Health Benefits of our Everyday Foods

From meat to mushrooms, carrots to cheese, many of us buy the same foods every week. 

But the good news is you don't need to be munching on lettuce leaves day in, day out, to achieve a healthy diet.  

HOW EATING PEPPERS AND CARROTS CAN GIVE YOU A HEALTHY GLOW

Carrots and peppers are the fourth and fifth most popular vegetables in. Not only are they high in vitamin C, but new research shows eating them might make us better looking, too. 

Volunteers asked to consume a pepper (of any colour) a day for six weeks and 150ml of carrot  juice were found to have a 'healthier glow'. 

The Scottish research found that the carotanoid pigment found in the vegetables was responsible for the change in skin colour. 

In a previous study, published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, more than three quarters of people asked to rate a 'vegetable' tan - a yellow glow from eating lots of brightly coloured vegetables  - said it was was more attractive than the brown glow achieved through a sun tan. 

‘People who eat more fruit and vegetables have a ‘golden’ skin tone that looks healthy and attractive. 

'Latest research finds that even small improvements in diet produces visible benefits to skin colour. We were very surprised by how quick the changes were.’ 

CHEESE HELPS YOU LOSE MORE FAT 

Cheese has long been seen as an enemy of the dieter - but evidence is increasingly emerging that this may not be the case.

While it is high in fat, 'not every gram of fat really counts when it comes to dairy food.'

Cheese is packed with calcium - and the theory is that this helps more fat pass through the body 

 

MILK IS THE BEST EXERCISE RECOVERY DRINK 

Forget sugary sports drinks - the best way to recharge your body after exercise is to guzzle the white stuff. 

Scientists have found that aside from being packed with calcium and plenty of vitamin B2 and A, it's also the best thing for hydrating the body after exercise. 

In tests with volunteers who lost body weight due to the amount they were sweating during exercise, it was the clear winner over water and a sports drink.  

Those who drank the latter only retained around half the liquid, whereas those who drank milk retained three-quarters.

When we rehydrate, we have to replace water and electrolytes - and milk has two of these - sodium and potassium.

Water has a fraction of these, while sports drinks have a lot less. 

The protein in milk also means it also sits in the stomach for longer - which means the fluid is absorbed more slowly and the kidneys are less likely to flush it through. 

As the researchers in this study concluded - 'sports drinks are no better than water'.  

SALAD ISN'T ALWAYS THE HEALTHIEST OPTION

Buyer beware - that so-called 'healthy' salad may not be as good for your waistline as you think. 

When asked to put a selection of meals in order of the healthiest, many people quizzed by the show opted for the burger and chips as the 'worst' option - when in fact a pasta and cheese salad topped the table with more than 800 calories.

The reason - more often than not - is those tiny pots of salad dressing, which can bump up the fat content massively - sometimes by as much as two scoops of ice cream. 

The burger and chips, in this combination, ended up coming fourth out of the six dishes. 

The healthiest option was the jacket potato with cheese and beans.  

'Salad can be a very healthy option - buy you need to check the label to see what else you're getting.' 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MUSHROOMS MORE HEALTHY 

 While they are a great source of B vitamins (vital for energy) and packed with minerals such as selenium and potassium, they don't contain much vitamin D.

This is vital to keep bones and teeth healthy - and is best made by the skin coming into contact with sunlight. 

And, like the skin, mushrooms can make their own vitamin D when exposed to the sun.

This is because they are packed full with ergosterol, which is present within a very thin layer of fat in the cell walls of the mushroom.

Just an hour in direct sunlight helps the mushroom absorb and make vitamin D - and it remains in the fungi permanently, regardless of whether it's cooked or refrigerated. 

Source: UK Daily Mail