The last decade was filled with different food trends and wonder-promising diets. We’ve witnessed that many of them were just marketing tricks or unhealthy and inefficient. Now is the ideal time to return to all-natural food if we care about our health. As Michael Palin stated in the Monty Python's Flying Circus: ‘All you should want from your food is that it doesn’t harm you.’ Organic food won’t harm you, but bring you a lot of benefits. With more nutrients than processed and chemically treated food, it can prolong your life and prevent diseases. Don’t expect miracle weight loss, though. The effects may come slower, but they’ll come and stay. 

Nature’s Gifts

With organic food, nature brought us more nutrients. On average, organic food contains significantly higher concentration of antioxidants than conventionally grown food. It is food that is grown according to certain standards and processed with specific methods. All of this makes organic food the perfect choice for someone who wants to improve their health and lose weight. Making healthy diet choices means that you will avoid chemicals. Some studies find that pesticides can influence weight gain, while others claim that the amount is so small that it doesn’t have any impact. We don’t know about you, but we wouldn’t like to take this risk. 

It’s not all About the Greens…

 … there is a little something about meat, too. Often there are misconceptions that organic food is linked only with fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to make healthy food choices. When eating meat, you should check the way the animal was grown and fed. If we compared organically raised chickens and chickens made to fulfill competitive market standards, we would notice that the former have less fat, leaner meat and are thinner and healthier. Conventionally grown chickens are being fed foodstuff with the purpose of growing as large as possible and it results in too much fat. It is the same with other animals too.

Eat Your (Organic) Veggies and Fruits

The genetically engineered approach to the production of fruits and vegetables results in more pesticides in the products. The food grown using organic methods contains more vitamins and minerals, and it is healthier. Higher levels of nutrients provide your body with more energy and better functionality, which further influences easier fat burning, digestion and easier removal of excess fat deposits. Eating healthy naturally-grown food may not help you lose weight directly, but indirectly it has a high impact on your organism’s willingness to process food into energy, and use that energy to lose weight. We would say it is worthwhile, wouldn’t you?

Organic Meals

You can opt for an exclusively raw food diet, which is a whole different way of preparing your food. Your meals would be based on such dishes as smoked fish, raw and dried fruit or vegetables, raw soups, smoothies, shakes, etc. You can find various recipes, including protein shake recipes, which will make a great addition to your diet. One more way to go is paleo diet, based on eating real unprocessed foods. You can also eat the way you’ve always eaten, with the change of eating organic instead of conventionally produced food. In the long-term, this will also have positive effects. When making organic meals the possibilities for delicious results are endless. Still, we’ll give you one treat to make your taste buds explode.

Organic black beans

Ingredients:

• 1 cup black organic beans
• 1/2 cup of white organic beans
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp organic cumin
• 1 tsp freshly chopped chili
• 1 tsp organic coriander seeds
• 1 finely diced capsicum
• 400g organic thinned tomatoes
• ½  tsp sea salt

Preparation:

Presoak the beans overnight. Add fresh water (5-6 cups) in the sauce pan and pour the beans. Simmer over gentle heat and stir occasionally. In separate saucepan fry the garlic. After 1 hour, mix in the seasonings and add the mixture to the beans. In the end, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 30 minutes more.

It is possible to enjoy food, be healthy and reach optimal weight. All it takes is some consideration regarding the way the food comes to your table and what you do with it later. Bon appétit!

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This post has been contributed by Peter Minkoff

Irrespective of whether you want to lose weight, live a healthier life or get in a better shape, regular consumption of a healthy diet comes with many benefits. Sneaking food recipes that are packed with nutrients into your diet will make you more productive while keeping common and chronic illnesses at bay. It will also help in maintaining a healthy weight and improved the quality of your life among other health benefits. Here are 11 all-time food recipes you should never miss in your regular diet:

1    Onions

Onions are flavorful bulbs that are loaded with nutrients. According to Victoria Jarzabkowski, a nutritionist at the University of Texas in Austin, onion is a super-healthy recipe that contains flavonoids and phytochemicals that commonly occur in fruits and vegetables. These ingredients react with your body to trigger healthy reactions. Researches have shown that onions can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease.

