The best food and the most essential nutrients
In the context of a healthy diet there are no bad or forbidden foods: all nutrients are essential for life. However, there are some more basic need while more quantity or exercising or more specific functions that are essential. The latter means that our body alone can not produce the, hence should always be present in the foods that make up the daily diet.
Our bodies need 40 different nutrients to stay healthy. No food contains them all, so that the more varied the diet, the easier it will meet the needs of all of them. A healthy list should contain healthy nutrients and compounds. To make it, you can choose foods with specific nutritional characteristics and outstanding on other foods of the same nature, but with subtle differences to make them worthy of the top spot. They include: omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, antioxidants (anthocyanins, resveratrol, sulforafanos), vitamin C, folic acid, iron, vitamin B12, fiber and vegetable protein.
Healthy foods: List ten (plus ten options)
1. Acerola or orange.
All fruits could occupy the first place in the list, in particular, for its richness in vitamin C, but you must choose two. Many of the fruits rich in vitamin C are not readily available to us, such as Kakadu or the camu-camu. Within this list of exotic fruit is the acerola, although it is increasingly common to find its juice, so you are encouraged to try and include it as an alternative source of vitamin C and other antioxidants. Among the fruits of national culture and everyday consumption, rich in vitamin C and folic acid it has determined that the tangerines or oranges contain all the arguments needed to convince people of all ages to incorporate them into your regular diet. Remember that the fruit must be well chewed. The recipes for his daily presence in the diet are innumerable. An appetizing dish orange sauce with walnuts and honey, tangerine juice and lemon or mandarin marmalade original help us switch between the most common peach and strawberry.
2. broccoli or squash.
The first is described as the most nutritious vegetables per unit weight of edible product. Broccoli is rich in vitamin C, folic acid and niacin and a good source of provitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin B1 and E, nutrients to the high antioxidant glucosinolate are summed and clinically proven experience in protecting degenerative diseases like cancer. As partner has chosen a vegetable, pumpkin, also with high antioxidant potential. It stresses the contribution of beta-carotene, a substance that after being absorbed in the body is converted into vitamin A or retinol. This is essential for vision, good skin, tissue and for the proper functioning of our immune system. A "recipe 20" which sums the two foods, is the cream of broccoli and squash.
3. Brown rice or couscous.
Whole grains are darker than refined because of the bran shell remains. Therefore, the concentration of nutrients and protective phytochemicals is increased. Rice-usually, but we chose the integrally is an energy food, cholesterol free and with almost no fat. It has little sodium intake (watch the salt is added in cooking). It helps control stress and blood sugar and also have more fiber (double its white version), provides a host of protective substances (antioxidant phytochemicals). You can switch to another rice cereal, but we must ensure that they are always whole, unrefined. Couscous is a derivative of wheat, nutritious and versatile. In the kitchen, cereals enhance its benefits when combined with legumes, vegetables or vegetable protein (tofu, tempeh ...). If we want to experience, we can try more exotic grains to break the monotony, such as millet, quinoa or bulgur.
4. anchovies or mackerel.
From a nutritional standpoint, fish is a food with a similar composition to that of the flesh, but with marked differences, and it is these that put him on the list before the meat. We chose preferably smaller species bluefish for everyday use, since, in addition to sharing with great nutritional qualities, not accumulate in their tissues so many heavy metals, a limiting factor in the use of the latter. They are rich in omega-3, which contributes to lower plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, and also increases the flow of blood. As the vitamins, the presence of some belonging to group B (such as B2, B3, B6 and B9 and B12). Anchovies can be tasted as ration, while offering many other culinary possibilities. The same applies to the mackerel, which can be prepared in many different ways.
5. nuts or pumpkin seeds.
