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Are Avocados Healthy?- All You Need to Know About Avocados

Avocados are healthy for various reasons. It is good for blood pressure, skin health, digestive system, weight loss, and more. So, are avocados healthy? The answer is yes. 

Avocados have vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more. It has commercial varieties. You should choose the good avocado and make some amazing dishes for your diet to get the benefits. It reduces the gentle pressure of blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even colon cancer. 

Check out more information about avocados to get the total benefits. 

What Is Avocado? 

Avocado is a butter fruit that originated in the Americas. This is a nutritious fruit with a delicious taste. Most people like to have it and it has become one of the most popular fruits to give you both taste and health. You can call it a versatile fruit. 

Some people consider it as fruit whereas others like to have it like a vegetable. Avocados or Persea Americana are also considered berries. The Avocado group is a member of the Lauraceae plant family. One avocado can give you a lot of health benefits, nutrients, and minerals. 

You can use avocados in several dishes like salads, chicken salad, guacamole, tacos, and more like that. The fat-soluble vitamins of avocado are beneficial for your health. Avocados are a famous fruit that is helpful for your health and wellness. There are many kinds of health benefits that you can have if you eat avocados. Some of them are to manage settings of weight, reduce heart disease, gut health, bone health, blood pressure regulation, and maintain cholesterol levels. 

One avocado or a medium avocado can give you a higher amount of nutrients than many other good fruits. You can have it in your diet and keep your health safe. Eat it as fruit or food. Check the details of avocados that we are going to show you in this article below. 

Nutritional Facts of Avocado 

Avocado calories are what you can have to maintain your diet plan. Avocados have several vitamins, and other nutrients like dietary fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamin, and other vitamins and minerals. Healthy fats and vitamin factors are essential and you can have them in avocado. 

The creamy texture of avocado makes it rich in taste. Let’s see what the nutritional factors of avocado are.  

Nutritional Elements Amounts (Per 100 grams) Daily Value 
Calories 160 
Total Fat 15 g 23% 
Saturated fat 2.1 g 10% 
Potassium 485 mg 13% 
Sugar  0.7 g 
Cholesterol  0 mg 0% 
Protein 2 g 4% 
Sodium 7 mg 0% 
Dietary fiber 7 g 28% 
Carbohydrate 9 g 3% 
Vitamin C 16% 
Iron3% 
Calcium 1% 
Vitamin B6 15% 
Vitamin D 0% 
Magnesium 7% 
Cobalamin 0% 

Health Benefits of Avocado 

Eating avocados has a lot of health benefits. It has healthy fat that makes it more helpful for the body, skin, and overall health. Avocado benefits for skin are many. See some of them that we are describing to you. 

Good for Gut Health 

Avocados are high in fiber. So, it can provide you with 14 grams of it if you have one avocado. Having enough fiber is important if you are maintaining a certain diet. It helps to increase the growth of essential and healthy bacteria. The most nutritious part of avocado is this. 

Also, it has greater bile acid concentrations. It can decrease intestinal inflammation along with colon cancer as well. Eat a variety of foods that contain fiber, not just avocados. Eating avocados is important to support and improve gut health and bone health, and colon cancer as well. 

Rich in Antioxidants And Anti-inflammatory properties 

Avocados are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, healthy fats, minerals, fiber, and more. It also has bioactive compounds including vitamin C, vitamin E. carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and more. Eating avocados regularly can be a blessing to your health. It can increase the antioxidant defenses of your body. 

Half an avocado can improve heart health, higher blood pressure, and more. This is why it’s helpful if you eat avocado and get antioxidants to improve your health. 

Reduce The Risk of Heart Diseases 

Are all avocados healthy? Surely it is because of a lot of good nutrients. Not just that, it also helps a lot to reduce the risk of heart disease. All the vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and other nutrients can help your body protect the heart from any heart disease. It keeps the cardiovascular system healthy. 

So, if you want to protect your heart and ensure heart health, avocado can help you a lot with this. 

Maintain A Healthy Weight 

If you want to maintain body weight, you have to follow a proper diet. A balanced diet is more important for your health than you think. Avocados can be a great addition to your diet if you want to enhance weight loss. Avocados are high in calories. There are a lot of factors that can influence weight and reduce belly fat. 

Besides, avocados are packed with fiber and other nutrients. It helps to promote safety. Healthy fat content can decrease body weight. You can get ripe avocados to help lose body weight and be healthy. 

Versatile 

Avocado is indeed a versatile fruit. You can use it in versatile ways. It is both sweet and savory. Avocados are highly nutritious. Make several types of dishes and eat them to get the nutrients easily. You can make different kinds of salads, tuna, egg, salmon, and chicken salads with it. Add lime, onions, cilantro, avocado, and olive oil to make delicious salads. 

There is also a famous avocado dish called guacamole that you can make. Just like this, you can make many more dishes as it has a creamy texture and sweet-savory taste. Avocados have the nutrients to maintain your health along with a disease prevention facility to improve your health. 

Good for Pregnancy And Breastfeeding  

Are avocados healthy for pregnancy? Well, avocado benefits for females are many. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, you can eat avocados to fulfill the requirements and improve health conditions. Avocados may be one of the most beneficial things in your diet plan. It can securely process to fulfill the requirement of folate intake and reduce complications during pregnancy. 

Eating avocados is also helpful to help reach the goal of recommended intake levels. It provides greater amounts of vitamin C, B6, and potassium during breastfeeding. Get help from health professionals and create healthy cells to keep your health good during pregnancy. 

Fight Inflammation 

Avocados work well to fight inflammation. It has fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to prevent constipation. If you are worried about acidity and inflammation, you should not be tense about avocado to be in your diet chart. Fatty acids and all the other things help you to maintain your health. 

Maintain Digestive Function 

Talking about digestive function, you should know that avocado works fine to keep your digestive tract right. Avocados are high in fiber, calories, vitamins, and minerals. To maintain sound health, you can have avocado on your diet list. 

Control Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Levels 

Avocados can also lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Avocado may be a good solution for you if you have increased cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It helps to increase the levels of HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol. Avocados work well for blood pressure regulation. 

Is It Okay to Eat An Avocado Every Day? 

Are avocados healthy for you? Of course, it is. You can eat it every day if you want. This is a good element to be in your healthy diet plan. Avocado may be the most essential fruit that has a buttery texture that you may like. It ensures sound health as it has several types of good nutrients. You can surely eat avocado every day. 

Why Avocado Is Not Good for You? 

If you have a question, “how can avocados be bad for you?”, we have a clear explanation for you. Eating avocado can be a healthy diet for you. But eating too many avocados a day is not what your body needs. As it contains fat and a lot of calories, you need to limit it to have a lot of it. Otherwise, you can gain weight. Avocados may not be as good for your health as they should be. 

Do Avocados Make You Gain Weight? 

Avocados may make you gain weight. It is high in calories, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that is useful for your health. But overeating avocados a day is not necessary for your body. Is avocado good for weight loss? Yes, it is. But it can also make you gain weight if you exceed the daily value of your body. It can also weaken the immune function of your body. 

Older adults should not eat a lot of avocados. They should stick to the limit for the weight loss segment. 

What Happens When You Eat Too Much Avocado? 

If you eat too much avocado, it can cause gastrointestinal issues. Avocados are rich in fiber. It helps to decrease digestive issues. But if the amount of avocado consumption becomes too much, it creates some digestive issues including gastrointestinal ones. So, the avocado consumption should be right. 

Wellness professionals suggest taking the right amount of avocados to get the benefits of public health. Avocados are budget healthy foods. But it contains polyols. These are the small-chain carbohydrates that can cause gas, bloating, stomach pain, and even diarrhea. So, to maintain the nerve function, you should be careful about having the right amount of avocados in a day. This is how it can keep your health secure and help you with weight loss. 

When Should You Not Eat Avocado? 

You should not eat avocado when it’s rotten or mushy. When it is squeezed, it looks brown and moldy inside. You may have a sour smell because of it. When you face this kind of problem, you should not eat avocado like this. If you want to have an inexpensive healthy diet, avocado is a good option for it. 

This has fiber intake and short-chain fatty acids that you can have in avocado to have sound health. If you smell the fruit and it is not pleasant, you need to avoid it. Are avocados healthy to eat? It is, but you should know what kind of avocado you need to have. Check out the medical advice diagnosis systems or Healthline media websites to help you out more. 

Wrap Up 

Now that you know about avocados, you should figure out how much your body needs. Are avocados healthy? Of course, it is healthy. All the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients of avocado give invaluable service to your health. 

Add avocados to your diet and get the benefits for your body. There is advice, diagnosis, or treatment of Persea Americana mill that you can get to ensure sound health. 

Make various types of avocado dishes and be healthy.  

Are Almonds Healthy?- All You Should Know About It 

Are almonds healthy? Of course, it is. Almonds are healthy for various reasons. It has several nutritional factors that help to maintain your health. 

If you have a magnesium deficiency, digestive issues, heart diseases and more, almonds can help you to maintain these things. There are other things you need to know about almonds. 

Check out the details. 

