How to have a healthy lifestyle? This is a question on everyone’s mind. There are umpteen tips to remain healthy like mental health wellbeing, leading a healthy lifestyle, physical exercises and eating healthy food. Healthy lifestyle nutrition includes many food items like vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and nuts. It helps to contain lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, cholesterol and many heart diseases. Carrot is one such healthy food that is a cure for many diseases.
Reasons why Carrot is to be included in your healthy living eating habits:
- Carrots are calcium-rich: Carrot contains calcium in quite higher doses than even milk. It is a known fact that absorption of Vitamin D by our body is possible in the presence of calcium. People with lower levels of Vitamin D3 in their blood are at a very high risk of easily developing diabetes. Also, diabetes patients, in general, have low calcium levels in their body. There are chances of them suffering from osteoporosis due to this deficiency. It is important that diabetics give attention to their calcium intake through healthy food to restore the important organs’ vital functions.
- Carrots are full of vitamins and minerals: Carrots have Vitamin B1, B2, B12, and C, potassium, protein and pantothenic acid that stimulates the insulin production in the body.
- Carrots contain Vitamin A: Retinol as it is alternatively called, improves the eye vision, helps in cell growth and strengthens the immunity in our body. Diabetics are more prone to vision failure, which can be counteracted by the sufficient intake of carrot.
- Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3 or niacin is found in the form of active coenzymes nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. This helps to maintain the normal metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.
- Carrots contain Vitamin C: Increase in Vitamin C level decreases the sorbitol levels in the blood. Sorbitol sugar if present in higher range can lead to health complications in diabetics. Vitamin C in good quantity reduces the glucose intolerance in type 2 diabetes. Hence, people suffering from diabetes have to include carrots in their food intake for nutrition and healthy living.
- Carrots have an abundance of Vitamin E: Vitamin E or Alpha Tocopherol lowers oxidative stress and increases the glucose transport activity. This helps in slow and gradual healing of diabetes.
- Carrots have minerals: Carrots are a source of magnesium that works together with Vitamin B6 to aid the metabolic activity in the cell and glycogen. The carrot works wonders when included in your diet to stay healthy.
- Carrots are potassium-rich: Potassium deficiency in adults and people suffering from lifestyle-related ailments can cause serious health complications. Carrots are a good source of potassium that promotes healthy eating strategy.
Carrots have two seasons in a single year. Usually they are found during the spring season and the fall. But it can be seen that they are available in the market all through the year. They are seen in the market as fresh ones, frozen ones, canned or even in the picked version. We can store carrots in plastic bags which are sealed. Before storing the carrots, make sure that the green leafy part is removed. If not removed, it will draw out the moisture as well as the nutrients of the root.
Clean the carrots well before consumption. It should be washed and peeled and again washed before consumption. You can consume them in the raw stage, or steam or boil them. Roasted carrots too taste good. Most of the soups and stews include carrot as one of the main ingredient, as it enhances the taste of the dish. We mainly use carrots in cakes, coleslaws, wraps, vegetable salads, or juice it up and refresh ourselves. If we want to get the complete nutrients of the root, then consuming it raw or steaming it will be good.
Health Tips for Adults with Diabetes:
People with diabetes need to have proper food to maintain blood sugar levels to a near normal range. Although carrots are considered good at all, its excess intake in diabetics is dangerous. The recommended consumption of carrot in people suffering from diabetes is one-fourth cup of carrot juice. Consult your doctor to know about the quantity of carrot that can be consumed.
Healthy food and healthy life are all up to you if you want to live in wellbeing in this beautiful world.
