Health Benefits of Green Vegetables
ere are thousands of different kinds of vegetables in the world. You could eat a new vegetable every day for several years and never repeat a single one. There are as many colors of vegetables as there are types. You’ll find a vegetable in almost every shade of the color spectrum from blazing violet aubergines and raging red tomatoes to sunshiny bell peppers and cool green mint. Colors in vegetables and fruits are not random. There’s a reason for a particular hue in all kinds of life all over the planet. Today, we’ll look at where green vegetables get their color and why that makes them super-foods.
What’s so great about green?
Vegetables get their green color from the presence of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has a structure that is almost exactly like that of the haemoglobin in our red blood cells. In fact, the only difference between chlorophyll and haemoglobin is that the former holds magnesium at its core while the latter holds iron. Vegetables that are green in color have higher levels of chlorophyll. This ensures higher nutrition value because nutrition is responsible for drawing in energy from the sun and converting it into food. That’s why all trees are green. The chlorophyll is literally their green blood!Thus, the higher chlorophyll content in green vegetables means that we can take advantage of the super health benefits that they offer. But chlorophyll is not the only amazing nutrient in green vegetables. Other important nutritional content includes vitamin C, folate, beta-carotene, fiber, calcium, zeaxanthin, phyto-chemicals, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin E, and lutein.
Some of the green vegetables that include the benefits we’ll discuss ahead include green peas, French beans, lettuce, celery, kale, broccoli, spinach, dill, coriander, okra, cucumbers, zucchini, artichokes, leeks, green onions, mint, fenugreek and cabbage. This is just the tip of the iceberg so don’t limit yourself to these greens alone. Now let’s get right to the inspiring health benefits of green vegetables so you’ll be more enthusiastic the next time you see them in the fresh food aisle of the grocery store and maybe buy a lot more of them than you generally do.
Improves immune system
This is by far the best health benefit of green vegetables. They literally increase the number of cells that form the immune system, thus contributing to more efficient functioning. This means that you have a lower chance of catching the common cold or that virus that everyone else seems to be coming down with.
Is an anti-cancer agent
In a world where cancer is becoming more and more prevalent, any food that helps to fight cancer is welcomed with gusto. We’ve long known that green vegetables were good for human health, but it has now been revealed that they can help to keep cancer at bay too by neutralizing the free radicals that cause cancer. They also help to slow down the proliferation of cancer cells in the body.
Those who are already afflicted by cancer can get help from green vegetables too. Research has shown that eating green vegetables while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer ensures better results. This may be because these veggies improve the functioning of the immune system thereby promoting health. Green vegetables also work to minimise the uncomfortable side-effects of chemo.
Naturally detoxifies the body
Green vegetables are known to be cleansers for the digestive system and blood. So if you’re going on any detox diet, green veggies are vital.
Lowers your risk of several diseases
Green vegetables are known to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease mainly because they lower levels of bad cholesterol, which is one of the main contributors to a weakening heart.
Blood pressure is another major illness that can be prevented with a generous daily helping of green vegetables which help to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood thus cleansing blood cells and making them healthier.
Kidney stones are caused by a buildup of calcium oxalate in the body. Green vegetables can help to prevent this buildup and thus keep painful kidney stones from developing.
Improves digestion
Green vegetables often have plenty of fiber and this can help to cure constipation as well as promote regular bowel movements.
Improves eye sight
You’ve probably heard how carrots can help to improve eye-sight. But they aren’t the only veggies to do so. Green vegetables, especially the darker greens like spinach and broccoli, can also improve the health of your eyes. If you are at high risk for cataracts or macular degeneration, green veggies can slow down the process considerably.
Reduce odors
If you suffer from overly smelly flatulence or urine, then green vegetables may be able to help you. Consuming them on a daily basis can reduce the noxious quality of the smells associated with fecal matter, flatulence and urine.
