I’m delighted to share my Love Affair with Food with you today, and
for me, it’s the eating rather than the cooking. I’m not a good cook and do it
for survival rather than passion. I make
myself cook and I make my family eat it. Some efforts are more successful than
others, but, hey, we are all still alive J
Despite my culinary inadequacy, I do care
about what we eat. Rather than share a recipe with you today, I thought I would
share my five super-foods to keep you healthy.
No. 1 Blueberries
You would not believe all the benefits
these delicious berries provide.
·
Vitamin K - blood coagulation
and binding of calcium in bones and other tissues
·
Vitamin C - helping to repair
and regenerate tissues, absorbtion of iron and preventing heart disease
·
Fibre - associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke,
type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer
·
Manganese - supports bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis. It’s also needed
for antioxidant and enzyme function, helps maintain cognitive function, fights
and damages diabetes, supports lung and respiratory health, helps prevent
arthritis and osteoarthritis, reduces pms symptoms
·
Antioxidants, in particular
anthocyanins - provide anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer benefits
So what’s not to love? If you only make one
change to your diet – add blueberries.
No. 2 Oats
High in fibre and protein, oats contain
some unique components.
·
Beta glucan - one form of soluble dietary fibre that’s strongly linked to
improving cholesterol levels and boosting heart health.
·
Avenanthramides - exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-itch activity
No. 3 Olives
Although approximately 80 percent of the
calories in an olive are fat, it is the healthy fat, the main one being oleic
acid. Studies have found this to have a protective effect when it comes to
cancer and maintaining a healthy heart.
No. 4 Broccoli
These little green trees, as my son used to
call them, are a great source of a long list of what helps make us brilliant:
·
Vitamin B - B complex vitamins are needed for healthy skin, hair,
eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly
·
Choline - a macronutrient that's important
for liver function, normal brain development, nerve function, muscle movement,
supporting energy levels and maintaining a healthy metabolism
·
Vitamin A -
important for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction. It also helps
the heart, lungs, kidneys,
and other organs work properly
·
Potassium - potassium-rich foods can
lower your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Studies
suggest boosting your potassium intake and curbing salt and sodium can slash
your stroke risk by 21% and may also lower your odds of developing heart
disease
·
Iron - an essential nutrient, it
is a component of haemoglobin in red blood cells that distribute oxygen around
the body, and myoglobin that is found in muscles and tissues.
·
Zinc - necessary for the body's immune system to work properly, zinc
plays a role in cell division, cell growth, wound healing, and the breakdown of
carbohydrates. Zinc is
also needed for the
senses of smell and taste.
·
Calcium - the body uses 99 percent of its calcium to keep your bones and
teeth strong, thereby supporting skeletal structure and function. The rest of the calcium in your body plays
key roles in cell
signaling, blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve function.
·
Selenium - works
as an antioxidant, especially when combined with vitamin E.
Antioxidants like selenium help fight damaging particles in the body known as
free radicals.
No. 5 Salmon
This delicious fish has a lot to offer our
bodies, as well as our taste buds. In addition to being a good source of B
vitamins and choline, mentioned above, salmon is packed with a whole lot more.
·
The sunshine vitamin D – this
has multiple roles within the body, helping to maintain the health of bones and teeth; support the health of the immune system,
brain, and nervous system; regulate insulin levels and aid diabetes management; support lung
function and cardiovascular health; influence the expression of genes involved
in cancer development
·
Taurine - important for the body because of
its role in the maintenance of organ and cell function
·
Omega-3 fatty acids - these are one of the "good" types of fat. They may help
lower the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia, and arthritis. Your body
can't make them - you have
to eat them or take supplements.
·
Phosphorus - next to calcium, phosphorus is the most abundant
mineral in the body. These 2 important nutrients work closely together to build strong bones and teeth
·
Potassium – this is a
mineral, not a vitamin. Eating more of these potassium-rich foods can lower your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart
disease. Studies suggest boosting your potassium intake and curbing salt and sodium can slash your
stroke risk by 21% and may also lower your odds of developing heart disease
Don’t you just love the idea that your
food is helping to keep your body brilliant?
