Hi there viewers! Does your grocery list usually
include cookies, chips, and soda? Processed foods are usually doused with preservatives,
fats, and sugar which can ruin your health in no time. If you are aiming for a healthier version of
yourself then eating certain foods can literally be a mindful and more sustainable approach.
In today's video let's talk about healthy foods that you can eat every day.
Are sweet potatoes on the list? What about fish?
Should you eat bread or chocolate every day? We’re discussing all that and more.
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Let's begin with my favorite, oats.
They are so much better than boxed cereal. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say oats are
the best breakfast staple and a wholesome source of fiber. Fiber improves heart health. It also
stops you from grabbing a packet of chips before lunchtime and keeps you satiated for longer.
Give it a try, studies have shown oats to reduce cholesterol and fight cancer.
Its high nutritional content has made manufacturers produce oat bread, biscuits,
cookies, probiotic drinks, flakes, and infant food. You can have overnight
oats with berries and peanut butter to try and keep the meal more balanced.
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Swap regular potatoes for sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes have a multitude of health benefits. Orange, white, and purple varieties
are loaded with vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. Anthocyanins from purple sweet
potatoes can slow down the growth of bladder, colon and breast cancer cells. Anthocyanins
also help in reducing the inflammation in your brain and prevent free radical damage.
Sweet potatoes give an incredible dose of beta carotene that can support healthy
vision. It's a key vegetable for boosting immunity and is also diabetes-friendly.
Don't sabotage the goodness of this vegetable by adding refined sugar and vegetable oils.
Use your air fryer to make crispy, roasted sweet potatoes. Dust them with salt, garlic powder,
and dried oregano. You can add them to your tacos and enjoy a healthy snack.
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Moving along have eggs.
Make the first meal of your day nutritious and power-packed with a few eggs. Boiled
eggs can be a real quick and easy way to bulk up your breakfast. You can add them on top of
your avocado toast or make creamy egg salad. Whether you're making fluffy omelets or fancy
eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce you are sure to get a super energy boost for the day.
One egg contains 70 calories and about 6 grams of protein. It is rich in leucine,
a compound that plays an important role in muscle building. It also packs b-vitamins
and a brain-boosting compound, choline. There has been speculation around their cholesterol
but according to a review, you can have 7 eggs per week and keep your heart healthy.
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Do you have oranges on your kitchen counter?
If yes, make sure you eat them regularly. Citrus fruits like oranges, sweet limes,
kiwi, pineapple, grapes, tangerines, papaya, and guava are the torch bearers of Vitamin C.
This water-soluble vitamin can boost your immune system, stimulate collagen production in your skin
and make you look radiant. It even facilitates faster wound healing and maintains oral health.
If you have iron-deficiency anemia, having Vitamin C-rich foods can help better absorb iron.
If you love orange juice then avoid the store-bought kind. Try squeezing fresh orange
juice at home and keep it as pulpy as possible. That way you will get more fiber in your system.
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Did you have any yogurt today?
This food dominates the dairy section of almost all grocery stores. Yogurt bowls are all the
rage. We have a winning breakfast recipe that will keep you full until your next meal. All you
need is some thick Greek yogurt, plenty of fresh fruit, a protein-like almond or peanut butter,
some granola mix, ground flax seeds, and a drizzle of honey. Bon, appetite friends!
Yogurt contains probiotics that relieve constipation. It supplies your gut with
healthy bacteria and reduces the number of bad gut bacteria. This indirectly
strengthens your immune system. It’s perfect for weight management as well. The calcium
and vitamin D in yogurt strengthens your bones. So it's an everyday must-have.
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Sip on green tea. Tea is the most popular
beverage globally. However green and black tea are processed differently than regular
tea leaves. For making green tea the young leaves are plucked and steamed immediately
to prevent fermentation. This gives a stable dry product that has a typical green color. The entire
process is delicate and preserves the natural polyphenols and other health-promoting compounds.
EGCG, an antioxidant from green tea, can prevent cancer. Studies
also show green tea has the potential to ward off cardiovascular disease,
inflammation, arthritis, bacterial infections, and viruses. It also monitors your cholesterol
levels. You can add fresh mint leaves to your green tea to make it more crisp and refreshing.
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Not a fan of green tea? Drink milk.
With so many going vegan and dairy-free the benefits of milk can really become lost. Studies
show milk can improve body composition and speed up your weight loss journey. It also can reduce
the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Milk is a great source of
high-quality protein. It also contains amino acids, B vitamins, calcium, and Vitamin D.
But if you are lactose intolerant it is best to stick with plant-based milk like soy, oat,
almond, coconut or hemp seed milk. Do I see a milk mustache already?
(pause) Don't forget a bowl of berries.
