may not absorb the fat soluble vitamins as well. This is where salad shines, since dressings usually always use some oil. A bit of healthy oil can also improve your feeling of satisfaction and how long your energy from the meal will last, since fats take a while to break down into caloric energy. The veggies will digest first and the fat will fuel you later.
Omega fatty acid rich oils provide balancing, anti-inflammatory effects for skin with positive results for dry skin and acne specifically. Ironically consuming more Omega 3 fatty acids in healthy oils can make you break out less.5. Nutrients in salad help synthesize collagen, provide natural sun protective effects, protect against wrinkling and sagging of skin, can improve dark under eye circles, and make skin smoother.Let's talk about some of the individual nutrients you get when eating exciting and varied salads. There's a lot, and their benefits are well substantiated by peer reviewed science!

Benefits of Eating FruitsFruit is one of the most healthy and natural foods in existence. There are thousands of different types of fruit available to eat, all of which provide us with strong health benefits. Fruit contains a large number of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and plant phytochemicals that help benefit health. It has also been shown that eating the whole fruit or juice is best to gain the benefits rather than taking supplements to provide each nutrient separately.It has been recommended that we should be eating at least 5 pieces of fruit every day in order to gain the full health benefits of eating fruit.Potential health benefits of eating fruitpotential for weight control

more energy for exercising

reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases

reduced risk of developing cancers

lower blood pressure

potential to lower cholesterol

reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes

potential to slow down age process

Fruit can also benefit many people wanting to lose weight. Energy consumption is thought to be mainly influenced by the palatability, fiber content, density of energy and the variety of foods. Eating fruit has the benefit of affecting some these factors. Fruit is also low in sodium so they help reduce the chance of gaining water weight. Providing you are eating about one-third of the diet as fruits & vegetables, you should notice rapid weight loss because the ample fruit consumption helps fill the stomach faster encouraging less high calorie foods to be consumed. The total calorie consumption will automatically reduce even if we are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables. There is such a variety of fruits available that many can be freely eaten without consuming too many calories thereby controlling weight more effectively.http://www.weightlossforall.com/benefits-fruit-losing-weight.htm

Dr. David Ludwig, the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Childrens Hospital, said that sugar consumed in fruit is not linked to any adverse health effects, no matter how much you eat. In a recent perspective piece in The Journal of the American Medical Association, he cited observational studies that showed that increased fruit consumption is tied to lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity-associated diseases.

Whole fruits, he explained, contain a bounty of antioxidants and healthful nutrients, and their cellular scaffolding, made of fiber, makes us feel full and provides other metabolic benefits. When you bite into an apple, for example, the fruits fiber helps slow your absorption of fructose, the main sugar in most fruits. But fiber is not the full story.

Another nutrition expert, Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, who has called sugar toxic at high doses and fructose the most actionable problem in our diet, is still a fan of fruit. As far as Im concerned, fiber is the reason to eat fruit, since it promotes satiety and the slow release of sugar. He adds a third benefit from fiber: it changes our intestinal flora, or microbiome, by helping different species of healthy bacteria thrive.

Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, said that to maximize the benefit, you actually want a variety of fruits. He advises eating the rainbow, since different colors signal different types of antioxidants and nutrients.

The New York Times (Making the Case for Eating FruitBy Sophie Egan)Jully 31, 2013

Health Benefits of Fruit Fruit has been recognized as a good source of vitamins and minerals, and for their role in preventing vitamin C and vitamin A deficiencies. People who eat fruit as part of an overall healthy diet generally have a reduced risk of chronic diseases.USDA's MyPlate encourages making half your plate fruits and vegetables for healthy eating.Fruit are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, vitamin C and folate (folic acid). Try incorporating blueberries, citrus fruit,cranberries orstrawberries for added benefits. Eating Fruit Provides Health BenefitsThe nutrients in fruit are vital for health and maintenance of your body. The potassium in fruit can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Potassium may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss as you age.Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy need adequate folate. Folate helps prevent neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida.More Health Benefits of Fruit:Eating a diet rich in fruit may reduce risk for stroke, other cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes.

A fruit containing eating pattern ispart of an overall healthy diet and may protect against certain cancers.

Fruit helps maintain optimum health due to the health promoting phytochemicals it contains many of which are still being identified.

One to 2-1/2 cups of fruit are recommended each day, depending on how many calories you need.

http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/All-Star-Foods/Fruits.aspx