About Almonds 

Almonds are a special species of tree. The almond is also called the edible seed of this tree. This is a tree nut that you can have as a mid morning snack. Almonds are delicious and healthy food. Almonds have a range of some potential range of nutrients. It provide a good source of protein and other elements. 

Are almonds healthy? Well, If you want a plant-based diet, you can add nuts to your diet plan. Almonds contain a lot of varieties of nutrients. Such as, vitamins, protein, minerals, fiber, and a lot more. One ounce of almonds contains one-eighth of a human being’s daily needs of protein. Almond oil is a good thing that is useful for several reasons. You can take it as raw almonds, flaked, sliced, like almond oil, butter, flour, milk and slivered as well. 

Many people call them nuts but they are more like seeds than nuts. You can have these nuts in your diet plan. You will get to know how this works for you in several health benefits.

Nutritional Facts of Almonds 

Almonds nutritional facts are many. You can get a lot of vitamin e, unsaturated fat, saturated fat, almonds calories, protein, fat, and other antioxidants per serving. For this, you should consume almonds in a certain way. Almonds have a good source of vitamin E, vitamin B2, manganese, and magnesium. Let’s see per serving of almonds in detail. 

Almonds contains the amount of ingredients per ounce. We are mentioning this on the chart below:

Nutritional Factors Amount (Per ounce) 
Calories 152 
Fat 13 grams 
Protein 6 grams 
Carbohydrates 6 grams 
Sugar 1 gram 
Dietary Fiber 3 grams 

Also, there is some saturated fat, and unsaturated fats are there in almonds. 

Health Benefits of Almonds 

There are several benefits of almonds. If you have a question, “what are almonds health benefits? You can get a lot of beneficial factors. The health benefits are more than you think. Let’s see some of the health benefits of almonds to get a better idea about them. 

Weight Management 

Eating almonds is beneficial. It can improve a lot of health conditions. There is a protective effect if you eat almonds. This can be a great source of a plant-based diet. Although it has fat, it is also a great source of protein, vitamin e, and more. Eating almonds is good if you want a healthy plant-based diet. 

Almonds have a lot of calories. But it is also a good source of protein that reduces the risk of weight gain. All you need is to be careful about the part. You should know how much you need to take it. Among all the health benefits of almonds, this is good as you can include them in your diet plan. 

If you pay attention to the limit of consuming almonds, you can get the health benefits. It keeps you full to lose or manage weight. The amount of protein, fiber, and fat makes it a good food for weight management. It can please your hunger and you feel less hungry. That is helpful to lose weight.

Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure 

Almonds are beneficial for lowering high blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. To manage cholesterol levels and blood pressure, almonds work great. Researchers show that almonds can lower LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol levels. 

Almonds work good. This is an easy snack to eat. Eating almonds provides you with a lot of health benefits. One of them is lowering cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Also, it can improve cholesterol as well. 

Almonds are rich in magnesium. It helps to lower risk of blood sugar, and cholesterol. But it also helps to lower blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure is harmful to your health. Almonds help a lot to control and lower blood pressure, high blood sugar, and cholesterol. You can improve your body by lowering HDL cholesterol, blood sugar, and any kind of cholesterol. You just need to take almonds in the right way. 

Keep Bones Healthy 

Almonds can keep your bones healthy. They contain calcium, phosphorus, and several other nutrients.  All these things can improve bone health and protect you from several diseases. Eating almonds is a good thing after all. All the nutritional facts and minerals of the tree nuts work better than the other nuts. 

Blood Sugar Control 

As you already know that almonds work well for lowering cholesterol, it also works well for controlling blood sugar as well. This is good food that helps to settle after a meal. That also helps people to deal with diabetes. Some wellness professionals suggest that almonds help to control blood sugar a lot. 

Digestion 

Almonds have a lot of benefits. Eating almonds can maintain your digestive system. It is a great source of fiber that can keep the gastrointestinal tract moving. If you take a handful of almonds, it prevents constipation. It can fulfill the need for daily calories. It helps to digest food and promote healthy bacteria as they manage settings. In a sense, it is good food that improves metabolic syndrome and fights off illness. 

Protect from Heart Diseases 

Talking about heart disease, almonds work well for it. This is a healthy snack that has higher vitamin e intake. It reduces the risk of heart disease or cardiovascular disease. The vitamin E content not only helps to make the skin glowing but also keeps the heart protected. Foods that have vitamin E can lower the rates of heart disease. 

Add Shine to Hair 

You can use almond oil for your hair. It helps to soften your hair, and add shine to it. You can also mix almond oil with your hair product and use it to get better benefits. Almonds contain healthy fatty acids that strengthen hair and add texture. Are almonds good for hair? Of course, it is if you use it in the right way. It makes the hair shiny, silky, and strong.

Moisture Skin 

Almonds also help to moisture skin and hydrate it. If you have a question, are almonds good for your skin? The answer is always positive. Use almond oil on your face to see the results. 

Discard Cravings And Make You Full 

Almonds are good as a healthy go-to snack. It is good for your stomach. It keeps your stomach full and avoids feeling cravings for food or hunger for a long time. These kinds of snacks increase feelings for food and make you full. It is also a good snack that helps to lose and maintain weight. As you feel less hungry, you can include this snack in your diet list to lose weight. 

Reduce The Risk of Diabetes 

Are almonds healthy for diabetics? Well, it indeed has the facility of having insulin resistance. So, it is a healthy snack to reduce the risk of diabetes. Have your breakfast with a bowl of cereal and some almonds in it. This helps a lot to maintain diabetes just like cholesterol. 

How many almonds should you eat a day? 

How many almonds to eat per day? Well, almond consumption depends on your body type, dietary guidelines, and your health conditions. Just like it helps to lower cholesterol, almond products are also helpful to have a lot of health benefits as well. If you want to know the amount of almond consumption, you can take around 23 almonds a day to maintain the need of your body. 

Is it ok to eat almonds everyday? 

Are almonds healthy to eat everyday? Well, almond trees produce a good amount of almonds that are good for your body and healthy living. A handful of almonds with breakfast cereal in the morning is essential to give your body the proper nutrients that it needs. It can lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. You can eat almonds every day to get the health benefits. 

How many almonds a day is too much? 

Are almonds bad for you? Well, it is not bad for you. But it can if you don’t limit your consumption. A decent amount of nut consumption is 23 almonds per day. If you take too much more than this amount, it can hamper your digestive system and create many health issues. 

What is the healthiest nut to eat? 

There are many types of almonds that you can eat to get the health benefits. Healthy eating of almonds is important. Peanuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts are the most popular and healthier nuts to eat. You can also have almond milk, and almond butter to have a healthy eating. Almonds are good to eat as well. You can have almond milk every day instead of having normal milk to get the better benefits. 

What is the unhealthiest nut to eat? 

Are almonds bad for you? Almonds are not bad for you. But some people can have some health problems according to their body type. There are some types of nuts that are not good for your health like macadamia nuts, pecans, and more. If you have nuts that have fewer calories, you get the invaluable service and have some health problems as well. 

Are almonds good for weight loss? 

Are almonds a healthy fat? It is good as it has some healthy fats that are good for weight loss. Almonds securely process the nutrients to the body and decrease belly fat. Eating nuts is beneficial because of their healthy fats and other ingredients. It can do a lot for weight loss. 

Can almonds gain weight?  

If you consume almonds more, it can put a great effect on your body to gain weight. You can also have other foods but if you take almonds too much, it can increase your weight. 

Wrap Up 

As you can see there are a lot of good ingredients in almonds, and you can have lots of health benefits when you consume them within the limit. Almonds can be in the Allrecipes food group so you can have them in several ways. 

Check out all the beneficial factors of almonds. Are almonds healthy? Yes, of course. You need to take it in a decent amount and it can improve your health a lot. 

So, have almonds and be healthy! 

Are Falafels Healthy?

Falafel is one of the famous foods among vegans and vegetarians, which mainly originated in the Middle East. It’s a combination of several nutritious foods like dough, onion, spices, herbs, and chickpeas. But a question arises- are falafels healthy?

Falafels are pretty healthy if you can cook them properly. A 100 gram of falafel can contain necessary nutrients like protein, calories, fiber, fat, carbs, and vitamin B6. 

It also has minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, copper, thiamine, etc. These nutrients help with the diet, maintain blood sugar levels, and lower the risk of various diseases like colon cancer, heart diseases, etc.

You can also customize the add-on ingredient to your falafel recipe. However, it’s best to eat baked falafel rather than deep-fried ones.

What’s Falafel?

Falafel is a very satisfying meal produced by mixing various ingredients in different combinations. It looks like deep-fried patties. These falafel patties contain fava beans (broad beans), chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lemon juice, and various spices with onions.

This Middle Eastern dish can be your main course or a side dish. The deep-fried falafel is mainly served with flatbread or pita bread. 

You can make your own falafel by adding healthy ingredients to a food processor. At first, the combination becomes a paste, and typically, it’s shaped like balls. Then, the falafel balls are traditionally deep-fried and served with bread. You can also eat falafel as your fresh crunchy veggies.

Falafel Nutrients Facts

Knowing falafel calories is crucial before adding them to your regular course meals. As falafels promote healthy digestion, you need to look at the falafel’s nutritional profile stacks.

