Five foods you're throwing away that you should be eating instead
You may be eating all the right foods… But you may be throwing away some of the best parts of those foods.
Outer-layers, seeds, rinds, stems… There's great nutrition hiding in the parts of your food that usually end up in the bin.
Here are five food parts you're throwing away that you should be eating for your health.
1. Banana Peel
Banana peels are high in fibre, B-vitamins and polyphenols that helps fight heart disease. But its most surprising benefit is that it may boost your mood. Banana peels are high in tryptophan. It’s an amino acid that converts to serotonin - the feel-good chemical - in your brain. Eating two banana peels a day can boost your serotonin levels by 15%.
If you’re going to eat banana peels, make sure they’re organic. If you can’t get used to eating them raw, add them to a smoothie.
2. Carrot Greens
Carrot greens, the green stems on the top of the carrot, are rich in vitamins A, B6, C, and K. They’re also a good source of niacin, which can help you fight colorectal cancer. The manganese in carrot greens will also help you keep strong bones and relieve arthritis pain.
Add them to salads or use as a garnish in your main course. Roasting your carrots with the stem will also give you some of the nutrition from the greens.
3. Orange Peel
These bitter peels can lower your cholesterol better than prescription drugs. One study found that the polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) in orange peels lower LDL cholesterol by 40%. But d-limonene, another compound in orange peel, can cut cancer risk by 30%. And eating it with black tea helps slash your cancer risk by over 70%.
Add organic zest to a salad or a smoothie.
These foods lower your blood pressure like drugs
Did you know that a simple, natural way to lower your blood pressure is to eat more celery, garlic and onions?
That drinking green tea exerts a blood pressure-lowering affect that could have you feeling better 30 minutes later.
And, adding cayenne pepper to your food – a powerful vasodilator – helps expand your blood vessels and improves your blood flow thus naturally lowering your blood pressure.
Learn about these and nine natural blood pressure-lowering solutions and feel healthier and more relaxed than you have in years.
- Beetroot Greens
The red roots of beetroot are excellent to lower your blood pressure. But their leafy greens are just as valuable. Beetroot greens are full of calcium and iron. Their high-fibre content helps protect against a stroke. They’re also a great source of vitamin K, which can cut your diabetes risk in half.
Their texture and taste is similar to kale, so gently steam and drain them like you would any other leafy green vegetable.
