The Right Combination

Some people think they cannot eat healthy and make it taste good, here is an article I found to be helpful to me for combining nutritional foods the right way but still have some taste... this is more or less me blending my own twist with the article.

It's not always about the taste, sorry but if you want to eat a real meal for your digestive health and well being, you have to make the right type of combination to make food the healthy meal more enjoyable.  Matching the right foods is important for nutritional health.

Some nutrients don't do their work very well unless supplemented by other vitamins and minerals.  Like nonheme iron, which is an essential mineral found in dark leafy green and other plants, isn't easily absorbed in the body.  Vitamin C, found in citrus, other fruits, bell peppers and more, help raise the acidity of intestines, which allows this specific type of iron to be absorbed more easily.  Spinach salad and bell peppers creates a nutritional winner and tastes great with the right dressing!

Some combinations to try:

Whole Grains & Yogurt
Most yogurts contain probiotics, meaning healthy bacteria that are excellent for the gut.  Whole grains help feed these bacteria.  Try yogurt with granola or oats.  (Cinnamon has many benefits like lowering cholesterol, regulates blood sugar, cancer prevention and brain health.  Just make sure to buy true cinnamon, not cassia which is sold as cinnamon in stores)

Oatmeal & Orange Juice
The Antioxidants Research Lab at the U.S. Department of Agriculture says combining these two things helps keep arteries clean and prevents heart attacks with two times the efficacy when eaten together, compared with eating them alone.  Components of the two help stabilize LDL cholesterol.

Whole Wheat & Peanut Butter
Whole wheat is excellent for one's health, but it doesn't contain all the amino acids needed to make a complete chain which is important for muscle.  Peanut butter has some of the amino acids that wheat doesn't.  (This is good for an after workout meal, but if you are going for a lean out when already down to the size you want to be and know you have the lean muscle already, try to use peanut butter on celery instead)

Vitamins & Fat
There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble.  Fat-soluble vitamins, which include A, D & E are best activated and absorbed when eaten with fat.  Eat some bacon with your breakfast fruit, which is no problem for most of us, and eat some vegetables with olive oil.

Tomatoes & Avocadoes
Tomatoes are abundant with lycopene, which is an antioxidant known as a carotenoid.  It may reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.  Fats supplement the production of carotenoids meaning that an avocado's healthy fat combined with tomato is a winning team!

“It may be normal, darling; but I'd rather be natural.”
― Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

Quinoa Salad Bowl

Combine 1 cup cooked quinoa with 2 cups arugula, 1/2 cup low-sodium chickpeas (rinsed and drained), 1 tsp unsalted sunflower seeds, 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil.

Calories: 444 calories
Fat: 12 g (1 g saturated)
Carbs: 68 g carbs
Fiber: 12 g
Protein: 18 g

Quinoa is loaded with protein and very fun to make with broccoli or cauliflower.  It is however still loaded with carbs.