We talk a lot about food in this column, how to grow it, what to grow easily and what’s happening in the food world generally.
Today, I wanted to talk about nine health boosting foods available to us today in our local stores.
Because the bones are so soft and edible, canned mackerel and pilchards are an excellent source of calcium for strong bones and teeth and according to the IOF, 60 grams of canned sardines provides 240mg of calcium.
Evidently, there has been a sharp shift away from the ‘arabica’ bean to the more climate resistant ‘robusta’ bean, which has been found to have nearly double the number of anti oxidants.
The hibiscus flower is vitamin rich and is starting to crop up in flavoured water and yogurt. Drinking hibiscus tea daily is shown to reduce blood pressure, however should you already be on some form of medication, it’s best to consult with your GP first.
Now fresh salmon as we all know is rich in omega -3 fatty acids that dial down inflammation. There are some studies going on that seem to suggest that 5grams of salmon oil reduces the inflammation that exacerbates asthma.
Some of the grasses that were eaten by indigenous Australians are rich in iodine, essential for thyroid and brain function.
That big red watery fruit, watermelon, straight out of the fridge on a hot day is rather thirst quenching, some studies have shown that it has a tendency to ward off hunger and help with weight loss.
We all know about the goodness in eggs, the many varied uses, the different cooking methods, mixing into cakes and binding food together. Eggs contain only 75 calories and are packed with nutrients that are beneficial for eye health. It wasn’t that long ago it was thought that too many eggs would be bad for you, however later studies have proved they are beneficial to the brain and nervous systems.
Many spices contain anti- inflammatories that help fight heart disease. Studies have shown that many spices help stabilise blood sugar levels and cholesterol.
Now we all like citrus fruit, did you know that the flavonoids that oranges and grapefruit have can reduce the risk of a stroke. A study has shown that an orange a day can reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
I think the issue here is to have a little of everything. It seems to me that we need all sorts of food to keep our bodies in shape and good health.
All food or most anyway is good for you as long as not too much is consumed of the same thing or at once, be aware that cutting down sugar in a food, often leads the manufacturer to add something to give it taste, this may not be too good for us either.
Now that there is ‘shrinkflation’ going on with the food we buy, this may be a good thing that we don’t consume as much, but to then raise the price of the goods is something we should decry.
I think though that the manufactures are the culprit. The farmers in general get a pretty raw deal, as well as the buying public.
