Tomatoes: a Superfood
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In the old days it was believed that tomatoes were poisoned and that it was better not to eat them. They were not completely wrong, because the leaves of the tomato plant are indeed poisoned, but the tomato itself is not poisoned and also very tasty and you don't like a tomato? No problem, then you eat tomato soup or tomato puree and you are still doing well.
Lycopene
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The red color of the tomato is formed by Lycopene. This is a member of the carotenoid family and a pigment that provides the color. Lycopene has a range of unique and undeniable biological properties that have fascinated scientists. It could be that Lycopene is just as strong an antioxidant as beta-carotene. Lycopene is in any case able to clean up a number of other free radicals. In addition, Lycopene, in conjunction with other nutrients, can protect your skin from harmful sun rays. So tomatoes can act as a really good sunblocker. Lycopene is not found in many products, but it is found in large quantities in tomatoes as well as in tomato products such as tomato juice and ketchup, pizza sauce. Other products that contain Lycopene are: watermelon, pink grapefruit, red papaya and persimmons. These are also foods that are an excellent addition to your diet.
What is a Superfood?
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Superfoods are 14 foods that are incredibly good for your health and that are really recommended to always feel healthy, fit and vital. They are the best foods you can eat. Superfoods are wholesome and 100% natural. They contain many vitamins and minerals and useful nutrients and are always unprocessed.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Tomatoes and their nutrients
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But, back to the tomatoes. Tomatoes contain: Phytoene and Phytofluene. These substances belong to the substances with an antioxidant effect and thus render carcinogenic substances harmless. Moreover, there is also ample evidence that tomatoes also play a role in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The antioxidant action of Lycopene in conjunction with the other powerful antioxidants in tomatoes such as beta-carotene and vitamin C neutralize the free radicals in the body that could otherwise damage cells and cell membranes. I don't have to explain how important that is. Tomatoes also contain potassium, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid and all of this together is good for heart and blood vessels. Potassium-rich foods play a positive role in keeping heart and blood vessels healthy and especially in obtaining optimal blood pressure. Niacin is commonly used to lower elevated cholesterol levels. The combination of Vitamin B6 and Folic Acid is effective in lowering the homocysteine level in the blood. High homocysteine levels have been associated with a higher risk of heart disease.
Tomato paste, ketchup, tomato sauce, soup, peeled tomatoes
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What is also important to know is that it is actually even better to use concentrated tomatoes in food preparation because, for example, tomato sauce or puree is even more effective than the fresh tomato. You don't hear that often, but it is true that the production of tomato sauce, for example, releases the Lycopene - lycopene is in particular stored in the fibers of the peel and is released when heated - and that ensures that our body absorbs the nutrition more easily. . In processed or heated tomatoes, the content is two to eight times higher than in raw tomatoes. The heating reduces the vitamin C content, but the antioxidant effect is clearly increased.
Concentrated tomatoes
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Take tomato paste. Isn't this very easy to use in all kinds of dishes? It has the same power as fresh tomatoes but it is processed and therefore more powerful. You can easily add it to stews, soup and broth and think Pizza! Try to buy tomato puree without salt. And feel free to use it abundantly, you build up an immunity against cancer. When you eat tomatoes fresh and unprocessed, make a tomato salad because the Lycopene dissolves more easily in fat. So a little olive oil will improve the absorption.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Recipe for a Healthy Tomato Soup.
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Tomato / paprika soup 2 large red peppers 1 kilo of beautiful ripe tomatoes 1 large onion 6 cloves of garlic olive oil bunch of fresh basil
Another TIP:
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Never cook tomatoes in an aluminum pan. The acid in the tomatoes can react with the metal, affecting the taste and possibly causing negative health effects.
And finally:
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Yellow and orange tomatoes do not contain Lycopene. These tomatoes do contain other nutrients such as vitamin C.
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti -
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos -
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes