Hey there, viewers! Let me ask you, when was the last time you had cauliflower?
It was something a lot of us ran from as kids. Whether you like cauliflower or not,
there’s no denying that it’s super nutritious. This unique veggie has
plant compounds that can reduce your risk of several diseases. Even heart diseases and cancer!
Cauliflower is also great for people watching their weight. In today’s video,
we’re going to talk about the health benefits of cauliflower.
Sure, it’s packed with nutrients, but what else? Is it a good source of fiber?
Can it give you antioxidants? We’ll talk about all of these AND more…
Packed with nutrients Cauliflowers are packed with all the important
vitamins and minerals your body needs. One cup of raw cauliflower has as much as 77% of the
vitamin C your body needs on a daily basis. You also get 3 grams of fiber, and only 25 calories.
The same amount of cauliflower also gives you around 10% of your body’s
daily requirement of potassium and manganese. You also get 4% magnesium and phosphorus.
Cauliflower is also a key source of vitamin B6. One cup of cauliflower gives more than 10% of the
B6 you need every day. You also get around 15% of folate, which is another type of B vitamin.
Can help you lose weight Cauliflower is very low on calories,
making it the perfect addition to your diet when you’re trying to lose weight.
You can eat a good amount of cauliflower without having to worry if you’ve put some pounds on.
Because it has such a low amount of calories, it’s a great alternative to high-calorie foods.
You can swap cauliflower for foods such as flour and rice.
Cauliflowers also come with a good amount of fiber. This helps you feel full for a longer
period after you complete your meal. You won’t feel the need to snack in between meals either.
The fiber also helps slow down your digestion process. You will have the required amount
of energy all because of the slower digestion. Since you have enough energy throughout the day,
you won’t need to add to your calorie intake. Cauliflowers also have a lot of water in them.
Eating foods with high water content is known to help with weight loss.
You can try the cauliflower rice recipe to make a tasty cauliflower meal. Have it for lunch or
dinner. You’ll just need 3 minutes to prepare, and 7 minutes to cook. Cauliflower rice is made
up of finely chopped pieces of cauliflower that are small enough to look like grains of rice.
The thin chopping is usually done by hand or pulsed in a food processor.
Cauliflower rice is a low carb substitute for grains. It’s often eaten as a side dish with
some dressing or herbs for flavor. You can eat it raw or cook it very quickly. You only want to cook
it a little, otherwise, it becomes soft and mushy. It’s best to eat cauliflower rice within a day or
two of making it. It doesn’t freeze well. If you try to thaw it out, it only becomes more watery.
Keep in mind, you can make cauliflower grains a few days ahead, and store them
in an airtight container in the fridge. So, how do you cook cauliflower rice?
It’s pretty simple. Heat a little oil in the frying pan and add all the flavorings
and spices you like. I personally like smoked paprika and fennel seeds.
When the seeds are crackling, add cauliflower rice and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until heated.
And… you’re done! Put it in a bowl, and serve it hot with curries and tagines.
If you don’t like the idea of shallow frying, you can also microwave it on high for 2 to 3
minutes to steam the rice. Cauliflower rice can be used in sushi wraps as well!
Works as a substitute for legumes Like I said, cauliflower has fewer calories. Along
with grains, you can use them as a substitute for legumes. A cup of cauliflower gives you only 5
grams of carbs. If you eat a cup of rice, you get as much as 45 grams. That’s nearly 10 times more!
There are a number of recipes where you can replace grains and legumes with cauliflower.
Instead of using chickpeas for your hummus, cauliflower works great.
You can replace rice, whether white or brown, with grated and cooked cauliflower.
Those who eat mashed potatoes can also use cauliflower instead.
This reduces the carbs you load through potatoes. Cauliflower is also quite easy to make.
You can use cooked cauliflower in mac and cheese as well. Add cauliflowers to your tortillas
to make them part of your low-carb diet. The number of ways you can use cauliflowers
in your recipes is endless. It’s one of the most versatile veggies around.
Packed with fiber
Fiber content is very important if you want to stay healthy. You should make sure your diet
is always high in fiber. One way to do that is by adding cauliflower to your meals. One cup
of cauliflower gives you 3 grams of fiber. This counts as 10% of your body’s daily requirement.
