Certain foods are full of the essential nutrients we need to live. In order to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s imperative you get all of these essential nutrients. Some foods are a way to get these nutrients, and they’re tasty enough to eat every day. AFC Urgent Care Burlington has the health of our community at the top of our minds. Call our center for more health resources, or visit us to have any urgent condition taken care of.
Lean Proteins
Protein is crucial to be healthy and maintain your muscle mass. While the amount of protein you need daily is different for every person, lean proteins help balance blood sugar levels that normally would spike with carbs.
It’s assumed most people are eating enough protein in their diet, but the source of it can likely be healthier. Some common, healthy protein sources include canned tuna, chicken breast, lentil soup, eggs, or tofu. Protein is available no matter what kind of diet you may follow.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous describes foods that are within the cabbage family. They include broccoli, bok choy, brussels sprouts, radishes, cauliflower, and cabbage.
These vegetables are a great source of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. They are also assumed to prevent metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Berries
Most berries are a great source of bioactive compounds. They can prevent cardiovascular disease and lower the risk of some cancers. Berries to include in your daily diet can be blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, and blackberries.
Eating 100-grams of the mentioned berries can be 50% of a person’s daily requirement for vitamin C, folate, and manganese.
Nuts
One study found that adding five or more services of nuts, specifically tree nuts, daily lowered the risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in adults with diabetes.
Don’t let the high fat content steer you away from incorporating nuts into your daily diet. They are dense foods that don’t have an adverse effect on body weight. In fact, if you replace other unhealthy foods in your diet with nuts, you may even start losing weight.
Olive Oil
It’s suggested that olive oil has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Both unfiltered and extra virgin olive oil contains the highest levels of polyphenols, however, these products are often more expensive. Drizzling olive oil in salads or cooking with it are easy ways to incorporate it into your diet.
