Choosing the right fresh tomatoes
When going to the market or store, everyone wants to bring home only fresh, ripe and tasty vegetables and fruits. But this task is not as simple as it seems at first glance. To make the right choice, experts recommend:
- Pay attention to the smell. It should be rich and, of course, pleasant. If the tomatoes smell weak or have no characteristic aroma at all, the fruits were picked too early or stored for too long before selling.
- Evaluate appearance. A ripe vegetable has a characteristic color (various shades of red and pink, depending on the variety) and should not be hard, but firm to the touch. If a tomato is “woody” or, conversely, too soft, its taste leaves much to be desired, and the benefits to the body will be minimal. And damaged and rotten fruits, most often contaminated with microbes, are generally harmful to health, so it is safer to avoid them, even if sellers offer a tempting discount.
- Look at the stalk. Its appearance is no less important than the tomato itself. The branch should be green and fresh, and if it has already turned yellow and dried out, it means that the tomatoes were removed from the bush a long time ago, and they have already lost most of their beneficial properties.
- Cut the fruit. There should be no voids inside a fresh, ripe tomato - only juicy, red pulp and ripe seeds.
To get a quality product, you should not buy tomatoes from unverified sellers who have no idea how to properly grow and store them.
Tomatoes are seasonal vegetables, which means they are tastier and healthier in the summer, in July-August
By the way, you also can’t keep fruits in the refrigerator for too long - at low temperatures they quickly lose not only their taste and smell, but also the lion’s share of their nutrients.
Is it possible to lose weight on tomatoes?
Fans of the characteristic smell and juiciness of tomatoes believe that the tomato diet is not only simple and tasty, but also effective. But nutritionists recommend treating this diet with extreme caution. This is because consuming juicy vegetables or tomato juice for a week entails serious challenges for the entire human body. The attractive appearance of almost any dish, as well as great health benefits, can only be provided if tomatoes are included in a person’s balanced diet.
The benefits of tomatoes
What are the health benefits of eating tomatoes before bed? Thanks to their rich composition, tomatoes have a positive effect on the body:
- due to the high content of lycopene, which is considered a powerful antioxidant, they reduce the risk of malignant tumors;
- restore normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- improves the cardiovascular system;
- improve the condition of patients suffering from atherosclerosis, varicose veins, asthenia and gastritis with low acidity;
- strengthen the immune system, slow down the aging process of cells;
- have a diuretic, choleretic and mild laxative effect, helping to cleanse the intestines;
- accelerate metabolic processes, helping to get rid of excess weight;
- promote the removal of waste and toxins;
- help in the fight against depression by increasing the level of thiamine and serotonin in the blood;
- improve the condition of skin, hair, nails and teeth;
- increase the amount of hemoglobin in the blood and get rid of bad cholesterol.
Regular consumption of tomatoes compensates for the deficiency of important vitamins and microelements: A, B, C, E, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, iodine and magnesium.
Is it possible to lose weight on tomatoes?
In Russia, such an agricultural crop as the tomato was recognized only in the second half of the 18th century. But due to their undoubted benefits and unique taste, tomatoes gained popularity in a short period of time and people began to wonder why they didn’t learn about tomatoes earlier.
Is it possible to lose weight on tomatoes?
In addition to the fact that the culture acts as a generous source of fiber, it contains the following nutritional elements:
- potassium and phosphorus;
- vitamins C and B;
- organic acids;
- magnesium;
- choline, which is necessary for blood circulation and healthy liver.
The unique qualities of the vegetable led to people beginning to wonder whether tomatoes make them fat or thin, and nutritionists invented a special diet based on tomatoes. According to the regulations, a person who wants to lose weight should drink tomato juice and feast on the pulp of the juicy vegetable.
But it is worth noting that the diet called “Lose weight on tomatoes” is not suitable for every person. Due to the fact that the acids in tomatoes are very concentrated, they are not allowed to be consumed by people with chronic diseases of the urinary and digestive systems. Before resorting to the method of losing weight using tomatoes, you must first consult with an experienced specialist.
Due to the lack of calories, unusual consistency and taste of tomato juice (which is considered the main dish of the tomato diet), it is not only a refreshing drink, but also a vegetable snack. Due to the fact that the juice is quite thick, it helps saturate the body while maintaining the benefits that are characteristic of the vegetable.
Attention! If you regularly consume tomato juice, it is not recommended to overuse salt. If you ignore this remark, the result of the diet will not be the expected slimness, but bags under the eyes and swelling in the legs.
Is there any harm
When talking about why you shouldn’t eat tomatoes late in the evening, they first of all mention their pronounced diuretic effect. The substances they contain cause the kidneys to work harder, which means a frequent urge to urinate will prevent you from quickly falling asleep and sleeping peacefully until the morning. It is also necessary to remember that:
- Tomatoes are a strong allergen, so even in the absence of health problems, adults can consume no more than 300g of these vegetables per day. Abuse of them increases the risk of developing hypervitaminosis, provokes salt deposition, the formation of kidney stones and erosion of tooth enamel.
- Tomatoes have a pronounced choleretic effect, so in case of cholelithiasis they can provoke spasms, movement of stones and blockage of ducts.
- Patients with osteoporosis, hypertension, diseases of the joints, kidneys and cardiovascular system are not recommended to consume salted or pickled vegetables.
- During an exacerbation of pancreatitis or ulcers, as well as with arthrosis and diabetes, eating tomatoes in any form can significantly worsen the patient’s condition.
The combination of tomatoes with baked goods, fried fish, meat and boiled eggs is considered especially harmful. In order not to disrupt the digestion process and not provoke the appearance of fatty deposits, it is better to eat these foods with a break of 2-3 hours.