Food

Good Food For Good Health- The top ten healthiest foods

Imagine a choice of foods that were tasty, nutritious and good for your health- i,e. they helped you maintain a healthy body weight, improved your overall mood, and reduced your risk of developing diseases.

The Medical News Today information article provides details on the top ten foods considered to be the most healthy according to surveys and sources they include:

 1. Apples

 2. Almonds

 3. Broccoli

 4. Blueberries

 5. Oily fish

 6. Leafy green vegetables

 7. Sweet potatoes

 8. Wheat germ

 9. Avocados

10.Oatmeal

 

1.Apples
Apples are an excellent source of antioxidants, which combat free radicals. Free radicals are damaging substances generated in the body that cause undesirable changes and are involved in the aging process and some diseases.

Some animal studies have found that an antioxidant found in apples might extend lifespans.

Researchers at the Florida State University said that apples are a "miracle fruit". Researchers  from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, found that consuming fruit with white edible portions, such as pears and apples, can potentially reduce the risk of "stroke" by 52%.

2.Almonds
Almonds are rich in nutrients, including magnesium, vitamin-E, iron, calcium, fiber and riboflavin. It can also help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Almonds have more fiber than any other tree nut.

The fatty acid profile of almonds, which is made up of 91%-94% unsaturated fatty acids, may prtly explain why it helps maintain healthy cholesterol level.

Recent developments on the benefits of almonds from MNT news.  
  • Research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that participants who ate 1.5 ounces of dry roasted, lightly salted almonds everyday experienced reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin-E and "good" fat intake with no increase in body weight.
  • A scientific review, published in Nutrition Review, suggests that nutrient-rich almonds may promote heart health, and may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
  • Eating a handful of nuts a day could help you live longer and lower your risk of death from heart disease and cancer, according to a study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine."

3. Broccoli
Broccoli is rich in fiber, calcium, potassium, folate and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds which reduce risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Broccoli also contains vitamin-C as well as beta-carotene and antioxidant.
A single 100 gram serving of broccoli can provide you with over 150% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin-C, which in large doses can potentially shorten the duration of the common cold.

Another ingredient sulforphane, which exists in broccoli, is also said to have anti-cancer as well as anti-inflammatory qualities. However, over cooking can destroy most of the benefits.
Recent developments on the benefits of broccoli from MNT news.
  • Lightly steamed broccoli contains the powerful anticancer enzyme myposinase. However, if you overcook it the health benefits are undermined.
  • A UK study found that sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as Cabbage and  Brussels sprouts, could help fight osleoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.
4.Blueberries 
Blueberries are rich in fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. phytonutrients are natural chemicals found in plants.
Unlike minerals and vitamins those are also found in plant foods, phytonutrients are not essential for keeping us alive. However, they may help prevent disease and keep the body working properly.
According to a study carried out at Havard Medical School, elderly people who eat plenty of blueberries ( and strawberries) are less likely to suffer from cognitive decline.

Regular blueberry consumption can reduce the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) by 10%, because of the berry's bio-active compounds, anthocyanins-which was reported by the scientists from East Anglia University, England and Havard University, USA, in the American Journal Of Nutrition.
Recent developments on the benefits of blueberries from MNT news.
Blueberries and strawberries may reduce women's risk of heart attack. Women could reduce their risk of heart attack by as much as 33% by eating three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries per week.

Could blueberries help treat Parkinson's disease? Researchers from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada suggest blueberries could help treat Parkinson's disease and other neurodegerative disorders.

5. Oily fish
Some fishes have oil in their tissues and around the gut. Their lean fillets contain upto 30% oil and anchovies specially omega-3, fatty acids. These oils are known to provide benefits for the heart, as well as the nervous system.

 Oily fish are also known to provide benefits for patients with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis.

 Oily fish also contain vitamin A &D.

 Scientists at UCLA's Jonson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that prostate cancer progression was significantly slowed when patients went on a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements.

Recent developments on the benefits of oily fish from MNT news.
 

