The white Foods

Foods white in colour can provide you with minerals, vitamins and all-round health benefits

White Be

In previous issues we have discussed the health benefits of eating black and red col oured foods. Now let us discuss the important nutrients in white coloured foods, and how they help to improve or maintain our health.

White foods have earned a bad name and have been labelled as a culprit for obesity, as well as increasing our blood sugar levels and cholesterol, but does that m ean we should eliminate foods that are whi te in colour? Some white foods such as sugar or relined carbohydrates like whi te b read, pasta may not be as good fo r us as the high fibre wholegrain ones, but there are certain w h ite foods that are too h ealthy to be ignored.

Na

Bananas are rich in potassium, an esse n tial mineral for maintaining no rmal b lood pressure and heart function. In addition to these cardio\7ascular benefit\ the potassiLm1 found in bananas may also hel p to promote bone h ealth. Bananas contain pectin, a soluble fibre (c alled a hydrocolloid) that can help n ormalize m ovem enc through die digestive tract and ease constipation

'ii I

Most white fi sh such as co d , bass, sole, percl, and haddock are very low in fat. It is recommended to h ave fish at lea st 2-3 times a week Even though white fish is verr low in fat, di e calorie and fat content will increase if you decide to cook the fis h in an unhealthy way such as by deep- frying The second way to pile on the ca locies is by serving fish \vid1 a fattening sauce that contains butter or cream, for e,'(ample.

While oily fish contain higher qua ncities of vitamins A, D and E, they are also rich i n a number of B vitamins such as niacin (B3) needed to pro m ote health y cells and to help eliminate toxins ftotn tbe body, and pyridoxine (B6) which keep s the skin, nervo us syste m and red blood cells heald,y: \X'hite fish is also rich in several essential mineral~ such as iron, phosphorOQ'i, se lenium, and iodin e.

• ••••• le

\,\(/bite b ea n s also known as navy beans have many health benefirs These are low GI and loaded wit h trace miner al molybdenum. These are also a good source of magnesim11. Being low in GI, white beans avoid triggering high blood sugar levels and th u s h el p improve b lood sugar levels. White beans are said to prndL1ce alpha- amylase inhibitors which help regulate fat storage i n the body. Th e magnesium in me b eans helps yo u to handl e stress levels better and is also good for health y bones

Cauliflower

CauliAower is a n o n - starchy cruciferous vegetable containing sulphur- rich compounds called glucosinolates, which activa te d1e body's detoxification system. These may p lay a role in preventing various types of cancers Cauliflower contains the second highest amount of glucosinolates, after broccoli. Caulifl owe r is also a good source o f vitamin C an d potassium.

G Rl

Garlic has always been considered good for healrn, but in r ece n t years it has become a food for study for researchers. Garlic contains d,e p owerful anti- oxidant allicin that also gives garli c its aroma and Aavour. It is rich in sulp hur-containing m olecules called p olysulphides that help i n improving b lood pressure. Garlic still helps to protect again s t heart disease by reducing t he ri sk of abnormal p la telet clumping that can lead to a heart attack

It aL~o has anti- b acte rial and anti-viral effects, which may help to ward off colds and other mi. nor in fections.

There i.s al ways co ntroversy abom whic h is me health ier meat: white meat like rabbit and chicken, or red m eat like mutton and beef, wh ich co me from t he Aesh o f big mammal s. Lean red m eat is an excellent source of iron and protein, but we have to be careful w ith the portion sizes since it is high in fat too, whereas white m eat is l ower in fat. Th e botto m Line is that no marter which meat yo u eat, you can gu ard yourself against health pro blems if you eat in m o deration.

Turnips are usually white in colour from me bottom until halfway up and become light purple, red, or green according co the s unlight that ha s fallen on them, until me top. Turnips are a good source of C and B v i ta mins They also contain manganese which helps m etaboli ze fat and carbohydrates and keeps your brain functioning properly.

White Onion

W h ite onions have sulp lmr compounds d1at give chem not on ly d1eir strong odour, but some excellent health benefits as well. Su lphur compounds h e lp to reduce abnor m al blood clotting and also help to r educe b lood cholesterol and blood pressute. Wbite onions contain flavonoid quercetin, kn own for its anti - infl am matory properties and cardiovascular health benefits. These are good for the digestive tract and also have anti - inflammarory and anti -oxidan t effects.

?vlushrooms are loaded with nutri ents They have high levels of anti-oxidants and are low i n calo ri es, fat and sodiw11, yet p rovide importam nutrient~ like selenium, p otassium, riboflavin, niacin, v itam in D and more. A ntioxidan ts like selenium protect body cells from d amage that might lead to chro nic diseases and also help to strengthen t he inu11une system. Mushrooms a lso provide ergochi o nei ne, a n aru.rall y occurting anti-oxidanc that may help protect body cells Mushrooms are also a good source o f vitamin D. Antioxidants like selenium , p rotect body cells from damage d1at might lead to chro nic di seases. Tbey help to strengthen the immune system, as well.