Skip to main content

You are what you eat



When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need.
~Ayurvedic Proverb




We don't care what we eat. We live in a hurry, always going somewhere. There is no time to sit and think if the thing that we are going to consume is good for our health. If we are not able to see the results of this lifestyle now, it can be crucial to our future life. And we are not talking only about obesity. Even though we won't be eating food that is good for us all the time, there are some products that have a great influence on our health – especially some included substances. Here are some of them:



Polyphenols

Sounds evil? But these are one of the greatest substances that food can contain. They are present mainly in some plants. Why are they so good for us? Here are the beneficial properties of polyphenols:

● great antioxidants
● they lower the amount of free radicals in our cells
● they prevent mutations in our body
● they prevent cancer
● they strenghen our veins and prevent heart diseases
● they lower the blood pressure
● they prevent diabetes
● they prevent Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease
● they have antibacterial activity
● they prevent liver damage

Where can you find those valuable substances? They are present in red grapes (especially in the peel and in seeds), red wine, blackberries, aronia blackberries, cabbage, garlic, all kinds of tea, olive oil, nuts, cocoa, pomergranates, cherries, apples and nuts.


Lycopene


What do you think about fresh tomatoes? Ketchup or tomato pizza souce? Here comes the lycopene, next wonderful substance which helps caring about our today and future health.
Lycopene is an antioxidant and the substance which gives tomatoes their red color. Here are the benefits of this substance:

● it neutralizes free radicals in our organism
● it reduces the risk of cancers (especially prostate cancer – for men, and cervical cancer – for women
● it improves the circulatory system
● it lowers the risk of heart diseases especially heart attacks
● it lowers the risk of osteoporosis
● it protects the skin against UV radiation

Lycopene can be found also in red grapefruits, red pepper, watermelons and in most of the red fruits and vegetables, but the amounts of lycopene in them are incomparably lower than in tomatoes. If it goes for tomatoes – much more lycopene is to be found in processed ones, like ketchup, tomato concentrates, juices, than in the fresh ones. No wonder why so many people like tomato soup.


Vitamin E


It isn't hard to add some plant oils to our diet, that's where we can find this wonderful vitamin. It is called the vitamin of youth and fertility. The benefits that vitamin E gives to our health:

● it prevents cells damage
● it prevents arteriosclerosis
● it lowers the risk of heart attack
● it lowers the risk of cancers
● it determines the proper course of pregnancy
● it helps the cells of our skin to regenerate


Vitamin E is present only in plants : in oils (olive oil, argan oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, sesam oil), almonds, nuts, carrots, avocados, papayas, mangoes, asparagus.


Green vegetables 
  
Such as broccoli, spinach, parsley, lettuce, artichokes, cucumbers. They are very rich in minerals and vitamins such as A, B1, B2 and C. There is much more vitamin C in some green vegetables than in citrus fruits. They contain phosphorus P, calcium Ca, magnesium Mg and iron Fe which is needed in our blood cells.

● they strengthen the immune system
● they strenghten bones
● they help with regenerating our cells
● because of the high amount of water they detoxify our organisms
● cabbage helps with wound regenaration
● they are recommended for kidney diseases



Omega - 3 acids


These are some unsaturated fatty acids, that help us rebuild our cells, increases our thinking efficiency and even creativity ! Pregnant women who eat the right amount of foods containing omega-3 acids give birth to more intelligent and bigger children. You can find it in oils and also in fishes. The benefits of omega-3 acids:

● they positively affect the development of the brain
● they improve the blood supply to the brain
● they improve our ability to concentrate
● they prevent eye and sight diseases
● they lower the risk of heart diseases (also of heart attack)
● they prevent osteoporosis and strengthen our bones
they prevent allergies and help curing them
they enhance natural immunity and strenghen the immune system


Omega-3 acids can be found in fish, especially in salmon, in linseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil. But the main source is fish, and because of the low consumption of them in Europe we often don't have enough omega-3 acids in our diet.