A typical falafel pita that weighs 100 grams or six small pitas contains the following nutrition:

  • Protein: 13.3 grams
  • Calories: 333
  • Fiber: 4.9 grams
  • Fat: 17.8 grams
  • Carbs: 31.8 grams
  • Vitamin B6: 94% (DV)
  • Potassium: 12% (DV)
  • Magnesium: 20% (DV)
  • Copper: 29% (DV)
  • Iron: 19% (DV)
  • Folate: 26% (DV)
  • Manganese: 30% (DV)
  • Zinc: 14% (DV)
  • Thiamine: 12% (DV)
  • Riboflavin: 13% (DV)

According to this chart, eating falafel is perfectly fine for your health. There’s no such thing as bad or good food. 

You just need to find the proper way and ingredients to eat it. Falafel calories per ball are enough to consider as a side course on the menu.

Is Falafel Good For Weight Loss?

Well, it’s probably not the best option to add to your diet chart. Is falafel high in protein? Yes, but it’s not much healthy as you think. 

The falafel is a deeply fried food, and it contains rich oil and fat. That doesn’t make falafel healthy. If you regularly eat deep-fried falafel, you might face adverse health effects like obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc. 

The local restaurants use low-quality oils to fry the falafel balls. Even if you use high-quality oil to fry the frozen falafel, it won’t change the harmful effects.

However, you can consume baked falafels because you won’t need to use any cheap oils or canola oil for cooking them.

Is Falafel A Junk Food?

Well, you can’t consider falafel as junk food. However, it’s pretty rich in calories and proteins. 5 falafel balls’ calories can rise to 600 if they are deep-fried. In that case, the amount of fat increases up to 26 grams.

So, to put it simply, a deep-fried falafel ball can be considered junk food. But as it contains other beneficial nutrients like whopping fiber and protein, it can be good food for your menu. However, it won’t be wise to consume falafel balls regularly as long as you prefer to eat them fried.

So, if you want to enjoy falafel every day, you need to come up with a notorious recipe for falafel that can be baked in the oven.  

Other Health Falafel Nutrients Facts

There are some other health benefits of consuming falafel. For example, falafel is made of plant-based items that can give you enough nutrients without animal meat. It would help if you consumed a more plant-based diet.

Falafel also helps prevent excess sugar cravings that easily control blood sugar levels. If you are suffering from constipation due to a lack of fiber, falafel can help you. The fiber on falafel doesn’t digest and helps with regular bowel movements.

It can also make you feel full for longer than any other food. The fiber from falafel contains acetate that basically works as an anti-appetite molecule. It affects the bloodstream, brain, and color. The fiber slows down the production of hunger hormones.

Are Falafels Bad For You?

It depends on your appetite system. Typically, falafel contains a rich amount of micronutrients, disease-fighting antioxidants, fiber, and protein. These nutrients help with blood sugar, diabetes, and various chronic diseases. 

The falafel can also curb your appetite and can easily be a nourishing replacement for other rich foods. So, in a sense, falafels are pretty healthy to consume daily as a side dish with any meal or as a main dish.

However, the condition is that it has to be a healthy recipe, and the falafels should not be deep-fried. Regular consumption of deep-fried falafels will be harmful to your health.

How to Make Healthier Falafel?

To make falafel healthier, you need to maintain a proper recipe. Here’s what you need to do:

At first, preheat the oven to 200-degree Celsius. Then ready the mixture of chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic, olive oil, baking powder, cumin, flour, lemon juice, pepper, coriander, and salt. 

Make small patties or balls from the blended chickpeas and place them over the baking sheet. Mix them properly. Don’t use any poor ingredients in the mixture.

Wait for 12 minutes, and then flip the pieces. Again, wait for 12 minutes until the crispy falafels are ready. Serve them with whole wheat pita bread. Don’t use extra oil for finishing because they already have enough oil inside.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What’s healthier: falafel protein vs. chicken?

The calorie intake of a chicken with pita bread is more petite than pita bread with falafel. Though it’s an ideal substitution for red meat that contains fresh herbs, it’s rich in protein and calories. 

However, it’s healthier compared to chicken because of a plant-based diet.

Are falafels vegan?

Yes, falafels are vegan because of plant-based protein and other ingredients. However, it’s no longer bound for vegans and vegetarians. People are starting to add to their regular meals because of falafel health benefits.  

Are hummus and falafels the same?

Though there are some similarities in ingredients, they are not the same. The hummus is a paste of chickpeas combined with olive oil and spices. In contrast, the falafels are deep-fried balls served with hot sauce.

Are baked falafels healthy?

Yes, baked falafels are healthy. The baked falafel calories are low and are even much more beneficial and healthy diet than the traditional deep-fried ones. It already contains saturated fat to make them crisp during baking. So, no need to add oils to imbalance the cholesterol levels.

Final Words

Falafel is a pretty famous food, especially among vegetarians. This Middle Eastern dish is made of various ingredients, including chickpeas. However, people get concerned about health effects because of such varieties of nutrients.Hopefully, the discussion on-“are falafels healthy?” has provided enough clearance to you. So, the next time you ought to eat falafel, you don’t need to hesitate. But avoid deep-fried falafels. Follow the instruction to make your healthy falafel. Best of luck to you!

Are Dates Healthy?

From a middle eastern origin, dates are popular fruits due to their high protein mass, fiber content, and natural sweetness. If you are not an expert on dates, your first query should be – are dates healthy? 

Dates are very health beneficial compared to other dried fruits. They contribute to fighting cardiovascular diseases, promoting bone health, maintaining blood sugar levels, brain health, weight loss, etc. Dates are also a great source of different vitamins and essential nutrients. 

Eating dates might help you instant recovery of energy and even support you in maintaining your blood sugar level. Moreover, dates also reduce natural labor pain and improve men’s sex life. 

Excess of anything isn’t good at all. And it goes for dates so well. Being delicious and energetic, dates have the appeal to be consumed frequently. But you mustn’t exceed the suggested level to avoid specific threats.

What Are Dates?

When we refer to dates, we are not indicating any outing of human beings but rather a tiny fruit. The trees that they grow on are called date palm trees. 

They are abundant in and native to the Middle East and have spread over some African countries, the USA, Canada, and some Asian countries. 

Dates are sweet to taste. They grow in clusters, large ones. You may find similarities between a bunch of grapes and dates. They hang high off the ground. 

These fruits are a part of various regions’ cuisine worldwide but primarily for desserts and juice as they are mostly eaten raw. The more a date gets dehydrated, the sweeter it becomes. 

Types And Forms

There are different types of dates, and they are prepared in various forms. Among various types, Medjool date, oamni, piarom dates, deglet noor dates, ajwa dates, mazafati dates, bahri dates, thoory dates, ameri dates, etc. are mentionable. Medjool dates are the most popular ones. 

Dates are processed in different forms. You may find jam, dried dates, jelly, stuffed dates, date paste, and other forms of dates for consumption. 

You can turn them into different delicious recipes. Dates are suitable for your regular meal or desserts. You may even prepare a cake of dates and juices by blending dates. 

Food Value Of Dates

The health benefits of dates are numerous. Date consumption may fill your daily nutrition requirement to some great extent. 

You can eat dates to help your body fight intestinal disorders, weight gain, constipation, heart problems, diarrhea, sexual weakness, abdominal cancer, etc. 

Dates are also a great source of antioxidants (carotenoids, phenolics mainly). As dates have two parts, the seed and the flesh, they contain nutrients like protein and fat. 

The fruit also carries a high amount of dietary fiber. Date calories are good for our daily life. A whole date of 8g may provide you with the following nutrients according to USDA:

  • Calories: 23
  • Carbohydrates: 6g
  • Fat: 0g
  • Fiber: 0.6g
  • Iron: 0.1mg
  • Magnesium: 3.4mg
  • Potassium: 53 mg
  • Protein: 0.2g
  • Sodium: 0.2mg
  • Sugars: 5g

Benefits Of Eating Dates

The benefits of eating dates are excellent. Many of them will surprise you. Eating dates daily might keep you healthy and free from physical difficulties. Eat fresh dates to help your body function more fantastically. 

Are Dates Healthy For Weight Loss?

It is reported that consuming dates may help you balance your weight management or prevent you from weight gain. However, more research needs to be carried out regarding this.

Dates are prone to check cholesterol levels and contain very little fat; they contribute to weight loss. They are low in GI (glycemic index) too.

 Moreover, you will get a good amount of unsaturated fatty acids that control obesity and other weight-linked diseases. The vegans and gym-goers prefer dates for their high protein, 

Benefits Of Dates For Women

Dates contain essential vitamins and nutrients for women. They carry cancer-fighting antioxidants that protect the cells from radicals. 

Even dates play a role in easing natural labor while reducing the pain and time. They also contain fibers that help reduce belly fat. 

Women may consider dates on their diet for skin health, fighting hair loss, and improving hair health. Vitamin B16 and amino acids, including carbohydrates, are necessary for pregnant women, and one can get those in date. 

The fruit also plays a role in healthy digestion and maintaining healthy bones. They even contribute to fighting heart disease.

