Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Right Food - Better Health

By Spencer Gabato
A person concerned with health should choose to eat foods that have high health values. The food gives as the necessary substances for our body to operate optimally including our brain. To learn the what foods have higher health values can help us choose the food that can give us the needed nutrients. Different foods have different health values and within food groups, some have more health value than others. Below, you can find the healthiest food choices. Eating them on a regular basis can bring you good health and hence a happier life. The no. 1 source of minerals and vitamins are vegetables. Those with darker leaves or skin have higher antioxidant content than others but they all provide us with necessary vitamins and minerals. Kale, asparagus, green beans, celery, spinach and peas are some examples of health giving vegetables. Your body also can benefit from the nutrients that carrots, eggplant squash, mushrooms and yams give. As with vegetables, dark coloured fruits have higher antioxidant content. Some examples are bananas, apples, fig, oranges, pears plums, graphs, watermelon and lemon. Acai berry have the highest antioxidant content among the berries while also having other beneficial nutrients. Acai berry is one of the top superfoods. What to look for in meat, dairy and fish are those that are low in cholesterol and fat. Choose lamb, lean beef, chicken breast, venison and turkey when you eat meat. Among fishes cod, shrimp, tuna and scallops are the best. Good choices for the dairy group are yogurt, low-fat cheese and eggs. Nuts and grains are very important to include in your diet. The extra protein and carbohydrates found in these foods are needed by your body. Almonds, flaxseeds, extra virgin oil, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds are good choices. They are flavorful too so you can enjoy eating and have needed nutrients at the same time. Good choices for grain products include buckwheat, bread, barley, whole wheat, corn, oats and rye. Refrain from having white bread because they are nutritionally inferior to brown ones. Stay away from sugar. Many delicious food are sweetened by sugar to make it sweet and savory. Sugar can make more harm than good to your body so choose foods that have natural sweeteners like honey, molasses and maple syrup. These naturally sweetened food still tastes good and is beneficial for your health. You can make food more flavorful by adding spices. Instead of sweetening food with sugar, try combining it with dill, basil, pepper, peppermint, cilantro, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage. Many people drink soda and other non health promoting beverages because of its savoury flavor. Most of these beverages contain sugar and caffeine which are both not good for the body. Opt for water to hydrate your body because it is the best in terms of health. For beverages, a good choice is green tea because it is packed with the powerful antioxidant EGCG.
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