Garlic and Corn Natural Weight-Loss Food
Garlic and Corn
Natural Weight-Loss Food: Garlic
Through the centuries, garlic has been both reviled and revered for its qualities. Today, the gossip about garlic and its apparent disease-preventing potential has reached a fevered pitch. For garlic lovers, that's good news; adding garlic to dishes can punch up the flavor.
When it comes to weight loss, garlic appears to be a miracle food. It contains the
compound allicin which has anti-bacterial effects and helps reduce unhealthy
fats and cholesterol.
Once you learn to appreciate its pungency, most anything tastes better with
garlic. And once you learn its possible health benefits, you may learn to love
it.
Health Benefits
The list of health benefits just seems to grow and grow. From preventing heart disease and cancer to fighting off infections, researchers
are finding encouraging results with garlic. Behind all the grandiose claims
are the compounds that give garlic its biting flavor. The chief
health-promoting "ingredients" are allicin and diallyl sulfide,
sulfur-containing compounds. Although allicin is destroyed in cooking, other
helpful compounds are formed by heat or aren't destroyed by it. This lets
cooked garlic give you a health boost. Garlic also contains the powerful antioxidants C and E, and the mineral selenium.
Garlic has been found to lower levels of LDL cholesterol, the "bad"
cholesterol, and raise HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol in the
short term. Its effects last about three months when taken daily. It may also
help to dissolve clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Even when cooked,
garlic helps keep cholesterol in your bloodstream from oxidizing and damaging
the lining of your blood vessels, which helps prevent the formation of plaque.
Garlic has also been found to inhibit the growth of, or even kill, several
kinds of bacteria,
including Staphylococcus and Salmonella, as well as many fungi and yeast.
Animal studies have found that garlic helps prevent colon, lung, and esophageal
cancers. How much is enough? Researchers suggest you can enjoy the benefits of
garlic every day by eating
a typical clove weighing 3 grams.
Selection and Storage
Most varieties of garlic have the same characteristic pungent odor and bite.
Pink-skinned garlic tastes a little sweeter and keeps longer than white garlic. Elephant garlic,
a large-clove variety, is milder in flavor than regular garlic and should be
used like a leek. But most varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Choose loose garlic if you can find it. It's easier to check the quality of
what you're getting than with those hiding behind cellophane. Its appearance
can clue you in to its freshness; paper-white skins are your best bet. Then
pick up the garlic; choose a head that is firm to the touch with no visible damp
or brown spots.
Don't expect the flavor of garlic powder to mimic fresh garlic. Much of the
flavor is processed out. Garlic powder, however, may retain some active
components.Garlic salt, of course, contains large
amounts of sodium -- as much as 900 milligrams per teaspoon, so avoid using it.
Store garlic in a cool, dark, dry spot. If you don't use it regularly, check it
occasionally to be sure it's usable. Garlic may last only a few weeks or a few
months. If one or two cloves have gone bad, remove them, but don't nick
remaining cloves; any skin punctures will hasten the demise of what's left. If
garlic begins to sprout, it's still okay to use, but it may have a milder
flavor, just remove the tough, green sprout.
Nutritional
Values
Garlic
Serving Size: 3 cloves
Calories: 13
Fat: <1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 3 g
Protein: <1 g
Dietary Fiber: <1 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Natural Weight-Loss Food: Corn
Corn is a low-fat complex carbohydrate that deserves a regular place on any
healthy table. Unfortunately, as with many other naturally low-fat foods, the
American tendency is to smother corn-on-the- cob with butter.
But these high-fiber, fat-fighting kernels of goodness are
better served with seasoning. Because corn is hearty and satisfying, it can
curb your appetite.
Health Benefits
This popular food is high in fiber. In fact, it's notoriously hard
to digest. But its insoluble fiber is
tops at tackling common digestive ailments (like constipation andhemorrhoids)
by absorbing water, which swells the stool and speeds its movement.
Corn is a surprising source of several vitamins, including folic acid,
niacin, and vitamin C. The folic acid in corn is now known to be an
important factor in preventing neural-tube birth defects. It's just as important
in preventing heart disease,
according to studies that show folic acid can prevent a buildup of
homocysteine, an amino acid, in the body. Long-term elevation of homocysteine
has been linked to higher rates of heart disease; folic acid helps break it down.
Selection and Storage
End-of-summer corn is by far the best ear in town. Although you can find
good-tasting corn year-round, many out-of-season ears aren't worth eating. When
buying fresh corn, be sure it was delivered in cold storage -- as temperatures
rise, the natural sugar in corn turns to starch, and the corn loses some
sweetness.
Nutritional Values
Corn, Yellow or White
Serving Size: 1 medium (7") ear
Calories: 77
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: <1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Protein: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 13 mg
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Folic Acid: 41 mcg
Niacin: 2 mg
Potassium: 243 mg
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