Other Benefits

There are other significant health benefits of dates. Incorporate dates in your diet and maintain your blood sugar level, digestive health, heart health, brain health, liver health, bone health, etc. 

Dates are well known as natural sweeteners or natural sugars. They are naturally sweet enough to make a dessert with them and serve to a diabetic patient without adding any other sugar or so. 

The nutritional value of dates is high as our daily essential nutrients can be met up through date consumption. If you consider the top 10 health benefits of dates, the following are the ones:

  • Dates are very effective in providing instant energy. If you feel unlikely about plain dates, you may go for energy balls packed with dates.
  • If you take too many cocktails or drugs, dates may help you intoxicate and prevent a probable severe hangover.
  • Dates effectively strengthen bones as foods with enough vitamin D are excellent for bones. 
  • If you are suffering from constipation, dates may help you out.
  • Dates are also effective in fighting cardiovascular disease.
  • As dates are rich in magnesium and Vitamin C, they help reduce inflammation.
  • Essential micronutrients like B vitamins and iron help you reverse anemia. And dates are a pure source of both.
  • If you take in too many whole dates, you might be able to put on weights.
  • If you are never satisfied with the sugar content in your diet, you may take natural sugar (dates) as an alternative to processed sugar.
  • Containing soluble fiber, dates help you keep your cholesterol low.

Side Effects Of Dates

Consumption of dates brings you various health benefits concerning preventing painful and debilitating diseases, helping you with blood sugar control, and so on. Some other health benefits include anti-inflammatory properties, preventing Alzheimer’s disease, improving health conditions, etc. 

However, apart from saving you from several diseases, excessive or uncontrolled date consumption might have harmful reactions upon you as well. 

There may be questions on your mind like how many dates to eat per day, are dates fattening, the quantity of sugar in dates, and so on. 

Food science suggests eating 4-7 whole dates a day. Otherwise, there might be issues like skin rashes, red, watery, or itchy eyes, a runny nose, or even might trigger your blood pressure. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do dates cause gas?

Date palms are the provider of dates that are fresh fruits. But if preservatives are mixed with them, they might cause gas for some because of the chemical added on.

Are dates good for sperm?

Research suggests that dates might help a man increase sexual stamina and even sperm count to some extent.

Is eating dates on an empty stomach good?

The answer is yes, as doing so will increase the hemoglobin level in your body and relieve constipation. 

Final Words

Are dates healthy? Yes, they are both delicious and nutritious! You can have them on your regular meal or as your snack. You can even consume dates in different forms like cake or juice. 

Whatever bright sides are available for consuming dates, you must be cautious about excess date consumption. This has a mentionable calorie, protein, and fiber amount. Therefore, taking excess of them regularly might make you face a few difficulties. Better take suggestions from experts!

Are Cashews Healthy?

Cashew can be consumed in various ways – raw cashews, fried/roasted/steamed cashews, cashew butter, cashew oil, salted cashews, cashew milk, cashew kernels, and so on. To clear the confusion among nuts, you should know, are cashews healthy? This is a common query as the nut consumption is increasing.

The health benefits of cashews are numerous based on the form that you are consuming. It helps maintain a healthy weight, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and bone health. Cashew nuts can also help prevent cardiovascular disease, boost your immune system and brain health, and maintain systolic blood pressure.

The cashew tree is the truly raw cashews provider. Eating cashews are undoubtedly healthy, but cashew nut consumption must be controlled. Consuming nuts should be a dietary habit with precautions!

What Is Cashew? 

Cashew, mostly known as ‘cashew nuts’ though they are not precisely nuts, is a seed from an evergreen tree or shrub belonging to the sumac family. These seeds are rich in oil and famous for their distinctive flavor. 

They are commonly used in the cuisine of South and Southeast Asia. South Indians use them in numerous vegetarian and chicken dishes. However, in the western part of the world, people take cashew nuts as a snack rich in premium quality protein.

The fruit that contains the seed is called Cashew Apple and looks like a bean or kidney-shaped nuts. It consists of 2 shells. The outer one is thin and smooth, while the inner one is hard. This inner shell needs to be cracked to get the edible seed. Cashew apples can be used in preparing jams, jellies, and even beverages! 

Food Value Of Cashew

People use cashew on a topping, in a sauce, or butter as a popular snack item. People prefer them for their versatile flavor. Eat nuts to make your diet rich.

Not only the taste but the nutritional value of cashew is also mentionable. They are a great source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated varieties, healthy fats, etc. 

These are also a decent source of protein. You may also find necessary Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, Zinc, and so on in cashew nuts. 

However, 01 ounces (~28 grams) of unsalted and unroasted cashews will contain the following nutrients:

  • Calories: 157
  • Carbs: 9 grams
  • Copper: 67% of the Daily Value (DV)
  • Fat: 12 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Iron: 11% of the DV
  • Magnesium: 20% of the DV
  • Manganese: 20% of the DV
  • Phosphorus: 13% of the DV
  • Protein: 5 grams
  • Selenium: 10% of the DV
  • Thiamine: 10% of the DV
  • Vitamin B6: 7% of the DV
  • Vitamin K: 8% of the DV
  • Zinc: 15% of the DV

Are Cashews Good For Weight Loss?

According to Consultant Nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta, Cashew nuts do not contribute to weight gain unless taken in excess. Instead, it helps lose weight. 

The basic limit is 5-10 cashew nuts a day based on your body and food habits. Though most nuts with fat are considered to contribute to fattening, Cashew carries healthy fats to keep your cholesterol low and heart healthy. 

Moreover, the fiber content in Cashew keeps a person satiated for quite a while and also prevents hunger cravings, which ensures less food consumption.

Are Cashews Good For Your Heart?

You may consider cashew nuts for maintaining your heart health. The healthy fats (triglycerides) help you keep your cholesterol low. Hence, as they contain copper, that might help you reduce the potential risk of generating heart diseases (developing blood clots). 

Cashew consumption may even work on maintaining your blood pressure levels. The responsible ingredients for these are omega-3 fatty acids, unsaturated fats, fiber, and vitamin E in Cashew. They also help you improve the arteries lining health. 

Cashew Nuts Benefits For Male

As zinc is abundant in Cashew, consuming Cashew significantly impacts a male. Zinc is vital to increase your sperm count and even fertility chances. 

Again, regular consumption of cashews also helps control your weight and diabetes, which eventually improves male fertility. 

Apart from these, eating cashews may also help a man generate erections. And this will no doubt make sex life better. 

Cashew also works on maintaining healthy muscle for men, including preventing the potential threat of prostate cancer. If you want to boost testosterone levels, you may take cashews into your diet.

Other Benefits

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases, maintaining blood pressure, controlling diabetes, helping in weight control, and preventing prostate cancer are only some of the miraculous benefits of consuming cashews.

Besides increasing testosterone levels and fertility chances, there are many more positive sides to eating cashew nuts. 

They also take part in boosting your immunity, helping strengthen bones, and promoting brain functions to some great extent. Cashew is also beneficial for eye health, hair growth, and skincare if appropriately taken. 

You may think, ‘are roasted cashews good for you?’. The answer is yes! Rather it is recommended not to take raw Cashew as one of the ingredients of raw Cashew may result in skin allergy. 

What Happens If You Eat Cashews Every Day?

Eating cashews on a daily basis is a good habit of diet, provided that the limit must be maintained. Intake of excess Cashew might leave you in an unwanted situation like low blood pressure at a sick level and so on. 

Cashew is healthy enough if and only if consumed correctly. Roasted and salted Cashew from different providers may contain mentionable fat. So, you have to keep your eyes open. 

Considering your body and dietary habits, the answer to how many cashews I can eat a day is roughly 5-10 pieces a day. 

However, if you take excess cashews, the answer for are cashews fattening will appear positive. But if taken in a controlled way, cashews are not fattening. 

Are Cashews Bad For You?

The side effects of eating too many cashew nuts are based on different circumstances. But if the consumption is controlled, Cashew won’t harm you. 

Is Cashew bad for cholesterol? – No! Rather it helps maintain cholesterol. 

On the other hand, if you have a nut allergy, it is recommended not to take cashew nuts. It may affect your skin and digestion. 

Hence, raw Cashew might be toxic. It is preferred to roast, steam, or fry cashews before consumption. The best way is to roast cashews at home without oil. 

The fat in cashews is healthy but must be maintained at low consumption. Be aware of salt and oil from salted and roasted cashews from different brands. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Cashew a nut or fruit?

The cashews we refer to are basically seeds, neither truly nuts nor fruits. 

Is Cashew an apple?

The cashew fruit is called the cashew apple. And the seed inside the cashew apple, we call it cashew nut.

Can cashews be eaten daily?

The answer is yes! But maintain the consumption and try not to exceed one ounce (28.35 grams) of Cashew a day unless you depend on Cashew for a particular reason and as suggested by a nutritionist. 

Final Words

Are cashews healthy? The answer truly depends upon different circumstances. Basically, Cashew doesn’t have any side effects unless you take it at an excessive rate, raw or you pave particular nut allergies on you!

Nowadays, cashews are considered a premium quality snack. And it’s prominent for its distinctive flavor. Apart from snacks, people also use them in different cuisines, including desserts. 