Eating oily fish could cut your risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 50% according to a study published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.


6. Leafy green vegetables
 Studies have shown that a high intake of dark-leafy vegetables, such as spinach or cabbage may significantly lower a person's risk of developing diabetes type 2.

Spinach, for example, is very rich in antioxidants, especially when uncooked, steamed or very lightly boiled, it is a good source of vitamin A,B,C and K, as well as selenium, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, copper, folic acid , potassium, calcium, manganese, betaine and iron.


7.Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene, complex carbohydrate, vitamin C, vitamin B, as well as carotene (the pink and yellow ones)

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, USA, compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. The sweet potatoes ranked number one, when vitamin A&C, iron, calcium, protein and complex carbohydrates  were considered.

 8.Wheat germ

Wheat germ is the part of wheat that germinates to grow into a plant- the embryo of the seed. Germ, along with bran, is commonly a by-product or the milling; when cereals are refined, the germ and bran are often milled out.

Wheat germ is high in several vital nutrients, such as vitamin E, folic acid (flotate), thiamin, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as fatty alcohols and essential fatty acids.

Wheat germ is also a good source of fiber.

9.Avocados

 Many people avoid avocados because of its high fat content, they believe that avoiding all fats leads to better health and easier- to- control body weight- this is a myth. Approximately 75% of the calories in an avocado come from fat; mostly mono-saturated fat. It also have 35% more potassium than bananas.

Avocados are also very rich in vitamin B, as well as vitamin K and E. Avocados also have a very high fiber content of 25% soluble and 75% insoluble fiber.

 Studies have shown that regular avocado consumption lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Avocado extracts are currently being studies in the laboratory to see whether they might be useful for treating diabetes or hypertension.

Researchers from Ohio State University found that nutrients taken from avocados were able to stop oral cancer cells, and even destroy some of the precancerous cells.

Recent developments on the benefits of avocados from MNT news.

Consuming avocados may be associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake level, lower intake of added sugars, lower body weight, BMI and waist circumferences, according to a study published in Nutrition Journal.


10.Oatmeal

Oatmeal is meal made from rolled or ground oats. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the term "porridge" or "parridge" oats are common terms for the breakfast cereal that is usually cooked.

Inters in oatmeal has increased considerably over the last twenty years because of its health benefits.

Studied have shown that if you eat a bowl of oatmeal everyday your blood cholesterol levels, especially if they are too high, will drop, because of the cereal's soluble fiber content. When findings were published in the 1980s, an" oat bran craze " spread across the USA and Western Europe. The oats craze dropped in the 1990s.

In 1997, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) agreed that foods with high levels of rolled oats or oat bran could include their data on their labels about their cardiovascular heart benefits if accompanied with a low fat diet. This was followed by another surge in oat meal popularity.

Oats are rich in complex carbohydrates as well as water soluble fiber, which slow digestion down and stabilize levels of blood - glucose. 

Oat meal is very rich in vitamin B, omega 3 fatty acids, flotate (folic acid) and potassium.


The Best Foods to Avoid Clogged Arteries of your Heart



Some heart-healthy foods truly act like medicine for your blood vessels,  and these are the best to eat and to prevent or reverse the heart disease.

Firstly: Break up with soda

Heart diseases might set in those people who drink many soft drinks and there causes a tend to gain weight, become diabetic and suffer premature heart blockages.Soft drinks also elevate the blood sugars, which coat fats and proteins, and then rendering them into a harmful form that damages your arteries.
So, try your best to give up soda. If you like to drink several a day then be realistic. Then you can start by swapping one with iced tea. Otherwise water it down by mixing half a glass with seltzer. Drink as less as much soda whether you get to the zero.

Secondly: Eat more and more vegetables 

Plant foods are always rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber as well, you know all of which are good for the heart. Asparagus and bell peppers , for example, are rich sources of  vitamin B, especially vitamin B6, which helps to lower the homocysteine (which is an amino acid and linked to the heart disease) and C-reactive protein. Carrots and tomatoes ( the fruits like oranges and bananas are rich in carotenoids including lycopene, which is an important antioxidant and it is helpful for our body. So make a practice for having vegetables in your daily diet and keep yourself from the heart disease.

