More and more people are paying attention to what they eat and how it affects their bodies. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, or you simply want to stay healthy and fit, knowledge of food classes and what they do to your body, matters a lot.
While you may know the basics about proteins, carbs, fat, vegetables and vitamins, here are 15 interesting things to know about food, health, and fitness.
1. We should consume a maximum of 6g of salt per day because it is high in sodium, which raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.
2. For strong bones and healthy teeth, we need 700mg of calcium daily.
3. The richest sources of calcium are fat-free milk (because removing the fat makes room for more calcium-rich skimmed milk), green leafy vegetables, and nuts.
4. The best way to drink fruit juice is with meals, to protect your teeth from the damaging effects of natural sugars released when fruit is juiced or blended.
5. Mackerel and Titus fish (sardine) are high in protein and generally low in fat, making them an excellent choice for omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Red peppers provide us with more Vitamin C than oranges and tomatoes.
7. Not all foods lose their nutritional value when cooked. For instance, cooking carrots and tomatoes helps to release the disease-fighting nutrients in them.
8. Only half of our calorie intake should be made up of starchy foods.
9. We should eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
10. When it comes to breakfast, you’re better off eating oats than cornflakes or pastry. Whole grains like oats take longer to break down, so not only does that spare you sugar highs and lows, it gives you a longer lasting energy boost too.
11. The best drink to have with your vegetable salad is orange juice or any juice high in Vitamin C, because the Vitamin C helps you absorb iron from the leaves.
12. In our bodies, muscle weighs more than fat. This is due to the fact that although a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, muscle is more solid and compacted and this accounts for the results we get when we stand on the bathroom scale.
13. The minimum exercise we need to do is five 30-minute sessions of moderate activity (like brisk walking or stair climbing) per week.
14. Fat people burn calories faster than slim people.
15. Drinking enough water helps your digestive system and aids bowel movements, amongst other things.