30 THINGS ABOUT FOOD

Dicembre 17, 2022

FLAVORS AND KNOWLEDGE

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Buongiorno amici:
Thirty food curiosities to discover everything about the foods we usually bring to our tables: from the hidden properties to the ways of cooking up to the healthier alternatives! We often buy food based on liking and taste but may not clearly understand its benefits. And so, let’s get started.
1) Poppy seeds can help relieve stress. That may sound too easy. Well, try sprinkling some on your next morning’s yogurt. Properties found in the poppy seeds can act as a relaxant of the nervous system, thus naturally fighting your stressful day.
2) An excellent ripe avocado can replace your butter in many applications. For example, try spreading some on a toasted English muffin or a bagel. You will move from butter, which is animal fat, to vegetable fat. That’s a great move.
3) Enjoying food slower avoids poor digestion and helps with stress reduction. In addition, chewing food several times allows you not to overeat while learning to stop when you are no longer hungry.
4) Whitefish type and bluefish type categories are not well known to consumers. Most people think fish are like fish without looking into the small details. Bluefish usually exceed 10% fat, while white fish do not reach 5%. The high-fat content should not worry you because most fats are healthy.
5) When it comes to vitamin C, oranges are not the only allies you have. Parsley, chili, broccoli, or papaya have much more vitamin C in their structure. So please include them in your diet with serenity.
6) The anti-aging syndrome may affect everyone, earlier or later. Opt for red fruits and vegetables with a reddish color obtained from lycopene, a potent antioxidant. For example, eating peppers, tomatoes, or watermelon helps to prevent cellular aging.
7) Sugar is America’s biggest enemy and continues to embattle the health of everyone. A great substitute is honey. Besides the lovely natural taste, honey provides energy and soothes a cough as an addition.
8) Watermelon and melons are great summer snacks and desserts but not very tolerable during dinner. The excessive amount of water in their flesh can ferment quickly and cause unpleasant indigestion.
9) Fresh and dry cheese, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products are excellent for a healthy mouth—the presence of lactic acid helps keep your gums and teeth in top condition.
10) Seeds and nuts are excellent sources of vital supplements. Let’s look at pumpkin seeds, a source of zinc, omega-3s, tryptophan, and magnesium. It is versatile in cooking, dessert, salad, stews, vegetables, and a lovely snack when hungry.
11. There are several ways to consume fiber. In addition to their presence in many fruits and vegetables, fibers are also found in popcorn, olives, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and pepper, among the most popular.
12. Fresh cheeses, the favorites!
Did you know that fresh and semi-mature cheeses are the most consumed? Perhaps this figure depends on the fact that they also represent the healthiest and cheapest.
13. The various types of eggs
We are used to chicken eggs, but there is a great variety. Ostrich ones, for example, are so large that they can fit four people. On the other hand, seagulls are considered a delicacy in countries like the United Kingdom and Norway. However, eating more than four or five eggs per week is not recommended.
14. Foods rich in calcium: not just milk!
Although milk is an undisputed calcium source, there are many other foods where this mineral can be found. These include Spinach, onion, broccoli, legumes, nuts, yogurt, cheese, eggs, sardines, and seafood.
15. Do not throw away the yogurt liquid
Many people tend to throw away the liquid from the yogurt that is seen when opening it. However, its protein content is significant: it is composed of water and mineral salts and is rich in calcium and phosphorus. Better eat it all!
16. Ginger and saffron, friends of passion
Both ginger and saffron have aphrodisiac properties and would therefore be able to arouse sexual desire.
17. Eat watermelon seeds because they contain countless properties. They are rich in fiber, magnesium, zinc, polyunsaturated fats, and vegetable proteins … Think twice before throwing them away!
18. We all enjoy the taste of tomatoes, but I think the fruit tastes much better when cooked. Vegetables lose vitamins when cooked, but the rule does not apply to tomatoes. When heated, the lycopene in tomatoes intensifies their antioxidant potential.
19. Spinach salad, a winning option
The leaves of the vegetables look similar but are very different from each other. Cabbage, for example, helps fight fatigue, watercress is rich in vitamins A and C, and lettuce is suitable for the intestine. On the other hand, Spinach is an inexhaustible source of vitamins A, C, E, magnesium, iron, and folic acid.
20. There are good fats!
Not all fats are bad for our bodies. Unsaturated fats are healthy and reduce bad cholesterol, so their consumption is highly recommended. They are in salmon, tuna, avocado, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sesame, and olive oil.
21. Chocolate to wake up to
Interestingly, although in a lower concentration than coffee or black tea, chocolate does contain caffeine, so it can be used as the perfect (albeit milder) stimulant and delicious alternative.
22. Greenlight to good quality sushi, and being delicious, eating raw fish is very beneficial for health. This is because it contains those properties and vitamins lost when food is heated during cooking. But always remember to choose a good supplier with a strong reputation and healthy practices. Moreover, consuming sushi from a reputable restaurant is essential to dining out. Finally, selecting fresh fish is an art form that requires knowledge and severe expertise.
23. Chia seeds and quinoa for the heart
Besides being an ideal complement to your yogurt or dessert, chia and quinoa seeds are rich in Omega 3, which promotes good cholesterol and helps our cardiovascular health.
24. When we seek food with iron content, we often think about shellfish such as clams or legumes, principally lentils of any color. Still, the truth is that spices contain this mineral in large quantities: thyme, cumin, dill, oregano, bay leaf, basil, ground cinnamon, and many others can elevate your recipe and turn them much healthier.
25. Thirst or hungry?
Strange as it may seem, many confuse thirst with hunger, leading us to eat more. For this reason, I am drinking a glass of water before meals recommended to calm hunger and not eat more than necessary.
26. Food to help you sleep like a baby
If you want to sleep better, you can also count on the help of some foods. Whole grains (rice, oats, wheat, or corn) and dairy products (fresh cheese, yogurt, and milk) are rich in tryptophan, boosting melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone.
27. Green tea to aid digestion
Green tea is rich in beneficial properties: it is a source of antioxidants, an excellent purifying ally, and a great help for perfect digestion.
28. Fruit, better natural and whole!
When we peel or cut the fruits, we change their properties. The contact with light and air produces oxidation and loss of vitamin C, so if we don’t intend to eat it immediately, it is better not to handle the fruit.
29. We often get reminded to drink fruit juice because the vitamins are gone. There is a false belief that vitamin C would evaporate from the liquid. Still, the truth is that this only happens under extreme conditions (heating it a lot), so vitamins remain stored for up to 12 hours after squeezing the juice.
30. Almonds and hazelnuts to brighten the skin
Vitamin E is an excellent ally in taking care of our skin. Although it is present in several nuts, almonds and hazelnuts are the ones that contain the most.
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