So Good For You - Peppers

Bell peppers are members of the Nightshade family of vegetables along with potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants. Like chili peppers, bell peppers originated in South America where seeds of a wild variety are believed to date back to 5,000 B.C. The various colored Bell Peppers all come from the same plant, but differ in their level of maturity:

Green Bell Peppers

Green bell peppers are harvested before they are fully ripe, one reason they are less expensive than other varieties. Green bell peppers will continue to first turn yellow and then red if they are left on the plant to mature. They have a slightly bitter flavor and will never have the sweet taste of their red, yellow and orange counterparts.

ORANGE AND YELLOW PEPPERS

More mature than green bell peppers, yellow and orange peppers have a fruity taste but are not as commonly found in local markets as green and red bell peppers.

RED PEPPERS
These are more mature than green, orange or yellow bell peppers. They are rich in carotenoid phytonutrients and contain almost eleven times more beta-carotene than green bell peppers as well as one and a half times more vitamin C. Red Bell Peppers have a sweet, almost fruity taste. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.

There are also other varieties that have a more tapered shape and do not have the lobes characteristic of the green, orange yellow and red varieties.

COMPARISON BETWEEN 

GREEN, RED AND YELLOW BELL PEPPERS

Nutrient	Green	Red	Yellow
Vitamin A	12% DV	105% DV	3.6% DV
Vitamin C	137% DV	292% DV	282% DV
Beta Carotene	340 mcg	841 mcg	110 mcg

* Most other vitamins and minerals are comparable for the two varieties. All quantities and % daily values (DV) are based on one cup (92g) of raw bell peppers. A one cup measurement for other varieties is not currently available on the USDA database. No daily values for beta-carotene are currently available.

WILLPOWER

Telling yourself that you do not possess enough self-control to achieve a goal can be a self-fulfilling prophecy that may be holding you back from reaching your potential. Set challenges for yourself and practice your willpower skills like paying attention, mindfulness, and staying on task. The same goes for getting fit, with physical discomfort, we think, my body is telling me to stop because this is too hard, and actually, it's exactly the opposite. The only way to change those [inner] experiences is to go through them with a sense of commitment to your goal. Exercising on that treadmill or staying on that bike in spin class does get easier each time you do it. But it only gets easier when you're willing to tolerate that initial discomfort. With temptations everywhere it's hard to constantly say no and leave it all up to willpower. 

If you're ready to make your healthy lifestyle a priority, you've got to start with a strong foundation. Indulgences are necessary from time to time, but staying committed to a routine will help habits stick for long-term success. It may be a little bit of a struggle at first, but once you get into the groove, you'll wonder how you lived any other way. Feeling guilty about giving into the impulsive part of your personality or criticizing yourself after making a mistake is not going to help you attain your goals. Instead, celebrating your amazing strengths, like all that you are capable of handling, will help get you feel successful. The ability to say no to something is the hardest form of self-control. Turning your focus toward the positive by saying yes to what you most want to achieve gives you the power to keep moving towards your goal even when you are exhausted.

A great place to start when you're strengthening your willpower muscles is to first, set clear and meaningful goals and create a plan to achieve those goals. Start with the smaller goals to build your confidence and then move on to the bigger goals. Staying organized is the best way to be successful. Make a definite schedule for your workouts, free time and work time and stick to it every day. It's easy to miss workouts when fun plans pop up or you get busy at work. Having your schedule planned for the week will help you stay motivated and excited to exercise while knowing when you can spend time with friends and get your work done. Planning ahead will help you to make healthy choices naturally.