According to experts, eating salads everyday is one of the best ways to stay healthy. The greens alone have calcium, iron, potassium and B vitamins.
Many salad basics, including tomatoes, sweet peppers and the greens, are chock-full of antioxidants. Salads are bounteous, fresh, colorful, crisp veggies and fruits blended together that are refreshing and unpretentious.
Salads increase the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits as well. Experts from Freshmenu.com list 10 amazing benefits of eating salads that will leave you feeling healthy and hearty.
Helps in weight management: Salads help in initializing weight loss and enable better weight management. It makes a person slimmer but toned as it gives all the nutrients required for you minus the extra calories.
Insoluble fiber: Fiber from the skin and seeds of vegetables that cannot be digested by us provides bulk during the digestive process and prevents digestive problems such as constipation, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis etc.
Increased Immune system: Increased intake of colourful vegetables rich in anti-oxidants helps build and boot the immune system regularly.
Protects you from diseases: High fiber not only reduces cardiac problems, Diabetes Mellitus, it also is protective against cancer, helps in reflux, ulcer etc.]
Boosts and sharpens your eyesight: Unbelievable but true – certain salads rich in carrots, peppers, or any leafy produce that is intensely green can actually help sharpen your eyesight. This is because they contain large amounts vitamin A, carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These are nutrients & phyto-chemicals that help both in light & dark eye adaptation and damage from high-energy light. All those engaged at staring at their computer monitors, all virtual gamers and Avid TV viewers will benefit if they increase the intake of Vit A rich veggies & fruits and protect their eyes.
Lower your food cravings: Eating a salad regularly slowly helps reduce cravings for many other fatty foods. Additionally eating a small salad before a meal will help prevent over-eating and promote weight loss .This is especially true when you add proteins like chicken , eggs nuts etc as they take a longer time for digestion.
Soluble fiber slows the rate of absorption of sugar into the blood-stream & reduces the collection of bad cholesterol in the blood, the 2 main maladies of DIABETES and CARDIAC PROBLEM in today’s world.
Strengthen your muscles: Most salad vegetables especially spinach and other salad greens (lettuce, arugula, bok choy etc) have a compound called 'nitrates’. This helps in production of proteins especially in the muscles making them stronger and more efficient. Looks like our age old classic Popeye had it right all along. Most vegetables also provide potassium which is required for better muscle health.
Jiffy and easy meals: Salads need no major culinary expertise. Instead, it is easy and quick to prepare especially when you have no time but want to eat healthy. Just assemble whatever you can lay your hands on add some flavorful herbs and seasoning and Viola your meal is ready.
Aids good sleep: Lack of sleep due to stress is yet another major challenge today in this hard paced life. Greens especially Lettuce contains a sleep inducing substance called ‘lectucarium’ a compound which has been used to treat cases of insomnia.
