What should you eat?

Beans Beans are extremely high in fibre, which helps to control weight, prevent or manage diabetes and blood sugar, and may help prevent colon cancer and protect against heart disease. The National Institute of Medicine recommends 25-38 grams of fibre a day. Mrs Victoria Ahuoiza Ajako, Assistant Chief Dietitician at the National Hospital, Abuja, says […]

Beans

Beans are extremely high in fibre, which helps to control weight, prevent or manage diabetes and blood sugar, and may help prevent colon cancer and protect against heart disease. The National Institute of Medicine recommends 25-38 grams of fibre a day. Mrs Victoria Ahuoiza Ajako, Assistant Chief Dietitician at the National Hospital, Abuja, says beans are rich in protein which is needed for body building. Beans contain the valuable protein that is often associated with meat. This makes them an ideal alternative to meat for individuals or for those who want to limit intake of meat products.

Nuts

Some of the largest and most important long-term studies of diet and health have shown that eating nuts several times a week could reduce the risk of heart attack and heart disease.

Wild Salmon (fish)

Fish is the ultimate anti-aging food. Cold-water fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines and mackerel contain omega-3 fats that protect the brain and the heart, improve mood, and lower blood pressure and triglycerides.

Eggs

Considered by many to be nature’s most perfect food, the egg is high in protein and relatively low in calories. The yolk contains choline, one of the most important nutrients for the brain, as well as lutein and xeazanthin, two critical nutrients for eye health.

Apples

Not only do they keep the doctor away; they also appear to do the same for lung cancer, diabetes and asthma. An apple contains five grams of fiber and a rich blend of nutrients including the bone-building vitamin K and the anti-inflammatory nutrient quercetin. And there’s no better way to control your appetite than an apple eaten about half an hour before a big meal.

Onions and Garlic

In an impressive number of published studies, the consumption of onions and garlic have demonstrated protective effects against stomach, prostate cancer. Along with tea and apples, onions and garlic are among a select group of foods found to reduce mortality from heart disease by 20per cent. Mrs. Serah Abagai, Head Dietetics Department, National Hospital say garlic also helps to emulsify fat from the body. “It burns fat in the blood vessels. It frees the blood vessels and allows blood flow without much pressure. Hence, it helps to control and lower blood.

Green Tea

Though all teas are great for you, green tea has a unique profile of plant chemicals that have anti-cancer activity. The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of oesophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. If that’s not enough, it also appears to help with weight control.