Eating healthy is a choice that everyone seeks. These are the days of supplements. Every day people take tens vitamins, energy or nutrient supplements. The fact of the matter is no one is sure whether purified nutrients taken as pills serve as effectively as those nutrients served in natural form. For example, studies have shown that fresh orange juice acts as a better antioxidant than vitamin C pills.
There are so many natural food items available. The best way to consume healthy food supplements is to include them in the daily diet rather than take them in pill form. A little thought and planning goes a long way in eating healthy every day. Eating healthy food supplements daily need not be expensive.
Turmeric: A Simple Healthy Food
Turmeric would certainly form part of any healthy recipe. Commonly used, turmeric is the root of the plant Curcuma longa. It has been used as a healthy food supplement and medicinal plant in India for thousands of years, and remains an ingredient of the common curry powder in all Indian homes. Curcumin is the active component of turmeric. Hundreds of research articles are published on the beneficial effects of curcumin or turmeric.
Some healthy benefits of turmeric include antioxidant properties, cancer prevention, liver detoxification, anti-inflammatory benefits, antibacterial benefits, effects as a pain killer and wound healer, and skin nourishing properties. Turmeric can easily be included as part of daily diet. Mix a little turmeric powder with milk and honey or buttermilk and consume daily. Include turmeric in everyday food for healthy cooking. Sprinkle a little turmeric powder on the pizza or salad. Turmeric is available in powder form in any Indian store. There are even some online Indian stores that mail products to the home. Click this link to see research work on turmeric: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=turmeric
Sprouts: Healthy Proteins and Nutrients
Sprouts of grains, beans and seeds are excellent sources of proteins and nutrients, and are one of the healthiest foods out there. Sprouts are easy to produce and inexpensive. Green peas, chick peas, green grams, all can be made to sprout by soaking them in water at night. Since homemade sprouts are prone to contamination, it is better to eat them as soon as they are ready. It is not a smart idea to leave them at room temperature for too long. Take sprouts with cereals for breakfast or add to salad and any other side dishes for healthy eating.
Indian Gooseberry (Amla): A Marvelous Healthy Food
The Indian gooseberry or amla is another everyday healthy food that is inexpensive and healthy. The amla fruit looks like little green apples and tastes sour. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, amino acids, vitamin B complex, minerals and carotene. The gooseberry is widely used as part of the traditional ayurvedic medicine in India.
Studies report antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiulcerogenic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, and chemopreventive properties of the fruit. In fact, amla is a better antioxidant than vitamin C because amla contains tannins emblicanins A and B and these tannins work together with vitamin C to produce an overwhelming antioxidant effect. Amla is available in Indian groceries as frozen fruits and pickles. Click this link to see research work on Indian gooseberry: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=amla+fruit
Bitter Gourd: The Bitter Healthy Food
Bitter gourd or bitter melon, as the name suggests, is a vegetable that tastes bitter. It is green in color, oblong in shape and looks like a cucumber with ugly bumps. This vegetable-fruit turns orange-reddish when ripe and tastes even more bitter. If the consumer can tolerate the bitterness, then bitter gourd has a lot of healthy benefits to offer. It is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
Extensive research was done on the health benefits of bitter gourd. This vegetable has been used as medicine in countries like India, China, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana, Haiti, Mexico, Malaya, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. Studies report the anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-herpes, anti-polio virus and anti-cancer effects of bitter gourd. Studies also show that the fruit or extracts of bitter gourd significantly lower blood glucose concentration in diabetic animals. Clinical trials on diabetic patients also report consumption of bitter gourd as a daily supplement significantly improves glucose tolerance without any effect on insulin.
However, pregnant women should not take bitter gourd, as it is believed to cause miscarriage. Some reports also suggest bitter gourd reduces sperm count in men. Bitter gourd is available in Indian and Chinese grocery stores as vegetable and frozen foods. It can be fried, cooked or even taken as juice. Click this link to see the latest research work on bitter gourd: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=bitter+gourd
Dates: The Healthy Dessert Food
Dates are the fruits of the date palm tree grown mainly in the Middle East and Northern Africa. These fruits are packed with nutrients. Dates are a nutritious food for people prone to anemia as they are excellent source of iron. Dates are also an excellent source of fiber and functions as laxative. The presence of selenium makes the dates a potent antioxidant, as well. Click this link to see the latest research work on date fruit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=date+fruit
Regular consumption of these five healthy foods will take care of a good part of anyone's nutritional requirements. What makes these healthy foods beneficial is the availability of nutrients when they are in their natural form.
Caution: Some vegetables may be allergenic to some people. It is recommended to assess whether the food is allergenic or not before beginning regular consumption.
Gangadharan Sajithlal - I am a biomedical researcher, currently working on cancer biology. My previous research areas include molecular changes in diabetes, DNA ...
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