A healthy lifestyle and staying fit involve sticking to a plethora of habits. It includes frequent physical activity, a healthy state of mind and a following healthy diet. Now, not every diet is meant to help you lose weight, especially if you don’t want to. A healthy diet is much more than that.
A healthy diet is a balanced one that incorporates various foods starting from fruits and veggies, healthy fats, products that were grown organically, supplements that boost your immunity and metabolism, as well as drinks that are helping you focus and keep bad infections at bay. So, the question is where to start?
Health food doesn’t require you to spend a lot of money. You can start by incorporating a few power foods which will provide you with a mix of all the essential nutrients needed for your body to function properly. If you’re trying to do the start right, here are some of the most popular health food products to try.
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium is a solvent fibre that is primarily used as a soft bulk-forming laxative; it comes from the plant Plantago ovata that grows worldwide, however it is most common in India. Each Plantago ovata plant can produce up to 15,000 small, gel-coated seeds, from which the psyllium husk is derived.
The fibre found in psyllium husks is excellent for reducing cholesterol. It can help relieve constipation and diarrhoea and is a great addition to treat irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhoids, and other intestinal difficulties. Psyllium husk is also used to regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Once psyllium husk comes in contact with water, it will swell and create a gelatin-like mass that helps carry the waste through the intestinal tract.
What’s Manuka Honey and What Are Its Nutrients
If you have seen jars with Manuka honey in your local supermarket, you have probably known that this is a honey that comes from New Zealand and is in the top ten health food choices. It’s dark and is made by bees that pollinate the flowers on the manuka bush. This type of honey contains active compounds that provide it with natural antibacterial properties which sets it apart from other honey.
When buying Manuka honey make sure to check for the UMF label which stands for Unique Manuka Factor (a quality trademark given to licensed beekeepers, producers and exporters of this honey). Besides that look for a number such as 10+ or 25+, which describes the level of unique signature compounds such as methylglyoxal (MG) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that give the honey its purity and quality. The higher the number, the higher the MG and DHA content; this naturally means more pure and potent honey.
However, keep in mind that this honey is high in sugar with 12g per 15g (2 tsp) serving; so you shouldn’t be ingesting too much of it on a daily basis. There is a negligible amount of salt in manuka honey as well. Nevertheless, it’s very low in fat and calories, for instance, two teaspoons provide around 49 calories.
This honey is a simple sugar unlike refined sugars such as sucrose. The fact it’s a simple sugar makes the absorption of energy much easier, but it is also packed with nutritional advantages.
This honey is a rich source of amino acids, which are actually protein building blocks that provide to growth and function; it also has B vitamins which among the other things are releasing energy from food. Manuka honey is also rich in calcium which is crucial for strong bones and teeth, iron for healthy red blood cell production, potassium for the heart muscle proper work, and zinc for wound healing and processing the macronutrients from food.
Matcha Powder
Matcha is part of the green tea family, but it is quite unique. It is not like the traditional form of green tea where you just put the leaves in boiling water. Matcha is the powder made from ground-up tea leaves so when you consume it, you’re getting a higher concentration of the leaves’ nutrients . You can find it in almost any coffee, tea or healthy food store. Even though it rose to prominence in the past years, matcha was used for centuries as is an important part of the Japanese tea culture.
Matcha contains various vitamins including vitamin A, B, C, E, and K; it may give you much more energy than any other tea, keep your mind sharp and focused. If you drink too much coffee, you can switch to matcha for a week. Your skin will be grateful. It is packed with vitamin C that stimulates collagen production and vitamin B will keep the skin cells healthy.
Besides that, if caffeine makes you feel jittery or irritable, matcha won’t cause that to your nervous system. And while there is no specific research that gives proof that matcha powder can beat cancer, some older studies have linked the powerful antioxidant EGCG as powerful cancer prevention (especially for preventing colon cancer cell growth).
Healthy Oils
If you are used to cooking with sunflower oil, maybe it’s time to try some healthier versions. Virgin olive oil, as well sesame seed, or almond oils are wonderful and healthier substitutes. Instead to use butter for cooking, use olive oil. On the other hand, you can use avocado as an addition to your toasts and dishes, instead of boosting your meals with unhealthy options like margarine, lard or butter.
