Jordanian nutritionist, Heba Akef Rosas defines healthy food as the one that contains all of the elements that body needs such as, carbohydrates found in rice and full grains, proteins found in meat, chicken and fish, vitamins and metals found in vegetables and fruits and healthy fats found in olive oil and nuts. All these elements provide the body with the energy it needs to do all vital functions like, breathing, pumping blood and carrying oxygen.
She told “Arab Today” that, having a healthy meal strengthens the body immune system and improves mental abilities, adding that, proteins are very important in building and fixing body tissues, and everyone should eat vegetables and fruits filled with vitamins and metals that fight aging and make the skin more clear and fresh. They also maintain the disgusting system and fight constipation, because of their fibers.
Integrated food has a good impact of the person’s psychological aspect such as, bananas and fish that improve the mood and fight depression because they release Serotonin “Happiness hormone”, and some foods relax the nerves and kill the stress like, Lettuce, yogurt, red cherry, honey, and warm drinks, while food filled with fats can cause laziness and fatigue.
Oats also improves the mood, for its Beta-Glucan fibers that control the sugar level in the blood, which helps reducing laziness and fatigue. Spinach is also full of iron, vitamin A and folic acid, and eating it help release dopamine which is responsible for reducing depression. Milk also helps to improve the mood for its calcium that reduces educes nerve irritation, also dark chocolate helps in this matter for its magnesium which helps to relax muscles and get rid of anxiety. Sea foods contain Zinc, selenium and iodine necessary to balance the thyroid gland to relieve hormonal disorders and to adjust mood. Popcorn is king of snacks that helps improve the mood for its amino acid "Tryptophan", which reduces stress and pressure. It also increases the secretion of serotonin, as well as containing the B-Vits that are important for the health of the nervous system.
Dr. Heba said, healthy food is easy to prepare but, most of the majority choose fast foods because of time, life stereotype, appealing ads and the children wish to eat them, but they are harmful to the body as they have low nutrition value and no fibers, along with calories and fats that cause obesity and heart diseases. Fast foods also contain flavors that ruin the mood and make the person craving for more, causing headache. They also contain high level of sodium that cause high blood pressure.
Dr. Heba stressed on drinking water regularly, as it is very important for vital functions, metabolism, dissolving, transferring and absorbing nutrients in the body, activating the kidney function, ridding the body of waste and toxins, regulating body temperature, giving the body moisture, and softness of the skin, also preserving the luster of the eyes, maintaining the freshness of the skin, and preventing the problems of constipation and dryness. The body needs 2.5 liters per day.
She said that, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it provides the body with the energy to improve mental and functional performance, helps to concentrate, prevents headache and fatigue, maintains sugar level in the blood, and helps losing weight while doing a diet.
She also advises having a healthy meal filled with required elements, along with a dish of salad, and staying away from foods filled with fats and replacing them with cooked or grilled ones, using spices, garlic, lemon, olive oil, mint, thyme, ginger, and rosemary herbs instead of salt. She also advises replacing sweets with fruits that are filled with vitamins and fibers, and to avoid soft drinks that reduce calcium and cause osteoporosis and replace them with fresh juices or milk. The food should be chewed slowly to avoid constipation and indigestion problems.