Pairing certain foods can help your body absorb vitamins and antioxidants more effectively. The way you combine foods can have a big impact on how much benefit you get from them, enhancing nutrient absorption and antioxidant activity. Here are four powerful food combinations that your body will enjoy:
Turmeric is a flavor and coloring spice with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. The spice component may help in the reduction of chronic inflammation and the relief of chronic pains such as joint problems, as well as improving renal health. On the other hand, black pepper increases the bioavailability of turmeric’s medicinal component, curcumin.
I always blend the two spices for optimal effectiveness. To get some food combinations ideas, check out my pumpkin soup and veggie curry recipes on the page.
It’s advisable to take non-heme iron (plant-based iron) with vitamin C to get the best absorption because vitamin C helps break the iron down into a form that the body can more easily absorb. For example, I love to add a squeeze of lemon to a spinach salad or even cooked spinach.
Lycopene is a carotenoid found in tomatoes that is good for the heart and can help you fight cancer. It is responsible for the reddish color of tomatoes, grapefruits, and other vegetables and fruits. Tomato products provide more than 80% of the lycopene in our diet.
It is known to be effective against various types of cancers, such as lung, breast, and particularly, prostate cancer. A diet rich in lycopene can also promote heart health.
Cooking tomatoes in olive oil helps release lycopene and increases its absorption.
It’s usually a good idea to mix up your protein sources as much as possible. Animal-based proteins (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy foods) are a good source of complete protein, while plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds) often lack one or more essential amino acids needed for growth and development. But, if you don’t like animal protein so much, a great way is to pair incomplete proteins together, so you can create a complete protein source. Rice and black beans or lentils, hummus, and whole-wheat sourdough bread are examples of these combinations.
But perhaps the best piece of advice for the best nutrition is to aim to have greater dietary diversity. Studies show that having a diversified diet may ensure better nutrient status and lower rates of inflammation in the body and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, obesity, allergies, and even autoimmune disease.
