Food Combos

Ok, I found some great tips in a Family Circle magazine for maximizing the health benefit of some foods. These are some great combinations that will help you get the most out of your food!

1. Vinegar and high-carb foods like bread, pasta and potatoes. This can help with easier weight loss. When we eat high-carb foods it causes a spike in the glucose in our blood and then drops quickly making us feel hungry, so we eat more. Vinegar helps to moderate that spike in glucose, so we feel full longer. A recent study showed that people who ate 4 tsp of apple-cider vinegar with bagels and juice consumed 200 less calories during their day then people who ate the exact same meal minus the vinegar. I personally know that this works. I took apple-cider vinegar in a pill form every morning and within just a few short weeks I lost 5 pounds.I know its not huge but... if we could keep ourselves from gaining weight by splashing a little vinegar on our bread or pasta, why not?!

2. Tomatoes, olive oil, and broccoli. These simple foods eaten together can mean fewer colds. Tomatoes and broccoli are packed with vitamin c and beta-carotene that help strengthen your immune system. However, to be properly absorbed, beta-carotene must be consumed with fat. Hence the olive oil. According to a study, adding 1/2 tsp of monounsaturated fat allows our body to absorb 5 times more beta-carotene from the veggies we eat. Steaming is the best way to get those veggies to let out their beat-carotene and are also easier to digest after a quick steam bath.

3. Bananas and yogurt. Everyone talks about how yogurt has great probiotics and can help with tummy and digestive trouble, but what most don't know is that in order for probiotics to be reach their full potential, they need prebiotics. Probiotics feed on prebiotics so when we consume probiotics we need to feed them. This is where the bananas come in. Bananas supply inulin and ologofructose, prebiotics to feed the probiotics thus providing our intestines with the stuff they need to replenish good flora.

4. Spaghetti and red peppers. Iron gives oxygen to our brain which in turn gives us much needed energy. 12% of women are iron-deficient. Grains are great sources of iron but iron from plant foods are not easily absorbed. Vitamin C helps iron to be absorbed. By adding vitamin C rich food like red peppers (or tomatoes or broccoli), it creates a chemical reaction that allows the intestines absorb the iron.
~~~ So, if you make a pasta dish with great veggies like roasted tomatoes, steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, throw in some chicken for protein, drizzle with olive oil for some good fats, add a dash of vinegar (you'll want some acid anyway) and add garlic and whatever else you like (onions, spinach, salt, pepper, etc.). Now with this dish we have moderated the spike in glucose causing us to be fuller faster. We have boosted our immune system. And we have more energy from all the iron we allowed to absorbed. Look at all the good we can do with one delicious meal!

I hope some of these tips will help you as you plan your meals and think about what you eat!