Healthy eating: 6 foods you should eat every day

The recipe adjustments that we have made for the “Medical Cuisine” are primarily based on six food groups whose positive effects on the human body have been proven in hundreds of studies – and which, according to current research, can therefore prolong life.

Health guarantee 1: vegetables and herbs

A good 70 percent of Germans say they eat carrots, cabbage and the like every day – but they recommended minimum quantity of 400 grams reaches just under one in seven. Changing this should be the focus of any dietary adjustment. For this reason, vegetables and herbs are at the heart of medical cuisine recipes.

Vegetables and herbs contain a lot of phytochemicals that, among other things, protect the cells, have an antibacterial effect, strengthen the immune system and heart health and, according to the latest studies, also support metabolic processes in the brain. A special phytochemical, sulforaphane, is even said to be effective against cancer.

That being said, vegetables are packed with fiber. These serve as feed for the beneficial intestinal bacteria, keep the blood sugar level stable, keep you full for longer and thus reduce the risk of being overweight or help obese people to reduce it. Accordingly, numerous scientific studies show that a high fiber intake helps to prevent many lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, diverticulitis and colon cancer. In addition, vegetables provide us with pretty much all the other micronutrients we need, such as vitamins and minerals.

Local greens, which the grandparents’ generation typically brought to the table, are particularly valuable in this regard – even if, from today’s perspective, they are usually cooked a little too long and thickened too much.

These include, for example

• All types of cabbage (white and red cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower),
• Onions (leeks, garlic) and
• Root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets, celeriac).

Incidentally, there is no such thing as too much vegetable: the positive effects increase steadily up to a quantity of 500 grams per day. If you eat even more, there is no additional benefit, but no disadvantage either. Because vegetables act as a healthy stomach filler thanks to their volume – and is therefore one reason why the “species-appropriate” diet is so filling.

Health guarantee 2: legumes

Our grandparents can also serve as a role model for this food group: lentils, beans and peas were regularly on their menu. In modern nutrition, we should definitely give the little power packs this central place again and several times a week 50 grams each eat it – ideally even every day. According to studies, this amount reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and colon cancer.

The reason: legumes are true nutritional miracles! For example, they provide more than 20 grams of valuable vegetable protein per 100 grams – and seven out of ten Germans eat far too little of it. This is despite the fact that studies show that everyone would benefit from eating more protein from plant sources.

This is especially true for people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The equation is simple: the more we consume of the “miracle substance” plant protein, the lower the mortality rate. Conversely, unfortunately, the more animal protein we eat from (red) meat, the worse the prognosis – especially if it comes from processed products such as sausages.

But that’s not all! Legumes are also a good source of minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc, which we need for our bones and joints as well as for all organs and metabolic processes. And they are, even more than vegetables, true fiber bombs. As a result, legumes are extremely filling and prevent us from snacking between meals – which, among other things, boosts fat burning.

Tip: The bloating and flatulence that many people fear can be easily averted if you let the legumes swell for 30 to 60 minutes after cooking. In this way, the substances responsible for the flatulence are reduced. And: Slowly approach the recommended amount!

Health guarantee 3: Omega-3-rich foods

The main reason why the modern Western diet makes us sick is because of its fatty acid ratio. This has shifted strongly in favor of unfavorable omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in finished products and snacks, for example. The result: three out of four people are undersupplied with the healthy omega-3 fatty acids. That’s bad, because these are among the most important substances in the body. For example, they guarantee that nutrients can get into the cell interior. In addition, they play an important role in almost all other processes in the organism – from the transmission of information in the brain to the immune system.

Because omega-3 acids are so important, an adequate supply of them has a variety of positive effects on our health. According to studies, they have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, allergies, cognitive impairment and depression, among other things. Thanks to all this, omega-3 fatty acids, taken in high amounts, can also prolong our lives – according to the results of current studies.

The most important omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Our body cannot produce ALA itself, so we have to get it from food. The body can form at least a small part of the other two omega-3 fatty acids from ALA. Good sources of all omega-3 fatty acids are primarily healthy oils (especially from flaxseed, olives, walnuts and canola), oily fish, nuts and seeds.

Important to know: The need for omega-3 fatty acids and the ability to absorb them through the intestines vary greatly from person to person. That’s why everyone should have their personal omega-3 supply measured in their blood – and, if necessary, top up the dose in consultation with the doctor, for example with dietary supplements. This is particularly recommended for people with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism.

Health guarantee 4: fermented foods

Fermented, i.e. fermented, food not only tastes sour, but also “umami” – a popular savory taste quality that is otherwise found primarily in meat and mature cheese. Yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso paste, tempeh and kombucha tea not only help us to satisfy our desire to enjoy meat – without eating it.

These foods are also extremely good for our health: They contain microorganisms that promote the diversity of our intestinal flora and form short-chain fatty acids that our nerve cells need. They also promote the absorption of vitamins and minerals. And they help the body digest protein. In addition, they keep our immune system fit, have an antibacterial effect, inhibit intestinal inflammation and other inflammatory diseases such as neurodermatitis – and can apparently even reduce anxiety disorders.

Because we need the microorganisms of fermented products so badly, they are also called “probiotic”, which means “for life”. With all this, it is hardly surprising that people in Japan, where fermented food is served daily, have the highest life expectancy in the world.

Health guarantee 5: Whole grain products

So-called empty carbohydrates, which are found in large quantities in white flour products, for example, hardly provide the body with anything other than energy. And most of us don’t burn them because they simply don’t move enough. As a result, the blood sugar takes a rollercoaster ride, the fat metabolism is slowed down and the unused energy accumulates in the body’s own fat deposits on the stomach. Whole grain products, on the other hand, still contain the outer layers of the grain grain – and therefore a lot of fiber. These complex carbohydrates keep our digestion busy for longer.

As a result, whole grain products fill you up better, the rise in blood sugar is more moderate and there are fewer cravings. In addition, whole grain products provide valuable vegetable protein as well as minerals and vitamins. Accordingly, studies show that those who regularly use the whole food variety of bread, pasta, rice and co. significantly reduce the risk of many lifestyle diseases, especially metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Around 100 grams of whole grain products you should eat per day. According to researchers, this amount reduces mortality by about 25 percent. Wholemeal oat flakes are particularly ideal because they contain an extremely healthy type of fiber, so-called beta-glucans. These have a blood sugar-lowering effect and stimulate the helpful scavenger cells of our immune system.

Health guarantee 6: low-sugar fruit

An apple a day keeps the doctor away: everyone knows this saying. And indeed, there are a lot of healthy substances in fruits that our body needs in order to be able to function properly. Low-sugar, intensely colored types of fruit, such as berries, are particularly beneficial. Secondary plant substances, which support many of our organs in their work, are responsible for the strong red and violet of the fruit. In addition, these substances have an antibacterial, immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory effect and also help against diabetes and high blood pressure.

But beware: Unlike what is propagated in many places 125 grams of fruit per day are enoughto benefit from the positive effects. Larger amounts – or very high-sugar fruits such as bananas and mangoes – burden our body with too much fructose. This type of sugar does not go directly into the blood when it is metabolized, but takes a detour via the liver. There, fructose is converted into fatty acids, which are then stored.

Too much fructose promotes the development of a fatty liver – and becomes the starting point of a negative spiral, at the end of which many diseases of civilization such as diabetes, liver cancer or high blood pressure are found. Another disadvantage: fructose does not fill you up, so we quickly overeat.