Advice: Please eat one more serving of  vegetables and fruits than you had yesterday, and keep this up for at least a week. Next week, add another kind of serving. Keep doing this again and again until you’ve surpassed 5. It's Ideal if you can keep going until you hit somewhere between 8 to 12 servings.


Thirdly: Herbs and spices are great

Many herbs and spices are like the medicine for the body. They are concentrate from the plants, so they contain the same protective chemicals which plants use to ward off pests and heart disease.If we consume these chemicals from spices, they protect the
cells of our body from heart diseases too.

  •  The allium in garlic helps to improve blood cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and lower the risk of developing heart disease.
  •  Turmeric is rich in  cur cumin, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar.
  •  Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory herb that has been shown to  thin the blood.
  •  The sweet spice cinnamon may improve blood flow and help normalize blood sugar.


Fourthly: Select the best meat for you - if possible

Try to give up meat, and tell everyone to do the same. A great first step for you, Make sure the meat you do like to eat is as clear as possible. I mean meat that contains no  hormones, antibiotics, sodium, , nitrites, artificial colors pesticides or any kind of hidden additives. If you buy meat from the supermarket, you can look for the labels like “antibiotic and hormone free” which can reduce heart disease You also can buy meat those come from animals that dined on grass or any other natural food sources, not from those which consumed grain from  feedlot. Meat those come from grass-fed animals has the more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than the others.
Advice: Always consume vegetables or fruit with any type of meat. The healing plant chemicals may buffer some of the harmful effects of meat. Make the vegetables and fruits the biggest portion of your dinner plate, and meat for the garnishing of your plate.

Fifthly: Fish is the best

You can keep several types of fishes for the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids, that are known as reducing inflammation and heart rhythm disturbances, triglyceride levels of blood and high blood pressure and keep your body free from heart disease Diets rich in this fat can prevent the plaque from building up within your arteries. These fish are easy to get the good fats. These are : Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies, Salmon, and Herring.

Advice: Try to eat fish twice a week, but avoid large fishes like swordfish which have high concentrations of mercury.


Sixth: Drink any kind of Tea

This is a rich source of plant substances, called flavonoids, which helps to neutralize oxidation in the body. Particularly, flavonoids in green tea, which is called catechins- protect our body cells and keeps your car engine humming. Black or green  tea can help to reduce all the symptoms of heart disease in several ways, such as:
  • blocking dietary cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream,
  • regulating levels of blood sugar, 
  • and soothing inflammation

Advice: Add one cup more in your daily routine than you already are.  If you are already a tea drinker, try to aim for three cups a day—one single cup with each meal.

Seventh: Coffee (cold or hot)

Without  artificial sweeteners and cream, coffee is naturally healthy for most people. A cup of dark coffee may actually lower the blood pressure rather than raise it keep your heart away from disease.

Advice: Limit yourself to no more than four cups a day.




Good food and Nutrition for Kids.Healthy Diet

The Healthy foods that kids will love more......


It is a  a fact of our life: Chips, cupcakes and lots of other not-so-naturally-noble foods are going to find their way into our child's mouth.These are not good foods at all. If left to their own devices, a lot of kids wouldn't eat anything that didn't come out of a pizza or pasta box. But that's all the more reason to make sure the meals you serve up are packed with as much good stuff as possible. The Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills, CA, a mom of four and an expert in eating for disease prevention, to get her top picks of true bite-for-bite nutritional power houses. Most important, the foods those also kids might actually eat. Add them to this week's shopping list.  

Feeding our children is one of the most satisfying and also stressful parts of parenting. so I have made some great ideas for giving the kids those foods they will really love, which is a full meal full of nutrients those they need, from their breakfast to dessert. 

Foods like milk, nuts, oatmeal, sweet potato,  eggs, orange juice, apple juice, milkshake,  salmon, beans and spinach are good and great for children. 

