Salad, as we all know, has lot of health benefits. They are also easy to prepare. A simple change in your diet with salad can bring a remarkable change into your lifestyle. This article explores more on the benefits of salad.
Salad is the most nutrient food item in our diet. It is also simple and hassle free preparation. In today’s health conscious times, even restaurants lure people by listing different kinds of salads in their menu. Salads have also gained popularity in fast food joints as well. Traditional salad includes lettuce, carrots, greens, and tomatoes. But health experts are now experimenting salads with other food and vegetables which have great nutritional value. The main benefit of salad is it reduces calories in our diet and keeps us fat free.
Salads are ideal for summer weather. It keeps our body cool and reduces the sweat glands which increase due to oily food intake. Salads are relished by kids also, if made in an innovative way. You can also include fruits in your salad bowl to make it tastier.
1. Salads for fiber
Fibers are difficult to digest, but if you eat high fiber diet it reduces the cholesterol levels and also prevents constipation. Fiber intake can also lead to losing weight as when you eat fiber rich diet you will full and you will eat less.
2. Health benefits of plant food
Researcher believes that plant food which are rich in nutrition value contribute to wholesome health. People should eat fruits and vegetables which are dark green and orange colored legumes. These all can be part of your salad. Regular intake of salads can ensure that you have higher level of antioxidants like vitamin E and C, lycopene, folic acid, and alpha- and beta-carotene. To get this, include lots of raw vegetables in your salad. Free radicals which are harmful molecules, damage our body. The damage caused by them is reduced by antioxidants.
National Cancer Institute did a study and suggests that if you include fruits and vegetables in your diet you will be less prone to diseases like cancer. You can include food like peas and beans, peppers, string beans, tomatoes, apples, carrots, nectarines, plums, peaches, plums, pears, and strawberries etc to be very protective.
3. Salads cuts calories and keep away fat
Salads contain no or less calories and no fat. If you are planning to lose weight, salads are the best way. You can start your day with green salad. According to health experts, the first meal of the day, if taken with nutrients, keeps you fit and fresh whole day. Researcher suggests that in terms of salad “bigger is better”. The good thing about salad is that you need not be bound in limits. You can have it in big quantity without any guilt of gaining fat.
4. Eat salads to be fat free
Fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and avocado contains defensive phytochemicals, like lycopene which keeps us infection free. A study was conducted at Ohio State University to determine how much phytochemicals were absorbed by peoples’ body when they ate lettuce, carrot, and spinach salad with and without 2 1/2 tablespoons of avocado. It was found that people who ate avocado absorbed more than 13 times more beta-carotene and eight times more alpha-carotene (These two are thought to protect against heart diseases and cancer).
So switch to salads and see the difference in your lifestyle.