In a nutshell: There are many great reasons to love healthy food. Here are five terrific foods that you may not know offer great health benefits.
If you’re like me and love to eat, often you may find difficult the challenge of selecting between healthy food and drink that taste like cardboard and food and drink that taste terrific but will kill you shortly afterward. (That’s right, vodka, I’m talking to you!) There are many, many great foods out there, however, that are actually delicious and deliver a powerful health punch to keep you in terrific shape. These are five of my favorites:
1) Quinoa. I love quinoa, and can’t resist anything with quinoa in it. My wife usually makes it into a minestrone soup with tomatoes and beans for a delicious, high-fiber dish; she also sneaks it into Nathan and Nicki’s creamy macaroni soup. (You can click here for three terrific quinoa recipes from Patricia Green.) Its health benefits, according to this website, include the following:
- It has high protein, calcium, iron, vitamin E and B vitamin content;
- It has an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans;
- With 12% to 18% protein content, quinoa has more protein than barley, corn, and rice. Half a cup can provide a child’s complete daily protein requirement.
- Its 6-7% fat content may be higher than other grains, but it’s low in sodium and high in starch and fiber.
- Quinoa is gluten-free, which is great for folks who suffer from high uric acid, arthritis, and gout.
2) Mustard. Mustard is a must-have on my sandwiches and salads. My favorite mustard-based dish is a simple tuna, mayo, and mustard mix that one can put on whole-wheat bread, salads, or even quinoa! LOL According to this website, mustard has the following great characteristics:
- Mustard is great for your digestion and helps speed up one’s metabolism.
- Mustard seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, protein, selenium and zinc.
- Mustard can stimulate digestion by increasing your saliva production by as much as 800% percent.
- Studies have shown mustard can inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells.
- The anti-inflammatory properties of mustard reduces the severity of asthma attack; arthritis, and migraines.
- Mustard soothes sore throat!
3) Kimchi. Kimchi is one of my favorite foods, a spicy, delicious, and healthy alternative to rice and bread. According to this website, the benefits of kimchi include:
- Kimchi is low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin C, carotene, vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium, and iron.
- Its characteristic marinade contains lactic acid bacteria, which aids in digestion.
- Some studies show kimchi can reduce growth of certain types of cancer; however, excess consumption can be a risk factor in gastric cancer. (South Korea has the highest occurrence of gastric cancer in the world.)