Summer is the time when the berries are at their best. You can choose from strawberries,
raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. You can also eat locally grown blackcurrants,
acai berries, grapes, and cranberries. They can be snuck into pies, smoothies, salads, oats, and
granola bars. Some might not be available in their fresh form but frozen berries work just fine.
The rich color is due to phytochemicals like anthocyanins. The red, violet, purple and blue
color is responsible for making them one of the best anti-cancer foods. Berries prevent
heart disease, cancer and fights premature aging. That's why they are rightly called superfoods.
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Anyone up for fish?
Oily fish, especially salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines,
and anchovies can be included in your daily diet. They are known for their high protein content and
omega-3 fatty acids. These prevent cognitive decline of your brain and impact your mood,
behavior, and mental functioning. Fish also give you shiny hair and fabulous skin.
Studies have shown fish to reduce symptoms of arthritis. Vitamin D enhances bone mineralization
and Vitamin A reduces the chances of macular degeneration. So have a filet of fish with
rice or cut them into bite-size pieces for your stew and devour the burst of flavors.
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Enjoy a slice of multigrain bread.
Break the monotony of white bread. It contains simple carbs and lacks major
nutrients. Multigrain bread on the other hand is a mixture of a variety of grains
and seeds. It's the Holy Grail of all bread. The oats, pumpkin, sunflower,
and black sesame seeds on the outside add an extra dose of crunchiness. Whereas buckwheat,
brown rice, barley, bulgur, millet, oatmeal, and whole wheat flour can be used to make bread.
Studies have shown people who ate whole wheat bread for 12 weeks had significantly
lower body weight and reduced HbA1c, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.
This bread can even keep you away from a stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.
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Up next, Kale is all you need.
Kale is jam-packed with vitamin A, B6, K, C, folate, manganese, copper, and potassium. It
is especially important for maintaining eye health and keeping your bones strong. It enhances blood
circulation and prevents blood clotting. It's absolutely essential for brain development.
Blitz a few leaves of kale with your favorite fruit and nuts to make a delicious smoothie.
It will help you hit your daily requirement of antioxidants. If you want something savory,
just roughly tear kale leaves and throw them in the veggies left in your fridge.
Chop some onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans,
brown rice, or tofu and make a delicious buddha bowl. Drizzle
a dressing of your choice and devour this mixture of flavors and textures.
Studies show that kale retains maximum nutrition when eaten raw, slightly cooked, or blanched.
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Legumes are perfect for your next meal.
Chickpeas, black beans, lima beans, kidney beans, and green peas belong to the legume
family. They are loaded with fiber, carbohydrates, iron, copper, manganese,
zinc, phosphorus, and B vitamins. They are an important source of protein for vegans.
Studies show legumes significantly lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease,
stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The DASH and Mediterranean diet include a lot of legumes.
They have a low glycemic index, are low in fats, and can be consumed by diabetics too.
Cooking legumes is easy. Just soak them overnight before cooking. Drain the water,
add fresh water and a pinch of salt. Bring them to boil and they are ready to use in your salads,
soups, and stews. You can even pressure cook them. Hard legumes may require extra cooking
time to soften. You can double a batch of cooked legumes and keep the extra portion refrigerated
for five days. Alternatively, you can buy canned legumes just to save all the kitchen work.
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Snack on almonds.
Almonds are one of the most energy-dense nuts. They contain monounsaturated fats,
minerals like magnesium and copper, and a bunch of phytonutrients. They can be a decent
source of fiber and have a unique property of managing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
They also reduce oxidative stress, body weight, and inflammatory responses
and maintain blood sugar levels. Their cholesterol-lowering properties can
increase your longevity. Sprinkle a few almonds on your salads or just
throw a handful of nuts in your bag to munch on when you are on the go.
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Last but not least, have dark chocolate.
Because sometimes you just need a little something sweet on your healthy menu.
You will be surprised to know that cacao has been used as a health-boosting food for 3000 years.
Dark chocolate has an edge over milk chocolate
because the manufacturing process retains compounds called epicatechin and flavonols.
These antioxidants can ward off free radicals. Dark chocolate also reduces blood pressure,
inflammation, and hyperlipidemia. It increases the bioavailability of
nitric oxide for mitochondria and boosts cardiovascular health. Having the entire
bar of chocolate in one go can be unhealthy, just limit your intake at one or two bites.
Healthy eating can be life-changing. It can keep you active,
improve concentration and keep your system disease-free. Wondering where to start?
Let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more healthy food-related videos, shall we?
Watch 20 effortless healthy food swaps to cut thousands of calories
or 12 healthy foods you should eat in the morning.
Go ahead. Click one or better yet watch both and learn about foods that you can eat to
get healthy. Which healthy foods do you eat every day? Let us know in the comments below.