Want to get in tip-top condition? Eat up!
Diet has a profound effect on the health and wellbeing of your whole body, inside and out. Here’s what you should be eating to help you look and feel on top form.
Your brain
Our brains are the nerve centre for all that goes on in our bodies.
Foods to eat
Calcium, magnesium and zinc are important brain foods. All help with relaxation. Magnesium deficiency can lead to anxiety, irritability and high blood pressure, while low levels of zinc are associated with poor immunity and depression.
Sunflower and sesame seeds and dairy produce are good sources of calcium, while regular helpings of wholemeal and granary bread, brown rice, pulses, green leafy vegetables, yogurt and lean meat will increase your magnesium levels. Eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, lamb, seeds and live yogurt contain plenty of zinc.
Your digestion
Your bowels or large intestine is where the last stages of digestion take place, but it is also where bacteria are accommodated to synthesise energy, vitamins and minerals.
Foods to eat
Papaya and pineapple contain powerful enzymes that help break down proteins in the body. Apples and pears contain pectin, a soluble fibre that cleanses the intestines, binds with waste products and escorts it all out of the body. Brown rice is rich in fibre and encourages healthy bowel movements. Fibre also slows down the release of the starch as sugar into the bloodstream, meaning that you feel full for longer and there is a steady release of energy. Drinking lots of water is crucial to help you feel the benefits. Always increase fibre slowly so that the body has time to get used to it.
Your heart
We all know your heart is critical to good health – and a good diet and healthy amount of exercise are fundamental. In the Western world, cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest causes of death.
Foods to eat
Garlic helps prevent hardening of arteries, reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood fats while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol; deters the clumping of blood cells and lowers blood pressure.
Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fats, a type of fat that helps to raise levels of HDL. They are also rich in beta-sitosterol, a plant compound that inhibits the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine.
Red grapes contain various antioxidants that protect against heart disease by reducing blood pressure and blood clots and lowering LDL cholesterol.
Oats, brown rice, wheat, corn, lentils, beans and fruit are good sources of fibre, which is also an important component in heart health as it helps clear the blood of LDL.
Salmon, mackerel, trout, herring or sardines are rich sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids which are known to reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and lower factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease such as blood clotting and high blood pressure.
Your skin
Your skin is the body’s largest organ and consists of millions of living cells that rely on a regular supply of oxygen and nutrients. Clear moist skin reflects a healthy body, whereas dull, dry or greasy skin suggests things are not as they should be, and no amount of expensive lotions will compensate for a bad diet.
Foods to eat
Apricots are loaded with beta-carotene, an antioxidant that is converted by the body into vitamin A and protects the skin and lungs from oxidation damage and supports a healthy immune system. Apricots are also rich in fibre, so they can help relieve constipation and ward off digestive problems. Other good sources are broccoli, carrot, kale, spinach, sweet potato, pumpkin, melon and eggs.
Pumpkin seeds, linseeds, hemp and sunflower seeds are high in essential fatty acids which help the skin cells hold onto water, keeping the skin smooth and plump.
Fresh blackcurrants contain three times as much Vitamin C as oranges, weight for weight. Vitamin C increases oxygen flow to the skin, helps the body to produce collagen (to maintain firm skin and elasticity), as well as helping to heal cuts, bruises and scar tissue. Other good sources are berries, broccoli, citrus fruit, cabbage, spinach and watercress.
Your liver
The liver is the largest internal organ and is crucial to the body’s health and vitality. It is the main organ of detoxification and on its most basic level acts as a filter, ensuring the essentials from our diet reach our bloodstream, while the waste matter is expelled. This vital organ also helps balance blood sugar levels, stores other nutrients, breaks down fats, makes cholesterol and produces bile salts to help with digestion. Overdoing toxins such as drugs or alcohol can affect its efficiency, which can cause you to feel tired and sluggish with poor digestion and bad skin.
Foods to eat
Beetroot is loaded with nutrients and is considered very purifying. It contains betacyanin, which, along with other powerful antioxidants in beetroot, have been shown to enhance the detoxing process.
Other liver-loving foods include broccoli, which is rich in vitamin C, dandelion and nettles which stimulate the liver and digestion (try them cooked like spinach) and cabbage (particularly red cabbage).