If you are an avid foodie, you probably have your recipe for traditional foods, but are you taking advantage of all the benefits these old-fashioned recipes have to offer? If not, what are you waiting for?
In this post, we will explore a few of the potential benefits that a diet rich in homemade traditional foods has to offer your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
1. Nutrient-rich Foods
Home traditional food is high in phytochemicals or plant chemicals that are essential for healthy cell growth, development, and repair. This is why the average lifespan in societies that rely on traditional foods is much longer than in those that don’t.
Studies have shown that eating plant foods has positive effects on heart health, and protects against certain diseases like cancers, diabetes, and obesity. It may also help control blood pressure and the risk of stroke, boost your immune system, and fight depression.
Home traditional food is also low in calories and sugar, and full of vitamins and minerals that help protect against cancer and other diseases. These nutrients help you feel and look younger too, which is why it is important to eat a diet rich in whole foods.
2. Improved Digestion
Home Traditional food is high in fiber and resistant starch, which makes you feel full faster and helps your digestive system function optimally. This is because resistant starch forms a protective layer in the stomach that prevents harmful bacteria from digesting it and making you feel bloated and sick.
You also get a whole lot of gut-healthy microbes when you consume traditional food, and these microorganisms break down the fiber into beneficial nutrients like butyrate and propionate. Studies have shown that these two microbe-derived metabolites may contribute to a healthy brain.
Some traditional snacks have the added benefit of healing the gut lining, which helps with autoimmune disease, depression, and arthritis.
3. Healthier Blood Sugar
Many of the modern foods we consume today are highly refined and nutrient-poor, and may contribute to increased blood sugar levels. Consuming unrefined, whole, and nutritious foods regularly may help your body regulate blood sugar, prevent diabetes, and help with weight management.
These foods are low in carbohydrates and full of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Foods like nuts, oats, peas, beans, lentils, apples, and bananas are good choices for a healthy blood sugar balance.
Additionally, some foods are more effective at lowering blood sugar than others. For example, carrots are more effective at lowering blood sugar than bananas, and bananas may have a better effect on lowering cholesterol. However, there are a lot of other factors that can influence this, so it is important to read the labels to make an informed decision.
4. Better Satiety
Traditional snacks tend to be high in protein and fiber, which make them more filling and help you feel more satisfied. However, some foods also contain substances that help with feelings of hunger, such as the amino acid L-tryptophan.
Other substances like lecithin and calcium work together to help prevent blood sugar spikes. In addition, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in fruits and vegetables may also play a role.
5. More Protein
Another benefit of eating traditional snacks is that they are higher in protein than modern foods. Many of them, like oats and beans, have a higher protein content, while some, like nuts and seeds, contain a wider variety of amino acids.
Because of this, your body gets a lot more protein from them.
If you struggle to get enough protein in your diet, eating high-protein foods, like eggs, beans, and meat, will help give you the extra protein that you need. If you are not a meat lover, you can try plant proteins, such as quinoa, millet, lentils, and soy.