A varied and balanced diet is always recommended for maintaining good health. This should provide the nutrients your body needs for daily work. But what foods are essential to achieve that?
Research conducted by renowned nutritionists and even by WHO experts have constantly reminded us that essential food should be eaten on a daily basis. Also, they remind us of the need to considerably reduce the consumption of refined sugar, salt and processed products. But which foods can help us to be healthy and why?
Find out here, without further ado, the most needed food for good health and what the main benefits they provide. You should plan to include one or more of them in your daily diet.
Contents
Essential foods
Wise nature has provided us with countless products that definitely contribute to providing us with the necessary nutrients and energy to maintain the so much desired condition of being healthy.
We will refer to some of the most beneficial ones so that you can include them in your dietary regime.
Vegetables
Vegetables are a favorite product for many people and you can eat as many as you want at every meal without any inconvenience.
It is well known that they are rich in fiber, plus each vegetable contains its own micronutrients: vitamins and minerals. They definitely help the body, the immune system, the digestive system and the brain to function properly.
To make the most of their virtues, choose fresh, local, seasonal and preferably organic products. These criteria guarantee the conservation of their nutritional values until the moment of their consumption. However, if this is not possible, frozen vegetables without added salt are a good alternative.
It is good to know that green vegetables are your best health allies. Available in every season, they are among those that contain the most micronutrients.
Cook’s tip: To preserve their benefits, consume vegetables raw or cooked at low temperature.
Oily fish
It favors the balance of fatty acids. This is because oily fish contains a large amount of omega-3.
Omega-3, 6 and 9 are the fatty acids found in lipids. A balance of these helps maintain a healthy body and brain. In the West, the usual diet contains too much omega-6. Eating oily fish helps to rebalance the ratio of these fatty acids.
Here are some species of this fish family:
-
Mackerel.
-
Sardines.
-
Herring.
-
Tuna.
-
Salmon.
In addition to lipids, these fish are an excellent source of protein, vitamins B and D. They also provide a significant amount of phosphorus, iron and selenium. This sum of micronutrients contributes to the maintenance of good cardiovascular health. It also helps reduce the risk of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Fresh fruits
Fruit also provides large amounts of vitamins and minerals. Consumed daily, they help maintain good health and a balanced diet. Their calorie content is usually higher than that of vegetables, as is their carbohydrate (sugar) content.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of fruits with high nutritional value:
-
Apples.
-
Orange.
-
Bananas.
-
Blueberries.
-
Peaches.
-
Pears.
-
Coconut.
You can not miss preparing a delicious recipe with coconut that you will find in the link mahatmarice.com/recipes/easy-coconut-rice/. It is the traditional rice with coconut that you can cook following the simple instructions provided. You will taste a really appetizing recipe, but above all a food for good health.
It is interesting to eat fruit at the beginning of the day and before any physical or mental effort. This is because sugar is the main fuel for the brain. In addition, carbohydrates are directly assimilated by the muscles during physical or sports activity.
Nuts and dried fruits
To increase your daily fiber intake, you can eat nuts. They can easily be added to breakfast, muesli or porridge. They are easy to carry and provide a healthy snack at your fingertips. Preferred nuts are:
-
Figs.
-
Dates.
-
Prunes.
As for dried fruits, they contain a significant amount of essential fatty acids. Among those with the highest nutritional value are:
-
Dried fruits.
-
Almonds.
-
Hazelnuts.
Seeds
Adding certain seeds to your dishes, salads or cereals is an easy way to increase your vitamin and mineral intake.
The seeds with the best nutritional content are:
-
Flax.
-
Chia.
-
Sunflower.
-
Pumpkin.
-
Millet.
These seeds are rich in fiber, vegetable proteins and omega 3 and 6. These foods, which are sold dry, also have the advantage of being able to be preserved for a long time.
Fresh eggs
Eating eggs provides many vitamins (A, D, E, K, B2, B5, B6, B8, B12). This condensed package of micronutrients supports, among other things, the immune system, the fixation of calcium in the bones and the functioning of brain cells.
Rich in protein, egg whites are also a good source of iron. The yolk, on the other hand, is composed of fat. Quality eggs contain a balanced supply of omega 3, 6 and 9.
