Ahealthy diet is the best thing you can do for disease prevention, wellness and for a better quality of life. To amp it up a notch, check out these simple tweaks to make your already healthy meals, even healthier.
» Drizzle apple cider vinegar on salads. When you think of a healthy meal, salad probably comes to mind. But did you know that the dressing can be healthy too? By making your own dressing using apple cider vinegar, you turn a salad into a powerful, healing meal. Apple cider vinegar contains probiotics which provide numerous benefits including boosting the immune system and healing GI issues. For a tasty salad dressing, combine raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, a bit of local honey and salt and pepper to taste.
» Add chia seeds and walnuts to your oatmeal. Oats can be a healthy breakfast option because they are a high fiber food. One of the healthiest oat options is steel cut oats because it is the least processed, therefore, the benefits and nutrients of steel cut oats are left intact unlike other oatmeal. Steel cut oats take a bit longer to cook, so if you are in a hurry rolled oats can be a good second option. However, avoid the instant oats containing sugar and artificial ingredients because these have very little nutritional value. To make your oatmeal a superfood breakfast, add in some walnuts and chia seeds. This makes your oatmeal a complete breakfast by getting your protein and healthy fats all from one bowl.
» Add turmeric to almost anything. There isn’t much limit to what you can add turmeric to. It goes well with many foods including soups, chili, meats, hot teas, roasted veggies, smoothies, marinades and spreads. Turmeric is a spice that many cultures eat on a regular basis. Turmeric is extremely anti-inflammatory, and has even been shown to be as effective as some anti-inflammatory drugs.
» Increase the vitamin D in your mushrooms. Mushrooms are one of the few foods that actually contain vitamin D. However, many commercially cultivated mushrooms are often grown indoors, therefore, usually contain very little amounts of vitamin D. Unlike wild mushrooms, which are rich in vitamin D because they get sun exposure. However, studies show that you can produce vitamin D in the mushrooms you purchase from the store by exposing your mushrooms with the “gills” (under the caps) facing the sun to increase D production.
» Eat the yolk and add veggies to eggs. Eggs provide protein, healthy fats and are carb and sugar free, which means a healthy breakfast option. When eating eggs, make sure you consume the yolk because that is where the vitamin D is located. To provide additional benefits from your scrambled eggs or omelet, add in veggies. Omelets are an easy way to get at least half a serving of your daily veggie recommendation. Eggs pair well with so many veggies including spinach, avocado, onions, and tomatoes.
» Crush garlic, then wait 10 minutes before cooking. Garlic is a healing food that should be a part of your diet, especially during the cold/flu season. Garlic has anti-bacterial and antiviral properties that help support the immune system and has been show to help prevent and recover from colds quicker. To maximize the health benefits of garlic, crush your garlic and then wait 10 minutes before using it. Crushing garlic releases allicin. Allicin is the compound in garlic that contains the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-oxidant properties. The benefits of allicin can be best reaped when it’s finely chopped or minced and then left to sit out for a bit. » Add some chili spice. If you can handle the heat, try adding some chili or cayenne pepper to your diet. Studies show that chili can help reduce blood sugar spikes after a meal.
Comments