Healthy Food for This Weekend

Did you have a stressful week at work? Tried to finish 5 days worth of work within 4 days?

Time to recharge yourself with this super health food!

Article as below

5 superfoods for better health

These five nutritional powerhouses should be in everyone's diet, says nutritional therapist Pooja Vig. Here's why eating them will give your body the boost it may need. Curry and other spices If you often season your food with spices, give yourself a pat on the back now. Spices, like turmeric (found in curry powder) and cinammon, are superfoods which are rich in active, health-giving compounds. "Turmeric contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is a powerful antioxidant," says nutritional therapist and microbiologist Pooja Vig. "It protects the heart and brain from the effects of ageing and is believed to be a powerful cancer fighter." Cinammon may lower blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes, say some preliminary studies. Ms Vig, who heads The Nutrition Clinic in Singapore, recommends using spices liberally in foods. However, in some instances, it may be more beneficial to take spices via a concentrated source like a tablet or tea. "Commercially available powdered cinnamon may not be as powerful if it has been sitting on the shelf for some time, so making a tea by using cinnamon stick and boiling it in water, becomes a good way of taking the spice," she says. Fenugreek, which is good for heart health, can be quite hard to stomach because of its bitter taste and taking it in capsule form makes it easier to get the level of dosage. Berries They are great, low-sugar fruit with numerous health-promoting substances. One good example is cranberries, which are excellent for preventing and relieving urinary tract infections (UTI) she says. Recurrent UTIs are dangerous as pyelonephritis - when infection has reached the pelvis of the kidney - can occur if the damage spreads. For those suffering from recurring UTIs, Ms Vig suggests taking pure cranberry extracts that are completely free of sugar, artificial colouring and preservatives. "Pure cranberry juice is sour and can be difficult on the palate, so many cranberry products have added sugar in them," she cautions. Besides supplements, berries can also be easily incorporated into food by adding them to salads, cereals and smoothies, or just consuming them as a snack on its own. Salmon Healthy omega-3 fats in salmon can help to lower the risk of heart disease and retard memory loss and arthritis, says Ms Vig. Ms Vig recommends consuming three servings of salmon a week, together with a daily fish oil capsule. "Look out for a brand that thoroughly removes environmental toxins such as mercury while also giving high enough levels of the two (omega-3) active oils - eicosapentatonic acid (EPA) and docosohexanoic acid (DHA). "For most healthy adults, a combined EPA and DHA of around 500mg is good," she says.

Probiotics

These healthy bacteria are excellent for gut health and for boosting immunity. They work by restoring the balance of gut bacteria and raise resistance to harmful germs.

Ms Vig recommends taking a probiotic supplement over food sources of probiotics.

"There is the issue of knowing if the healthy bacteria levels have been maintained during transport and when on the shelf," she says.

However, Ms Vig warns to start slowly if taking probiotic supplements for the first time.

"Some people do react and find that they experience constipation, bloating and diarrhoea. If that happens, lower the dose you are taking," she previously wrote in The Straits Times.

Fiber

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has raised the recommended daily servings of wholegrains from one to three

Wholegrains are a good source of fibre, which helps to relieve constipation and lower LDL - or "bad" - cholesterol, says Ms Vig.

Other benefits of fibre include its ability to control diabetes - by reducing the post-meal rise in blood sugar - and weight gain as it helps you to feel full longer.

Besides wholegrains, fibre is found mainly in fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Unfortunately, 80 per cent of Singaporeans are not meeting their recommended daily fibre needs, which HPB says is 26g for men and 20g for women.

To meet these needs, Ms Vig suggests adopting a two-pronged approach of increasing fibre intake through supplements and food.

Article Source :http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Eat%2BRight/Story/A1Story20091125-182204.html