Fiber is important for your body. It can help promote the healthy bacteria in your gut.
When your gut is healthy, it reduces the chances of inflammation.
A good gut also makes sure your digestive health is in top shape.
If you want to avoid constipation, you need to make sure you get enough fiber every day.
A lack of fiber can also cause inflammatory bowel disease.
Research has shown that a diet packed with fiber can help prevent diseases such as cancer
and diabetes. Fiber also keeps you satiated for a longer period. You won’t feel the need
to snack in between meals, which reduces the number of calories you have in a day.
Packed with choline (ko-leen) Choline is an essential nutrient
required by your body to maintain your overall health. A lot of people are
deficient in choline. You can avoid this by including cauliflower in your regular diet.
A cup of cauliflower comes with 45 milligrams of choline. This comes to 8% of the daily
requirement for men. The same amount is around 11% of what women require every day.
Choline is necessary to make sure your metabolism functions the right way. It’s also crucial in
synthesizing DNA. Choline also makes sure the cell membranes maintain their integrity.
This nutrient is also important to make sure you have a healthy and functioning nervous system.
It helps in brain development and aids in the production of neurotransmitters. Without adequate
choline, you end up with degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Choline can also help reduce the amount of particles that collect in your liver.
If you don’t get enough choline through your diet, you can end up with liver disease. You can also
end up suffering heart-related illnesses. Cauliflower is one of your best sources of
choline. Not many other vegetables or food sources can give you this nutrient in this quantity.
Easy to include in your diet You don’t have to make a lot of changes to
your diet to add cauliflower. It goes so well with so many recipes. Since it’s so easy to prepare,
you’ll have it ready in a matter of minutes. Raw cauliflower can also be dipped in hummus
and eaten as a snack. You can also cook it in numerous ways. You can sauté it, steam it,
or even roast the cauliflower before eating. Cauliflowers also work as a side dish. You can
eat the veggie along with your soup and salads. It can also be used in casseroles and stir-fry.
Cauliflowers are also easily available. You can get them in almost any grocery store.
On top of that, they’re pretty cheap, which is always a plus if you’re on a tight budget.
(Pause) Packed with antioxidants
The antioxidants in cauliflower are endless. These are important for fighting the free
radicals in your body. When there are too many free radicals, it leads to oxidative damage.
Cauliflowers are particularly rich in two groups of antioxidants that can slow down
the growth of cancer cells. Research among various test-tube studies has shown these
antioxidants are particularly helpful against prostate, colon, lung, and breast cancer.
Cauliflowers also have flavonoids and carotenoids. These antioxidants are effective against cancer
growth. They’re also great at reducing your chances of suffering heart disease.
This vegetable also has a good amount of vitamin C.
This particular vitamin also works as an antioxidant.
It helps prevent inflammation in your body. The vitamin C from cauliflowers can boost
your immunity levels, while bringing down the chances of cancer and heart disease.
Packed with sulforaphane Cauliflower is packed with another important
antioxidant called sulforaphane. This helps stop the growth of the enzyme that causes cancer.
Research has also shown that sulforaphane can destroy cells that have been affected by cancer.
This makes sure the tumor doesn’t grow and spread to other organs in your body.
Sulforaphane is particularly effective against prostate cancer as well as colon cancer.
On top of that, it has also been seen to have a positive impact
on breast and pancreatic cancers, among others.
This antioxidant is not only effective against cancer, but also helps lower your blood pressure
levels. If you get enough sulforaphane, you can make sure your arteries remain healthy.
The result is a strong heart and reduced chances of cardiovascular disease.
Research on animals has also suggested that sulforaphane can prevent diabetes.
To add to that, it may be effective against diseases caused by diabetes, like kidney failure.
Eating cauliflower as part of a regular diet can help give your body the
sulforaphane it needs to keep you healthy. Cauliflower is definitely healthy for you.
But so are other veggies, herbs and spices. For instance, parsley and pumpkin have amazing health
benefits you might not even know about. Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more videos,
shall we? Here’s what you need to know… Check out 15 Powerful Health Benefits
Of Parsley You Never Knew About. You should also try What Happens To
Your Body When You Eat Pumpkin Seeds Every Day. Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both,
and learn more about how good nutrition helps your body. Did you know about the
health benefits of cauliflower before watching this video? Let us know in the comments below!