Cashew contains an excellent health value that provides us with a bunch of necessary daily nutrients. Moreover, adding Cashew to a salad makes the salad tastier!

Are Oysters Healthy?

When looking for seafood rich in nutrients, you can’t ignore oysters. If you wonder about are oysters healthy, you should know the pros and cons of oysters. 

Simply, oysters are low in calories but rich in protein. Moreover, there are many essential minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties in consuming oysters. They contribute to skincare to control anemia, maintain strong bones and teeth, etc. Oysters also contribute to the proper functioning of the heart and liver. 

However, before consuming oysters, precautions should be taken as raw ones might contain bacteria. Oysters are not recommended to eat unless cooked. 

Again, it would be best if you did not eat a lot of oysters regularly or even on a single meal. Excess eating of oysters may result in stomach pain, acidity, nausea, and even vomiting. The rich minerals might affect you with mineral toxicity.

What Are Oysters?

Oysters are ocean-based animals categorized as Mollusk. These creatures have shells on them, and they are bivalves. 

They possess great economic value as they have a usage in both food and jewelry. We find pearls from them. They have irregularly shaped shells. 

A mollusk possesses a soft body and also a shell to protect itself. As oysters are bivalves, the two shells are connected with a little hinge. This animal can open and close its shell as necessary, like when consuming food, leaving wastages behind, or even when alarmed by any risks. 

All oysters belong to the family called Ostreidae. There are five major species with different variants under these five species. They taste different based on the water they grow in. 

Food Value Of Oysters

Oysters have two different types of material in their structure – the shell and the inner body. 

The inner body is referred to as the flesh. Though they are low in calories, they come in handy in terms of nutrients, vitamins, protein, healthy fats, and minerals. Oyster shells are also a good source of fatty acids. They provide us with polyunsaturated fats that support us in fighting type 2 diabetes. 

The USDA has provided the following nutrition info for 3 ounces (~85 grams) of Oysters without the shell:

  • Calories: 69
  • Carbohydrates: 4.2g
  • Fat: 2g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 8g
  • Sodium: 90mg

Raw Oysters

The following content holds the nutrition info for 100g of raw Pacific oysters. These specifics are provided by the Department of Agriculture: 

  • calories: 81 kilocalories
  • carbohydrates: 4.95 g
  • copper: 1.58 mg or 176% of a person’s daily value (DV)
  • fats: 2.30 g
  • iron: 5.11 mg (28% of DV)
  • magnesium: 22 mg (5% of DV)
  • vitamin B12: 16 micrograms (667% of DV)
  • protein: 9.45 g
  • zinc: 16.6 milligrams (mg)

Cooked Oysters

100 grams (~3.5 ounces) of wild eastern oysters (cooked) provides the following ingredients:

  • Calcium: 7% of the DV
  • Calories: 79
  • Carbs: 4 grams
  • Copper: 493% of the DV
  • Fat: 3 grams
  • Iron: 53% of the DV
  • Manganese: 20% of the DV
  • Phosphorus: 12% of the DV
  • Protein: 9 grams
  • Riboflavin: 9% of the DV
  • Selenium: 56% of the DV
  • Vitamin B12: 538% of the DV
  • Vitamin E: 9% of the DV
  • Zinc: 555% of the Daily Value (DV)

Pros and Cons Of Oysters

Oysters are a decent service provider for our diet, economy, and ecology. We will be discussing some in-depth benefits of oysters in some specific sectors below: 

Are Oysters Good For Your Stomach?

Humans have considered Oysters a part of their diet for almost 700 years. People around the world consume it both raw and cooked. 

Hence, this item contains a mentionable amount of iron. 100g of oysters may have up to 6mg of iron, and that amounts to meeting a large portion of iron, according to the DV. 

Iron, a key component to forming red blood cells (RBC) in a human body, works as the preliminary defense against anemia. Anemia is referred to as iron deficiency and may lead to stomach disorders. 

However, eating oysters on an empty stomach may lead to acidity. It is highly recommended to have oysters later in the meal. 

Are Oysters Good For Your Heart?

Being a significant source of LDL (bad/dietary cholesterol), it is preferable not to take in a lot of oysters regularly. That might affect your heart health. 

But at the same time, it is to keep in mind that oysters happen to be a fantastic source of healthy protein beneficial to the heart. 

As oysters contain a rich amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, it appears as a healthy alternative option to other meats.

Oyster Benefits For Females

Oysters are popular among women. This food item is blessed with various nutrients. They eventually help strengthen the immune system, fight against anemia, maintain healthy bones and teeth, and so on.

Iron and Vitamin B12 from oysters help reduce dark circles. Iron, protein, or zinc can help a woman with hair loss. Iron allows women to fight anemia as primarily women suffer from it. 

Oysters Benefits For Male

Oysters carry a bunch of nutrients. Therefore, some of them may have a positive effect on supporting sexual health for men. 

The presence of zinc in oysters may trigger testosterone levels. It may also help a male to keep maintaining dopamine levels. 

Omega-3 fats, which are heart-healthy, increase blood flow and function to prevent erectile dysfunction. Thus oysters have been considered a natural aphrodisiac for quite a while, like hundreds of years. 

How Many Oysters Can You Eat In A Day?

Though oysters contain a significant number of nutrients that make them appealing to eat, it is not recommended to take in too many of them at once. 

Taking too many of them in one sitting might make you suffer from stomach pains, nausea, and even diarrhea. Moreover, it is also recommended not to eat oysters on an empty stomach.

It’s best to take between 3 to 4 dozen and 6 to 7 dozen oysters for an individual in a single day. But this is not a fixed one. Your other dishes served with the oysters may also vary the oysters count. 

The fundamental reason for not taking too many oysters in one sitting is that they carry a toxin called domoic acid, which is liable for causing nausea and vomiting. 

Are Raw Oysters Good For You?

Oysters can be eaten in different ways – raw, cooked (steamed, boiled, fried). The rich food nutrients in oysters make them a good diet habit. 

Though raw oysters taste good, they are actually a bit briny and salty. You will find a smooth texture in a raw oyster. 

It is recommended not to eat raw oysters unless they are harvested since they might contain some bacteria. Any ingredient like lemon juice, hot or cocktail sauce, or even alcohol can’t kill the Vibrio bacteria. 

Therefore, avoid eating raw or undercooked oysters. Eating raw oysters might get you sick. 

Are Oysters Bad For You?

Concerning nutritional benefits, among other shellfish, oysters offer us impressive health benefits though it contains risk if eaten raw. Apart from that, people may encounter allergic experiences after consuming this Mollusk. 

Raw oysters are referred to as contaminants. This may lead to vomiting, shortness of breath, stomach pain, etc. They might carry harmful bacteria with them. 

Being rich in the mineral count, it can appear harmful to consume too many oysters causing mineral toxicity like zinc toxicity. Hence, avoid eating raw oysters. 

Other Benefits Of Oysters

Apart from the benefits mentioned above, there are some other good sides. Many health benefits include fighting heart disease, liver disease, blood pressure (lower blood pressure), maintaining bone health, and improving the body’s immune system. 

Oysters also boost weight loss, cell growth, wound healing, central nervous system, fighting zinc deficiency, selenium deficiency, and many more. 

According to professional medical advice, oysters contain essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin c, vitamin d, etc. These vitamins and minerals, including other organic compounds, work as higher protein diets. They appear as a complete protein source. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the food values of oysters?

Oysters are considered a high-quality protein source rich in vitamins and necessary minerals. Therefore, they play a significant role in decreasing the risk of heart disease and other disease control. 

It is preferred to eat after cooking oysters. Raw oysters may contain potential health risks. These bivalve mollusks also play a role in cleaning the water and contributing to the ecosystem. They also carry oxygen themselves. 

Are oysters good for weight loss?

If you are looking for low-calorie, protein-rich food, oysters are the ultimate alternative to your usual protein source while ensuring other vitamins and minerals. 

Are oysters good for your skin?

Zinc and collagen from oysters can trigger skin regenerative qualities, including repairs. Collagen is also known for making hair strong. 

Final Words

Oysters are bivalve mollusks, and they have body shells and body meat. They may open shells based on necessity. 

Though consuming too much of them produces potential risks, they are an excellent source of low-calorie protein. They should be taken according to a person’s body’s ability. Bacterial contamination might happen in eating raw oysters. 

If you are looking for – are oysters healthy, you should know that food science recommends adding oysters to your diet. Oyster nutrition covers our significant DV nutrition. 

Are Lamb Chops Healthy? [Nutrition Facts and Health Effects]

Red meats are the best source of protein, without a doubt. But recent studies have shown that even these meat types have flaws. Lamb meat being a type of red meat, is suspicious. So, are lamb chops healthy?

Compared to other red meats, lamb meat is the most nutritious. It is filled with all the beneficial nutrients that are essential for the human body. A single serving of lamb chop has enough calories and protein to keep you at the top of your performance. It also has vitamin B3, which helps lower heart disease probabilities.

Even though one might say that this type of meat is harmful, this is not true for lamb meat. Yes, lamb chops have their flaws, but it overcomes those with inherent health benefits.

