Eat nutritious foods can lower the risk of many diseases. Examples include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products and protein foods.
Vegetables and fruits provide essential fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and kale contain disease-fighting antioxidants while berries offer essential vitamin C as well as other important vitamins.
Vegetables
Vegetables provide your body with essential nutrition. Low in kilojoules, abundant with essential minerals and vitamins (such as magnesium, vitamin C, folate) as well as dietary fibre and phytochemicals that reduce risk for chronic disease – vegetables are an integral part of healthy living!
Studies conducted by health experts often advise incorporating more vegetables into our diet, with five servings per day being suggested as ideal. This should include leafy green, root tuber, seed vegetable and herb groups in addition to any additional plants like flowers.
But what exactly constitutes a vegetable? Botanically speaking, cucumbers and squashes are actually fruits; tomatoes and peppers technically qualify as vegetables too.
Fish
Fish is packed with essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, protein and iodine – as well as the fat-soluble vitamin D which can be hard to come by otherwise.
Eating fish two to three times each week has been shown to reduce heart disease, inflammation and dementia risk factors. Furthermore, children born to women who eat fish regularly often have improved eyesight as a result of omega-3 fatty acids passed onto them via breast milk.
People who do not eat fish can still reap its benefits by choosing healthy products with low mercury levels, such as dietary supplements, eggs or fortified dairy alternatives. Just ensure to pick options with low mercury levels.
Dairy
Dairy products provide essential nutrients essential for healthy living, including calcium, protein and vitamin D. Dairy also provides heart-healthy unsaturated fats and antioxidants – making dairy an invaluable part of a balanced diet.
Our research indicates that dairy foods are generally recognized by consumers as health-promoting. Consumer perception of benefits was positively associated with frequency of milk consumption and related to gender and age; thus indicating opportunities for targeted campaigns to promote milk and dairy products for specific demographic groups. It’s essential to preserve naturally occurring ingredients which provide health-beneficial properties.
Olive oil
Olive oil is an extremely healthy fat with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that adds an exquisite flavor to salad dressings and roasted vegetables. Two tablespoons contain 238 calories and 28 grams of fat.
Studies suggest that olive oil may provide protection from cardiovascular disease by helping reduce cholesterol levels due to its monounsaturated fats. Furthermore, it could help manage blood sugar and decrease inflammation.
Extra virgin olive oil stands out as an ideal choice, with its low smoke point and healthy-promoting compounds than regular (or “pure”, “light”) olive oils. Use extra virgin for salad dressings, roast vegetables and meat dishes or drizzle it over baked goods!
Garlic
Garlic may be best known for its pungent aroma and flavor, but its nutritional profile is much greater. Packed full of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory phytochemicals and other beneficial plant compounds, garlic packs an incredible nutritional punch.
Garlic (Allium sativum) belongs to the onion family, alongside shallots, leeks and chives. When chopped or chewed upon it releases allicin, which has numerous health benefits when eaten raw or chopped/crushed/chewen in food products.
Garlic has long been revered as an effective way of combatting everything from colds and flu to cholesterol and blood pressure reduction, inflammation reduction and strengthening immunity. Before adding garlic into your diet though, be sure to consult with a health care provider as certain medicines, like blood thinners may conflict with its benefits.
Kale
Kale is an hardy green that’s loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. With a low glycemic load and rich sources of lutein and zeaxanthin which may protect against macular degeneration and cataracts respectively. Furthermore, this source provides vitamin A which supports skin health as well as cell development.
Kale is an excellent source of antioxidants and contains glucosinolates, believed to help prevent cancer. People can add it to salads or bake it into chips; it also makes an excellent addition to soups and stews. Plus, kale provides calcium, vitamin K, iron potassium magnesium in abundance!
Onions
Onions are an indispensable ingredient for soups, casseroles and sauces in any kitchen and offer numerous health benefits. In particular, onions are rich sources of quercetin which helps combat inflammation and lower blood pressure while fiber promotes bowel movements and prevents constipation. Their quercetin content also supports cardiovascular health by helping lower cholesterol levels and prevent plaque build-up in arteries.
Onions contain sulfuric compounds and quercetin which have been shown to improve immune system functioning, while their antiseptic properties make them useful in treating colds and bronchitis.