Will help you lose weight
Green vegetables provide optimal nutrition to satisfy your body’s need. They are low in carbs and fat but high in other essential nutrients. They have a high fiber content which helps to eliminate waste and toxins from the body. Greens also keep you full for longer periods of time which ensures less snacking. All these factors make them the perfect foods for someone on a weight loss diet.
Notes on getting the best from your greens
- Always eat your greens as fresh as possible. Buy them the same day or the day before you want to eat them. Avoid the frozen variety altogether if possible. Of course, if you live in a place where fresh greens are not easily available then the frozen ones are better than nothing.
- Don’t buy yellowed or wilting green vegetables. This means that they are getting stale and the older they are the less nutritious they become.
- To release all the nutrients in your green vegetables, they need to be lightly steamed. They also need to be eaten with some form of fat like oil or nuts. But that does not mean you douse your green salad in oil. A teaspoon or two lightly sprinkled across will do. Or you can try to stir-fry your green vegetables for just a few moments in a non-stick pan sprayed with olive oil.
How To Increase Calcium Intake
Everyone is well acquainted with the fact that calcium has a major role to play in maintaining bone health and teeth strength. However that is only a superficial understanding of the role of calcium. It pays to realize that as a person gradually grows up the mass of his bones undergo various changes. Till a certain age, which is usually considered as thirty, the density of the bone will keep on increasing till it reaches its peak. The duty of a person who wishes to live a healthy and ailment free life is to ensure that the body is supplied with the optimum amount of calcium because after one crosses the age of thirty five the process of weakening of bones begin to set in. It is believed that the more calcium one takes before the age of thirty the more will one’s chances of bone loss lessen as one steadily ages.
Benefits of Calcium:
Calcium is one of those vital minerals without which the body will not even be able to stand straight. Read on to know more about the benefits of calciumPrevents the Occurrence of Osteoporosis:
The inclusion of adequate amounts of calcium among young adults and children is crucial because the body till the age of thirty will absorb all that it can and store it as very soon the calcium drainage process will begin where the body will steadily lose its calcium. This drainage of calcium is known as osteoporosis. This deficiency has been found more on women than men and one reason could be that women lose more amounts of calcium from their bodies because of their regular menstrual cycles. Whatever the reason may be the fact remains that everyone must store the body with proper amounts of calcium because the body will soon require it once a certain age is reached.
Great for Keeping in Shape:
Calcium will help those who have been trying very hard to stay slim and trim because it has been found by latest studies that upon the consumption of calcium the body begins to burn the existing fat instead of storing it. So this is one easy way of burning fat without having to work out much.
Effective Protection from Cancer:
It is believed that Calcium might have a lead role to play in the prevention of cancer because of the antioxidants that it releases. Dieticians suggest a regular intake of calcium through dairy sources is an excellent way of meeting one’s daily calcium needs. So include dairy products religiously in the diet to ward off the encroachment of cancer.
Healthy Heart:
The mineral calcium has a lot to do with healthy heart as it strengthens the pulmonary veins and cardiac muscles. So remember to include a lot of calcium enriched food in the diet if one has heart diseases in one’s family. However it must be remembered that too much of it might have an adverse effect on the heart so it is important to consult one’s doctor before adding calcium to one’s diet mindlessly.
Learn How to Increase one’s Calcium Intake:
Once the health benefits of calcium has been explained it is time to discuss how one increase the level of calcium intake in one’s diet can.
- Vitamin D: Calcium will not be of any use to the body if there is not enough vitamin D within to make any use of it. Supply the body with vitamin D so that the calcium that is taken gets rightly absorbed by the body. A good, natural and most important free source of Vitamin D is the sun so go ahead and spend some quality time outdoors.
- Calcium Supplements: Many find it difficult to incorporate dairy products regularly in their diet so there are many calcium supplements available in the market for them. Just a word with one’s physician before beginning the course is all that is required.
