A better choice for food

Health > CGI Healthy Life | By CGI Holistic Wellness Center

More people are becoming health conscious and careful in choosing food. Today let’s talk about some common foods we eat almost every day, as well as good and bad choices of food for healthy living.

1. Rice

Rice is one of the most common foods. So it is important for you to know which rice to choose for your health. White rice is not terribly bad; it is actually brown rice processed one step more. The process of removing the bran from brown rice to make it white also lowers the nutritional value of rice. Brown rice contains more nutrition and less calories than white rice. Brown rice also has more fiber which makes you feel full quickly and able to eat less. There are also studies showing that brown rice is better than white rice to prevent type-2 diabetes. You should however, note that it is harder to digest brown rice. For those who prefer the taste of white rice or have a hard time digesting brown rice, try mixing half of each (white and brown rice) or just mix in a little bit of brown rice, depending on your preference. It tastes great!

2. Salad & its Add Ins

What is the purpose of eating salad? To be healthy! But there are some things that you can do to totally defeat that purpose.

Dressing: Drenching your salad with dressing (especially stored bought ones) is the best way to make your salad unhealthy. Most of these dressings are high in fat and calories. If you must eat your salad with dressing, here are some tips:

Do not use too much, not more than a tablespoon. Get dressings that are low in fat, sodium and calories.

Toppings: This can make a huge difference in nutritional value of your salad. The right choice will make your salad healthier than it already is. Add flax seeds, chia seeds or chopped walnuts. They are rich in fiber and contain omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid cheese, croutons and bacon bits. If you can’t eat your salad without them, add only a small portion.

3. Meat

Unless you are a vegetarian or following a vegan diet, you probably eat meat almost every day. Here you can also make some good and bad choices. It has been known to many that consuming red meat every day increases the chance of developing colon cancer and that cooking meat with direct fire at high temperatures (like grilling) is linked with developing cancer as well. Therefore, try to reduce the amount of red meat you eat and do not eat every day. Commonly known red meats are beef and lamb. The worst are processed meats. Try to avoid hotdogs, sausages, and deli meats like corned beef, salami, ham, etc. Better meats to consume are chicken (preferably skinless), turkey, fish or even pork (loin without fat). Instead of grilling, smoking or deep-frying, you should boil or stir-fry your meat. They will still taste good.