Recommendation for the Last Day of Winter

Tomorrow spring will start officially.  In this part of Middle- Europe the weather  has  turned wintery; it is cold and snowing all day.  Superfoods are loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and immune-boosting powers that your body needs to power itself through cold weather.

Adding a little dark chocolate to your diet is a great health booster. The sweet contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that helps to fight against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The thermogenic property of ginger in your ginger tea keeps you warm. Hot soups containing pumpkin or sweet potatoes or squash seasoned with hot chilli heat you up when things get cold. These vegetables contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. Chilli pepper in your soup holds a compound called capsaicin, which gives to it a spicy kick. It also boosts metabolism and fights the build up of fat.

Eating Brussels sprouts may just help you fight a cold. In addition to being packed with fibre, cancer-fighting phytonutrients and they are also high in vitamin C. Roasted apples with walnuts and cinnamon is good healthy snack any time of year, that provides fibre, antioxidant, vitamin C, water and omega 3 fatty acids.

All Is About Meat

Human nutrients

·      fat  should be 30% of the daily meal, which is for an adult approximately  65g/day

·      proteins should be15%  of the daily meal, which is for an adult approximately  73-75 g

·      carbohydrates should be 55% of the daily meal, which is for an adult approximately 

 268-275 g

·      fibres

·      minerals

·      vitamins

·      water  - an adult needs to drink 8 cups/day

The basic nutrients are consumed in five different food groups:

·      fruits and vegetables

·      starch

·      meat

·      dairy

·      fat and sugar

Meat, fish, eggs and beans give us proteins, which help to grow and repair cells. 2-3 servings /day should include one of this group. A portion is 130g of salmon or 80g of raw meat or 2-3 tablespoons of pulses or 2 tablespoons of nuts.

Red meat supplies iron, which easily absorbed by the body, vitamin B12, which helps make DNA and keeps nerve and red blood cells healthy and it also provides zinc, which keeps immune system working properly.                                  

Source of vitamin B12 in your diet:

In general, red meats (beef, pork and lamb) have more cholesterol and saturated fat than chicken, fish and vegetable proteins such as beans. Cholesterol and saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol and make heart disease worse. Chicken and fish have less saturated fat than most red meat.  The unsaturated fats in fish, such as salmon, actually have health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and some plant sources, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
It’s OK to eat red meat as long as you limit the amount; once a week 70-80g .

Beef provides nutrients like zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins, and half of the fat found in beef is monounsaturated, the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil.

Grass-fed beef is leaner than grain-fed, which makes it lower in total fat and saturated fat. Grass-fed beef also contains relatively small amount omega-3 fatty acids. You can see red meat contains numerous vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthful, balanced diet. In recent years, however, its reputation has been severely blemished, with studies suggesting that red meat intake can increase the risk developing colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Meat contains a whole lot of iron which, when eaten in excess, can raise levels of iron in the brain that may destroy myelin. This disrupts brain communication, and signs of Alzheimer’s appear. The processed red meat like hot dogs and salami are the worst may be because their preparation, since charring meat increases toxins (nitrosamines) that can lead to stomach cancer. Some studies have found an association with red meat consumption and increased risk of a shortened lifespan. Eating meat hardens blood vessels; carnitine content of the red meat may cause hardening and clogging of the arteries. Researchers found that increased carnitine levels predicted increased risks for cardiovascular disease. Diets rich in animal products contribute to the increased risk occurrence of obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Eating healthier protein sources such as fish, nuts, and legumes was associated with a lower risk of mortality.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is encouraged by the traditional dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain^. This diet include proportionally high consumption of olive oil, legumes, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, quite high consumption of fish, reasonable consumption of cheese and yogurt, moderate wine consumption, and low consumption of meat and meat products.

This diet is rich in monounsaturated fat and fibre.

The moderate consumption of red wine contributes to good health because it contains antioxidant.

 Although a big group of these foods contain high level of salt (links to high blood pressure) the diet has beneficial health effect, which is reflected by the high life expectancy in these countries.

Addition to the diet the life style; culture and physical activity, labour is very important.

The Mediterranean diet appears to be better than low –fat diet, it decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30% more, lowers the cholesterol level and blood pressure.

Compare your diet to the Mediterranean diet:

Content of Mediterranean diet	Your  diet
Olive oil Seeds Nuts Legumes Fruits Vegetables Fish Cheese Wine Meat Meat products

How you  should improve your  diet eating more: