However, are you still not convinced that eggs really are a superfood? If so, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Keep reading to learn more about the many health benefits offered by eggs.

5 undeniable health benefits of eating eggs

1. Eggs are extremely nutritious

According to many studies and experts, eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on earth. In fact, a single egg contains all of the nutrients needed to turn one, single cell into a baby chicken.

When you consume one hard-boiled egg, you are receiving all of the following nutrients:

• Selenium: 22% of the total RDA
• Vitamin A: 6% of the total RDA
• Phosphorus: 9% of the total RDA
• Vitamin B5: 7% of the total RDA
• Folate: 5% of the total RDA
• Vitamin B2: 15% of the total RDA
• Vitamin B12: 9% of the total RDA

Eggs are also full of calcium, zinc, vitamins B6, K, E, and D, not to mention all the trace nutrients that are vital to your good health.

2. Help to increase “good” cholesterol – HDL

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is more commonly called your “good” cholesterol. If you have higher levels of HDL, then your risk of stroke, heart disease, and other serious health issues are much lower.

Consuming eggs regularly is a great way to help increase your HDL levels. What does this mean? If you have high cholesterol, it may be a good idea to add eggs to your diet.

3. A filling food with few calories

Eating an egg is an effective way to get full quickly. These are a high protein food, and protein is one of the most satiating macronutrients consumed today. Eggs have scored pretty high on the satiety index, which is used to measure the ability a food has to create feelings of being full.

Another benefit is that eggs don’t have many calories. So, you can eat one egg, feel full and eat just a few calories. Eggs represent a win-win meal.

4. Eggs provide a natural boost of energy

Have you found that you are having to consume chemical, caffeinated drinks to help keep you alert throughout the day? If so, it may be time to consume more B vitamins. Your body can convert energy from the food you consume and then use it as fuel for your body.

As mentioned earlier, eggs are full of B vitamins. If you pair your egg with other food items, it can help you feel more energized and alert without having to use those drinks and supplements.

5. Eggs can improve your eyesight

If you are trying to find foods that will help improve your eyesight, chances are your mind goes to sweet potatoes and carrots automatically. However, these foods aren’t the only ones that are full of vitamin A, which is the nutrient that helps improve your eyesight. Eggs also contain lutein and vitamin A. These can help reduce the likelihood you will need a stronger glasses prescription down the road.

While eggs provide numerous health benefits, complementing them with other nutrient-rich foods like greens can enhance your overall nutritional intake. Greens powders are an excellent way to ensure you’re getting a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals that support overall health, including those not typically abundant in eggs. Here is a good brand to try for adding quality greens to your daily diet.

The Takeaway

As you can see, eggs offer a wide array of health benefits. If you aren’t currently eating eggs every day, it may be time to add them to your menu. And don’t forget your greens too!

The post 5 Undeniable Health Benefits of Eating Eggs appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Tofu is eaten more for its nutrition than its taste because it doesn’t have its own flavour. This is a good thing as it can be added to any recipe without spoiling the original taste. Despite its versatility, the reason it’s not as popular in India as noodles or soy sauce is that most people are strangers to its benefits.

At a glance: Health benefits of tofu

• It is a low-calorie food—100g tofu has 76kcal of energy in contrast to paneer, which provides around 250kcal of energy.
• It is rich in high-quality protein—100g provides about 8.1g of protein.
• It is easy to digest and also suits those with lactose intolerance.
• It is rich in calcium—100g tofu almost serves 10 – 15 per cent of one’s daily calcium requirement.
• It has isoflavones that help women battle against menopausal symptoms and breast cancer, and men against the risk of prostate cancer.

Keep it fresh

Tofu is available as water-packed or vacuum-packed. If you get the water-packed variety, rinse it thoroughly before cooking. Also change the water daily to keep it fresh. Whichever variety you buy, once you open it, refrigerate it and finish it off within 3 – 4 days or before the expiry date. Also, don’t buy if it smells sour.

TOFU RECIPES

Tofu Gobi Pepper…in its many avatars

Serves 2

Try these different variations of the same recipe to enjoy tofu in its many forms

Ingredients

• Tofu: 1 cup, grated
• Cauliflower [gobi]: 1 cup, grated
• Green peppers [capsicum]: ¼ cup, grated
• Onions: ½ cup, finely chopped
• Red chilli powder [paprika]: ¼ tsp
• Light olive oil: 1 tsp
• Salt: To taste

Tofu gobi wrap

Preparation method

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and sauté till they turn translucent. Add grated cauliflower, grated green pepper and salt
2. Stir fry for 4 – 5 minutes and cover. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes till the peppers are cooked. Add the grated tofu and chilli powder. Stir fry for another 3 – 4 minutes till all the vegetables are cooked and come together like a thick filling. Switch off stove
3. Use this as a filling in parathas with mint chutney or in pita breads with hummus.

Tofu Burgers

Preparation method

Make the tofu filling as described above, but with a small difference—add a cup of boiled potatoes to the filling. Mix Well and make into patties. Dip the patties in bread crumbs and shallow fry them. Make burger using these patties with lettuce, tomatoes and onion slices.

Tofu Appams

Preparation method

Prepare the tofu gobi mix as usual and beat an egg into it. as described above, but with a small difference—add a cup of boiled potatoes to the filling. Pour this mixture into appam maker and let it cook on both sides. Serve as spicy egg appams with ketchup.

