Are You Eating These Healthy Foods Wrong?
Half the battle of getting healthy is actually eating enough fruits and vegetables during the day. The other half of the battle is to eat healthy foods correctly in order to reap the most benefits from them. If you are giving up a milkshake to munch on carrots, you might as well get as many health benefits from them as possible for your sacrifice.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds’ health benefits have been long talked about. They offer a decent dose of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. However, you will never actually get these benefits if you eat the seeds whole. Eating flaxseeds whole keeps the nutrients locked inside, and your body will just pass them instead of breaking them down. It is better to buy them ground or to grind them in a coffee grinder before using them. Also, store them in the refrigerator and replace often since flaxseeds go rancid quickly.
Black Tea
Millions of Americans are enjoying the taste and benefits of black tea. However, they will never get the cardiovascular benefits tea has to offer when they add milk to their drink. According to studies, the protein in dairy can bind with the catechins and make the nutrients hard for the body to absorb.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a hard vegetable to handle when eating healthy. While it tastes much better when roasted or fried, the best way to eat it is steamed. Broccoli contains a lot of vitamin C, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and anticarcinogenic compounds. These amazing nutrients are broken down or destroyed when cooked in a way other than steaming.
Strawberries
Strawberries are nature’s candy and are full of vitamin C and antioxidants. However, their nutrients are also very delicate and will be affected if they are cut too early. So while you think you are saving time by cutting strawberries and storing them in easy-to-grab bags, you are actually making them less healthy. Keep them whole as long as possible.
Garlic
With its potent smell, you can bet that garlic has potent health benefits too. While you may not enjoy your whole house smelling like a clove of garlic, that is how you allow the garlic to give you the most benefits. Garlic’s enzymes get full activation when exposed to air, so chop up the garlic and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cooking.
These little tips will easily boost the nutrient levels in your favorite healthy foods. You are already eating healthy, so why not get the most out of it.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of HealthAliciousNess