Top 10 Surprising Food Science Tricks to Boost Your Health

 

                  Top 10 Surprising Food Science Tricks to Boost Your Health

We are constantly being educated on what to eat to be healthy, but not so much about how to prepare it best so we get the most nutrition from what we consume. With these 10 food science tricks, you can make better health by simply altering how you cook, store, and consume everyday foods. Check out some of the lesser-known hacks that will make your meals a nutritional powerhouse!

Eat the Rainbow for a Balanced Nutrient Profile

Different colors in fruits and vegetables indicate unique antioxidants and nutrients. For example: Red foods, including tomatoes and strawberries, have lycopene, a significant heart health booster. Green foods, such as spinach and broccoli, are folate and calcium rich and will help build bone health.

Pro Tip: Include a variety of colors each day in your foods to deliver the full range of antioxidants.

 Marinate Meats with Citrus and Vinegar for Lower Toxins

Grilled meat at high temperatures cooks up some particularly hazardous chemical compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Marinating meat beforehand in vinegar, lemon juice, or other acidic marinating liquids decreases the risk of these toxins by nearly 90%.

*Pro Tip: Marinated grilled chicken always turns out better for your diet.

Steamed, Not Boiled, to Preserve Nutrition

Boiling loses 50% of vitamin nutrients, which are primarily the more volatile water-soluble type, like Vitamins C and the Bs. Steaming retains most of the nutrient properties and intensifies flavor without added fats.

*Pro Tip: Steam broccoli, carrots, and spinach to retain maximum nutritional energy while keeping them fresh-tasting and crisp.

 Let your pasta cool before eating to help control your blood sugar from inside the body

Dressed and chilled pasta is a supposed "resistance starch", which is not easily digestible and can't thus be absorbed and hence would not cause easily fluctuations of blood glucose levels. Recent scientific findings have proven that there are further resistance starch, which can be produced, when chilled pasta is afterwards heated in a pan or oven.

*Pro Tip: Serve as a pasta salad or as leftovers and reheat with minimal glucose spikes.

Cook Acidic Foods in Cast Iron Skillet for an Organic Iron Boost

Cook your tomatoes, and other acidic foods in your cast-iron skillet. You will naturally pick up some trace amounts of iron infused into your food, particularly helpful for those who might have iron deficiencies.

*Pro Tip: Sauté tomatoes or simmer soups in a cast-iron skillet for an easy, iron-rich meal.

Do Not Peel Vegetables: Extra Fiber and Nutrients

There is quite a lot of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants in most of the vegetables, such as the skins of potato and cucumber. It adds fiber and nutrients to your dish which would enhance digestion.

*Pro Tip: If you eat the skin, be sure to choose organic, since pesticides are associated with nearly all diseases.

Pound Herbs and Spices for Best Flavor Release

Pounding herbs like basil and oregano or grinding peppercorns and cumin just before using liberates the concentrated antioxidants in the essential oils and amplifies flavors.

*Pro Tip: Grind your herbs and spices with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to get the best aroma and nutrient benefits.

Add Black Pepper to Turmeric for Better Absorption

Turmeric is a superfood that contains anti-inflammatory compounds, but curcumin, the active compound, is not readily absorbed by the body. Adding black pepper to it enhances absorption by as much as 2,000%.

*Pro Tip: Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper with every dish that contains turmeric, be it soups, smoothies, or golden lattes.

Eat Cruciferous Vegetables Raw or Lightly Steamed

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage contain sulforaphane-the compound that fights cancer. Sulforaphane is most readily absorbed when these vegetables are eaten raw or lightly steamed.

*Pro Tip: Sprout raw broccoli salad or lightly steam cauliflower for best health benefits.

Freshly Ground Flaxseeds for Omega-3s

Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that protect the heart and brain. Whole flaxseeds pass through the digestive system largely undigested by the body. Grinding these seeds fresh will allow your body to absorb the omega-3s and other nutrients.

*Pro Tip: Invest in a tiny coffee grinder that can be dedicated specifically to grinding flaxseed. This way, you get the most benefit out of the flaxseeds whenever you need to put them in your smoothies or oatmeal.