Lamb Chops, Are They Healthy?

If you ask anyone where are lamb chops from, then most will say lamb. To be precise, most lamb meat cut from the loin chops, shoulder chops, and sirloin chops can be referred to as lamb chops.

It is no different from the similar cuts of a cow. So, what makes them any different from regular red meat?

Many might also ask, “Is lamb healthier than beef?” Well, the secret lies within the nutritional value of the meat. If you take the lamb’s nutrition and compare it with the nutritional benefits provided by beef, you will get a clear picture.

Here is a brief breakdown of all the health benefits one can find by changing to a lamb chop diet.

Protein

Since protein is the main component of any type of meat, lamb meat is no exception. You will find high-quality protein within any part of the lamb you take. If you take a cooked lamb, you will indeed find at least 25% of it to be pure protein.

Even the protein found in lamb is of superb quality than regular protein. Within lamb meat, you will find all the nine variants of amino acids that are a must for the human body. Such a constitution makes lamb chop a great source of high-quality protein.

Calories

The main reason for someone to consume food is to gain calories. This helps them do their daily activities. Consuming too many calories is not bad for your health. But the source of this is a matter of concern.

However, if you eat lamb to fulfill your calorie needs, you will not have to worry that much. This is because the calorie content of lamb meat is within limits.

If you think, “Are lamb chops high in calories?” then take 100 grams of ground lamb, and you will find only 294 calories.

This is lower than other variants and free of useless carbohydrates. So eating lamb as lamb steaks or lamb chop is highly encouraged for heart disease patients.

Saturated Fat

Depending on how much you trim the lamb chop, the amount of fat will vary. But the average amount of saturated fat is about 20%.

Now many of you might think that this is way too much. However, these fats are healthy, not the harmful ones found in pork and beef.

And if you want lower fat content, you can trim off the excess. So depending on your answer to the question, “Do you eat the fat on lamb chops?” The fat content will vary.

But overall, fat content is within the healthy fats limit. You can safely transfer to lamb chops to satisfy your healthy fats needs.

Vitamins and Minerals

One of the significant lamb health benefits is that it has various minerals in it.

Some of the most prominent minerals are zinc, selenium, iron, and phosphorus. In fact, if you eat lamb, you can absorb these minerals far better than when you eat plants.

In terms of vitamins, chops from lamb inherently contain many of them. But among all the available ones, vitamin B12 and B3 are the most noteworthy. The first one is absent for those who only look for a vegan diet, and the second one is vital to halting heart disease.

Related Article: Is Beef Jerky Healthy? Health Benefits, Weight Loss and Nutrition Facts

Lamb Nutritional Value Chart

To find out whether the lamb is bad for you or not, take a look at its complete dietary values. The chart is for 100 grams of lamb chop.

If you take a different portion, for example, ground lamb, the value might differ. The health benefits it provides are dependent on your required daily value.

NutrientsAmount per 100 g
Calories294
Glycemic Index0
Cholesterol97 mg
Dietary Fiber0 g
Protein24.5 g
Fatty acids, Saturated Fats8.83 g
Fatty acids, Monounsaturated Fats8.3 g
Fatty acids, Polyunsaturated1.51 g
Trans Fat0.9 g
Sugar0 g
Sodium72 mg
Potassium310 mg
Calcium17 mg
Magnesium23 mg
Iron1.88 mg
Vitamin B122.3 mg
Vitamin B30.15 mg
Iron9%
Zinc6%

Lamb Meat Benefits And Disadvantages

Similar to other options of its type, there is a list of advantages and disadvantages to a single serving of lamb.

Advantages

  • Improve lean muscle mass by supplementing muscle.
  • Enhances metabolism by increasing gut activity.
  • Prevents anemia by increasing red blood cells.
  • Lowers carbohydrate to calorie ratio.
  • Helps prevent cancer and heart disease.
  • Prevents neural tube defects in newborns.
  • Lower fat content helps in weight loss.
  • Increases bone density and helps keep skin healthy.

Disadvantages

  • Increase high blood pressure probability.
  • As it is red meat, it raises cholesterol.
  • Lamb chops have zero dietary fibers.

FAQs

Which meat is the healthiest?

Among all the meat variants, white meat is the most nutritious meat. But if you consider only the red meat variant, the best one is lamb meat.

And among the lamb cuts, the loin chops, shoulder chops, lamb steaks, and sirloin chops are the best.

Is lamb chop good for weight loss?

The fats contained within lamb chop are mainly saturated fat and monounsaturated fat.

These fats are beneficial for humans as they help in increasing motor and cardiovascular activities. They don’t aid in weight gain. Thus, lamb chops are great for weight loss.

How to make healthy lamb chops?

There are varieties of healthy dishes with lamb chops. The most nutritious of all dishes is a simple dish with olive oil.

Simply wash the chop and sear it with a minimum of olive oil. It is best if you want to improve your cardiovascular activities.

Are lamb chops good for pregnancy?

When consumed during pregnancy, lamb chops help in reducing neural tube defects in case of newborns. It also helps in increasing blood flow. This ensures health benefits for both the mother and the child.

Is lamb healthier than beef?

Between lamb and beef, lamb is the healthier choice. This is because the nutrition value of a single serving of lamb is far better than that of beef. Moreover, lamb’s fat and cholesterol content are lower than beef.

Final Words

Among those conscious about their health, lamb meat is a staple food. They prefer the lamb chop above all other meat options. Seeing them, it is safe to give a positive answer to the question, “Are lamb chops healthy?”

The health benefits one can get from this meat will become apparent with a single glance at the nutrition chart. Providing optimal immune health and required muscle mass, this meat ensures essential health benefits. Even less than one pound of lamb daily can help one maintain muscle mass.

Are Lentils Healthy?

As Legume family members, lentils have been part of the Indian diet for a long time. But are lentils healthy? It’s a typical query for weight loss enthusiasts. If you learn how essential and effective lentils are, you’ll find these grains extremely beneficial to your health. 

Lentils are healthy enough to provide you with meat-quality protein. They counteract cancers and help lower blood pressure to prevent heart diseases. The fiber of lentils will help you strengthen your gut immunity and promote regular bowel movements. It also comes in handy in childbearing age. 

Plants-based diets are trendy in Indian cuisine. You will find various types of lentils like brown lentils, green lentils, french lentils, red lentils, black lentils, black beluga lentils, and others. Mix split red lentils with brown rice to get a better-balanced diet. 

What Are Lentils?

Lentils are a food designated under the vegetable category. Based on different regions, they may be referred to as pulses. 

The plant that produces lentils is categorized under a type called a legume. Legumes are also composed of other foods like chickpeas, beans, fresh peas, snow peas, and sugar snap peas. 

However, lentils are well known for their relatively high protein content compared to beans. You might find some legumes containing high fat like soybeans, but lentils are far more preferable considering the amount of fat.

In simple words, lentils are miniature in size, have a legume origin, and contain a considerably high nutrition dose. They serve you with fiber, protein, and minerals while delivering a crunchy texture to your taste palette. 

You may consider lentils as one of the staple foods in your pantry. There are different types of lentils of various sizes, uses, textures, and tastes!

Are Lentils Carbs Or Protein?

To be specific, lentils are neither carbs nor solely protein. You can’t consider lentils a low-carb diet or a simple carbohydrate diet.

Instead, as previously mentioned, lentils are legumes that contain both carbs and protein. They are also blessed with fiber, vitamin B, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, etc. 

If you are a vegan, lentils appear as a great source of protein for you. Hence, the carbs in lentils are not harmful to your health. Too many carbs aren’t preferable as they aren’t healthy. 

Lentils have a fantastic combination of healthy nutrients. While it’s preferable not to keep lentils as a carb-only or protein-only diet for health enthusiasts, you can consider it a part of a balanced nutrition regime. 

You can consult your dietician for more information about it. 

Lentils’ Contribution To Soil

You will be surprised to know that lentils and legumes play an essential role in the fields where they are grown. They deal with nitrogen which is undoubtedly a necessary ingredient for plants. 

This process is truly simple: the bacteria in the soil where you cultivate these plants grow without consuming any nitrogen from the earth. Not only that, they consume the required nitrogen from the air. On the other hand, they return the extra nitrogen to the fields.

This is beneficial for both the farmers and the environment. If you plant lentils or legumes in a specific field for a particular time, like a year or two, the field will require less fertilizer when you sow a corn-type crop following the legumes. 

Health Benefits Of Lentils

If you tend to stick to plant-based diets, the result will be incredible. This habit of yours will reduce the risk of different habit-related health issues. 

In 2019, it was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that the practice of eating plant foods subsequently lessens the chances of dying from cardiovascular illness. 

Therefore, lentils serve us with necessary minerals, vitamins, fiber, protein, etc., in terms of our diet. If you replace meat with lentils entirely or mainly in your diet, this effort of yours will undoubtedly decrease the risk of any heart disease. 

Lentils are also gluten-free. Moreover, they usually have low GI value (Glycemic Index), including low starch content. These make lentils preferable for a diabetic food chart.

Are Lentils High In Protein?

Simply the answer is yes. You will find lentils very handy in terms of serving you sufficient protein as well as other similar nutrients.