Nuts contain polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3, a fat having heart-healthy effects, and an aggregate of bioactive compounds that could act against chronic inflammation processes also occur in diabetes. They are nuts and as such notable for its fat content, but this should not be an impediment to eat them daily or regular basis. Over 3/5 of the weight corresponding to fat and this makes their calorie content is very high. Almost 180 calories are contributing 30 grams of nuts a 4-7 nuts, depending on their size. If you are allergic to nuts, you can opt for other nut or seed try to think of pipes or pumpkin. Raw or lightly toasted, contain vitamin E, linoleic acid, zinc and iron, and also have alkalizing properties and worming: paralyze worms that parasitize the intestine, such as (lonely) tapeworms and roundworms. A nuts and pipes can be added other nuts such as cashews, almonds, macadamias, pistachios, chestnuts ...
6. Extra virgin olive oil or avocado.
This couple is not exclusive, but it is interesting to see them together, as one is a juice and other fruit. Among the vegetable oils, olive tops the list of benefits for the body. It is a balm for the body to its composition: about 85% of the fat it contains is unsaturated, the healthiest. It monounsaturated acids such as oleic, which is the most balanced, and concentrated polyunsaturated linoleic acid plus phytosterols and dose of vitamin E antioxidant. This nourishing cocktail helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL-c) the body while retaining the good (HDL-c) and, consequently, prevents cardiovascular disease. Avocado, meanwhile, is a fruit which is generally used as a vegetable or vegetables, delicately flavored and easy to use, rich in monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, although less abundant), antioxidants and minerals . No doubt they are two tasty food. An avocado cream with cucumber or country bread with oil and herbs are irresistible bites health.
7. Garlic or onion.
The healthy properties of garlic as a condiment and medicine were already well known to the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans. Currently, its therapeutic use has been relegated for use as seasoning, but retains excellent diuretic, cleansing, antiseptic and antibacterial qualities. The onions were highly valued by the Egyptians, like garlic and leek. Also at the time of the Greeks and Romans onions they were consumed. Its low caloric value can be included as an accompaniment to any dish that is part of a weight control diet. And thanks to its high fiber content, onion brings satiety after consumption and improves intestinal transit. It has become very fashionable caramelized onion and onion soup, two examples that give own personality beyond the seasoning.
8. lentils or chickpeas.
The choice of either vegetable, in general, if you are healthy, is only conditioned by the taste. Both have a high concentration of nutrients. Carbohydrates are the most abundant and consist mainly of starch. Their vegetable protein, although in good quantity, are incomplete, since they are deficient in methionine (essential amino acid). However, when combined with grains such as rice, said amino acid-rich foods, they become protein of high biological value, comparable to those that provide food of animal origin. The lipid content is very low. The input fiber is important.
9. chicken or turkey.
Whatever the choice, better poultry. In chickens you can appreciate variations in the composition of the meat, depending on the age of the slaughtered animal. The oldest specimens are more fatty. There are also differences in the composition of the various meat pieces, as in the case of breast, whose protein content is greater than that presented by the thigh. Regarding vitamins, the presence of folic acid and vitamin B3 or niacin. Among the mineral, the level of iron and zinc is lower than in the case of red meat, but is a major source of phosphorus and potassium. If you do not like chicken, or are bored of eating the same thing, you can opt for the turkey. The recent addition to the diet in recent years has its reasons. It is a lean, digestible, low in fat and cholesterol food. Turkey meat is protein (20% to 25% protein by lot) and can match both in quantity and in quality with that of other meats. In addition, low collagen content facilitates digestibility.
10. black or pure cocoa chocolate (bitter by nature, pure dose of antioxidants).
Although sparingly, since it is a fatty food, do not forget your kindness. Has no alternative food, no sweet fat rich is capable of combining rich in flavonoids, zinc and fiber, antioxidants to counteract the role of free radicals in its preventive degenerative diseases (cardiovascular, numerous cancers, cataracts , Alzheimer's and other disorders of the nervous system). But again: only possesses these properties when black and bitter chocolate, as close to pure cocoa.
In short, the list of healthy foods for life today includes fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, meat, fish, nuts, olive oil and even chocolate. It is collected in a basket primary, close, seasonal and very familiar foods, adding the advantage that the popular wisdom knows discriminate good copies and home recipes safeguard multitude of possibilities that proposals for new kitchen added who likes strong and authentic flavors.
