Winter brings a lot of fun — cozy blankets, hot chocolate & Christmas. But the food has to be up to the mark as well. During winters, we turn to maximize our self-care, hair gets frizzy, skin is dry, and so we change that by moisturizing our skin more often, applying lip balm on those chapped lips & egg and yogurt masks on frizzy hair.
While healthy food should also be considered in your diet, we should make sure every meal has sufficient nutritious content in it.
During winters we need comfort foods to fight the weather and so leafy vegetables do the trick of keeping you warm, even under the blanket of snow.
Our metabolism increases during winters and including vegetables in your diet is a bonus after all. There are various ways to incorporate vegetables into your diet like having it raw in the form of salads, green smoothies as a breakfast or post-workout drink, having them as gravy with roti or rice, or just stuffing it in sandwiches.
It’s time to stock up your kitchen with veggies, but without knowing the healthy nutrient content, we cannot tilt our family to the healthier side.
Include these green kings in your diet for a start to your healthy winter lifestyle -
Spinach
Lettuce
Cabbage
Broccoli
Kale
Brussel sprouts
How will these vegetables help? Let’s find out
Spinach
Have you ever seen Popeye wearing glasses? No, you haven’t because he never wore any. If you noticed carefully Popeye was a spinach gulping master. Spinach and Kale are vegetables that contain carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin. The main constituents that prevent human eye problems like cataracts and macular degeneration caused by aging. The human body converts the beta-carotene present in vegetables into Vitamin A, which reduces the risk of night blindness. In short, your eyesight issues can be put to hold by eating these.
Kale
Container of fiber and antioxidants, provider of vitamins C and K, kale is exceptionally nutritious and versatile. Loaded with flavonoid antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol that help in anti-inflammatory effects. These flavonoids have proven to benefit and reduce the risk of cancers like lung and esophageal cancers.
Lettuce
Often seen in salads and burgers we buy, lettuce is available in variety, although the one we get in burgers does not add any nutritional value. The other varieties have proven to promote weight loss, promote brain health, heart health, maintain blood sugar levels, help in digestion, and also in a good sound sleep.
Cabbage
Cabbage is filled with plenty of vitamins and minerals including cameos from vitamins C and K, as well as folate, fiber, antioxidants, and anti-carcinogenic compounds called glucosinolates. A super chilled budget-friendly cousin of broccoli, brussel sprouts, and kale. Chop it off, have it raw with salads. There are plenty of ways to eat cabbage.
Broccoli
Known as a hearty and tasty vegetable loaded with rich nutrients. It is a cruciferous vegetable and member of the cabbage family which is helpful in preventing certain types of cancer. It prevents the thickening of arteries, can help in preventing cancer, cataract and helps fight heart disease and stroke.
Brussel Sprouts
All the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants present in brussels sprouts help to keep your skin looking and feeling fantastic. To produce collagen which keeps skin firm and healthy, you need vitamin c and copper & brussels sprouts contain both of these skin-boosting properties. Brussels sprouts are a good source of vitamin C and folate, which are important for a healthy immune system. They are also a source of potassium, fibre for bowel health, and niacin and vitamin B6, which can help reduce fatigue.
All together they prove to be a nutritional powerhouses.
