You are what you read, you are what you watch, you are what you do for exercise, you are what you eat?
An informative article in The Independent provides an overview of the benefits of diet. You can 'eat to beat' depression, brittle bones, high blood pressure, cancer, and low energy.
- Depression: Cutting processed foods and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and fish have proven a benefit.
- Brittle bones: Vitamin D,the sunshine vitamin, which can also be found in foods such as oily fish, milk, fortified margarines and breakfast cereals, is essential in enabling your body to absorb calcium. "Vitamin K, found in foods such as broccoli, plays a role in moving the calcium we ingest from the arteries to the bones. Magnesium, found in chickpeas, nuts, lentils and potatoes, and protein are also essential for building bone tissue."
- High blood pressure: Reduce salt intake and get more potassium and magnesium found in spinach, bananas, wholegrain cereal and nuts to reduce blood pressure.
- Cancer: "Foods we should eat more of, according to researchers, are tomatoes, beans, onions and garlic, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts), berries, dark green leafy vegetables and wholegrains."
- Low energy: The best breakfasts are high in fibre and contain protein because they "promote satiety and helps with appetite control. Think wholegrain breakfast cereal, muesli or porridge with milk or a poached egg." A light lunch is also suggested with a healthy afternoon snack.
One wonders how many maladies and pharmaceutical drugs could be avoided if more people focused on their diet and lifestyle.
