10 Superfoods That You Should Eat This Summer

Summer is upon us now, so my thoughts have turned to the healthiest and most scrumptious superfoods that we all should be enjoying during the hottest months of the year. Here are 10 superfoods that you should eat this summer: auto skip 

1. Basil
This fragrant herb can add a little something to any summer dish, but it’s not often recognized for its amazing nutritional value. “If you have a garden full of basil, savor it for more than its flavor! Basil has antioxidant properties and provides almost 25 percent of the vitamin K a woman needs in a day,” says Marisa Moore, RDN, a dietitian in Atlanta, Georgia. You can add it to a salad or a marinade, sprinkle it over berries and ice cream, or stick it in a delicious cocktail. 

2. Grapes

Packed with antioxidants, not to mention tasting delicious, grapes are increasingly being thought of as superfoods. They’re a great source of vitamin K, which can ease blood clots and strengthen bones. What’s more is that a recent study found that consuming grapes twice daily for six months protected participants’ brains from metabolic decline in a region that’s associated with early Alzheimer’s disease. Consuming grapes twice daily over the course of six months has also been shown to enrich metabolic activity in the areas of the brain related to memory and attention.

3. Strawberries

 

Strawberries are full of fiber, folate and potassium. Eating just 10 of them per day will give you your daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Research has also shown that consuming strawberries three times a week can cut the risk of suffering a heart attack by more than one-third. 

4. Sweetcorn

Although people tend to focus on arguing whether sweetcorn is a vegetable or a grain more than anything else, it also happens to be pretty amazing for human health. It contains protein and fiber, as well as magnesium and vitamin B6. 

5. Avocado

Delicious avocados are chock-full of healthy fats, which help the body to absorb vitamins such as E and A, and they also happen to have high fiber content to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Try adding avocado to a salad or salsa, use it instead of mayonnaise in a sandwich, or just drizzle with lemon juice and enjoy! 

6. Peaches

You get a healthy dose of antioxidants, vitamins A and C and potassium every time you bite into a juicy peach. Potassium is important for regulating blood pressure and is also believed to help muscle recovery after a workout. 

7. Chili peppers

Summer is definitely the season for salsa lovers, and if you’re one, you’ll be able to reap the benefits that chili peppers have to offer. Capsaicin, which makes chili peppers hot to eat, is also excellent for curbing appetite and boosting metabolism. Chili peppers are also believed to help people consume less sodium. Try them in salads, salsas, or with scrambled eggs. 

8. Cherries

Cherries are synonymous with summer, but they’re also packed with antioxidants that protect the heart and prevent arthritic pain. The redder the cherry, the more nutritious it is – the pigment in their skin is what actually gives them their ability to help fight disease. 

9. Watermelon

Another signature summer fruit is the delicious watermelon, which is a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C and a powerful antioxidant named lycopene. There’s a very good reason why watermelons are so refreshing, too – they consist of about 90% water! Eating watermelon is a great way of keeping yourself hydrated when it’s really hot outside. 

10. Bell peppers

Bell peppers of any color are great sources of vitamin C, as well as fiber and vitamin B6. Red bell peppers in particular also contain beta-carotene, lycopene and twice the amount of vitamin C that you’d get from eating an orange.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Red Tomatoes Are Nutritional Powerhouse

Tomatoes are sweet, tasty, and extremely versatile in the kitchen, and to an extent, this already makes them attractive enough. However, there are many other reasons why you should consume them more often. As many of you may know, these red fruits are packed with vitamin C, are low in calories, and are fat-free - but that's not all! Here are 10 even better things tomatoes do for your health:

1. They're full of everything you need for good health 

One serving of red, ripe, raw tomatoes is packed with rich sources of vitamins A, C, K, folate, and potassium. Their amount of sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories are very low. They are loaded with thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper, which are all essential for our health. In a single serving, tomatoes can provide you with 2 grams of fiber, which is 7% of the daily recommended amount.

2. Promote skin health 

Like carrots and sweet potatoes, tomatoes contain beta-carotene, which contributes to our skin's protection against the sun and its damage. They also contain lycopene, which helps to reduce our skin's sensitivity to UV light - one of the main contributors to fine lines and wrinkles on our skin.

3. Strengthen the bones 

With their rich vitamin K and calcium content, tomatoes provide the boost you need for your bones' health, as these minerals help to strengthen and repair bones. Lycopene (red pigment), found in tomatoes, as well as carrots and watermelons, is said to greatly improve bone mass and serves as an excellent natural way to fight osteoporosis. 

 

4. Fight cancer 

Tomatoes are natural cancer-fighting agents, and probably one of the most delicious ones you could ever eat. Their concentration of lycopene (again) helps to reduce the risk of various cancers, including prostate, mouth, throat, pharynx, cervical, stomach, esophagus, rectal, colon, and ovarian. This is due to their antioxidant (vitamins A and C) content, which helps fight the free radicals that cause cell damage.

5. Balance blood sugar 

If you thought eating sweet foods won't help your sugar levels, you haven't heard of this benefit yet. Because of their great source of chromium, tomatoes are outstanding blood sugar regulators. So if you're willing to balance the sugar level in your blood, don't forget to add more of them to your diet (read more on how you can do this below).

6. Improve vision 

You can also reap terrific benefits for your eyes and vision by including more red goodness in your dishes. One of the nutrients found in tomatoes, vitamin A, is known to bring great improvements in vision and night blindness. According to recent studies, tomatoes have also been found to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, which is a serious and irreversible eye condition.

