HEALTHY FOOD: THE FOODS THAT CANNOT BE MISSING IN YOUR DIET

In the mid-nineteenth century, the philosopher Ludwing Feurbach said that "we are what we eatAnd never a sentence was truer than that. Scientific studies show more and more often the close connection that exists between nutrition and our health: some diseases or ailments and physical problems would be derived entirely or at least in part precisely from the consumption of unhealthy foods and bad eating habits. What s "do you mean, however, with the expression" healthy food "? What are the foods that cannot be missing in the diet of each of us? Let's find out in detail.

The fundamental nutrients for proper nutrition

Each food contains nutritional components whose value helps us understand if it is a healthy food or not. These nutritional principles are to be taken into consideration as much as calories: in fact, when we follow a diet with the goal of losing weight or simply because we want to stay fit, we tend to focus a lot on the calorie content of individual foods, neglecting which nutritional components they bring. they to our organism. Let's look at them more specifically, analyzing why they are good for our health.

Vitamins: they are an essential nutrient for our body which, however, is unable to synthesize them and, therefore, must be introduced through the right diet. They are divided into various groups, A, B, B1, C, D, E and K, and each brings a series of benefits, among which the increase in immune defenses, the contrast with respect to free radicals and the well-being of the skin. nails and hair.
Mineral salts: contained in most foods, even mineral salts are of various kinds and perform multiple functions, such as the reduction of tiredness and fatigue (magnesium) or correct muscle functioning (potassium).
Proteins: they are very important for the metabolism and the health of muscles and tendons. They exist both of animal and vegetable origin.
Carbohydrates: their main role is to provide the body with the right energy. In addition, they participate in the proper functioning and well-being of the structure of cells, tissues and organs.
Lipids: not all fats are to be avoided, just take the right amount. Among their benefits, for example, there is the right blood coagulation, the proper functioning of the cardiovascular and immune systems and then constitute an "excellent reserve of energy.

Vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids are the nutritional components you hear about most often, but we must not forget these too:

Fiber: dietary fiber is central to intestinal health and promotes a sense of satiety, making it excellent for when you are following a low-calorie diet.
Antioxidants: these substances are able to fight free radicals and protect the body from their negative action, such as, for example, the signs of aging.
Water: we often forget that water is also part of the nutritional principles to be taken into consideration. It is contained in the foods we normally eat, but a higher dose should be taken which is around 2 liters per day.

Healthy food as a way of life

We have seen the fundamental nutritional components, but how do they "assemble" in such a way as to follow a healthy and balanced diet? First of all, a balanced diet must be varied: some nutritional principles, such as carbohydrates, cannot be excluded, replacing them exclusively with others, for example proteins. In short, you need to eat a little bit of everything, following some basic rules that day after day they become habits that are no longer even paid attention to and that form a healthy lifestyle. Among these, there is certainly the fact of eating only hard meals and snacks in mid-morning or mid-afternoon with relish: often many people see food as an outlet, they eat for reasons related to stress or tension and risk falling into food imbalances and to prefer unhealthy foods.

A healthy and balanced diet must always be accompanied by physical activity. Whether they are intense sports such as running or kick boxing or apparently lighter disciplines such as gentle gymnastics and yoga or even a simple walk, stay in motion it is good not only for the health of our body, but also for that of our mind.

Fruits and vegetables

Now let's see specifically which are the best foods of the different food categories, starting with fruit and vegetables, which have always been considered as real allies for our well-being. Here are the fruits and vegetables that have the most benefits:

Broccoli: among the vegetables with the greatest number of properties they stand out. Broccoli contains sulforaphane, an antioxidant that according to some studies can prevent various cancers, such as leukemia, and perform a detoxifying function of the body. To keep these anticancer properties "intact", experts recommend steaming them because cooking in water boiling water can partially disperse them.
Cauliflower: has properties and benefits similar to those of broccoli, but, in addition, it contains a good amount of food fibers perfect for the proper functioning of the intestine.
Algae: only recently entered the diet of many of us, algae are an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium. They have few calories and are good for the intestinal flora.
Tomatoes: they are rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C and A, and they too contain a significant amount of antioxidants valuable against free radicals. Tomatoes also promote heart health and fight inflammation.
Blueberries: all berries are useful for our well-being, but blueberries, especially red ones, have "an edge". They contain many polyphenols and are one of the antioxidant foods par excellence, with anti-inflammatory properties. They are good for the heart, blood vessels and capillaries.

Carbohydrates to choose from

In recent years, protein-based diets are being promoted more and more frequently, which aim at the almost total exclusion of carbohydrates, seen as nutrients "against" weight loss. However, excluding or drastically reducing carbohydrates is not only wrong but it is also dangerous for health. We have already said that they are a primary source of energy and are essential for anyone, especially for those who do a lot of sport. In our list of healthy food, therefore, they cannot and should not be excluded, especially these:

Wholemeal bread and pasta: not having been refined, they retain all the properties of their components. Cereals are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber which are beneficial for the intestine and beyond.
Oats: Another grain-based food that is good for your health is oats. It is an excellent source of carbohydrates, but also of fiber, which fights bad cholesterol, and of proteins. It promotes digestion and has a powerful anti-inflammatory action capable of protecting us from tumors and inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells.

The healthiest proteins

Fundamental for children, responsible for metabolism, muscle well-being and the body's energy reserves, proteins are divided into animals and vegetables according to their origin. As regards those of animal origin, research in recent decades has demonstrated how it would be better to prefer white meat over red meat, which would contain leaner and healthier proteins.

Blue fish: among all animal proteins, fish is the one to be preferred. It is rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6, fatty acids that are important for maintaining stability and increasing the correct level of good cholesterol in the blood if necessary.
Salmon: despite being a source of protein, salmon is famous for its high content of Omega-3 fatty acid, one of the healthy fats par excellence. In fact, Omega-3 fats have various benefits for blood pressure, brain and heart health.
Chickpeas: like other legumes, they are an excellent source of vegetable proteins. They are rich in magnesium and folate, which perform the action of lowering the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. In addition, they can have a protective effect on the heart, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lentils: they have a high iron content, anticancer properties and are the legumes that have the greatest amount of antioxidants.
Quinoa: an excellent source of protein of plant origin, quinoa helps to keep muscles active and to regulate the balance of metabolism.

Foods to avoid

To conclude, let's find out which foods are not among the healthy foods and which it would be better to exclude or reduce almost entirely from your diet.

Packaged and industrial products: snacks, fast food, sweet and savory snacks in series are among the number one enemies of our health. They are all products with a high content of preservatives, often very salty and with an excessive amount of hydrogenated fats, or those lipids whose consumption can increase the risk of heart disease.
Salt: to say that salt in general is bad is wrong. In fact, it is a source of sodium, a mineral salt which, in the right quantities, gives us various benefits. However, the doses of salt necessary for our body are already all naturally contained in the foods we consume, so it is not necessary to add it to the dishes we prepare. To flavor dishes, we should prefer aromatic herbs or spices, such as ginger, turmeric and chilli.
Excess condiments: it goes without saying that we need condiments to cook, but for a healthy lifestyle we should exclude excessively fatty ones, such as butter and margarine. What the experts recommend is extra virgin olive oil, especially put raw on individual dishes. Extra virgin olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in antioxidants. It also helps lower the "bad" cholesterol level in the body.
Alcoholic and / or prepackaged beverages: Just like other industrial products, these beverages also contain excess preservatives and sweeteners.

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