The best foods for our health

Maintaining impeccable health and excellent well-being is impossible without proper nutrition . Both doctors and representatives of unofficial medicine advise consuming healthy and natural products. A healthy lifestyle and poor nutrition are simply two completely incompatible concepts. And in order to count yourself among those who care about their own health, you should not only monitor what is present in the daily menu, but also have a clear idea of ​​how certain food groups affect the body.

How are vegetables good for the body?

Vegetables are present in literally every healthy nutrition menu. This group of products includes not only fruits, but also roots, leaves, and tubers. There are fruits that are biologically classified as berries, but, due to their taste and characteristics, are actually classified as vegetables. One striking example is tomatoes.

Any vegetables grown exclusively in a natural way have health value. They are vital for humans. Without them, the full functioning of cells, organs and tissues is impossible. This is due to the fact that they contain:

• trace elements and minerals;
• a small amount of vegetable protein;
• dietary fiber - fiber;
• vitamins.

The benefit of fiber for humans is that it promotes natural cleansing of the body. Against the background of a deficiency of this substance, decomposition products with toxins begin to accumulate first in the intestines, and then in other organs.

The list of vegetables that can be included in the usual diet is determined by which of them are most accessible. In our latitudes these are:

Carrot

It is a valuable source of carotene - vitamin A, has high nutritional and antioxidant properties, helps stimulate digestive processes and improve the quality of blood.

Cabbage

The most useful varieties are considered to be cabbage and broccoli. Cabbage contains a high concentration of fiber, several dozen microelements and vitamins. The vegetable crop is highly valued by doctors because it cleanses the blood of harmful cholesterol, resists the development of malignant tumors, and increases the protective functions of the immune system. Cabbage is no less valuable for dietary nutrition.

Garlic and onion

Champions in the number of phytoncides that have a positive effect on the immune system. These vegetable crops increase the body's resistance to bacteria, viruses, and toxins.

Tomatoes

Contains lycopene, lutein and many beneficial substances. Tomatoes have antioxidant effects and have a beneficial effect on vision.

Plant products, supporting all the vital functions of the body, also have a therapeutic effect and help in the treatment of dysfunctions, disorders of organs and systems. Their use on a regular basis allows you to resist the development of many pathologies and diseases.

Proper nutrition - healthy eating

Proper nutrition is the key to health, strength and beauty. Hippocrates also said: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what makes you sick.” A healthy person is most often quite inattentive to what he eats. When people get sick, they go to pharmacies for expensive medications, forgetting about such a reliable and permanent remedy as food. The saying of Hippocrates is still relevant: “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine your food.”

Our health, disease prevention, and life expectancy largely depend on proper nutrition, based on nutritional science.

Healthy nutrition is an ancient and wise science, its laws are simple: variety, balance, sense of proportion. We eat more than we expend energy, so everyone needs to increase their physical activity to be in harmony with ourselves and nature.

The influence of nutrition on life expectancy and longevity has been experimentally proven. The conditions for longevity were formulated by the ancients: eat less, move more, always be in a good mood

The harm of poor nutrition manifests itself gradually. Therefore, many people often treat the issue of nutrition with insufficient attention and seriousness. Unfortunately, there is still an opinion that eating right means eating delicious food and as much as you want.

How often do we underestimate the role of proper nutrition, prepare food hastily, without paying attention to the selection of products and dishes.

Until now, many people treat vegetables and fruits as “frivolous” food. But food of plant origin contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the body, it is low-calorie, has an anti-atherosclerotic effect, improves metabolism, and normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists decided to divide foods into groups depending on how beneficial they are for the human body. Over the course of many decades, this model was formed and modified to acquire its final form, which was called the universal food pyramid. This happened in America in 1992.

Since then, this theory has spread throughout the world, but each country has developed its own pyramid, which depended on the national characteristics and gastronomic habits of a given region. New discoveries in science and medicine over the past decade have also made adjustments to the structure of the food pyramid. The latest pyramid was developed by the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles. Unfortunately, an independent version of the pyramid, adapted for residents of the post-Soviet countries, has not been created.

