January 11, 2008, Newsletter Issue #98: Calories loaded with nutrients versus empty calories

Tip of the Week

If you take a glass of water and dissolve 3 teaspoonfuls of sugar in it you get a "food" containing:
- Calories 48.76

- Carbohydrate 12.59g

- Maybe traces of sodium and potassium - but nothing more.
Now, let's get this same amount of calories but contained in Cauliflower. You should take 2 cups to get the same amount of calories. With them, you receive the following nutrients:
Traces of fat

Sodium 60mg

Potassium 606mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.4g

Dietary Fiber 5g

Protein 3.96g



% of Daily Volumes of vitamins and minerals:



Vitamin A 1 %

Vitamin C 155 %

Calcium 4 %

Iron 5 %

Thiamin 6 %

Riboflavin 6 %

Niacin 5 %

Folate 29 %

Vitamin B-6 22 %

Phosphorus 9 %

Magnesium 8 %

Zinc 4 %

Copper 4 %



And this is not it! Cauliflower is on the "list of honor" of foods containing phytonutrients - carotenoids, flavonoids, and isoflavones - they help us to fight diseases that we already have and prevent us from those we are at risk of contracting. They protect from many kinds of cancer and heart disease, boost the immune system and neutralize oxydative damage to the tissues.



Cauliflower is just an example. Among foods that carry numerous beneficial substances coupled with very few calories, best of the best are:



Soy

Tomato

Broccoli

Garlic

Flax seeds

Citrus fruits

Melons: cantaloupe, watermelon

Pink grapefruit

Blueberries

Sweet potatoes

Chili peppers

Legumes: beans, and lentils



But there are still very good foods with many health benefits - green tea, red grapes, papaya, carrots, kale, nuts and seeds, eggplant, artichoke, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onions, apples, dried apricots, pumpkin, squash, spinach, mangos, and shiitake mushrooms.

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