With the cold weather here to stay, it’s understandable you’ll be looking for hearty, but yet healthy and wholesome, food ideas. So that’s why the team at The QHotels Collection Health Clubs have come up with some top food tips to ensure you look and feel fabulous in no time:
Cranberries. One of the other truly tasty and nutritious festive remnants! Cranberries may be small, but what they lack in size they make up for in goodness – and taste. They are low in calories, but high in nutrition and contain anthocyanin which is a heart-healthy antioxidant. Cranberries boast antifungal and antiviral properties and can also help to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections, gum disease, ulcers, heart disease, and certain cancers.
Garlic. Even the NHS recognises garlic as being one of nature’s superfoods and claims that, “More recent evidence-based research suggests garlic may be effective against high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, colds and some cancers”. And that’s not forgetting that garlic is full of goodness too, including vitamins C and B6, manganese, and selenium. So not only is garlic a delicious addition to every savoury meal, but it’s doing you lots of good too.
Winter root vegetables. It’s a prime time of the year for winter root vegetables. So stock up on the array of colourful super healthy goodies, including carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, swede, and parsnips. Root vegetables are packed full of an important antioxidant called beta-carotene, which can help to prevent against heart disease and certain cancers. And that’s not forgetting the essential vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin A, B vitamins, as well as folate, magnesium, potassium and dietary fibre.
Beetroot is a truly versatile vegetable; it tastes delicious and also lends itself to a whole host of hot or cold, sweet or savoury dishes, and it’s ideal as a juice too. If you’ve not considered beetroot before, then its credentials are impressive: packed full of potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6 and C, as well as folic acid, antioxidants and important dietary fibre it’s one for your shopping list.
Spinach. Another of nature’s versatile larder ingredients, spinach is ideal served hot or cold, and boasts an impressive array of nutritional credentials. First and foremost, spinach is full of iron, which plays a crucial role in the function of red blood cells. Furthermore, spinach contains high levels of vitamins C, A, K and B2, as well as folic acid, manganese and magnesium. Other super greens include broccoli, kale and green cabbage.