What is the purpose of the healthy eating pyramid? At the heart of the food pyramid are the healthiest foods, on which the diet should be based.
Above the main level there are three more floors, which gradually narrow as the benefits of foods in the human diet decrease. The foundation of the pyramid, and as a result the basis for our health, are vegetables and fruits. After all, it is vegetables and fruits that contain the largest amount of vitamins and microelements. These products are low in calories and contain the optimal amount of energy.

Cereals and cereals rich in fiber settled on the second floor of the pyramid. This also includes potatoes, durum wheat pasta and brown rice. Fiber and starch, which are abundant in these foods, promote healthy digestion.

The third floor contains high protein foods. This category can be divided into two parts. The first is dairy and fermented milk products. The second is animal proteins (meat and eggs), plant proteins (legumes) and seafood.

The top of the pyramid was headed by the so-called flavoring additives and seasonings: garlic, aromatic herbs, peppers, avocados, olives, nuts.

The previous pyramid also had a fifth floor, which included animal fats, butter and sweets. However, in the new version these products are excluded completely. The developers of the pyramid came to a consensus - these products have nothing to do with a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

The basic principle of the pyramid is the rule that you must eat food from all four floors every day. However, products from the lower floor (vegetables and fruits) should make up half of the daily diet, the totality of products from other sectors of the pyramid will make up the second half (25% - cereals, 20% - milk, meat, fish, 5% - supplements).

To calculate portions, the following measures are taken: milk, yogurt - 1 glass, medium fruit - 1 piece, bread - 1 slice, cereals, rice, pasta - 90-100 grams, eggs - 2 pieces.

It is recommended to eat 7 to 11 servings of vegetables and fruits daily. It is advisable that each portion be a different color. Ideally, a healthy daily diet should contain foods of all colors of the rainbow. It is better to start the day with yellow and orange fruits (orange or carrot juice), during lunch it will be useful to eat something green (cabbage, cucumbers), but in the evening, pink or red foods (tomatoes, berries) will be just right.

Second floor products should make up about a third of your diet (6 - 7 servings daily). Cereals should be chosen in dark colors; they contain less carbohydrates, unlike light cereals, and pasta made from durum wheat. You should not overuse potatoes. Give preference to bread made from rye flour.

Among protein products, nutritionists advise paying attention to fish. For meat products, you should consume lean beef and veal, as well as white meat chicken and turkey. But it is better to exclude sausage, frankfurters and semi-finished products from the diet. Dairy products include kefir, yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese. The daily diet should include 1-2 servings (100-150g) of such products.

It is believed that we fully obtain products from the top of the pyramid by consuming products from the lower floors. Therefore, their consumption must be kept to a minimum.

By following the principles of proper nutrition laid down in the pyramid, we not only provide a complete healthy diet, but also normalize metabolism and get rid of excess weight. Nutritionists around the world support the principles of the healthy eating pyramid, creating diets and weight loss programs based on it.

In order to be in shape and not suffer from hunger, you don’t have to go on a diet. If you're unhappy with your appearance but may accidentally gain weight, you don't have to eat less. It is enough to simply reduce the calorie content while maintaining the same amount of food eaten - switch from fatty to lighter. A food calorie table will help you with this. Under no circumstances should you reduce the frequency of your meals. On the contrary, it is recommended to eat more often, but in smaller portions. It would also not hurt to introduce fasting days into your daily routine and engage in sufficient physical activity.

The main and healthy diet is healthy eating, this is the healthiest way to be healthy and look your best. And if necessary, never switch to diet food without first consulting a doctor, since mindless fasting or excluding certain foods from consumption is fraught liver dysfunction, protein loss and vitamin deficiency.

Sometimes, in order to be healthy, we subject ourselves to such tests that would probably make the inquisitors feel bad: we either starve, then “cleanse ourselves,” or undergo treatment. Or maybe it’s better to adhere to the laws of reasonable nutrition? And then many problems will be solved at once: appearance, weight, health and budget.

Food should be varied and freshly prepared. Food that has been reheated many times and has been left in the refrigerator for several days loses its beneficial properties. Overcooking or overcooking food is unacceptable. A burnt crust will be harmful to health. It is necessary to pay attention to the quality of drinking water.

You should reduce your consumption of unhealthy foods. These are canned food, especially meat and fish, smoked products, hydrogenated fats, mayonnaise, Coca, Fanta and almost all carbonated drinks, many confectionery products. It is also advisable to avoid all salty foods, refined vegetable oils, sugar and all products containing it, table vinegar, and spices. Finally, it is recommended to limit the consumption of white bread made from refined flour and polished rice (especially for sick and immobile people).