Lentils are a great source of protein. You will be surprised to know that if you combine lentils with a whole grain, the meal will provide you with a similar protein quality to the meat. 

Consuming half a cup of lentils, you can quickly meet your protein requirement for a day. Thus you may find it as a healthy substitute for meat. 

During World War II, lentils became popular in America for their protein quality and appeared as a cheap alternative to meat. Thanks to such wondrous benefits, lentil soups, and other delicacies have become a part of American cuisine.

Are Lentils High In Calories?

Though lentils are cheap, tasty, and a convenient source of protein, it comes helpful in terms of weight loss as it contains low calories. On the other hand, their rich fiber content keeps you full for quite a while. 

One hundred grams of lentils contain roughly 116 calories only. So, you can see how it can be a decent addition to the diet chart of any health enthusiast bodybuilder. You won’t gain much weight while also getting sufficient protein.

Eventually, the answer to this query appears negative and which is healthy in terms of food consumption. But if you are taking less food, including lentils, into your diet might make you feel weak as you will lack in meeting the required calories per day.

Lentil Benefits And Disadvantages

Since nothing is constant on this mother earth, we can’t think of any stuff either solely good or solely bad! In the same way, canned lentils have both bright and dark sides. 

Benefits

You will find some notable benefits of lentils:

  • Lentils carry essential amino acids for your body, and with that, you can achieve decent muscle-building.
  • The grains are also helpful in maintaining blood sugar levels and bowel movements that decrease constipation. 
  • You will get a supply of antioxidants that will help you decrease the probability of triggering atherosclerosis.
  • As lentils contain folic acid, consuming them eventually helps pregnant women to lessen their congenital disabilities.
  • In recent studies, it was observed that lentils might also play a role in controlling cancer cell growths. 
  • Nutritionists recommend lentils for weight management.
  • Paris-based research has argued that lentils’ vitamins and minerals help ensure optimum brain functions.

Disadvantages

There are a few sensitive disadvantages are also available to eating lentils:

  • Lentils cook quickly with oxalate compounds and are responsible for kidney stones.
  • The aftermath of lentils digestion (fermentation) may form gas from time to time due to overeating.
  • Eating raw lentils institutes a threat of containing lectins and phytic acid that might show uncomfortable reactions.  
  • Too much consumption of lentils might cause hyperkalemia among people with poor kidneys.

Benefits Of Lentils For Skin

The existing nutrients in red lentils do a fantastic job taking care of your skin. 

These compounds are regarded as one of the best exfoliators from nature. You may use this type of lentils to get rid of dead cells from your skin. 

Hence, red lentils will keep your skin smooth and even dirt free. If you face issues in fighting blackheads or even acne, red lentils become a savior for you. 

Are Lentils Good For Your Gut?

Simply the answer is yes unless you take lentils in a considerable amount. 

However, lentils contain a rich amount of dietary fiber. This very fiber comes in both insoluble and soluble types. It also prevents constipation. In a greater sense, it helps you prevent colon cancer. 

Hence, lentils are a significant source of prebiotic fiber. The gut bacteria prefer this type of fiber, and eventually, lentil consumption improves your health. 

Lentil Soup Benefits

Lentil soup serves you with the following offerings and is undoubtedly a flavourful dish.

  • High in protein.
  • Full of fiber.
  • Sufficient in polyphenols.
  • Decent source of iron.
  • Rich in magnesium.
  • Good for your bones.
  • Excellent source of folic acid.
  • Easy to digest.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are peas a lentil?

Peas and lentils are legume family members, but they are not the same. So, peas are not lentils. They are different species of the same plant family.

Which color lentils are the healthiest?

Among different edible seeds like green, red, brown lentils, etc., black lentils are the healthiest ones. These grains contain the optimum amount of nutrients, proteins, and carbs required for a healthy balanced diet.

Are lentils healthier than chickpeas?

In terms of fiber, split lentils beat chickpeas. But if you consider the calories, chickpeas eaten raw will outstand lentils. 

Final Words

While people around the globe are looking for healthy meat alternatives, this is very usual for you to consider – are lentils healthy? Undoubtedly the answer is yes! Consumption of lentils plays a considerable role even in fighting cancer. 

By maintaining low cost and easy availability, lentils promote healthy weight loss and induce a lower risk of heart diseases. Cooked lentils, such as lentil soup, contain beneficial nutrients, such as protein and carbs. You can mix undercooked lentils with whole grains to get a more balanced diet. Studies even show that lentils outplay most other legumes, among other plant-based proteins. 

Are Chocolate Chip Cookies Healthy?

There is no one who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies. But are chocolate chip cookies healthy? Especially if you are trying to maintain a healthy diet and you have a sweet tooth, this question must have been bothering you for a long time.

Chocolate chip cookies can be healthy. But for this, you will need to prepare it at home using healthy ingredients. You can easily make healthy low-fat chocolate chip cookies at home. Nowadays, some healthy chocolate chip cookies brands are also on the market. 

Whether a chocolate chip cookie is healthy or not depends on the ingredients used and how many calories they contain. Using more natural products means more nutritious food. 

Why Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Bad For You

When a commercial brand produces chocolate chip cookies, they use preservatives and artificial sugar. They use addictive amounts of sugar to attract customers. Also, there is no guarantee that the ingredients used in the process are fresh.

The sugar in the commercial cookies raises the sugar level in your blood and brain. Thus, you get sugar addiction, leading to weight gain and muscle loss. Also, preservatives can cause deficiency of vitamin B, water, and minerals. 

Nowadays, many healthy chocolate chip cookies brands are marketing sweet snacks. These brands claim to use fresh and healthy ingredients. 

Before buying those delicious cookies, look at the ingredient menu and the calorie count. Even if they are moderate, do not eat excessive amounts. Keep your cookie intake to 1-2 cookies a day.

Are Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Healthy?

Vegan cookies are comparatively healthier than regular chocolate cookies. They use plant-based products; thus use of preservatives gets lower. Also, using organic products makes them reliable.

Even vegan cookies are not calorie-free. They still need to use vegan butter, which is plant-based fat like coconut milk, toasted walnuts, coconut sugar, etc. Thus they are comparatively healthier than other commercial chocolate chip cookies. 

No matter how much of a sweet tooth you are, do not consume more than 1-2 cookies a day.

Are Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Healthy?

The packed chocolate chip cookies available in the market are not always healthy food. But when you make them at home with a great chocolate chip cookie recipe, fresh products are used. 

Also, bakers can control the number of cookies calories, amount of saturated fat, and carbs. Therefore, your cheat days within the diet plan can be an excellent time to enjoy home-baked cookies. That way, you can balance the calorie count.

Healthy chocolate chip cookies don’t always mean only controlling the calorie count. It also means using fresh ingredients without preservatives. 

In the old days, grandma’s chocolate chip cookies were made from scratch. They used to use flour from whole grains, milk from organic farms, etc. 

That’s why the home-baked chewy cookies didn’t have any preservatives. You can still get organic products and make a healthy fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. 

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Changing a few ingredients in your chocolate chip recipe can make your chocolate chip cookies into healthy chocolate cookies. Here are two chocolate chip cookies recipes that are low in calories. 

In these healthy recipes, you can also eat proteins that will help you to balance out your healthy diet. These amazing recipes are also for sweet tooth people.

Recipe 1: Protein  Base Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a low-calorie chocolate chip cookie. In this recipe, you get more protein in place of carbs.  

Healthy chocolate chip cookie’s few ingredients are-

  • 2.5 tablespoon unsalted butter or coconut oil
  • 40 grams of unsweetened almond milk
  • 80 grams of brown sugar 
  • 1.5 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 40 grams of  whole grain flour (gluten-free flour)
  • 40 grams of almond flour
  • 40 grams of protein powder or coconut flour
  • Pinch of salt 
  • Half teaspoon of baking soda powder
  • Sugar-free chocolate chips

Steps to take:

You can easily bake your own healthy chocolate chip cookies with the following steps.

Step 1: First, melt the unsalted butter or coconut oil with almond milk in an oven in a bowl or measuring cup. You can also use avocado oil.

Step 2: Take another bowl and mix all the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Put some salt and the baking powder in the dry mix.

Step 4: Now, take the brown sugar and whisk it into the melted butter.

Step 5: Add the dry mix to the milk and butter.

Step 6: Make smooth cookie dough.

Step 7: It is time to add the chocolate chips and incorporate them evenly.

Step 8: Flatten the dough onto the baking sheets or parchment papers into many small cookies. Put the baking sheets in a baking tray into the oven.

Step 9: Bake cookies in a preheated oven for 6mins.

Your baked cookies should now be ready to eat. They will be amazingly yummy and taste fantastic. 

In this recipe, you can replace almond flour with white whole wheat flour if you have allergies.

Recipe 2: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Healthy Recipe

Old fashioned oats are healthy, fiber-based food. It helps lower your food craving and stay full for a long time. Making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is very easy with this great recipe.

The necessary ingredients for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie are:

  • 3 tablespoons of unsalted melted butter or olive oil
  • 50 grams of milk
  • 80 grams of brown sugar or maple syrup 
  • 1 tablespoon honey 
  • 40 grams of almond flour
  • 200 grams of oat flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • Half teaspoon of baking powder 
  • Dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts

Steps to take:

Here are the steps you will need to make chocolate chip cookies in minutes.

