What we put in our eating plate matters—probably more than we think. A healthy meal satiates not only hunger but also promotes health. Bad food choices in long term, on the other hand, invariably bring health problems, and that’s why it is important that we eat wisely. To help you do just that, we offer top 10 health benefits instructions.
Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Almonds are your best friend if your cholesterol level is on the higher side. Rich in monosaturated fat, these crunchy tear-shaped nuts lower cholesterol levels probably better than any other food. Almonds also provide several other essential nutrients like iron, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin E. Good as they are for your health, you should not overeat them. Like all other nuts, almonds are high in calories, and they can do you more harm than good if you eat too many of them regularly.
Cancer protection
There are foods and then there are superfoods. A member of the cabbage family, broccoli rightly finds a place in our top 10 health benefits instructions as it is extremely rich in sulforaphane, a compound that removes cancer-causing chemicals. Eating broccoli on a regular basis may help reduce risk of several types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, the skin, the lung, and the stomach.
Flush out toxins
In context of health, free radicals are the bad guys. When not kept under check, they can cause all sorts of problems ranging from heart disease or cancer to premature aging. Dangerous as free radicals are, they are helpless against garlic, which effectively flushes them out of the body. Garlic can be eaten raw, but it is usually added to cooking.
Reduce inflammation and pain
Some foods promote inflammation while some others have the opposite effect. You should eat more of inflammation-reducing foods if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or other inflammatory health conditions. Among many foods that reduce inflammation and pain, ginger is the most effective. It also has excellent pain-reducing properties. The recommended dosage of ginger is 500 to 1000 mg per day.
Improves digestion
Suffering from poor digestion? Instead of popping up antacids, give papaya a try. With an impressive nick name of “Fruit of Angels”—given by Christopher Columbus— it is no surprise that papaya finds a place in our best 10 health benefits instructions. Deliciously
sweet with slight musky undertones, papaya contains enzymes that have both anti-ulcerative and anti-microbial properties. These enzymes help the body break down other foods, absorb their nutrients, and keep the digestive tract healthy.
Promotes smooth and taut skin
Next time when you are in need of a beauty cream, you should head to a grocery store instead of a cosmetic shop. Surprised? Don’t be because Vitamin C, the primary ingredient of most beauty creams, is found in abundance in citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and Acerola cherries. Vitamin C is important for skin health as it aids production of collagen, an important structural protein in the skin.
Fights arthritis
Next in our top 10 health benefits instructions are foods that fight arthritis. One can reduce his or her risk of rheumatoid arthritis or slow the progression of osteoarthritis by eating Vitamin D rich foods like oily fish. Foods fortified with vitamin D like milk and other dairy products, however, should be taken in limited amounts as they can increase arthritis pain and inflammation.
Improve mental health
Researchers at Tufts University have proved for the first time that some foods improve mental health. Sitting at the top of this prestigious list is blueberries, which has shown to improve short-term memory loss and reverse loss of balance (http://enews.tufts.edu/stories/101399BlueberriesMayImproveMemory.htm). Delicious to eat, good for brainpower, and widely available, blueberries is one fruit you must eat daily.
Fights Insomnia
Serotonin, a chemical that body makes naturally, regulates mood and is linked to a good night’s sleep. Deficiency of serotonin can cause insomnia, but you don’t need medication to beat it, especially if it is mild. Bananas aids production of serotonin and can help you sleep soundly through the night. If sleep is proving elusive these days, try eating a banana shortly before you retire to your bed.
Lower blood pressure
We wind up our 10 health benefits instructions list with names of a few foods that help lower blood pressure. Sitting top in this list is spinach, which is packed with magnesium, folate, potassium, and several other heart-healthy nutrients. An easy and simple way to eat more spinach is to add them into your salads and sandwiches. In addition to spinach, other
foods that are effective in lowering and managing blood pressure are sunflower seeds, beans, bananas, and baked white potato.
Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Almonds are your best friend if your cholesterol level is on the higher side. Rich in monosaturated fat, these crunchy tear-shaped nuts lower cholesterol levels probably better than any other food. Almonds also provide several other essential nutrients like iron, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin E. Good as they are for your health, you should not overeat them. Like all other nuts, almonds are high in calories, and they can do you more harm than good if you eat too many of them regularly.
Cancer protection
There are foods and then there are superfoods. A member of the cabbage family, broccoli rightly finds a place in our top 10 health benefits instructions as it is extremely rich in sulforaphane, a compound that removes cancer-causing chemicals. Eating broccoli on a regular basis may help reduce risk of several types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, the skin, the lung, and the stomach.
Flush out toxins
In context of health, free radicals are the bad guys. When not kept under check, they can cause all sorts of problems ranging from heart disease or cancer to premature aging. Dangerous as free radicals are, they are helpless against garlic, which effectively flushes them out of the body. Garlic can be eaten raw, but it is usually added to cooking.
Reduce inflammation and pain
Some foods promote inflammation while some others have the opposite effect. You should eat more of inflammation-reducing foods if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or other inflammatory health conditions. Among many foods that reduce inflammation and pain, ginger is the most effective. It also has excellent pain-reducing properties. The recommended dosage of ginger is 500 to 1000 mg per day.
Improves digestion
Suffering from poor digestion? Instead of popping up antacids, give papaya a try. With an impressive nick name of “Fruit of Angels”—given by Christopher Columbus— it is no surprise that papaya finds a place in our best 10 health benefits instructions. Deliciously
sweet with slight musky undertones, papaya contains enzymes that have both anti-ulcerative and anti-microbial properties. These enzymes help the body break down other foods, absorb their nutrients, and keep the digestive tract healthy.
Promotes smooth and taut skin
Next time when you are in need of a beauty cream, you should head to a grocery store instead of a cosmetic shop. Surprised? Don’t be because Vitamin C, the primary ingredient of most beauty creams, is found in abundance in citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and Acerola cherries. Vitamin C is important for skin health as it aids production of collagen, an important structural protein in the skin.
Fights arthritis
Next in our top 10 health benefits instructions are foods that fight arthritis. One can reduce his or her risk of rheumatoid arthritis or slow the progression of osteoarthritis by eating Vitamin D rich foods like oily fish. Foods fortified with vitamin D like milk and other dairy products, however, should be taken in limited amounts as they can increase arthritis pain and inflammation.
Improve mental health
Researchers at Tufts University have proved for the first time that some foods improve mental health. Sitting at the top of this prestigious list is blueberries, which has shown to improve short-term memory loss and reverse loss of balance (http://enews.tufts.edu/stories/101399BlueberriesMayImproveMemory.htm). Delicious to eat, good for brainpower, and widely available, blueberries is one fruit you must eat daily.
Fights Insomnia
Serotonin, a chemical that body makes naturally, regulates mood and is linked to a good night’s sleep. Deficiency of serotonin can cause insomnia, but you don’t need medication to beat it, especially if it is mild. Bananas aids production of serotonin and can help you sleep soundly through the night. If sleep is proving elusive these days, try eating a banana shortly before you retire to your bed.
Lower blood pressure
We wind up our 10 health benefits instructions list with names of a few foods that help lower blood pressure. Sitting top in this list is spinach, which is packed with magnesium, folate, potassium, and several other heart-healthy nutrients. An easy and simple way to eat more spinach is to add them into your salads and sandwiches. In addition to spinach, other
foods that are effective in lowering and managing blood pressure are sunflower seeds, beans, bananas, and baked white potato.