Are You Eating It Right?
By Sara Butler
Yes, what you eat matters for your health, but so does how you eat it. The skins of some fruits and vegetables, for example, are where most of the nutrients are located. Peel those off and you miss out on all the vitamins and minerals too. Here’s how to get the most out of the foods you eat -- how to prepare them and eat them.
Broccoli
Broccoli is one incredibly nutritious cruciferous vegetable, with a ton of Vitamin C and protein -- if you know how to prepare it right. Steaming it is the best option because it doesn’t break down all those great nutrients. The extended cooking time of boiling or stir-frying only break down the good stuff. So keep it short and sweet with a quick steam and dress it up with a little lemon juice and olive oil.
Potatoes
One of the best things in potatoes is the resistant starches in it. These starches can help keep your gut microbiome happy as well as lower your chances of diabetes, colon cancer, and obesity. How do you unlock these amazing starches? Cooking potatoes and letting them cool to room temperature is ideal. That’s why there’s nothing wrong with a healthy, cold potato salad!
Eggs
Eggs are an amazing food. They’re low in calories but high in protein as well as essential amino acids your body needs to function at its very best. When you cook eggs in fat, however, you lose a little bit of that goodness. Try eating eggs alone, poached with sautéed spinach or boiled on whole grain toast.
Canned Vegetables
Canned vegetables are surprisingly good for you, especially if you can find a lower sodium version. The only caveat to canned veg is that you don’t want to cook them twice since that can strip them of the nutrients they’ve retained well in the canning process. Just heat them up enough to make them warm and you’ll be good to go.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are full of powerful antioxidants to help keep you healthy and protect you from chronic disease. You’ll get more of the good stuff out of tomatoes if you eat them cooked rather than raw. When you do eat them, add some olive oil. The fats in the oil help your body to absorb the nutrients from the tomatoes more fully.
Make the most of your healthy food choices by learning the best way to take advantage of all the nutrients they contain!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Jacksonville, Fla.