Make the best Breakfast

It's implied that setting your menu chart for the day with a solid breakfast will make both of you feel great. Give  them something special filling and fibrous to get the digestive framework going and keep the children full up-to until lunch. Try to serve porridge with blueberries and chopped bananas for the extra health boost., and a lot of blending fun for them. You can give them some good food:

  • Peanut butter on toast and banana and egg
  • Melon with crunchy bran pots or oatmeal
  • Fruits like Apple, Orange or something else 

Perfect pasta they can like

Pasta is a very nice meal which is a good source of fiber, energy and vitamin B into the diet of a child. And pasta makes a great base for all kinds of ingredients such as tofu and spinach, which might not be in your child's diet. you can give them the foods those are really good.

  • Super vegetable base pasta
  • Spinach and Tofu collection
  • Mushroom spaghetti
  • Chicken kebab with roasted vegetable pasta

Fish they will love

If your child does not like any food based on fish, then these recipes will be good for filling them with healthiest fresh fish. You can serve them from speedy homemade fish fingers to salmon and the ginger fish cakes as well, you can also add some healthy sweet potato chips.
  • Fish fingers and peas
  • Salmon and ginger based fishcakes
  • Fried prawn and cod cakes
  • Some attractive chunky fish cakes  

 

Super soup for them

Fresh soups can be a great freezer staple for the simple lunchtime meals, try to serve them some of these classic combination: 
  • Sweet potato and lentil soup:  Nice creamy and silky sweet potato soup can be a ultimate comfort food after a long time at school.
  • Tomato soup: It is perfect for your kids and if you add a cheesy topping on this soup it will be a winner with your kids.
  •  Potato, courgette and cheddar soup: It can also be a good source of energy meal for the growing kids.

 

 Curry when you are in hurry

Experimenting with the various flavors is one of the brilliant part of developing the tastes of your child, and these mild and healthy good foods can make a great starting point for the introduction of the spicier food with them. Such as:


  • Mumbai special wraps with the minted yogurt
  • Yammy creamy veggie korma
  • Mild curry with chicken

 Fast foods

Putting anything hi speedy on the plate can be a priority with the kids of any age, but fast foods do not have to mean the food that is high in fat, sugar and salt. Simple ingredients such as eggs, beans, milk and pulses can quickly be transformed into a  nutritious and delicious supper for your kids.

Omelet

Omelet can make a great finger food for younger kids if you cut it into strips with the scissors which is really good. And it can be whipped up in no time,  whatever you are using as the fillings you have to hand in your fridge - here are some inspirations:
  • Spinach and courgette fritter
  • Ricotta, spinach and tomato  fritter
  • Potato with paprika tortilla

 Pizza(a loving food) 

Homemade pizza is always much simpler than you think. Lets start an experiment among the kids by decorating their own pizzas with the healthy toppings and I am sure that it will a hit with the whole family and will be simply a good food.
  • Super-healthy pizza with eggs
  • Ricotta and basil pizza bread
  • Easy tomato pizzas with onion
I know that kids can not wait until lunch so far? Try for whipping up some  speedy and healthy  snacks...
  • Smashed bean and potato
  • Lemon and tasty coriander houmous
  • Dried fruit  nuggets for energy


Tasty and delicious Burgers

It should be very easy to attract  the kids towards the table by giving them some special good food like  burgers for their lunch, please try out some of these healthy recipes, so that everyone of your family can feel happier than before.
  • Burgers made by mushroom and chickpea
  • Turkey beetroot relish burgers
  • Thin Thai burgers


 Desserts

If you want to give your kids something a little bit special for dessert, but do not want it to be packed full of sweet white sugar, then these sweet but fruit-packed deserts might be just the thing which is from milkshake to ice cream to comfortable puds.
  • Banana, hazelnut and honey  smoothie
  • Frozen tasty fruit sticks with passion fruit and lime juice
  • Frozen colorful strawberry yogurt
  • Pudding of juice lucy

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