 
As you can see, many treasures can be found in food. And also healthy food can be very tasty. So maybe add something to your everyday diet, and try to stick to it. The effects won't be seen immediately, but if you will be systematic, such change will give you much better mood and in the long run you will feel that your health has improved.



Vocabulary :

arteriosclerosis – miażdzyca 
artichoke - karczoch
cervical cancer – rak szyjki macicy
circulatory system – układ krwionośny
free radicals – wolne rodniki
parsley – pietruszka
unsaturated fatty acids – nienasycone kwasy tłuszczowe

Sources :
http://www.quotegarden.com/ayurveda.html
http://cardiovascres.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/2/341
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant_effect_of_polyphenols_and_natural_phenols
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_E
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/08/eating-sprouts.aspx
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid


And some questions for you :


Do you have time to think about what you eat?

Do you keep your diet healthy or you don't seem to care about what you eat?

Do you know any other food which has a good influence to our body and health?

If you try keep your food in a healthy way, do you like to eat it?

Comments

  1. I have enough time to think what I eat and I try to keep my diet healthy but if I don't have it then I taste what I can (to be honest diet is a diet but I eat everything). Yes, I know one - have you ever heard about acai berries? It's a Brazilian berry with a lot of antioxidants. Generally I love eating so I don't care what I eat.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't have so much time to think what I eat. I don't like fat food. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of water and juices, but I like also eat chocolate and drink coffee. I can't start my day without the cup of white coffee.
    I heard about coconut oil - which is more healthier , taste and smells nice.
    I prefer to eat light food, maybe it isn't healthy always .

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nowadays, it is hard to find the time to think about what we eat - we are still somewhere in a hurry and often forget about breakfast. I think we should find even a moment for a healthy, nutritious meal. I'm trying to find it and lead a balanced diet that provides adequate amount of vitamins, because we need them, especially in winter. A good way is to freeze the summer fruits, vegetables, making salads for the winter season.
    I think walnuts are very healthy - they contain a high amount of phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin E.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, I think about my diet and try to choose healthy products. But on the other hand, I never say no to small unhealthy "food pleasure. I refuse adding sugar to tea which is one of my small achievements. I drink a lot of water and fresh juice (despite that I don't like unprocessed fruits, I eat only apples, which makes me quite weird :) ). I love vegetables and add them to my diet whenever I can :)
    I've heard about turmeric (kurkuma), which is good remedy for almost everything.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't think about what I eat. I would like to say that I don't have time for it, but probably I'm too lazy? ;) It's also so hard to eat good and healthy when you spend a lot of time outside the home. I tried to make my own food (quite healthy) but it takes so much time! Planning what I should buy, doing this, taking in special boxes... Oh, no.
    Of course I'd like to keep a good diet though now I eat what I like.
    It's "funny" that I often know something is very unhealthy but I eat it anyways.
    I know apples are very good for many reasons.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think that my diet is rather healthy. Generally, I live with my family, and usually I eat my mum's homemade food, which contains a lot of vegetables and isn't too processed. I don’t think a lot about what I eat, maybe I should... Definitely I should reduced sweets. Now, I can't remind more healthy food, but I think, you have listed the most important ones.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I always think, what I am eating. This is really important to me. I know that food is responsible for diseases or healthy. I always read composition of the products that I want to eat. But even if we don't eat sweets, that can be not enough. We sholud remember, that green vegetables are important, but vitamins like E, B2, C as well. So start eating healthy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I never really bothered to think about what I eat in general, because I just eat what I really feel I need right now. You can say I try to trust my inner self. After reading this I can say that I was right. I pretty much eat everything that was presented here. It's seems that a lot of people don't listen to their inner self.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I haven’t enough time to think what I eat but fortunately I really don’t like many of unhealthy products. For example fast food doesn’t taste for me. I like eat vegetables and fruits. I know that oat flakes have a good influence for our body.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I try to have a time to think about my diet, however now when I go to work and university it is really hard. Sometimes I haven't time or power to think about what I eat. Not to mention the energy to do something. Moreover if I want to take something healthy I need many boxes, everything is cold and this is really annoying. But in my home I eat healthy because my mom always prepare some homemade food and she tries to buy healthy products.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Since my boyfriend sticks to a strict diet of his, I have to eat the same things as he does, because those are only things left to eat in our flat. :) I can relate to opinions that food is essential for survival - try not to eat at all - and thus it's the most important thing in our life. It's the fuel for our body, and nobody wants a car that have ran on a bad quality oil for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree with autor but the most important in healthy diet are base ingridients? All ingridients which autor says are just extra for me. The most important is to know what we should eat. I mean proteins, fat, carbohydrates, the most important are vegetablesthan proteins and fat. If we want to be fit and HEALTHY we shouldn't eat carbohyderses. They are responsible for fat and illnes