Tofu tortilla pinwheels

Preparation method

Make the patties like you make for the burgers. Now, spread one tortilla with a light layer of sour cream. Arrange slices of avocado, green peppers, onions, lettuce, cucumbers and the chopped tofu patties. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, roll the tortilla, slice it into 3 – 4 small portions and serve them as pinwheels.

Tofu fried rice

Additional ingredients

• Light olive oil: 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
• Soy sauce: ½ tsp
• Brown rice: Cooked and cooled

Preparation method

1. Prepare the tofu-gobi mix and keep aside
2. Heat olive oil in a wok and add the red chilli powder, when it sizzles
3. Add the cold cooked rice and toss. Once the rice is coated with the red chilli powder, add the tofu-gobi mixture and toss well again
4. Pour soy sauce on top, garnish with green onions and serve hot.

The post Healthy and tasty tofu tricks appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

1. Having two glasses of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner will help you lose weight

Many dieticians recommend people to take this up as a challenge on Facebook and other social media, and are very proud when people lose weight after following it. But, this is a poor practice for more than one reason. Firstly, drinking water just before meal time may only suppress your appetite for a short time and you will end up with cravings later. Also, filling your stomach with water dilutes your stomach acids, which are key to nutrient absorption and protein synthesis in the body. Even if you are eating a healthy diet, lack of sufficient stomach acid can render all of it useless. You are not only what you eat, but also what your body absorbs. That’s why how and when you eat it is as important as what you eat.

TIP: Avoid having water at least 20-25 minutes before and after meals. Having water immediately after meals may make you feel bloated. During meals you can have a few sips of water if required.

2. Checking your weight on the weighing scale

I used to once weigh myself every 15 days, till I realised the folly of doing that and stopped. The weighing scale has nothing to do with how healthy you are; your health is reflected by several parameters and not on the number you see on the scale.

The better signs of a healthy body are: how good you feel, how much energetic you have, and what kind of diseases [if any] are you suffering from. When you are successful in taking care of your body and mind, the by-product is optimum weight, high energy and an overall good feeling.

TIP: If you want to lose weight, put aside the weighing scale and buy clothes that you want to fit into. Weight loss [or gain] is not always apparent on the scale. You may lose fat and gain muscle, which will make you look leaner but may not show on the scale.

3. Eating less to lose weight

Eating less of the wrong foods is good but eating less of everything is not. Our body needs certain number of calories to carry out its essential functions of pumping and supplying blood, digestion, respiration etc.

The recent fad of having meal replacers to reduce calorie intake and lose weight is not healthy solution and is not in the interest of your health in the long-term. These meal replacers also have a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners, which can lead to other problems like insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance and nerve problems.

TIP: Portion control is the key. Eat a mix of different foods so your body gets the nutrients from them all. Avoid or restrict calories from packaged and processed foods.

4. A fat free diet is the best

Fats form an important part of our body. They not only protect our vital organs, but are also important for absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. However, it is important to have the right kind of fats.

Fats in the form of nuts, seeds, dry fruits, ghee, avocados and filtered or cold pressed oils are considered healthy fats, as opposed to fats from refined oils, trans fats and hydrogenated vegetables oils, which are generally present in packaged foods.

Lack of healthy fats in the body leads to insufficient absorption of fat soluble vitamins which, in turn, can cause bone issues.

TIP: Add nuts and seeds to your salads and veggies; you can also have them as a snack.

5. No carb diet is the quickest way to weight loss

Whenever someone is keen on a no-carb diet, I ask them, “Then what will you eat?”; they name 4-5 foods that they will eat in repetition. Not only is that boring because of its monotony, but also is also not a healthy practice.

It is necessary to understand that every body is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all weight loss solution that works for everyone. Before following any kind of diet, it is necessary to consult a nutritionist & a dietician to know your body’s unique needs.

To me, a zero-carb diet seems like an unnatural way to eat. Certainly, the simple or “junk” carbs like sugar, cakes, ice-creams, pizzas etc have no nutritional value and hence are called empty calories; avoid them totally. But there are healthy carbs too, which contains a world of good nutrients.

TIP: Rather than totally eliminating carbs, go on a “right carb” diet. Munch on fruits and vegetables which healthy carbs—they contain complex carbohydrates, fibre and proteins too. That way your diet will be interesting and healthy too.

The post Aiming for weight loss? Stay away from these myths appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Ingredients

• Raw peanuts – 1 cup
• Onion -1 medium sized
• Tomatoes – 1 de-seeded
• Raw mango – 1/3 cup
• Carrot – ¼ cup grated finely
• Green chillies – 1 finely chopped
• Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
• Roasted cumin powder –½ tsp
• Chaat masala – ½ tsp
• Lemon juice to taste
• Coriander leaves – 3 tsp finely chopped
• Salt as needed

Preparation method

1. Soak peanuts overnight and pressure cook with salt until soft. Leave it to cool.
2. Finely chop onions, tomatoes, green chillies and raw mangoes.
3. Set aside some chopped coriander leaves and grated carrots for garnishing.
4. In a bowl, combine all the above ingredients and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and grated carrots. Your peanut chaat is ready to be relished

The post Try this peanut chaat recipe to satisfy your street food craving appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.