Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Avocado
If you are staying clear of avocado because you deem it is too fattening. You are missing out on many healthy benefits they provide.Yes, they do not have low caloric content (An average size avocado contain about 255 calories and 30 grams of fats), But when taken in moderation its health benefits does outweigh its fat content.
Avocados are great source of monounsaturated fats and research has shown that oleic acid in avocado can be used to lower cholesterol level in the blood and lessen the risk of heart diseases in people who have diabetes. Diabetics who eat a lot of carbohydrates generally develop high levels of triglycerides, a blood fat that may contribute to heart disease. Avocados, with its healthful monounsaturated fats, lower triglycerides levels, control blood sugar and allow insulin to work better. Another health benefit of avocados is that they contain a good source of fiber. Fiber aids in digestions and bowel movement and lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation. Avocados also contain folate. A water soluble B vitamin that occur naturally in food. It can reduce chances of getting some forms of anemia and may help to prevent cancer. For women who are trying to get pregnant, Folate has been shown to significantly reduce certain birth defects, called neural tube defects.
Avocados can add variety — and good nutrition — to your diet. You can used mashed avocados as a spread for your bread or bagel instead of butter or cream cheese. Avocado slices can replace mayo in sanwiches. You'll not only save calories, you'll be cutting out saturated fat and increasing your daily intake of monounsaturated fat as well. Before you start spreading avocado on every available meal, do remember that avocado is high in calories. eat in moderation. you want to have a well balanced, low-fat diet. A recommended serving size is 2 tablespoons, or roughly one-sixth of a medium-sized avocado. Each serving provides 5 grams of fat and 55 calories. Still, they don't seem so bad. Compared with butter or mayonnaise — which each pack 22 fat grams and 200 calories in a 2-tablespoon serving.
The green flesh will quickly turn an unappealing shade of brown when exposed to air. To prevent this, place plastic wrap as tightly against the avocado flesh as soon as possible, or sprinkle the cut fruit with a little lemon juice and refrigerate.You can purchase avocado at your local farmer's market or grocery store. Select the heavy, unblemished fruit. Most market will sell hard unripe avocado. If they are hard, place them in a paper sack for a day or two until they ripen. If avocado yield slightly to gentle pressure, it’s ready to be eaten. If you need to speed up the ripening process, place avocados in a paper bag with apple or banana. Never put avocado in a fridge since it will make the ripening process significantly slower.
Have an orange anytime, anywhere, anyplace
Oranges are not only bright,sweet and can be found in any grocery store, they are good for you as well. They are well know for being a great source of Vitamin C. But oranges also contain nutrient like potassium, fiber, several antioxidant and even calcium. Which helps to keep your body and immune systems strong and your blood vessels skin and bones healthy.
Hesperidin and the pectin in oranges have been show to lower cholesterol. Higher concentration of hesperidin are found in peel and inner white pulp of the orange. Studies have shown that pectin can help to suppress appetite for up to four hours. An excellent choice of fruit for dieter.This bright fruit also help to activate the body own detoxification process. The skin and zest of oranges protect from free radical which causes sign of aging by transporting oxygen around the body.
Oranges are mostly consumed at breakfast in the form of juice. However we should not limit it the breakfast table. It is a very versatile fruit and can easily add great nutrition to many dishes. Since they are naturally sweet, oranges are a great substituted for sugary product. So next time when you crave for something sweet. go grab an orange instead.
Most of us need to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables in our diet. Having a few oranges a week is a great way to meet those needs. Keep orange with the peel intact for easy grab and go. If you are packing lunch. Toss an orange in to the bag. It a good after snack meal. Orange are great for salad. You can slice them or add them as a dressing.
When you are buy oranges, choose those that are firm and heavy for their size. This is a good indication that they are full of juice. When extracting juices from oranges, do it at room temperature. Since vitamin C gets destroyed when expose to air. Do consumed them quickly when its cut up. Oranges can be store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Broccolis- Mr. Green
Broccoli is a member of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae a family flower plant. The name Brassicaceae is derived from the included genus Brassica. Cruciferae is an older name, meaning "cross-bearing", because the four petals of their flowers are reminiscent of a cross. It is related to cabbage,kale,brussels sprouts and cauliflower.The peak season is from October through April. Broccoli that are intensely colored dark green, tightly closed buds and crisp stalk are the best.Because of its different components, broccoli provides a range of tastes and textures, from soft and flowery (the floret) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk).To get the most health benefits from eating broccoli, we need to preserve it nutrients and cancer fighting compound when we cook it. Boiling broccoli for long periods of time destroy many of its beneficial properties, while steaming or lightly sautéing it preserves them. Although it offsets the health benefits to add a high fat sauce to broccoli, adding a little olive oil or other healthy fat can help the cancer fighting chemicals be better absorbed.
Its nutritional value include Vitamin A which are present in the form of betacarotene. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties that neutralize free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage.Another function of this vitamin is that it helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
Another antioxidant Vitamin C is also found in broccoli. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin, which is necessary in the body to form collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels and aids in the absorption of iron. It also eases the symptoms of the common cold. A medium size serving contain more Vitamin C compare to one orange.
Broccoli is also high in anticancer compounds. Studies have shown significantly reduction in mortality rates of laboratory animals exposed to radiation when they are fed broccoli and cabbage. The typical phytochemical are sulphur containing compounds, including isothiocyanates, indoles and dithiolthiones. Several isothiocyanates have been shown to inhibit tumours, induced by chemical carcinogens.Indoles also play a role in cancer prevention. Rats fed with the indole glucobrassicin demonstrated lower incidences of chemically induced tumours. Potassium in broccoli aids those battling high blood pressure, while a large amount of calcium helps combat osteoporosis.
Additionally, the health benefits of broccoli have been linked to preventing and controlling the following medical concerns: Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, calcium deficiencies, stomach and colon cancer, malignant tumors, lung cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even the aging process.
