For centuries, poor nutrition has undermined human health and led to disease. Malnutrition used to be the problem, now obesity.
Although there are no miracle foods, the value of a balanced diet is undeniable.
This is the name of a diet that covers all individual needs for various nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and water. Providing us with the energy we need, no more and no less.
As part of this balance, we have recently identified certain nutrients and substances in foods that function as protective and health-promoting factors.
1. Tomato
The really important thing about tomatoes is their vitamin and mineral content
Of all the vegetables available to us it is worth highlighting the tomato.
They belong to the family Solanaceae, are composed of almost 95% water, have only 20 calories per 100 grams and are particularly rich in vitamin C (26 mg per 100 grams).
This low calorie intake is due to the low carbohydrate (3.5 grams), protein (1 gram) and fat (0.1 gram) content.
The really important thing about tomatoes is their vitamin and mineral content, especially vitamin C (26 mg per 100 grams).
It is so concentrated that if we eat 150 grams of tomatoes a day, it is enough to cover 100 percent of the daily requirement of this vitamin for a healthy adult.
Also worth mentioning is lycopene, a pigment from the carotenoid family that gives tomatoes their characteristic red color (as well as watermelon and pink grapefruit).
Lycopene has antioxidant properties. And what is more, various studies have shown that its regular consumption reduces the risk of certain tumors (prostate, pancreas, lung, and colon).
As far as we know, it is well absorbed from fresh tomatoes, but even better from tomato juice or tomato sauce.
2. Peppers
Peppers should not be absent from your diet.
As a good vegetable, it is low in calories (20 calories per 100 grams), protein and fat, and mainly provides carbohydrates and fiber. ВA great source of vitamin C, especially red peppers.
We didn't mention it before, but vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is also involved in important processes such as the formation of collagen, red blood cells, bones and teeth.
As if that were not enough, it promotes iron absorption from food and increases resistance to infections.
Peppers are also high in carotenes, including capsanthin, another antioxidant pigment.
3. Chickpeas
Chickpeas were discovered 10 years ago. It is believed to have been grown in Turkey for over 1,000 years and was one of the first legume crops.
It is a leguminous plant of the Fabaceae family, widespread throughout the Mediterranean.
Its energy content is higher than that of beans and reaches 343 kcal per 100 grams.
This is due to its high carbohydrate (55 grams per 100 grams) and fat content (5 grams).
Too much fat is bad for you? none at all. Because they are 50% monounsaturated and 50% polyunsaturated, which is good for the heart.
When you add the fact that chickpeas are cholesterol free, this legume crop has a truly ideal fat profile.
And that's not all. It's also high in protein (almost 20 grams), chickpeas rich in potassium and phosphorus, and its most important vitamin is folic acid (180 mcg)
4. Turkey
Turkey is of Mexican origin.
Native to Mexico since Aztec times, where the Spanish conquistadors named it "Indium chicken" "guajalot".
White meat is characterized by low fat and cholesterol content. The caloric value of turkey is moderate: less than 130 calories per 100 grams of thigh and less than 100 calories per 100 grams of breast.
Therefore optimal for people with high cardiovascular risk.
5. Sardine
Sardines are not only healthy, but also cheap.
Of all the fish, we choose this one because it is one of the fatty fish that has received a lot of attention in recent years because of its high cholesterol content consumption of omega-3 acids.
We should not forget that regular consumption of omega-3 is associated with beneficial effects on inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer pathologies.
As for vitamins, this fish has an interesting supply of fat-soluble vitamins D, E and A.
Vitamin D is very important for the metabolism of our bones, and vitamins A and E are powerful antioxidants.
It also contains water-soluble B vitamins, which perform important functions in the utilization of energy-rich nutrients.
Among the minerals, the phosphorus content stands out, so important for bone formation: eating 200 grams of sardines, we get 100% of the daily norm of this mineral.
And it is important because of its calcium content, although it is high in sardines when eaten with bones.
6. Blueberries
Blueberry consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to some studies.
This fruit is almost 90% water and has almost no calories.
Its carbohydrate content is low (6 grams per 100 grams), and the percentage of protein and fat is almost negligible (0.6 g).
What it does provide is a significant amount of fiber (5 grams). Although its nutritional value is mainly due to the presence of antioxidants.
Not only is it rich in vitamin C (22 mg per 100 grams), but it also contains a lot of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants.
Anthocyanins give it its characteristic color and, along with oxalic or malic acid, are responsible for its distinctive flavor and antiseptic properties in the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections.
Anthocyanins blueberries Stimulate the synthesis and natural regeneration of the visual pigment rhodopsin, increasing visual acuity, improving adaptation to darkness and low light conditions. It speeds up the process of natural retinal renewal and reduces fatigue eye from prolonged work.
7. Mango
Mango is grown in many latitudes.
Another product that should not be missing from our pantry is the fruit of the tree Mangifera indica, from the same botanical family as pistachios.
It is native to the northwestern region of India (at the foot of the Himalayas).
High in water in terms of nutritional content (almost 85%), 14 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams; and practically free of fat.
Curiously, it also contains tartaric and malic acids.
In addition, high fiber content Improves intestinal transit.
The chapter on vitamins highlights vitamin C, 37 mg per 100 grams, and vitamins A and E.
This makes it another interesting source of antioxidants that help protect our bodies from the phenomena of aging by eliminating free radicals.
8. Grapes
Grapes are high in calories but also high in minerals.
Although it is unpopular because of its high caloric content (70 calories per 100 grams), it is another interesting food.
It contains potassium (350 mg per 100 grams) and, to a lesser extent, calcium and magnesium.
Grapes are a good source of folic acid for pregnant women and vitamin B6.
Contains anthocyanins, flavonoids and tannins, which are responsible for color, texture and flavor.
This fruit is attributed to reduce cardiovascular risk by reducing oxidation in the arteries and improving cholesterol levels.
The peel and seeds are rich in resveratrol, which has important antioxidant and anticancer activity.
9. Honey
The Roman poet Horace called it "The golden treasure of bees".
Sacred to the Egyptians and Greeks, who used it as a bargaining chip when paying taxes, it was used as an antiseptic.
There are many kinds of honey, depending on the flower the bees get it from and the climate of the area in which they live. There are monofloral, multifloral, highland, desert, dewy, and forest honey.
Its caloric value is about 300 calories per 100 grams, which consists of carbohydrates, very little protein and no fat.
This explains why traditionally used topically as an antiseptic, for healing and preventing infections in wounds or superficial burns: due to its high sugar content, it physically destroys bacteria by osmotic lysis, in other words, swelling with water, which is attracted by the sugars until they burst.