The best thing about winter, some say, is soup! Delicious soups are easy to make, inexpensive, and comforting. They also have a surprising number of health benefits:
Weight Control: Chilly weather winter foods are often of the “comfort” variety, which can mean they are delicious, high in calories, and packed with unhealthy ingredients. Soup is a healthy comfort food – it can satisfy your appetite for a long time and make it easier to say no to tempting, greasy foods. Because of the way digestion works with the various combinations of ingredients, soups keep hunger at bay longer.
Hydration: During winter, you may not realise when you become dehydrated because you aren’t overly hot or sweaty. Eating foods that have water in them like soup, can help you replenish your fluid levels easily.
Natural medicine: Soups packed with vegetables boost your health with their vitamins, fibre, and anti-inflammatory properties. Some cooked vegetables offer more nutrients than raw ones, like carrots which become higher in beta-carotene, or tomatoes which produce higher lycopene levels (good for strong bones and skin). Vegetables that are high in Vitamin C like broccoli, spinach, or potatoes, help your body to resist pathogens and boost your immunity. Hot chicken soup has been found to increase the flow of mucus and clear nasal passages better than plain hot water. It seems that chicken soup is not only good for the soul, but also for fighting winter colds and cases of flu.
Protein-rich: A protein-rich soup provides a nourishing well-rounded meal in itself. Even leafy greens like spinach as well as peas have a surprising amount of protein in them as do legumes which are also packed with iron and magnesium. Most soup broths are made with animal bones which contain a form of a protein called collagen. Collagen is promoted for its anti-ageing effects on skin and strengthening of joints and bones.
There is no need to pack on the kilos with greasy and unhealthy foods this winter! Look and feel good with easy, nutrient-packed soups to satisfy your taste buds, stomach, and pocket.
If you want to improve your health, reach out to Afrocentric for a personal consultation with a Registered Dietician or Biokineticist.
Written by LifeAssist
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