Health Benefits from Everyday Foods

Loaded with Fiber, Vitamin C, Protein and Antioxidants, these following foods should be stocked in your kitchen to ensure you are receiving health benefits from everyday consumption.

Ginger

Health Benefits:

• Ginger Contains Gingerol, a Substance With Powerful Medicinal Properties
• Ginger is a flowering plant that originated from China.
• The rhizome (underground part of the stem) is the part commonly used as a spice. It is often called ginger root, or simply ginger.
• Ginger has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional/alternative medicine. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold, to name a few.

Ginger is known as one of the Healthiest Spices in the World!

Meals to include ginger: cleansing smoothies, pasta, veggies, main course dishes, salad dressing and homemade soup.

See more health benefits ginger and other herbs and spices.

Avocado

Health Benefits:

• Cardiovascular Health: Vitamin B6 and folic acid contained in avocado regulate the homocysteine levels, thus reducing the risk of heart disease. It also contains Vitamin E which prevents oxidization of cholesterol and potassium which regulates blood pressure.
• Eye Health: Avocado is an excellent source of carotenoid lutein, an antioxidant that protects the eyes from oxidative damage – thus preventing loss of vision, cataracts and macular degeneration.
• Anti- inflammatory Properties: The phytonutrient compounds in avocados such as polyphenols and flavonoids have anti -inflammatory properties which reduce the risk of inflammatory and degenerative disorders.
• Lowers Cholesterol: A compound called beta-sitosterol in avocados has been found to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels.
• Brain Health: Avocado contains folate which prevents the formation of [brain](/gut-health/brain-axis-connection/) tangles that are responsible for causing Alzheimer’s. The brain healthy omega-3 fatty acids along with natural Vitamin E prevent Alzheimer’s disease from progressing and can even reverse it in its earlier stages. Avocado is also effective at helping to decalcify the pineal gland.

Meals to include Avocados: Salad, wraps, raw soup, sandwiches, raw pudding, guacamole, or use as a topping on foods like eggs & burritos!

Olives

Health Benefits:

• Controls Cholesterol: When free radicals oxidize cholesterol, blood vessels get damaged and fat builds up in arteries. Monounsaturated fats and polyphenols found in olives help to prevent oxidation of cholesterol and protects against atherosclerosis and other related cardiovascular diseases like heart strokes and heart attacks. The monounsaturated fats in olives have been found to shrink the risk of atherosclerosis and increase good cholesterol.
• Bone health: Olives are rich in Vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus which improves the overall health of the bone and improves bone mineralization and calcification.
• Digestive tract health: Olives improve liver’s and intestine’s function due to their high fiber content, it helps to cleanse the colon and fights constipation.
• Skin health: The [anti-oxidant](/health/consultation/) properties present in olives work wonders for the skin. It prevents skin damage caused by free radicals. Olives also contain high amount of beta carotene, the precursor of Vitamin A and E which play an important role in stimulating skin regeneration and provides protection against harmful sun rays.
• Improves Vision: Vitamin A present in olives when converted into retinal form is beneficial for healthy eyes. It improves night vision and helps to distinguish between light and dark. Vitamin A is effective against cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma and other age related eye diseases.

Meals to include olives: Salads, on top of pizza, in pasta, homemade bread, homemade spreads & sandwiches.

Cashews

Health Benefits:

• Healthy Heart: Cashews contain low fat content when compared to other nuts and that too in the oleic acid form which is very healthy for heart. They are [cholesterol free](/health/benefits-chia-seeds/) and the antioxidants present keeps you away from heart diseases (2).
• Lowers High Blood Pressure: Cashew nuts lower your blood pressure (3) with the help of magnesium present in them.
• Helps Hair: Copper is the mineral which helps your hair get that color. So if you take cashews which are full of copper content, you can get that black hair that you always wished for (4).
• Prevents Gallstones: Daily intake of cashewnut can reduce the risk of developing gallstones (6) up to 25%.
• Helps in Weight Loss: Even though cashew nuts are considered as fats, it contains good cholesterol (7). So contrary to popular belief, those who eat cashews at least twice a week gain less weight when compared to those who eat less.

Pomegranates

Health Benefits:

• Prevents cancer: The high amounts of anti-oxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron in pomegranates fight against free radicals, stopping them from damaging cells. Pomegranates thus prevent many cancers, especially prostate cancer (1), breast cancer (2) and lung cancer (3).
• Prevents heart diseases: Anti-oxidants present in pomegranates lower bad cholesterol, LDL and increases good cholesterol, HDL, thus preventing heart diseases (4). Its juice improves blood circulation (5) through the heart, making it healthier.
• Boosts immunity: A medium sized [pomegranate](/health/snacks-kids/) contains 15% of the daily required vitamin C which is very essential for a good immune system.
• Healthy skin: Vitamin C helps in producing collagen and helps elasticity in the skin. This collagen may help maintain the elasticity of the skin. Pomegranate oil derived from the seeds can be applied on the body. Its anti-oxidants protect the skin from toxic gases and pollution, thus preventing ageing (7) and skin cancer. It helps in skin cells regeneration, removes dull and dead cells and gives healthy glowing skin.

Meals to include pomegranates: Add to salads, mix in rice dish, make a pomegranate sauce in your smoothie or top off on pancakes!

Garlic

Health Benefits:

• Cancer Prevention: Research suggests that [eating garlic](/health/lifestyle-colon-cancer-prevention/) can reduce the risk of developing colon or rectal cancer. Research suggests that taking high doses of aged garlic extract daily for 12 months reduces the risk of developing new tumors.
• Cardiovascular Benefits: Allicin in raw, crushed garlic has significant benefits for your cardiovascular system. According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, it helps prevent atherosclerosis and reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Garlic for Detoxification: This food may also be used to detoxify – an extremely important method everyone should be doing to cleanse the body of toxins. Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that are known to activate the liver enzymes responsible for expelling toxins from the body.
• Skin Benefits: It might not be a main ingredient in your drugstore acne medication, but garlic makes a great natural remedy to banish unsightly blemishes. Its antioxidants kill bacteria, so rub a sliced clove of garlic on the pimple for an effective topical treatment.

Meals to include garlic: Pizza, soup, chicken, potatoes, pasta, on top of veggies, in hummus & mixed in rice.

Use these everyday meals to improve your health and add flavor to your meals!

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