Step 1: Warm up the milk and add butter or olive oil to it. Now add the sugar and whisk the mixture until the sugar melts.

Step 2: Mix all the dry ingredients with salt and baking powder. 

Step 3: Add the dry mix with the milk and put the honey on it.

Step 4: Mold the dough properly.

Step 5: Put the dough onto the baking sheet or parchment paper in the form of cookies.

Step 6: Now, preheat oven for 6 minutes and put the baking tray in.

After 6 mins, your healthy oatmeal cookies will be ready to eat. You can get many online recipes for healthy eating cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are chocolate chip cookies high in sugar?

An average chocolate chip cookie contains about 11 grams of sugar for each 33-gram serving. In contrast, a carrot cake has about 31 grams of granulated sugar for every 90-gram serving. 

An improved oat can contain 11 grams of granulated sugar for each 30-gram serving. Chocolate chip cookies have more refined granulated sugar than other sweet foods.

How many carbs are in a chocolate chip cookie?

The most accepted idea for the expression “Chocolate Chip Cookies” is one medium Chocolate Chip Cookie with around 6 grams of carbs. 

However, the amount of carbohydrates, refined sugar, fiber, and processed net carbs (non-fiber carbs) for an assortment of types and serving sizes of Chocolate Chip Cookies varies.

Are cookies high in fat?

Cookies and doughnuts frequently contain high measures of sugar, refined flour, and trans fat. They’re commonly high in both animal and plant-based trans fat.

Which cookies are best for weight loss?

Some of the healthy cookies for weight loss are-

  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Cocoa-Coconut Oil Cookies With Chocolate Chunks
  • Chocolate & Lemon Cake Cookies
  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Snickerdoodle Cookies
  • Sugar Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookies

Final Words

Chocolate chip cookie lovers often want to know – are chocolate chip cookies healthy? This rings true, especially if you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. When you look at the basic ingredients of chocolate chip cookies, you will see the use of excess white sugar or liquid sweetener, fatty milk, butter, and chocolate. These products can be unhealthy if you eat in excess.

Still, you can have your favorite snacks if you make the cookies at home. Try to use more healthy ingredients like brown sugar, dark chocolate chips, oatmeal flour, etc. These changes in ingredients will not change the taste. But they will make the cookies healthy. Baking cookies at home can be a fun thing too!

Are Dark Chocolate Healthy?

Who doesn’t love chocolate? From youngsters to adults, usually, everyone loves chocolate. Even I love chocolate. But, not everyone loves dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is the best kind of chocolate. Some people love it to death, whereas some love milk chocolate.

However, are dark chocolate healthy? Yes, it absolutely is healthy for you. Eating dark chocolate can be good for you because it has a lot of health benefits. 

So, this means that your favorite yummy snack can give you benefits that will help with keeping a good bill of health.

But, what percentage of dark chocolate is healthy? And, how much dark chocolate a day should you eat? 

Read the rest of the article, and you will get to learn all that and more about dark chocolate. 

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

There are a lot of health benefits to eating dark chocolate. Even if you cannot eat too much dark chocolate at once, it can be good for you in moderation. It is so much healthier than milk chocolate.

Let us look at the health benefits of dark chocolate.

Nutritious 

If you are eating dark chocolate that has a high content of cocoa, it can be quite nutritious for you. It is more nutritious than milk chocolate and cocoa butter.

Dark chocolate nutrition includes a lot of soluble fiber as well as minerals like iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium.

Store-bought dark chocolate has a lot of sugar. That is why you should eat it in moderation.

Dark chocolate has fatty acids that are good for your body. Because of the oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid in the fats of cocoa, dark chocolate is good for you.

The stearic acid in dark chocolate helps lower cholesterol in your bloodstream. Dark chocolate even has caffeine and theobromine in it to keep you energized. 

Antioxidants

ORAC is the antioxidant activity measurement of food, which means oxygen radical absorbance capacity.

Researchers have basically set a few free bad radicals against a good sample to see how the antioxidants can disarm these radicals.

Unprocessed and raw cocoa beans were tested, and the results were that they had the highest score among other foods.

Dark chocolates are filled with organic components that act as antioxidants. These may include flavanols, catechins, and polyphenols, among others.

A study has shown dark chocolate and cocoa to have more antioxidant activity, flavanols, and polyphenols than any other foods tested, including acai berries and blueberries. 

Might Improve Lower Blood Pressure and Blood Flow

When is the best time to eat dark chocolate? It is when you have high blood pressure. Do not eat chocolate ice cream for high blood pressure, eat dark chocolate bars.

The flavanols that are in the dark chocolate bar stimulate the lining of your arteries or the endothelium to produce NO Or nitric oxide.

One of the things that NO does is sending signals to your arteries so that they would relax. What this does is lower the resistance of your blood flow to your blood vessels. This reduces your blood pressure.

Many studies have shown that dark chocolate and cocoa improve low blood pressure and blood flow. However, you get mild effects from dark chocolate.

But, one study on people with blood pressure that was high has shown no effects at all. So, you cannot agree with both kinds of studies. More research needs to be done on this.

Increases HDL and Protects Against LDL Oxidation

Is dark chocolate good for your heart? Yes, it can improve a lot of the risk factors that can cause different heart disease like coronary heart disease.

One controlled study found that the oxidation of the bad cholesterol LDL can significantly decrease in men because of eating dark chocolate. 

It can also help increase the good cholesterol HDL in your bloodstream. 

The oxidation of the bad cholesterol LDL means that this cholesterol reacts to free radicals. And, with the antioxidants found in cocoa and dark chocolate, this oxidation can be decreased.

The flavanols of dark chocolate can reduce the resistance of insulin, which is one of the known risk factors that can cause different heart disease. It is even good for people with insulin sensitivity. Even other qualified health provider would say that.

Might Reduce the Risks of Heart Disease

The components of dark chocolate and cocoa may protect you against the oxidation of the bad cholesterol LDL.

If you were to have a long-term relationship with dark chocolate, it should be able to reduce the bad cholesterol from becoming embedded in your arteries, which in turn will reduce the risk of many heart disease.

In fact, a lot of the studies done on this show a drastic improvement. And a study done on 470 more older men showed that cocoa reduced the chances of death from different cardiovascular disease by fifty percent over fifteen years.

In a clinical trial done in the year 2017, the patients who ate dark chocolate had improved levels of LDL cholesterol, which is a good thing for the heart.

Protects Skin from Sun Damage

The bioactive components of dark chocolate are great for the skin. 

The cocoa flavanols that dark chocolate contains can protect you against any sun damage, increase the hydration and density of your skin, and improve the blood flow of your skin.

The minimal Erythemal dose or MED known as the minimum quantity of UVB rays that are required so that there is redness in your skin after 24 hours of exposure.

A study done on 30 people showed that the MED doubles after you eat dark chocolate for twelve weeks.

Improves Brain Function

Dark chocolate could actually improve your brain function. In a study with healthy adults, the blood flow to their brains improved after eating cocoa high in flavanols for five days.

In an adult who is older in age, cocoa may improve their cognitive function if they have cognitive impairment that is mild.

Cocoa could improve several risk factors for many diseases and verbal fluency as well.

In addition, cocoa consists of substances for stimulation like theobromine and caffeine, which could be good for brain function if you are considering short term.

Dark Chocolate Side Effects

Too much of nothing is ever really good for you. Eating a lot of Dark chocolate is not good for you either.

Is dark chocolate good for weight loss? It is if you eat dark chocolate in moderation. But, eating too much of it can help you gain weight because of its sugar content.

Because of its caffeine content, you may suffer from nervousness, sleeplessness, a faster heartbeat, and increased urination if you eat too much dark chocolate.

If you eat too much dark chocolate, you may also suffer from gas, stomach discomfort, nausea, and constipation.

So, my advice here would be that whatever you do, do not eat a lot of dark chocolate all at once.

FAQS

  1. Is dark chocolate good for weight loss?

Yes, dark chocolate is good for weight loss. 

However, dark chocolate may also contains a lot of sugar and saturated fat. So, you cannot eat a lot of dark chocolate, thinking it will help you lose weight. You have to consume dark chocolate in moderation.

2. Is dark chocolate good for the heart?

Yes, dark chocolate is good for your heart.

Dark chocolate may reduce the effects of bad cholesterol and increase the effects of good cholesterol, which in turn makes it good for your heart.

3. Can you replace the dark chocolate with sunscreen?

No, you cannot replace the dark chocolate with sunscreen.

Although dark chocolate may help with sun damage, it is in no way a replacement for sunscreen. So, you should both use sunscreen and eat dark chocolate to protect your skin from sun damage.

Final Words

Are dark chocolate healthy? Yes, dark chocolate is healthy in moderation. So, you can eat dark chocolate to reap all the benefits of it but in moderation.

After reading this article, you may have concluded that dark chocolate is super beneficial for your health.

So, why do you not think of adding dark chocolate to your diet to start living a healthier life, all the while enjoying eating dark chocolate?