Fans of all kinds of preservatives, flavoring additives, essences, emulsifiers, sweeteners, carcinogens, hot seasonings and canned food should know that fast food that came from the West with the beautiful name “Fast Food” is not only very harmful to our body, but simply catastrophically dangerous and poses a serious threat to our health. Despite the dubious advantages of fast food - speed of preparation and its special taste - it has a number of undoubted and very serious disadvantages. Our stomach and intestines are simply not accustomed to such foods, fatty and heavy. It is much easier and healthier for our body to eat what our ancestors ate for centuries - traditional porridges from various cereals, first courses for lunch and many of our own vegetables and fruits, which carry the least risk of allergies to them. In food outlets with a similar name - like McDonald's or Kentucky Chicken - literally all fried foods - sandwiches, hamburgers, French fries and fried chicken - contain oxidized cholesterol, which helps accelerate the development of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels. In addition, frequent consumption of fast food is fraught with heart disease, allergies, obesity, diabetes, stomach and liver disorders.

It is not for nothing that a large part of the US population suffers from obesity, because fast food has long become a part of their daily life and is so taken for granted that it is already considered the same complete food as home-cooked food.

It's never too late to try to change your lifestyle and eating habits for the better to be healthy.

Benefits of fruits

Natural, fresh, unprocessed fruits are of great value for the endocrine, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. They also contain a large amount of fiber and also normalize weight indicators. Fruits have a similar composition to vegetables and are an integral part of the diet.

The greatest value for a person is:

Apples

Rich in pectin, iron, fiber. The multicomponent composition has endowed this fruit with the ability to stimulate the process of natural elimination of harmful cholesterol and toxins, have a positive effect on intestinal motility, and reduce weight if consumed regularly.

Bananas

A natural source of natural carbohydrates, fructose and potassium.

Avocado

Contains unsaturated fats, microelements, vitamins, has an anti-carcinogenic effect, stimulates the process of collagen production, and, therefore, promotes rejuvenation of the body.

Fruits, according to the recommendations of doctors and nutritionists, should be present in the daily menu, since they support the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract, vascular and nervous systems, and prevent many diseases. However, when choosing these products, you should give preference to those grown in ecologically clean regions, without the use of synthetic and chemical stimulants.

Berries

They have properties similar to vegetables and fruits, with the exception of the composition, in which vitamins, nutrients, and microelements predominate, and the amount of fiber is not so high. They are natural antioxidants that regulate metabolic processes in the body, have a great taste and are a product that can be consumed as an independent dish.

There are many berries that are useful for humans, including strawberries, cloudberries, cherries, sea buckthorn, raspberries, grapes, blueberries, black currants, game, cranberries, and bird cherry. There are berries that are used as medicines and raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of herbal preparations.

Foods rich in antioxidants

So, what foods contain antioxidants? Plant foods contain more than 60 times more antioxidants than animal foods. Thus, in addition to all the already known arguments against eating meat, we received one more: plant foods interfere with oxidation processes in the body.

Thus, the healthiest foods in terms of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables

. However, not all plant foods are created equal. For example, in bananas the amount of antioxidants is one and a half times higher than in a pear, and slightly higher than in apples.

However, the advantage of bananas brought from overseas over our pears and apples is very dubious. Since the high amount of antioxidants in bananas can be more than compensated for by the chemical processing of these fruits, which sometimes take several months to arrive to us.

Plus, they also pick it green.

So it is still better to give preference to fruits that grow in our or neighboring regions.

Beans

They contain complete plant protein, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and microelements. Legumes do not contain harmful fats, but due to the presence of special substances, which, according to scientists, effectively resist the process of formation of abnormal cells, which subsequently form cancerous tumors.

The fiber present in them cleanses the digestive tract of undigested food residues and toxins. Since legumes belong to the category of “complex” carbohydrates, they are digested rather slowly, but they saturate the body with a large supply of nutrients and provide it with energy for a long time.

How to prepare a healthy dinner: recipes for healthy eating with photos

When choosing what to cook for dinner, you need to take into account that in the evening it is better to eat foods that are easily digested and quickly absorbed. Therefore, the main emphasis needs to be shifted towards foods rich in plant proteins.

