Healthy Food & Drinks That Have A Variety Of Health Benefits

Whether you are very active or not, there are plenty of ways to look after your physical health by being mindful of what you are eating and drinking. While it’s nice to indulge in some unhealthy food from time to time, it’s not the best sustainable diet in the long run. Ensuring that you are eating a balanced diet and drinking the recommended amount of water each day, you will see a difference in both your physical and mental health. Here are just some foods and drinks that can be beneficial for your health.

Food:

Walnuts

Nuts are a great source of natural fats, and walnuts in particular have fantastic health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, more than any other nut in fact, walnuts are also high in Vitamin E, which is great for skin, plus Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which are essential for protecting against heart disease, dementia and depression. Other healthy nuts to eat, in meals or as a snack, include almonds, cashews, pistachios and pecans. If you’re looking for a nutty healthy alternative to a thanksgiving snack, then these vegan pecan pie squares are also full of pecans that are low in sugar, include key minerals, and can also help your immunity.

Spinach

Spinach is an undeniable super food and is rich in a host of vitamins, including Vitamins A, E, C, B6 and K, plus plenty of other key nutrients too. It can easily be used in salad as a lettuce alternative and is also popular to add to smoothies for a healthy green juice. Spinach is also an excellent low calorie form of calcium which is important for strong bones, and contains folate which is important for optimum brain function as well.

Dark Chocolate

It’s no secret that eating chocolate can quickly boost your mood, and dark chocolate in particular is rich in flavour and actively increases levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain. Dark chocolate comes with a range of health benefits and usually the higher the cocoa percentage then the better it is for your body. It’s useful to consider sticking to plain dark chocolate too as those flavoured with orange, seasalt, or caramel can contain more salt and sugar. Eating a few squares of dark chocolate a day is a great way to easily increase your intake of the mineral magnesium too.   

Raspberries

There are plenty of fruits that have plenty of benefits for your brain and body, but raspberries are some of the best. These little pink berries are perfect for boosting levels of antioxidants as well as containing high levels of Vitamin C to help prevent inflammation in the body. Raspberries also contain phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals, which are important for reducing the signs of aging and can even help to guard against cancer too. Raspberries are a great addition with breakfast to help start the day, from adding it to smoothies or to oatmeal.

Drink:

Water

Whether you are working from home or staying fit and healthy this winter, it’s important to always drink plenty of water no matter how active you are. Usually six to eight glasses is the recommended daily allowance to help you stay hydrated throughout the day. Compared to other food and drink, water is one of the best options as it’s healthy, cheap, and doesn’t contain any sugars that could damage your teeth. Adding a slice of lemon or lime is also an easy way to make it taste better. Drinking water helps to flush out toxins, relieve fatigue, boost energy and helps promote a clearer complexion too.

Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks for many people around the world, with nearly two billion cups of coffee consumed every day. Although it contains caffeine, some of the health benefits of coffee include burning fat, helping fight inflammation, and even reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Drinking coffee regularly can also help improve your mood and help improve your physical performance for workouts. Although drinking coffee has many positive benefits, it’s also important to drink it in moderation as too much caffeine can have negative effects.

Green Tea

Green tea is a good way to drink your way to better physical and mental health and is another healthy and flavoursome alternative to water. Drinking green tea can help kick start your metabolism as well as improve levels of brain function too. Green tea can also help to reduce levels of anxiety as it contains amino acid L-theanine, and studies have shown green tea can lower blood pressure and also cut the risk of developing diabetes. It’s a great drink to add into your healthy routine as it contains less caffeine than coffee and is loaded with antioxidants.