- Multivitamins Will Help: Taking multivitamin tablets will help because they are pretty much loaded with all the vitamins required by the body along with sufficient quantities of calcium. The calcium that it contains is incorporated into the body directly because of the vitamins present in the tablet.
- Dairy Darlings: All dairy products are calcium friendly so the ones in doubt about their bone density or the strength of their teeth must gorge on all sorts of dairy products on a regular basis. So go ahead and increase the intake of milk, curd, yoghurt and cheese. Mix milk with chunks of banana and make a delicious milk smoothie out of it. Drink it in one go before going out for work. For those who have a sweet tooth, opting for yoghurt after meals is a healthier option than having other forms of desserts that have no traces of calcium in them. Try making rice pudding at home by boiling milk and rice together, it is easy to make and is rich with calcium.
- Cut Down on caffeine: Loads of caffeine never did any good to anyone. The damage it does is even more for the ones with weak bones because caffeine hinders the body from absorbing calcium. So even when is regularly having calcium supplements or calcium enriched food products it will be of no use to the body because the body will not be able to assimilate it. If one avoids all sorts of alcoholic beverages then it will be highly beneficial for one’s bones because alcohol strips calcium out of one’s body.
- Say no To Sodium: Salty food or foods full of sodium will tend to take calcium away from the body and pass it through urine. This is a serious drainage of calcium form the body and it must be stopped immediately otherwise when one reaches an old age there will hardly be any strength left in one’s bones.
- Include a variety of Fruits and Vegetables: Including a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet will enable the body in absorbing high amounts of calcium. So make it a point to include green and leafy veggies in the diet to keep calcium deficiencies at bay.
Those who wish to increase the calcium level in the bodies have to keep a few vital things in mind before planning a diet chart. One has to maintain a healthy lifestyle, where one exercises frequently, and has food according to a diet which is rich in dairy products and contains sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables with it as well. Get into the habit of including calcium rich food into the pallet, the internet is full of new innovative ideas that will turn everyday recipes into nutritious and healthy food. However it must be remembered that calcium should always be consumed in moderation because as one already knows, too much of anything is bad.
Cool and Healthy Drinks for Summer
For most people, summer is the hardest season to get through. It’s hot, you’re sweaty and tired all the time, and you have dreams of walking into air-conditioned malls and camping there till winter.
Wondering how to survive the hot months ahead of you? Prepare for it. You know it’s going to be hot as a furnace and you know that you’re going to need to find ways to keep cool in the summer. One of the ways of doing this is by increasing your fluid intake to hydrate your body and help it to keep you cool.
Downing a cold beverage is a state of heaven in the summers. Thankfully, there is a huge variety of drinks you can stock up the ingredients for so that when the heat wave hits, you’re ready to take it head on. Considering that you’ll be needing a lot of summer drinks, you want to make sure that they are healthy while still tasty and up to the task of hydrating your body. We have a list of some summer drink ideas as well as some recipes to help you get started on them.A few pointers before we begin
- Avoid sugary drinks. These just add calories and do nothing to quench your thirst or cool you down. In fact, all they really do is make you even more thirsty and creep on to your thighs.
- Now if you’re thinking of adding artificial sweeteners to stave off the calories, do so with caution. The long-term effects of artificial sweeteners is not yet known, but even the most progressive doctors will say to use it in moderation. It should not be a regular thing.
- Avoid sodas to quench your thirst. These are not healthy plus they are full of sugar and caffeine. What’s even scarier though is that a recent study has found a link between drinking just one cola a day on a regular basis and the increased risk of such horrible health conditions as chronic kidney disease, heart problems and diabetes.
- In fact, avoid pre-packaged beverages altogether. These have chemicals, preservatives and often added sugar which makes them more unhealthy than you can imagine.
- Avoid adding alcohol to your summer drinks as alcoholic beverages are notorious for dehydrating the body.
