The search for the healthiest food is a never-ending story. We venture to distant corners of the globe in pursuit of wonderful grains, herbs and drinks. And as it turns out, we have everything we need for life and, most importantly, for health, at our fingertips. What grows and lives close to us is best known to our organisms and thus is the most beneficial for us. As nutritionists, doctors and supporters of the idea of ”slow food” argue – we can find everything necessary for a healthy life on and in Polish soil. You will be surprised how simple it is.
Apples
Not only to spite Putin, but most of all – for health. It is a bomb of pectins (which cleanse the body of poisons and mineral salts), as well as vitamin C and iron. Thanks to pectins, apples are easily satiated, becoming a valuable component of the diet of people who are slimming. Dried apple crisps are a great snack idea. One cannot forget about the richness of fiber, which lowers cholesterol and improves intestinal peristalsis.
eggs
You can survive about eggs and water for a long time, e.g. on a desert island. Egg is a source of the most essential ingredients for life – including wholesome, easily digestible protein by the body. It is a model protein, containing all amino acids, including essential ones, that the body cannot produce on its own. The eggs are also low in calories. One provides about 75 kcal and as much as 6,2 g of protein. Contrary to the myths, it does not increase blood cholesterol (it depends on the individual sensitivity of each of us). The yolk is the most protein. In addition, it is a vitamin bomb – A, E, D and K as well as B2 and B12, pantothenic acid and phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Importantly, the egg is rich in lutein which protects the eyes.
You don’t know how many eggs to eat a day? Karolina Łąkowska, a dietitian, writes about it.
Bread
Only in Poland is it so tasty – because it is the simplest possible, made of unpurified wholemeal flour, water, leaven and salt. In addition, it has the best of everything: vitamins B1, B2, B6, E and folic acid. It helps to cleanse the body of carcinogens such as nitrates, nitrites and mold toxins. In addition, the richness of lactic acid, which improves intestinal peristalsis, facilitates the absorption of calcium and iron.
Yogurt
We have the privilege – unlike Chinese or Indian (about 95% of Chinese people are lactose intolerant) – that we have the enzymes that are necessary to digest lactose, so we can drink milk. By sipping a glass of milk, we provide our bodies with the necessary calcium. But an even better way to get the necessary amounts of it is with natural yoghurt. And it is best freshly prepared from plain milk and appropriate bacterial strains. It will be delicious and healthy – much more amino acids, calcium and B vitamins, plus beneficial bacteria.
Goose
It is a response to chickens stuffed with antibiotics and hormones, because they are not suitable for industrial breeding. It cannot be closed, it has to run around the meadow and nibble at grass, and it is fed with varied fodder, i.e. grain. The meat of young geese contains over 23 percent. proteins and only about 4 percent. fat. That is why the old Polish slogan: “For Saint Martin, good goose” should return to favor, and the goose should reign on Polish tables not only on November 11. Justyna Piechocka, a nutritionist, wrote about the benefits of goose meat.
Groats
Every preschooler once knew the poem ‘Kipi groats, peas boil, groats better than peas’. This is another Old Polish truth that should be restored to favor. The healthiest groats are those that have been least cleaned and processed. It is very rich in valuable nutrients: vitamins E and B (B1, B2, B6, PP, folic acid), and also has a lot of potassium, iron and magnesium.
Sauerkraut
At first glance, it’s hard to believe that this is such a treasury. But it is not without reason that children grow in cabbage, because it is a vegetable rich in: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, phosphorus, fluorine, chlorine, iodine, carotenes, vitamin B1, B2, B6, pantothenic acid, folic acid, vitamin C, oxalic acid. It protects against anemia, cancer, stomach ulcers and stimulates digestion. Thanks to it, the thyroid gland functions properly. Heals hangovers, ulcers and… impotence. After ensiling, it gets even happier – because we intensify its action with the cleverness of good bacteria. In addition, a lot of sulfur – which strengthens the skin, hair and nails, and sulforaphane, which has a strong anti-cancer effect.
Herring
Good for everything – even depression, and certainly for a discounted form while losing weight! Among the fish available in our country, it has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids – to provide 1 g of these fatty acids (we need them daily), it is enough to eat 50 g of herring. As a result, the secretion of good HDL cholesterol is increased and the level of bad cholesterol is lowered. In addition, herring is a rich source of vitamins A, D, E. Herring, like most sea fish, is a fatty fish; nevertheless, all those who care about their body can eat it without fear – thanks to the presence of potassium, which facilitates the removal of excess water from the body. Additionally, fatty acids accelerate the metabolism. Eating fish improves memory and concentration, and promotes the production of serotonin – a hormone responsible for good mood.
Rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil is healthier than olive oil. Today it is produced from noble varieties of rapeseed – without harmful additives – and has recently been rightly called “the oil of the north”. It has the same amount of oleic acid as olive oil; thanks to this, it has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system. Of all oils, it contains the least amount of saturated fatty acids, which clog the vessels and cause diseases of the heart muscle. First of all, it has ten times more omega-3 fatty acids – protecting the heart, improving immunity and improving brain function – than olive oil!
Garlic
The list should be completed with garlic – a natural antibiotic. It owes its power to the substance produced during crushing and chopping – allicin, which gives it a characteristic pungent smell. This relationship is destroyed, among others, by streptococci, staphylococci (they cause food poisoning, purulent skin infections, pneumonia and myocarditis, and even meningitis), E. coli bacteria and fungi. Indispensable for sinusitis, sore throat, flu, colds and intestinal disorders – it is more effective than many antibiotics used.
Author: Zdzisława Górska
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