Rational and proper nutrition means preparing dishes by boiling, stewing, sautéing or steaming. Fried and smoked foods are not recommended because they are heavier and take longer to digest and contribute to high cholesterol and blood pressure levels. For dinner, fried and smoked foods are strictly prohibited - at night the body, including the digestive tract, must rest.

Diet cutlets “Cabbage”

Cabbage cutlets can be served as the main part of the menu or in addition to any of the side dishes that you like. They turn out appetizing and juicy, and do not burden the gastrointestinal tract in the evening.

List of products needed for cutlets:

• 1 kg of fresh cabbage;
• ½ cup semolina;
• a bunch of parsley or dill;
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil;
• breadcrumbs;
• spices to taste.

Recipe for a healthy cabbage dinner:

1. Chop the cabbage into strips, add spices, herbs, chopped parsley and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
2. When the stewed cabbage has cooled, mix it with semolina.
3. Form small oval cutlets from the resulting cabbage “minced meat” and roll them in breadcrumbs.
4. Grease the frying pan with oil, place the cabbage cutlets in an even formation and leave to simmer over low heat for 7-10 minutes.
5. After this, turn the cutlets over and repeat the procedure.

Like any cabbage dish, these cutlets are in perfect harmony with any sour cream or cream sauce that you have on hand.

Vegetable salad “Summer” with avocado

It turns out that to prepare a hearty and versatile dinner for the whole family, you don’t even have to go to the stove. In addition, fresh vegetables that are not subject to heat treatment are more useful - they contain natural vitamins and minerals, which partially decompose at high temperatures. And avocado will add healthy fats to this salad, which improve the absorption of vitamins obtained from vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado;
• half a bell pepper;
• 2 tomatoes;
• several leaves of coral lettuce;
• 1-2 tablespoons corn;
• olive oil and lemon juice for dressing.

Cut well-washed and peeled vegetables into small cubes, place in a salad bowl and mix with lettuce leaves. By the way, it is believed that it is better not to cut coral salad, but to tear it with your hands - this way it will retain its juiciness and taste. Toss in the corn and dress the salad with a little olive oil. Before serving, sprinkle the dish with lemon juice to give it a piquant sourness.

If you wish, you can experiment a little: for example, replace corn with sesame seeds or pine nuts, add your favorite herbs and greens. Imagination will help you diversify your healthy menu, and you will have a new signature dish.

Buckwheat meatballs with pumpkin

The beneficial properties of buckwheat have been known since time immemorial, and in combination with pumpkin it becomes a real storehouse of vitamins and microelements. Soft and juicy meatballs made from these products will successfully complement the dinner menu.

You will need:

• 200 g buckwheat;
• 1 ½ cups water;
• 150 g pumpkin;
• greenery;
• breadcrumbs.

How to prepare a proper buckwheat dinner:

1. Boil the buckwheat until tender to obtain a crumbly porridge.
2. Grind the soft and juicy pumpkin in a blender or pass through a meat grinder several times.
3. Combine cooled buckwheat porridge with pumpkin puree and add herbs and spices to taste.
4. Roll pumpkin-buckwheat porridge into small balls, roll them in breadcrumbs and carefully place on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil.
5. Bake buckwheat meatballs in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then let them cool slightly.

Fragrant and nutritious meatballs will become a favorite dish for children, because the usual porridge now looks completely different!

Nuts

Rich in iron, protein, zinc, carbohydrates, chromium, vitamins C, E and B, they are hard-skinned fruits containing kernels that can be eaten plain or used in a variety of dishes. Distinguished by their excellent taste, nuts can give you a feeling of fullness almost immediately after consumption and are a ready source of energy.

Nuts are not just a tasty and nutritious treat, but also an excellent therapeutic agent in the fight against various ailments. It is especially useful to eat chestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts and almonds.

TOP useful products

The division of products into “healthy” and “harmful” is, for the most part, a marketing issue. It is definitely unhealthy to consume toxic, poisonous substances like ethanol. All food is beneficial to one degree or another. Even foods that doctors recommend limiting in the diet contain many useful components or serve as a source of energy. However, there are foods with an overwhelming amount of substances necessary for a person, and they should be included in your diet.