Healthy Summer Drinks
Water
This is the number one cool and healthy drink for summer. There’s nothing like a glass of cold water to cool you off and to rehydrate and rejuvenate your organs. What’s more, water has zero calories so you can drink as much of this refreshing beverage as you like without ever packing on the pounds. Just be careful that you filter the water that you drink as tap water may contain residues of several chemicals that are used to make it ‘safe’ for drinking. Also, do not store your water in plastic bottles or jugs as plastic is actually a very toxic substance and leeches right into the water. You eventually end up ingesting it. Use glass jars, jugs and bottles instead.
Remember that plain water is best, but if it bores you there are now several variants of fizzy water and flavored water too.
Lemonade
This is a classic drink for summer. It’s one of the most refreshing and the second healthiest drink for summer on this entire list.Lime contains electrolytes. Your body loses electrolytes when you sweat. Now energy drink companies are all about marketing how important electrolytes are, which is true, and how you need to replace the ones you lose, which is also true. However, you don’t need an expensive energy drink. All you need is a glass of fresh lemonade. It’s natural, free of chemicals and will cool you down better than a sugar-filled energy drink.
Making lemonade is easy. All you need is lemons and water, ice if you want it to be cold and don’t have time to put it in the refrigerator, honey to sweeten and a bit of salt to taste. The amount of each that you will need will depend on how much you are making. Usually, one lemon and a teaspoon of honey are needed for one standard-size glass so adjust accordingly. Cut lemons into halves and squeeze out the juice. Readymade or pre-packaged lemon juice usually does not taste as good so avoid it unless you’re really pressed for time or don’t have the patience. Add water, honey and salt and mix until all ingredients are dissolved.
Give your lemonade an interesting twist by making it pink. Add raspberries, not strawberries, and blend into the lemonade. This will give the lemonade a tangy flavor and make it healthier as berries are bursting with minerals and antioxidants.
Another interesting take on traditional lemonade is to add some fresh ginger to give it instant zing. How much you want to add will depend on how intense you want the flavor to be.
Iced Tea
This cool, healthy and refreshing drink has long been a summer favorite around the world. Iced tea is cooling, healthy because of its antioxidant content, and a fantastic pick-me-up because of the caffeine. This is also a simple drink to make and requires very little time and effort.Simply brew tea leaves in hot water and leave it to cool. By brewing the tea in hot water, the flavor of the tea really seeps in. But you can also brew the leaves or even tea bags in cold water. Add honey to taste, ice to cool, pour into a tall glass and enjoy. You can also add a sprig or two of fresh mint leaves for taste as well as the cooling properties of mint. Want a little more taste? Add a slice of lemon to the batch of cold tea. Yum!
How about adding some flavor to your iced tea for variety’s sake? There are several flavored teas on the market now from berries and mango to cinnamon, chamomile and jasmine.
Want to make your iced tea even healthier? Go green. Green tea is known to be very high in antioxidants. It is also widely touted as a fat burner since it raises metabolism. Other benefits of green tea include its cancer and tumor prevention properties as well as its innate ability to improve your immunity. You get green tea in several flavors now so you don’t have to be stuck for choice if you do not like the natural flavor of green tea. You can also add your own flavors at home. Here’s a simple recipe for a peachy green tea.
You’ll need 6 to 7 bags of green tea, 2 peaches, de-seeded and sliced, and finally two cups of water. Begin by putting the peaches and cold water in a pan and bringing to a boil. Now pour this concoction into a tea pot holding the tea bags. Leave it alone for about ten minutes to allow the flavors to seep through well. Once it has cooled a bit, add a sweetener if you wish and put it in the fridge. When serving, put a sliced peach in the glass and garnish with mint.
Remember to always thoroughly chill your iced tea for best results.
Iced Coffee
You gotta have your morning cuppa java anyway. So why not make it one of your cool and healthy drinks for summer too?Simply brew your coffee in the evening and put it in the fridge when it cools down. The next morning, you have ready-to-drink iced coffee. Or just brew instant coffee in chilled water.
