It has been rightly said – ‘We are what we eat’. Your health says a lot about the way you eat and vice versa. There are certain elements that boost your physical and mental health leading to healthy living. Here we have brought forward the 10 secret ingredients for healthy living, which can become the invariable part of your daily diet to get you on the road to healthy living.
1. Water
Human body has almost 60% water and little dip in this amount would result into fatigue, dehydration, headache, and many other health issues. Water keeps your skin and hair healthy, runs your organ systems well, and would flush out the toxins by providing the right medium. Water requirement will differ from person to person as it depends on the weight, lifestyle, climate, eating habits, age, gender, and activity level of the person. Find the right water requirement for yourself or simply sip on fluids at regular intervals to avoid dehydration.
2. Nuts
Nuts are your powerhouse of energy, antioxidants, and vitamins. Have handful of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachio nuts whenever you feel like snacking. Research has shown that almonds have vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, iron, riboflavin, and fiber that would keep the bad cholesterol in check and boost the good cholesterol levels. Almonds have about 91% to 94% of unsaturated fatty acids that make it the perfect snacking food. You can try other nuts too for having variety on your palate.
3. Apples
Daily consumption of one apple per day has brought down the bad cholesterol levels by 23% while the same has increased the good cholesterol levels by 4%. The antioxidants in apple would fight out the free radicals in your body preventing cancer and ageing. You can also increase your lifespan by consuming apples as they are rich in polyphenols.
4. Seeds
Seeds like flaxseeds have been revolutionary in the world of food and nutrition. Other seeds recognized for their health benefits are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, linseeds, hemp seeds, and rapeseeds. These seeds are major source of protein and are rich in fiber. They keep you fuller for long while boosting your heart and brain performance. They are also rich in manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc that are key minerals for bone health maintenance.
5. Berries
Berries are available in different colors. The combination of all these colors would work positively on your health. Phytonutrients that are natural plant chemicals required by your body to boost immunity and health are present in berries. As per the study carried out by Harvard Medical School, those consuming strawberries and blueberries regularly are less susceptible to cognitive decline with age.
6. Leafy Greens
Green is the color of life. The leafy greens like cabbage and spinach that are dark green in color may reduce your risk of incorporating diabetes Type 2. Leafy greens are very rich in vitamins and minerals but only when consumed raw or very lightly cooked. Overcooking of these greens may rip them of all the nutrients. You will get vitamins like C, E, K, B6, and A for better heath. They also have niacin, selenium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, calcium, manganese, potassium, iron, betaine, and folic acid that are all vital to your health.
7. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are usually associated with vitamin C that boosts the immunity, but these fruits have much more on offer. These tasty treats are rich in pantothenic acid and various phytochemicals that fight majority of diseases. Other minerals and vitamins like folate, potassium, niacin, thiamin, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and riboflavin are also present in sufficient quantity. Citrus fruits are good for those suffering from hypertension as it is free of sodium and cholesterol.
8. Sprouts
Legumes and cereals grow from the seeds via process of germination. Sprouts are produced when embryo of seed germinates to grow into a new plant. This is the stage when these seeds are having vitamins like folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. You will get minerals like zinc, manganese, copper, calcium, iron, and magnesium from sprouts. They are also rich in dietary fibers at this stage that is important to remove toxins and encourage weight loss.
9. Cereals
Cereals belong to complex carbohydrate group that provide energy without increasing the fat mass. They are vital for health as they may contain proteins, vitamins, minerals, oils, fats, and carbohydrates as required for healthy living. To achieve more benefits from every cereal serving, opt for the whole cereals that contain outer layer called bran, endosperm that is starchy component, and germ that may germinate into sprout. Bran is rich in dietary fibers and you would get it only by consuming whole cereals as the processed options will not have bran. The bran usually constitutes about 5% of the total cereal and hence it is important to retain it to meet your daily dietary fiber requirement.
10. Fresh Air
You may have not paid much attention to this aspect of healthy living but it is one of the key requirements that also need to be fulfilled. Breathing is the constant process and our bodies naturally breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Fresh air would not be the part of your diet and you may not make any deliberate attempt to get fresh air but with pollution striking, it has become inevitable to look out for fresh air as well. Placing an air humidifier or purifier in the room would keep the impurities away and provide you with fresh air to breathe.
Air, water and food are the three things that keep you running in all weathers. Right choice of food that comprises of vitamins, minerals, fibers, fat, carbohydrates, and protein would give you the energy to fight against diseases and carry out the daily body functions. Water and air are required to stay alive. Make sure that you take these elements in sufficient quantity and with minimum impurities to get the maximum advantage of healthy living.
