Whether you cook every day or not, numerous ingredients are straightforward to include in your diet. Fresh food preparation allows you to select what you put into your body. If you are even a little bit concerned about your health, you should aim to consume certain things regularly as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Among these are so-called “superfoods”, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Additionally, some of the minerals and vitamins associated with many of these foods aren’t found in common food sources such as meats.
No Birds Allowed
No one suggests that you go out and peck away, but you should consider a regular intake of nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds like peanuts, almonds, macadamias, flax and sunflower have provided numerous health benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties and multiple vitamins and minerals. Additionally, hemp seeds can provide some of the same benefits as CBD for wellness without ingesting the chemical.
Vitamins and minerals in common nuts and seeds include vitamin E, B6, niacin, folate, zinc, copper, selenium, potassium, and phosphorus. Unfortunately, many of these are difficult to include in your diet as they aren’t found in many widely consumed foods. Therefore, adding nuts and seeds as an ingredient in curries and sauces, garnishes, or snacks is an excellent way of sourcing health benefits.
Berries and Antioxidants
Berries are well known for their antioxidant properties. Blueberries, for example, are rich in vitamin K and C and have one of the most potent antioxidant properties of any known fruit. Antioxidants are essential because they help reduce the risk of serious illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Other berries you should aim to consume more of include raspberries, strawberries and cranberries. All of these contain high levels of antioxidants and multiple vitamins and minerals. Still, more importantly, they taste amazing with other ingredients. Berries are excellent in desserts, but they can also perk up the most boring of breakfasts as an accompaniment or a jam.
Not Your Usual Cuppa
The UK is well known as a nation of tea drinkers, and as great as a morning cuppa is, other teas provide a whole host of benefits. Green tea is the perfect example. Surprisingly, 86% of Americans surveyed stated that they regularly drink green tea. Combined with their unusually high blueberry consumption, US citizens must be beaming with antioxidants.
That’s because green tea is packed full of antioxidant properties such as catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is well-known as an excellent prevention method of staving off severe conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Green tea also contains just the right amount of caffeine that has been linked to helping with weight loss.
Even if you aren’t the best cook or don’t stick to the healthiest diet, you have to admit, all of these are deliciously easy to include. Just one cup of green tea in the afternoon is enough to help fight serious illnesses. Snacking on a bowl of berries mixed with nuts and seeds will provide a severe antioxidant boost with some vitamins and minerals that are usually difficult to source from other foods.
