• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Best Foods for longevity

Best Foods for longevity

According to Denver Health Medical Plan for Strong Body, Strong Mind Blog, what we eat has the potential to help us or harm us. That is in sync with the position of the great Greek philosopher, Herodotus who admonished man to: “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” The interwoven chord between quality, nutritious food and our health /well-being remains strong and should not therefore, be undermined.

Unfortunately, because of our modern lifestyle full of dynamics our addiction to processed food items is on the increase. But it offers insufficient nourishment and is the cause of illnesses like obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. To reverse this trend we should eat food items that leave us energised, reduce our risk of illness and allow us to maintain a healthy weight. “To live longer and be healthier, we have to fuel our bodies with nutrient-dense foods. Natural plant foods can restore our health and vitality”, the Denver blog insists.

Researches carried out by a team headed by Dr.Casey Rebholz, associate professor of epidemiology, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland on over 10,000 middle-aged people from 1987-2016 show that eating diet that is rich in dark green, leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fruits, legumes but fewer animal sources lead to long life.

In fact, Mediterranean diet has been identified to lead to long life. This is because they are made up mainly of olive oil, fish, whole wheat grains, fruits and vegetables taken every day.

They are packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients that are effective against diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and obesity.

Experts on human nutrition advise that we should go for SEA FOODS for all-round health. Fish, crayfish, crabs, prawns are rich in minerals such as iodine, zinc, potassium as well as Omega-3 fatty acids that build the body and the eye’s retina. They also possess Vitamin B and Protein.

They are low in fat (2%) and cholesterol and good for those who want to slim down or watch their weight. Let us narrow it down to food items that take good care of some of our health challenges.

Foods against ANXIETY:

– With attempts to meet our dreams and targets for the New Year, many people will become victims of anxiety and stress.

-If these persist they could lead to ill health characterized by irritability, tightening of chest muscles, difficulty in breathing and lack of quality sleep.

-Food items that are recommended as effective against anxiety include eggs( packed with vitamin d), green tea( antioxidants), dark chocolate, turmeric pumpkin seeds rich in potassium, dark chocolate that possess flavonoids, oily fish such as sardines, tuna and mackerel that contain beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.

-Other food items that calm the nerves are bananas, turmeric, milk, yogurt and egg yolk.

-TO INDUCE SLEEP, take honey at night.

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-Foods that give you more ENERGY:

-It’s that time of the year when many people have burnt out their calories after several activities. These include attendance at parties, meetings and traveling almost on daily basis.

-Eating meals rich in some food materials could revitalise the body and get you ready for the rigours of the tasks ahead.

-So, what are these energy-giving food items? They are bananas (blessed with carbohydrates, potassium and Vitamin B6), sweet potato, oatmeal, avocado, oily fish such as sardines, tuna and mackerel.

-Others include coffee, dark chocolate, beans, yogurt, apples, beet, brown rice, nuts, dark green vegetables, popcorn and wait for this-water!

Foods that cleanse the COLON:

– Did you know that a healthy COLON that allows for free flow of faeces and is also effective against constipation prevents cancer?

-Fibre-rich fruits and vegetables such as apples, orange, banana, pear, peas, beans, legumes, whole grains and wheat are highly recommended.

-Food items that assist you to have GOOD SLEEP are those packed full with several nutrients such as melatonin, tryptophan including minerals especially magnesium that stave off hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes.

-These include almond, walnut, turkey, warm milk, chamomile tea, black tea, watermelon, orange juice, banana, dark chocolate and fatty fish.

-Sleep disorder affects your general well-being, so go for the listed foods.

-Ensure that you enjoy between seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night.

-Foods that HEAL the MUSCLES, according to AlinaPetre, a renowned nutritionist are those truly rich in protein, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and zinc.

-These include meat, fish, poultry, beans, ground nut and walnut. Others are dark green vegetables, fruits such as pawpaw, mango, tomatoes and oranges. Oily fish include sardines, tuna and mackerel fish.

-Not left out are red and yellow bell peppers and calcium-rich milk.

-These nutritious food items are not only recommended for athletes suffering from different injuries but for everyone daily fully engaged in physical activities. Some, out of exertion suffer from muscle ache and pains at the joints.

-As we age, the cells deteriorate and people battle against cataract and dimness of sight. FOODS that HEAL the EYES include green, leafy vegetables, protein-rich eggs, nuts and beans; oranges and other citrus fruits, tuna, salmon, sardines, oysters and pork.

Pomegranates

Cruciferous Vegetables

These are vegetable powerhouses with the unique ability to modify human hormones, activate the body’s natural detoxification system and inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. Cruciferous vegetables should be chewed thoroughly or eaten shredded, chopped, juiced or blended in order to release their potent anti-cancer properties.

Salad Greens

Raw, leafy green vegetables – some are cruciferous –contain less than 100 calories per pound, making them an ideal food for weight control. In scientific studies, women who ate a large salad at the beginning of a meal ate fewer calories from the rest of the meal, and larger salads reduced calories more than smaller ones. In addition to keeping weight down, greater intake of salads, leafy greens or raw vegetables is associated with reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and several cancers. Leafy greens are also rich in the essential B-vitamin folate plus lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that protect the eyes from light damage.

Nuts

A high-nutrient source of healthful fats, plant protein, fiber, antioxidants, phytosterols and minerals, nuts are a low-glycemic food that also help reduce the glycemic load of an entire meal, making them an important component for an anti-diabetes diet. Despite their caloric density, nut consumption is associated with lower body weight, potentially due to appetite suppression from heart-healthy components.

Seeds

The nutritional profile of seeds is very similar to nuts in that they provide healthy fats, minerals and antioxidants, but seeds have more protein and are abundant in trace minerals. Flax, chia and hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 fats. Flax, chia and sesame seeds are also rich lignans, breast cancer-fighting phytoestrogens. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium and vitamin E and pumpkin seeds are especially rich in zinc.

Beans

Daily consumption of beans and other legumes helps stabilise blood sugar, reduce your appetite and protect against colon cancer. The most nutrient-dense starch source, beans act as an anti-diabetes and weight-loss food because they are digested slowly, which blunts the rise in blood glucose after a meal and helps prevent food cravings by promoting satiety. They also contain lots of soluble fiber which helps lower cholesterol, and resistant starch which is converted by intestinal bacteria into short-chain fatty acids that help prevent colon cancer

-Simply put, we ALL need these nutrients.

-Go for them!