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| Source: .organicfacts |
The simplest way to improve your health and ward off countless chronic diseases is by eating more of fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables. In reality, any vegetable is good for health, but there are a few that are definitely more nutritious than the others.
1.Onions
Usually used for flavor, this veggie contains cancer-fighting antioxidants. It is most beneficial when eaten raw. Cooking onions reduces the effectiveness of phytochemicals that fight against diseases, especially prostate and lung cancer. This pungent-smelling veggie is particularly good for people suffering from osteoporosis.
Try adding raw, chopped onions in salads along with tomatoes, cucumber, and avocados. Add a dash of blood sugar-friendly lime juice for taste.
2. Spinach
Turns out, Popeye was right! Many dietitians tout spinach as one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. “Spinach is loaded with vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, and it's an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that helps maintain healthy DNA and may keep cancer-promoting genes 'turned off,'” says Karen Collins, R.D., Nutrition Advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Besides that, spinach provides potassium and magnesium, both of which help keep blood pressure under control.Serving tip: “Add frozen spinach to homemade soup as it cooks or frozen or canned soup as it reheats,” Collins says. But avoid boiling it in a pot of water, as that can cut the amount of folate and vitamin C in half, she says. Instead, cook by steaming, stir-frying or sautéing.
3.Red Bell Pepper
You think of it as a veggie, but it's actually a fruit. One medium pepper delivers B vitamins, beta carotene, and more than twice your daily need for vitamin C. Cooking tip: For a fanciful main dish, cut the tops off peppers, remove the inner white membranes and seeds, and then roast until tender. Finish by filling with your favorite whole-grain salad.
4.Cabbage is one vegetable that you’ll often see on diet plans for its ability to spur weight loss. But it has plenty of other healthy benefits to it that make it a vegetable you’ll want to add to your cart regularly.
A cruciferous vegetable, cabbage has anti-cancer properties, for men it can help prevent prostate cancer, and for women it has been shown to help ward off breast cancer, making it an especially valuable vegetable for those with a family history of these diseases.
The naturally low number of calories in cabbage, coupled with its low fat content is what makes it such a darling for those looking to get to a healthy weight. It’s a way to get fiber and vitamins without adding much to your total caloric intake for the day.
Best ways to prepare it: Making cabbage appetizing is the key to eating more of it. If you’ve had multiple instances of eating poorly cooked cabbage, you may want to give it another chance in a proper recipe. You want it soft enough to be easily chewed up, but no so soft as to make it mushy and bland. Accompanying spices and seasonings make all the difference.
5. Tomatoes
Though technically considered as fruits, tomatoes are often served as vegetables. They are rich in lycopene, which is well known for its cancer-fighting capabilities. Being rich in vitamins A and K, they also help in maintaining the blood pressure and reducing the number of free radicals in our body.
6.Cauliflower
The cauliflower is another member of the cruciferous family of vegetables that provides a number of health benefits. It contains sulforaphane that helps in killing cancer stem cells. It also improves blood pressure levels in the body and maintains the proper functioning of the kidneys.
7.Sweet Potatoes
“This sweet and starchy tuber is rich in beta-carotene, which gives it its orange color,” says Sharon Palmer, R.D., author of “The Plant-Powered Diet.” Humans convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which gives you healthy skin and mucus membranes, fortifies the immune system and fosters eye health. A half-cup serving of sweet potatoes has just 90 calories but more than 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin A.Serving tip: “Chop sweet potatoes into soups, stew and chili, or make fries,” says Palmer. “Slice them in wedges, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and herbs, and roast in the oven until tender on the inside and browned on the outside.”
8.Mushrooms
“These tasty fungi have a huge potential as a food source of vitamin D when exposed to UV light for just five minutes,” says registered dietitian Toby Smithson. At the grocery store, buy mushrooms labeled as grown in ultraviolet light. Mushrooms can also help cut calories. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimate that if you sub mushrooms for ground meat three times a week in a meal like sloppy Joes, chili or lasagna, you can lose five pounds in a year.Serving tip: Make a mini pizza by using a Portobello mushroom as the crust. Then top with tomato sauce, diced vegetables and low-fat cheese. Bake in the oven.
9.Cucumbers
The crunchy cucumber is very low in calories, with just eight per half cup. “The cuke is also a good source of vitamin K, which may reduce bone loss and decrease risk of bone fractures,” says registered dietitian Sharon Palmer. In addition, they’re 95 percent water, which makes them very hydrating.Serving tip: Add a slice of cucumber to refresh a glass of water, toss chopped cucumber in a salad or use it in tabouleh, a classic Mediterranean salad.
10.Celery
“Go ahead, eat the whole thing: seeds, stalk, roots and leaves. It’s all good for you,” says registered dietitian Sharon Palmer. “In addition to its satisfying crunch, celery provides fiber, vitamins A, C, K and folate.” Plus, preliminary studies have also found that celery can help treat high blood pressure and cholesterol.Serving tip: Use celery as a base for soups and stews, chill it in the fridge as a snack or simply sauté it in a little olive oil. To preserve maximum nutrient potential, chop celery just before adding it to a salad or cooked dish.
11. Carrots
“Contrary to popular myth, baby carrots, or 'caroteenies' as they're sometimes called, aren’t just an immature variety of the root vegetables,” says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. They're cut from a slim, tender variety of carrot and then polished in a large tumble drum. Carrots of all sizes are super healthy. Along with 400 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, a serving of carrots provides vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and K, and plenty of fiber and potassium.Serving tip: Whip up spiced carrot sticks by soaking carrot sticks in hot water spiced with cayenne, coriander seeds and salt. Allow to cool, drain and serve.
12. Garlic has a long history of use as a medicinal plant, with roots tracing all the way back to ancient China and Egypt. The main active compound in garlic is allicin, a plant compound that is largely responsible for garlic's variety of health benefits.
Several studies have shown that garlic can regulate blood sugar as well as promote heart health. Another study fed garlic to participants both with and without heart disease. Results showed that garlic was able to decrease total blood cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol in both groups.
Garlic may be useful in the prevention of cancer as well. One test-tube study demonstrated that allicin induced cell death in human liver cancer cells. However, further research is needed to better understand the potential anti-cancer effects of garlic.
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