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank You for your comments :) At first I have to say that the presentation is not a diet plan but just listing 5 really healthy substances so I hope you will add some of these to your diet. They can be found in so many products that you will surely find something that will suit you. I also like to eat sometimes unhealthy but I stick to some of my "homemade" rules. I think that my diet is good for me as long as I feel good. And as Christmas are coming I'll surely forget about any food rules at least for one day :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. My mom has tought me that healthy diet is very important and now I know why. I love fresh vegetables, fruits and low-fat meat, I can't live without it especially in summer and spring. Healthy food affects our skin, hair, nails and comfort. If you eat many vegetables there is no possibility of getting fat and gaining weight, which is important for me because I used to be fat and now I control what I eat. Main difference between what is listed in the presentation and my habits is that I focus on calories, not vitamins and I must fix it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE MOST TRUSTED  PROFESSIONS Many people say that their job is important for our society, but is it a trustworthy profession? A market research institute asked people about trustworthy professions. Here you will find its results. The Top Five Most Trusted Professions 1. Firefighters A 2009 poll conducted by market research institute GfK found that firefighters ranked as the most trusted profession in Europe and the United States with 92 percent of respondents fining them trustworthy. Perhaps it’s all in the job description—being required to step into the face of danger every time you head out for an assignment is not just admirable, it’s downright heroic. 2. Teachers In the same GfK poll that lauded firefighters, teachers ranked second with 83 percent. It’s a good sign considering that the people responsible for crafting the minds of our children are deemed trustworthy. “I think every teacher recognizes that they are part of a trusted profession—that parents

Wage discrimination or not?

Data from the Central Statistical Office show that women on average receive about 20 % less pay than men. The average men earns 4248 zł gross , that is 3026 zł net . In turn, the average women earns 3541 zł gross , that is 2533 zł net . An analysis of the average salary in the so-called 'great' occupational groups shows that in the case of office workers , the average salary for men is 2320 zł net , and for women in 2277 zł . For example, in the group of " experts" men on average earn about 1 thousand . zł net more . However, for this group we include both teachers and developers . The teaching profession is virtually feminized , while among the better -paid male-dominated programmers . Contrary to appearances, the differences did not blurred in the case of lower-paid positions , such as men employed in elementary occupations earn an average of 1,856 zł net , and women almost 400 zł less. Di

How to reduce stress?

How to reduce stress? http://marciakatz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/stress-and-anxiety.jpg Stress is something we deal with on a daily basis. It can be caused by many things, including for instance: school, work and relations with other people. Here are few tips, that can make you feel better. You can always start with small things, connected with calming your  mind and body. Whenever you start feeling anxious, take a deep breath and try to focus on something restful. If you have this possibility, ask somebody to give you a massage, as it is said, that other person's touch has a good influence on people. http://www.globul-art.com/images/jpg Another way of leading your thoughts away from the strain is listening to music or watching a movie. It can cheer you up and make you forget all your troubles (even if for a short time). You can also try some physical excercising like running or dancing - any activity of this type is great for relieving tension. It