But there’s more to life than that, and
I couldn’t end a piece on “What Makes us Brilliant” without including something
that makes us happy.
What would life be without chocolate? Wishing
you all a very happy love affair with your food.
Sugar Free Chocoloate |
Mollie Blake is a published author of contemporary
romance. A lover of reading sexy stories, Mollie decided to go one step further
and write her own. Her romances are filled with danger and peppered with hot
sexy scenes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and UK Romantic
Novelists Association.
Connect
with her on the web:
Keeping You: A Cheshire Love Story (Cheshire
Love Stories Book 3)
His
past haunts him. Revenge drives him. Can her love save him?
After
a chance meeting in a bookshop, young Suzy Harper is engaged by
multi-multimillionaire, Lawrence Bane, to work on translating a French
document. They embark on an intense relationship, but he is surrounded by
mystery and shame as demons from his past threaten to destroy everything he has
worked for, including her love for him.
This
exciting erotic romantic thriller traces the increasingly intense and tender
relationship between the inexperienced Suzy and her wealthy, troubled lover,
Lawrence. There are two obsessions in Lawrence’s life—his passion for Suzy and
his drive for revenge against the gangland boss who murdered his best friend.
Will
Suzy be strong enough to accept Lawrence for the man he is? Will Lawrence trust
the woman he loves enough to reveal his darkest secrets to her? Will their love
survive the challenges that lie ahead?
Buy links:
The books sounds good. I love all of those foods. I like to cook and usually cook every day. I like trying new recipes and some don't come out good but at least I tried.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Mary. I have to follow recipes. My husband band me from improvising many years ago. But I do try xx
DeleteSounds like a fun read!
ReplyDeleteThese foods are so fantastic for us. I eat oatmeal every morning and luckily never get bored of it. My husband is obsessed with frozen blueberries. He buys in them larges bags and eats them like ice cream!
Ha, Val, at least it's healthy. And sounds lovely with ice cream xx
DeleteI am all about the chocolate!!! Actually, I like all of the foods you've listed, except for olives. *shudder* I can't even put one in my mouth!
ReplyDeleteHa - I grew into olives in my forties. I love them now :) xx
DeleteI love blueberries and chocolat!!
ReplyDeleteAdd a few strawberries, Gloria, and it's a lovely combination xx
DeleteI love all of these! I like to soak chia seeds and oats in almond milk for 20 minutes for an added boost of nutrition. Top it with blueberries for an even bigger kick of healthy goodness.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good, Theresa. I haven't heard of chia seeds - I'll go and look them up. xx
DeleteGreat list of foods and the book sounds good
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine x
DeleteWonderful info on food.
ReplyDeleteLove this cover and love romantic thrillers. This sounds like a good one.
Thanks Sandra - let me know what you think if you do read Keeping You xx
DeleteBlueberries and salmon sound good to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bethany x
DeleteThank you so much for this!
ReplyDeleteI love all these delicious foods, especially blueberries and salmon...and the book sounds really intriguing. :))
Cheers Ygraine xx
DeleteI love chocolate!
ReplyDeleteMy weakness, Nancy. Something that delicious has to be good for us x
DeleteI love the saltiness of green olives, and I'm trying to eat broccoli more than I have been. I love a romantic suspense novel, and this one sounds really good. Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteThanks RO. My son and I are good with eating broccoli. It's the husband who needs persuading. And it's not easy to hide. Tiny pieces in a pasta dish can work :) If you decide to read the book I hope you enjoy it x
DeleteSalmon, oats, chocolate, and blueberries are all regulars in my diet! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry - so we have much more in common ;) Nice to meet you xx
DeleteThank you sooo much for this outstanding post my friend!!!!
ReplyDeletehonestly speaking i never saw blue berries here ,though oats ,broccoli and fish are regular part of our meals .
ah what a bd luck that though i love to eat chocolate but can't as in the 48th year of my age hubby doesn't allow me to have it daily as i like but once in a while little bit is allowed.
Mollie sounds very nice writer