2    Garlic

Garlic contains a compound referred to as Allchin, which is renowned for its medicinal properties. It is also loaded with helpful minerals and vitamins, including manganese, selenium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, vitamin B6, vitamin C. It is suggested that garlic contain a little bit of nearly everything that your body requires. It can help in combating illnesses, including the common cold, high blood pressure and heart disease. Its antioxidants can help to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

3    Fish

Fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout and sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty acids. According to Rachel Johnson, Ph.D., RD, Bickford Professor of Nutrition at the University of Vermont, omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-clotting effect that ensures improved flow of blood. Also, omega3s help in reducing the risk of heart disease. Get at least two 3.5 ounces servings of oily fish every week, recommends the American Heart Association. 

4    Low-fat Yogurt or Milk

According to Johnson, dairy products are rich in potassium and may be effective in lowering blood pressure. Consuming fat-free or low-fat dairy products will give you no saturated fat that can raise your cholesterol levels. You can also find potassium from other sources like fruits and vegetables.

5    Vegetables

Just like fruits, vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals. All that are green, yellow or orange in color contain magnesium, Iron, calcium, beta-carotene and vitamins B complex, A, C, and K. By incorporating vegetables in your daily diet, you are less likely to develop chronic illnesses like stroke, cancer, and type-2 diabetes. Vegetables are also rich in fiber that helps in digestion and weight loss. Some of the good options include spinach, kales, carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes among others. Depending on the amount of calories you need, consume one to four cups of vegetables on a daily basis.

6    Fruits

Fruits are recognized due to their vitamins and minerals contents. Fruits contain essential nutrients like potassium, folate, and vitamin C among many more. They are also loaded with phytochemicals that can reduce the risks of chronic illnesses, including bone loss, kidney stones, heart disease and cancer. Some of the fruits you can incorporate in your daily diet include strawberries, citrus fruit, blueberries, pineapples, avocados, bananas, etc. consume two and half cups of fruits everyday depending on your caloric requirements. You can have them as juices, snacks or include them in food salads.

7    Olive Oil

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) that are considered a healthy dietary fat. Studies have shown that people who regularly consume MUFAs are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. Also, such oils help to normalize blood clotting. However, since all oils are rich in calories, they should be used in moderation. Instead of going for fatty foods, choose MUFA-rich foods and stick with margarine. Also, note that you can’t make processed foods healthy by adding olive oil to them.

8    Water

Water is no food, but it is very essential in any healthy diet. It helps in digestion and aids metabolic reactions in the body. You can prepare healthy soups by boiling certain recipes in water. As health professionals recommend, aim to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water in a day. However, you may require more water if you engage in physical activities that make you sweat.

9    Green Tea

Whether spiced or not, green tea happens to be among the best fat-burning foods you can find around. It can boost metabolism, thanks to a compound called EGCG. Studies have shown that drinking up to four cups in a day helps in weight loss. You can add spices to green tea to improve the taste of this amazing beverage. Best spices include lemon, agave nectar, and cayenne.

10    Honey

Instead of adding sugar to your beverages, you can use honey because it is renowned to have many health benefits. Honey is a natural sweetener that comes with many health benefits, such as alleviating allergies, boosting energy levels, improves cognitive function, suppresses coughs and improves sleep among others.

11    Salt

Salt is a basic element through which your body is made. Without salt in your body, most functions would become compromised. It helps in stabilizing heartbeats, regulates blood pressure, extracts excessive acidity in your body and balances sugar levels in your blood among many other functions. However, excessive use of salt can contribute to serious medical conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease. It should thus be consumed in moderation.

Conclusion

All these 11 recipes play a significant role in improving your overall heath. They should make part of your healthy diet enhance the quality of your life. It is important to consult a nutritionist or a doctor before making significant changes to your diet. Eat well and you will live longer!

References

https://www.glozine.com/travel/world-travel/6-foods-that-give-you-the-true-taste-of-the-caribbean.html

Author Bio

Willo Conner has been a freelance writer since 2006 who enjoys writing and reading about beauty and health. He is assisting people with health, beauty, food and fitness issues. He writes passionately on anything that involves the human body and loves to dispense unbiased advice through his writing. Follow him here - Facebook, Twitter, Google+