What we eat has the power to help or harm us. Our process of digesting food provides adequate nutrition and is the cause of diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. To live longer and healthier lives, we need to enrich our bodies with nutritious food. Natural plant foods can restore our health and vitality.
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Pomegranates Cruciferous Vegetables
These herbs have the unique ability to alter human hormones, activate the body’s natural immune system, and inhibit cancer cell growth. Cruciferous vegetables should be well chewed or eaten raw, chopped, juiced, or mixed to release their powerful anti-cancer properties. The cruciferous phytochemical sulforaphane has been found to protect the walls of blood vessels from showing inflammation that can lead to heart disease. Cruciferous vegetables are the most nutritious food of all. Eat a variety of raw and cooked foods every day – try broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, or cabbage.
Vegetable Salad
Raw, leafy greens – some cruciferous – contain less than 100 calories per pound, making them an ideal diet for weight control. In scientific studies, women who ate a large salad at the beginning of a meal ate fewer calories from the diet, and larger salads reduced fewer calories than smaller ones. In addition to keeping the weight low, a high intake of salads, raw vegetables, or raw vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and several cancers. Leafy vegetables are also rich in essential B-vitamin folate as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that protect the eyes from light damage. Try kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, or lettuce. To maximize the health benefits of leafy vegetables, you should increase your absorption of fat-soluble phytochemicals, especially carotenoids, and that requires fat – which is why your salad (or dressing) should always contain nuts and/or seeds.
Peanuts
A nutritious source of healthy fats, plant proteins, fiber, antioxidants, phytosterols, and minerals, nuts are a low glycemic food that helps reduce the glycemic load of the whole diet, making it an important part of the anti-diabetic diet. . Despite its high-calorie intake, nuts consumption is associated with low body weight, which may be due to dietary stress from healthy heart components. Eating nuts regularly lowers cholesterol and is associated with a 35 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease. Sprinkle your next salad with chopped walnuts or sliced almonds or add green cashews to a creamy salad dress.
Seeds
The nutritional profile of seeds is very similar to nuts in that they provide healthy fats, minerals, and antioxidants, but the seeds are high in protein and high in minerals. Flax seeds, chia, and hemp are rich in omega-3 fats. Flax, chia, and sesame seeds are also rich in lignans, and phytoestrogens that fight breast cancer. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium and vitamin E and pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc. To get the most out of nutritious foods, nuts and seeds should be eaten raw or fried. Try adding flax or chia seeds to your breakfast smoothie or oatmeal.
Berries
These antioxidant-rich fruits have a very healthy heart. Studies in which participants ate blueberries or strawberries daily for several weeks reported improvements in blood pressure, symptoms of oxidative stress, high blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol. Berries have anti-cancer properties and are an excellent food for the mind. There is evidence that the use of berries can help prevent dementia in old age. Stick to a tried and common strawberry or berries, or try something new like goji berries.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate is a unique fruit, consisting of small, clear, juicy arils with a delicious combination of sweet and tart flavors. The phytochemical signature of pomegranate, punicalagin, is highly concentrated and responsible for more than half the antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice. Pomegranate phytochemicals have a variety of anti-cancer, cardio-protective, and healthy brain functions. Most notably, a study of patients with strong carotid arteries who drank one ounce of pomegranate juice daily for one year found a 30 percent reduction in atherosclerotic plaque; in the control group, atherosclerotic plaque increased by nine percent. In one adult study, those who drank pomegranate juice daily for 28 days performed better on memory function compared with those who drank a placebo drink. Tip: To remove edible arils from the fruit, place it about an inch about half an inch deep, fold it in half, and rub the back with a large spoon.
Beans
Daily consumption of beans and other legumes helps to stabilize blood sugar, reduce appetite and protect against bowel cancer. A starchy source of nutrients, beans serve as an anti-diabetic and weight-loss diet because it digests less, dull blood glucose uptake after meals, and help curb appetite by promoting saturation. They also contain high soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol, as well as starchy starch that converts intestinal bacteria into short-chain fatty acids that help prevent colon cancer. Eating beans, peas, or lentils twice a week has been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 50 percent. The use of legumes also provides important protection against other cancers. Red beans, black beans, peas, dill, split peas – everything is fine, so sample it all and decide on your favorites.
Mushrooms
Eating mushrooms regularly is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. Because they contain aromatase inhibitors, compounds that inhibit estrogen production, white mushrooms, and portobellos specifically protect against breast cancer. Mushrooms have many useful properties. Studies on different types of mushrooms have found anti-inflammatory effects, enhanced immune cell function, prevention of DNA damage, reduced cancer cell growth, and inhibition of angiogenesis. Mushrooms should be cooked at all times; green mushrooms contain a potentially carcinogenic substance called agaritine which is greatly reduced by cooking. Always include common white mushrooms in your diet and try some of the more unusual varieties such as shiitake, oyster, maitake, or reishi.
Onions and Garlic
The vegetable family of allium, of which the onion is a member, benefits the immune system and has anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. Increased consumption of allium vegetables is associated with a lower risk of stomach and prostate cancer. These vegetables are known for their organosulfur compounds that help prevent cancer growth by releasing carcinogens, stopping cancer cell growth, and preventing angiogenesis. These compounds are extracted when crushed, crushed, or chewed. Onions also contain a high flavonoid concentration that promotes flavonoid health, with anti-inflammatory effects that may contribute to cancer prevention. In addition to garlic and yellow onions, try leeks, chives, shallots, and scallions.
Tomatoes
Plenty of health-promoting nutrients can be found in tomatoes – lycopene, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and the antioxidants of flavanol, to name a few. Lycopene mainly protects against prostate cancer, UV skin damage, and cardiovascular disease. About 85 percent of lycopene in the American diet is found in tomatoes. Lycopene absorbs most when the tomatoes are ripe – one cup of tomato sauce contains 10 times more lycopene than one cup of raw, chopped tomatoes. And remember that carotenoids, like lycopene, absorb better when accompanied by healthy fats, so enjoy your tomatoes in a salad with nuts or a nut-based dressing to get an extra punch for a nutritious meal. Tip: buy sliced and crushed tomatoes in glass containers, not cans, to avoid endocrine disruption BPA in tin liners.