7. Boost hair health 

Apart from being beneficial for the eyes, the vitamin A found in tomatoes can even boost your hair's health. It might not offer solutions for thinning hair, but it surely helps to strengthen your hair and add more shine to it. 

 

8. Prevent kidney stones and gallstones 

Kidney stones and gallstones are common health problems that may be prevented by eating tomatoes. They're said to reduce the risk of these problems arising, especially if they are eaten without the seeds.

9. Alleviate chronic pain 

Did you know tomatoes can also fight pain? If you are suffering from mild to moderate chronic pain, such as arthritis, chronic inflammation or back pain, you may want to consider tomatoes as a natural remedy. Since they are high in bioflavonoids and carotenoids (both anti-inflammatory agents), eating tomatoes can significantly lessen your pain.

10. Help in weight loss 

Tomatoes are packed with water and fiber, making them excellent filling foods to stock up on if you are trying to lose weight. They can make great between-meal snacks instead of apples, and they're also the perfect ingredient to use with your salads, casseroles or sandwiches, to make them more filling. Eating tomatoes will not only leave you satiated and give you lots of health benefits, it does all this without adding any extra calories or fat to your diet.

TIPS: Ways to include tomatoes in your food  

 

Add slices of tomatoes to your sandwiches, whether they have meat, fish, or are vegetarian 

 

Make a tomato sandwich, by adding some mustard or mayonnaise as a dressing 

 

Add chopped tomatoes to any salad (at room temperature, if possible) 

 

Make pasta sauce out of tomato pulp (canned, cooked or homemade), instead of creams 

 

Drink tomato juices or make tomato smoothies 

 

Add chopped tomatoes to your morning scrambled eggs or omelets 

 

Eat them raw as a mid-afternoon snack 

 

Add them to stews and soups 

 

Serve them stewed over baked potatoes or mashed potatoes 

 

Make tomato salsa to serve with fish, meats, and even salads

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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5 foods that you can eat late at night while on a weight loss diet

Many a diet can go for a toss because you tried too many things all at once. If you have been a nibbling fan all your life, eating small bites intermittently, you cannot shut down hunger pangs at night just by turning Nelson's eye towards it. It may make you cheat often, binge, or give up altogether. 

Instead, make healthy choices, eat sensibly, and keep these items handy for late-night snacking. The idea should be to cheat the stomach by giving it food and achieve the sensible eating target by opting for nutrition rather than calories.

Dieticians argue that occasional late-night snacks are not usually an issue if someone chooses healthy foods. Making a regular habit of it and snacking on unsuitable foods could, however, lead to weight gain or reflux symptoms.

Here are 5 food choices for that late-night bite.

Bananas
Bananas are good not just for your guts but also for your mind. Bananas help increase melatonin production, which can help you sleep. A good source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals, bananas are easy to store and easily available. You can add almond butter to the chopped banana pieces or make a banana smoothie. Alternatively, you can mix chopped banana pieces in yoghurt and add some crushed walnuts too. Good fr the brain and the gut.

Eggs: 
This is an incredibly versatile source and variety of snacks, especially for that late-night tuck-in. You can keep some hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator, handy for a quick snack or turn them into egg salad as a spread for crackers. If you are cholesterol conscious, eat only the egg white, which has 6 grams of hunger-satisfying protein, as well as vitamin B2 and lower amounts of fat than the yolk. Eggs are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. This ‘complete’ source of protein contains all nine essential amino acids, the ones we cannot synthesise in our bodies and must obtain from our diet.

Nuts
Always keep a jar of mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pistachios) handy so that when hunger strikes at odd timings you can grab a fistful of these mixed nuts guilt-free. They are a rich source of protein, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Nutritionists claim that eating 1.5 ounces of nuts daily as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Also, pistachios contain the highest melatonin content among plant foods and can help you sleep well. Unsalted and unflavoured nuts are the healthiest. Another nut that you can have in a spread form is peanut butter spread evenly on a slice of toast, or multigrain bread, or whole wheat bread.

Kiwis
Kiwis are a light, satisfying snack that is rich in vitamin C. Peel and slice two kiwis, a natural source of serotonin, which promotes relaxation and gives a feeling of satiation. Tried a Kiwi Sandwich, ever? Get 4 slices of organic rye bread, 50g mascarpone cheese, and 2 ripe kiwis. Now peel the kiwis and cut them into thin slices. Spread the mascarpone cheese over the rye bread and place the kiwi slices on top of the cheese. You are good to go. Another one, here: Make dried kiwi slices, or a smoothie bowl topping or granola ingredient. Kiwi chips are easy to make in the oven and is a healthy, low-calorie treat. But make sure it is fresh fruits you pick for these and not the frozen or canned variety.

Phool Makhana
Makhana is also known as fox nuts, or as Euryale Ferox, lotus seeds, gorgon nuts and Phool makhana. A popular homemade snack in most Indian households, it is also commercially available in ready-to-eat form. These seeds are often used in quite a few Indian sweets and savouries like kheer, raita or makhana curry. Have a small bowl of Phool makhana as your midnight snack. Dry roast or roast them with 1 teaspoon ghee and sprinkle your favourite masala like powdered kali mirch, dhaniya powder, or curry leaves powder. Add a little salt or sprinkle a tiny amount of saltwater while stirring on the heat. A healthy night time or anytime snacks.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement