If you are getting bored of eating the same old healthy meals, you might need to go traveling. Don’t worry; you won’t have to buy an expensive flight ticket and hotel room! Instead, you can go traveling in your kitchen. It’s easily done; simply start cooking meals and dishes from different world cuisines. International cuisines place different ingredients at the forefront of dishes. And that means each country’s cuisine can have different health benefits. Interested in eating your way around the world? Here are some cuisines to try. Not only will the meals be super delicious, but they also have some surprising health benefits.
Mediterranean Cuisine
Travel to Italy, Greece, and Spain and you will be welcomed by Mediterranean cuisine. This type of diet has received a lot of media attention recently. And there is no wonder why. The Mediterranean diet features lots of fresh vegetables and fruit as well as whole grains and oily fish. It’s easy to cook this food in your whole kitchen. Think about creating pasta dishes with whole grain pasta and plenty of veggies. Another aspect of the Mediterranean diet is high amount of healthy fats that are found in all the usual ingredients. All the olive oil and oily fish can provide you plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids that can help your body function.
Health Benefits of Mediterranean Cuisine
But what exactly are the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet? Well, for starters, all the fiber in this type of food can help to slow down digestion. And this, in turn, is useful for helping the body control its blood sugar levels, which can reduce the risk of diabetes. Controlled blood sugar levels can also help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. And other degenerative illnesses. Many of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are used will also have high levels of antioxidants. These can help to prevent a number of life-threatening illnesses, such as Parkinson’s and various cancers. You’ll also find that all these antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals do wonders for your skin!
Indian Food
Most people love tucking into Indian curries and other Indian-inspired spicy food. The colors in each dish are incredibly attractive. And I’m pretty sure no one can resist the incredible aroma that comes from a tasty curry! It is also incredibly easy to cook yourself as well! So there is no excuse not to cook this ridiculously delicious and healthy cuisine.
Health Benefits of Curry
But what health benefits are there from eating curries exactly? Most of the benefits come from the food’s spiciness. An extra kick of spice can help you to lose some extra pounds. Capsaicin is found in chillies, so the spicier your food is, the more capsaicin will be in your food. This chemical compound can help to speed up your metabolism, and your body will burn more calories after eating the meal. The capsaicin has also been shown to effectively fight some cancers. Not only that, though, but it can also help prevent illnesses such as strokes.
Turmeric
One of the main benefits of curries comes from one of their key ingredients. Turmeric is a spice that is widely used in Indian cooking to give a rich yellow color to the food. This spice also has some amazing healing properties and is regularly used in Eastern medicine. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties which help it to fight infections and repair muscle damage. And by helping with this small damage in the body, it can help stave off much more serious diseases such as heart disease. Another great consequence of its anti-inflammatory properties is that it can help to relieve arthritic pain. Want to learn more about the great benefits of turmeric? Check sites online such as this The Alternative Daily article.
French Cuisine
When you think of French cuisine, you probably instantly think about croissants, frogs legs, and cheese. However, that isn’t just it. The French cook with a range of ingredients to ensure that all their dishes are bursting with flavor and are highly satisfying. They also love their rich food and cook with plenty of foods that many dieticians wouldn’t normally recommend to those trying to be healthy!
The Health Benefits of French Food
So how do the French stay so slim and healthy? Surprisingly, it could be down to all this enjoyable food. The French are extremely good at portion control. They know that they can eat anything they want as long as they don’t eat too much. Moderation is key when it comes to eating. Once you begin to overeat, you will start to put on weight. Even if you start overindulging on healthy foods! So it is important to stick to small portions and try not to snack in between meals.
Quality over Quantity
The French also believe in quality over quantity. If you have a smaller portion of high-quality food, you are very likely to be sated after eating only a small amount. However, if the food is of a poor quality, you may be left wanting more. So try and stick to the freshest ingredients as possible. It is also important not to eat any processed foods. When it comes to bread and pasta, always try and stick to whole grains, as they are much better for your heart’s health.
Vietnamese Dishes
If you love your curries and want to try some more adventurous ones than just Indian, take a trip to Vietnam. Vietnamese food is largely free from any gluten, so can even be enjoyed by celiacs. But that isn’t the only reason you should enjoy these colorful curries. Their health benefits are manifold. Vietnamese food has been proven to help fight fatigue. This is because it is a great source of B vitamins, magnesium, and iron. All of these minerals are all important in helping your body feel a lot more energized and ready for action. Meaning you’ll always be pumped for your workouts! All these minerals and the vitamin C in curries are also great at giving your immune system a boost. So the next time you feel that you have a cold coming on, head to your local Vietnamese restaurant. Enjoying one of their pho dishes could help you stave off the sniffles!
The Health Benefits of Vietnamese Cuisine
There are plenty more health benefits that come with eating Vietnamese meals. Each dish often contains lots of fresh coriander and mint. These two herbs are widely regarded as being restorative and can help to relieve indigestion and feelings of nausea. Vietnamese curries are also very low in sugar. And that means that you can enjoy more without worrying about quickly piling on the pounds!
Mexican Food
Mexican food isn’t just all the usual food you find in your local takeout joint. They are all highly calorific and extremely high in fat. However, you can still enjoy these delicious treats, such as burritos and nachos, as long as you make them yourself at home. They are perfect hearty winter dishes, so it’s a good idea to start to practice them now so that you can quickly make them once the weather turns. Be sure to use plenty of tomato-rich sauces as these have been shown to reduce women’s risk of breast cancer.
Health Benefits of Mexican Food
There is also another fantastic benefit of eating all this yummy Mexican food. And that comes from the cuisine’s fixation on using ingredients such as beans and corns. These kinds of ingredients are slowly digested by the body. This prevents the body’s blood sugar levels from spiking, which can help to reduce your risk of getting diabetes. When you are making your very own Mexican dishes, be sure to use slow-release carbohydrates. So get brown rice instead or white. And try to find whole grain tortillas if possible. This can also help reduce your risk of diabetes, and can also help you lose weight.
Nordic Cuisine
Just like with Mediterranean food, the Nordic cuisine is also currently being touted as one of the healthiest ways for us to eat. Everyone up in Scandinavia eats plenty of oily fish, which has multiple health benefits. Often considered a superfood, oily fish such include mackerel and salmon. They are widely thought to help fight cardiovascular disease. That’s all thanks to their high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, which can also help promote excellent brain health. That’s not it, though, as they are also packed full of vitamins and minerals.
The Nordic countries also use a lot of different berries in their cooking. Berries thrive in cold weather, which means cold countries such as Denmark and Sweden are the perfect place for them to grow. Lingonberries are bursting with vitamin C and are closely related to cranberries. No matter which type of berry you enjoy, you can be sure that it will be high in antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals.
What are your favorite world cuisines?
So where will your kitchen travels take you? Try not to just stick to one of the above cuisines. You will need to mix and match your dishes so that you can enjoy a rich and varied diet. Variety won’t only keep your taste buds on their toes, but it will also help you get your body the wide range of vitamins and minerals that it needs.
