insideKENT Magazine Issue 121 - May 2022 | Page 126

HEALTH + WELLNESS
Eat yourself healthier CONT .
EAT MORE … Pulses , beans and peas
Hot on the heels of nuts as the go-to healthy snack , pulses in all their forms are being praised for their high nutritional value . Apparently , as little as one in ten of us eat pulses daily , but people who do consume one portion of beans , peas , chickpeas or lentils not only feel 31 per cent fuller than those who don ’ t , but find it easier and more manageable to stabilise their weight . Gluten free , packed with protein and with a low glycemic index , legumes are also cheap as chips .
Sprouted greens
If you ditch the lettuce in your salad and replace it for a mound of sprouted greens , your protein , vitamin C and B complex vitamin intake will leap upwards by a whopping five times the amount . Grains and seeds that are harvested before they grow into fully fledged plants , sprouted greens are ‘ living ’ and so continue to produce nutrients right up until you eat them , plus they ’ re rich in chlorophyll , which cleanses our blood and detoxifies our system . Sprinkle over soups and smoothies with wild abandon .
Teff
Move over quinoa , there ’ s another gluten-free grain in town and it scores massively on the good-for-you scale . A type of millet , teff is an Ethiopian staple and is a tiny grain that looks a bit like watercress when it first starts to sprout . High in resistant starch , which helps to keep blood sugar under control , it ’ s also a good source of magnesium , calcium , potassium and zinc , as well as being super high in protein . Unlike a lot of grains , teff packs a welcome flavour punch too with grains in white , brown and red that range from mild and nutty to sweet .
Local fruit and veg
Whole foods are higher in nutrient levels because they don ’ t undergo all of the packaging , artificial lighting and changes in temperature that fruit and vegetables which have travelled across the world ( or even from one end of the country to the other ) will have . Which isn ’ t to say that non-local produce isn ’ t nutritious , but is to say that its levels of nutrients and specifically vitamins A , B , C and E will be significantly lower than fruit and vegetables bought from local markets . Shopping locally , your food will not only be healthier for you , but it will taste better too , as anyone who ’ s ever been to a pick-your-own and eaten fruit fresh from the plant will testify .
Good quality meat
Bearing in mind the horrors of factory farming and the fact that processed meat reassembled from chemically-enhanced animal scraps is rife , it ’ s tempting to push vegetarianism as a far healthier way to live . That said , a vegetarian that lives on crisps and sugary drinks is bound to be in far worse shape than a farmer who lives on free-range , grassfed organic beef . Extremes aside , the quality of the meat you choose to consume will have a marked effect on your health - as a rule of thumb , cheap meat means corners are cut where the safety , health and welfare of animals is concerned , so it ’ s better all round to buy good quality meat and eat it less frequently .
Amaranth
2022 ’ s superseed , amaranth is rich in protein and contains a pretty powerful punch of calcium , iron and magnesium , as well as more fibre than its other gluten-free counterparts . A seed rather than a grain , it has a slightly peppery , nutty flavour and a sticky texture , so can be cooked as a cereal , ground into flour , popped like popcorn , sprouted , or toasted . The seeds can also be added to stir-fry , soups and stews to thicken them up and add a bit more bite .
These might surprise you … Chicken bones
OK , we ’ re not suggesting you attempt to crunch your way through a literal bowl of bones , but the suggestion - and one that ’ s been speeding its way up the superfood list since the Paleo diet exploded onto
the scene – is that broth made with chicken ( or beef ) bones contains a whole gamut of salubrious properties . It ’ s great for the gut because the gelatin found in joints heals holes in the intestine ; chondroitin sulphate wards off osteoarthritis ; it ’ s full of collagen , which plumps skin for a more youthful appearance ; and glycine helps promote sleep and improve memory . Plus , it ’ s a bargain ; all you have to do is grab all the boniest bones you can find – oxtail , feet , neck and knuckles – put them in a saucepan with vegetables and herbs , and boil for a couple of days .
Popcorn
Not cinema popcorn smothered in butter , salt and sugar , of course , but popcorn - as a snack in its natural form - is actually really good for you . Studies in the US have concluded that a single serving of plain popcorn contains almost double the amount of antioxidants found in the equivalent portion of fruit and veg thanks to its surprisingly high levels of polyphenol , a group of micronutrients that make ( metaphorical ) mincemeat of pesky free radicals .
Pork scratchings
Regarded widely as the ultimate companion to a cold pint of beer , pork scratchings are not the first thing that spring to mind when considering your health . Fatty they may be , but two-thirds of that fat is actually a combination of mono and polyunsaturated fat , which is great for keeping hearts healthy . What ’ s more , a scratching is effectively a curl of concentrated collagen from skin , so it ’ s high in protein with added muscle and bone-health benefits too .
Red wine
While we ’ re not suggesting you guzzle a bottle with every meal , research has shown that resveratrol , a substance found in grapes , berries and red wine turns our excess flabby bits into calorie-burning ‘ brown ’ or ‘ beige ’ fat , which reduces weight gain by burning up calories . Cheers to that .
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