Whatever your answer might be, you will love to relish the food that makes you crave for a second helping. People like us, for whom meals are not rationed, are always in the hunt for a variety of foods to stimulate the cells of our tongues and thereby make ourselves happy. In most of the cases the food items we are fond of are not good for health. But the food which elevates your mood may not help you to stay physically fit and somehow is not helping you to live a better, healthier life. And owing to this reason, the foodies are often split into two minds.
1. Salmon: Salmon is a rich source of vitamin D and one of the best sources of omega-3s that you can find. These essential fatty acids have a wide range of impressive health benefits–from preventing heart disease to smoothing your skin, from aiding weight loss to boosting your mood and minimizing the effects of arthritis.
2. Almonds: Like other tree nuts, almonds are a rich source of protein. They’re also high in calcium and monounsaturated fat (the heart-healthy kind found in olive oil). A daily handful could help lower your bad LDL cholesterol and risk of heart disease.
3. Lean beef: Lean beef is one of the best-absorbed sources of iron. As the lack of iron can make you suffer from anaemia, you should ideally have some. Though the consumption of beef is not huge in a country like ours where a major chunk of the population is primarily vegetarian.
4. Fat-free Milk: Milk in your morning coffee isn’t enough to provide the calcium and vitamin D you need. As milk is a vital source of the aforementioned nutrients, have a glass of milk with breakfast, or stir some chocolate syrup into it for an after-dinner treat. The only concern you have is its ‘fat’ component and in order to avoid that, get fat-free milk.
5. Greek Yogurt: Yogurt is another important way to consume calcium. It is rich in immune-boosting bacteria also. But the Greek kind–when compared to regular yogurt has twice the protein. So Greek Yogurt will be a better choice.
6. Dark Chocolate: Keep a dark-chocolate bar around and have a little piece when you crave for a treat. Its antioxidants can help to reduce the risk of blood clots and lower blood pressure and inflammation as well as improves insulin resistance.
7. Olive-Oil: Press an olive and you will get one of the healthiest fats in the world. The monounsaturated fats of olive oil lower ‘bad’ cholesterol and raise ‘good’ cholesterol.
8. Banana: Have you ever noticed tennis players having bananas? Bananas are high in potassium, which aids blood pressure and is critical for the proper function of the muscular and digestive systems. It can also help the extremely thin ones gain some weight.
9. Eggs: A source of high-quality protein, eggs might give your meal more staying power too.
10. Tea: Tea is rich in a class of antioxidants called flavonoids. Regular tea drinking may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, diabetes and some cancers, plus you can have healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones as well. Green tea is the best out of the lot.
There are plenty of recipes available to make our food more delicious but picking out the healthy items is often a tricky task to do. Adding the items listed above to your everyday diet would be a good way to go. Eat well and stay healthy!