Now your iced coffee is not going to be a healthy drink if you make it like the coffee shops do with gobs of cream and milk and whatnot. You’ll be putting on weight in no time if this becomes a habit. The idea is to get the benefits of coffee without the extra calories. Have your iced coffee black. If you can’t stand the flavor, add a couple of teaspoons of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. It’ll taste good and you’ll be ingesting the minimum umber of calories possible. To make your coffee even more healthy, use decaf.
Want a yummier but just as healthy take on iced coffee? Try a raspberry mocha. It sounds like heaven. It is. Add half a cup of skimmed or soya milk to a cup of regular cooled black coffee. Also add 2/4 teaspoon of raspberry extract, 2 tablespoons of sugar-free chocolate syrup and a cup of crushed ice for instant cooling. Blend all ingredients until the consistency is slushy.
Fruit Soda
No, we’re not being contradictory. Colas and sugary sodas are bad for you and we’re not going back on that statement. Fruit sodas, on the other hand, make yummy and satisfying summer drinks. Don’t go for packaged fruits sodas though as these contain sugar and preservatives to allow it to sit on the shelf for months. These are not good for you at all and those chemicals are not easily excreted from the body. Instead, make your own fruit soda at home. You’ll need a fruit juice of your choice with no added sugar and unflavored soda/carbonated water. Pour half a glass of juice into a glass and fill the other half with soda. Add ice if you want it cold or just make sure that the juice and soda are cold beforehand to save you time.Fresh Fruit Smoothies
Take full advantage of the abundance of fruits available in the summer to make yourself a whole bunch of cool and healthy drinks for summer. Smoothies are basically a combination of fruits, and sometimes vegetables, pureed together to get a yummy, slushy drink which combines the burst of flavors of each individual fruit and vegetable into one, creating a mind-blowing experience for your taste buds. There are few drinks more luxurious than cold smoothies in the summer. Here are a few simple recipes to get your started and to inspire you to create your own unique concoctions.
Watermelon smoothie
The first one is a watermelon smoothie with a hint of mint. First, get together 2 cups of watermelon chunks, preferably de-seeded, 1 tablespoon of whole fresh mint leaves, about a tablespoon of honey and 1 cup of low-fat lemon-flavored yogurt. Now blend only the mint, honey and watermelon together, but not too much or it will get too watery. Then add the yogurt and blend for a few seconds on a low pulse setting. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.Bananas and berries
Our next delectable smoothie suggestion is a combination of bananas and berries, among other things. You’ll need 1 banana, half a cup of washed and chopped strawberries, one-fourth cup of yoghurt and three-fourth cup of low-fat milk (you can use soy milk if you want a healthier option). You can add crushed ice if the milk and yogurt are not cold. Blend all ingredients into desired consistency.Tropical smoothie
Finally, we bring you a smoothie from the tropics. After all, that’s where the maximum heat is so that’s where you’ll find the best summer cooling drinks. For this rich but healthy smoothie, you’ll need some crushed ice, 1 cup of fresh pineapple chunks, 1 cup of chopped mangoes, and about 2 cups of mango juice. Can’t you tell already that this one’s going to be brilliant? Simply blend all ingredients together, if you haven’t devoured them in your preparations, and enjoy the resulting smoothie.Remember that smoothies are always best enjoyed cold. You’ll also get better results if you use fresh fruits instead of the canned variety. Canned fruits stay in the can so long because of the ludicrously high-sugar content in the sugar syrup that it is stored in. There’s nothing healthy about them. Fresh fruits give you the advantage of better taste and better nutrition – something both your tongue and your body will thank you for.
If you know of any healthy and tasty summer drinks, do not hesitate to post it in the comments. We hope the recipes we’ve included here will encourage you to shift to healthier beverages during the summer and perhaps inspire you to come up with some of your own based on your local ingredients. Cheers!
