There’s nothing more important in this world than taking care of your health. We keep repeating, “health is wealth” but we barely take good care of ourselves.
Few days ago, my friend was asking me how I reversed my eyesight. When I shared my ways, he simply said he cannot do it. His work demands 14-16 hours of computer staring. I told him back, you are demanding it from yourself, not your work. The way we put the boundaries around us, our health reacts to it accordingly. We still aren’t paying enough attention to ourselves.
Zinc is a very important component in our body. Women need it a bit extra to balance out lot of stuffs. Zinc boosts immunity and controls the hormonal balance in a woman’s anatomy. Reproduction, acne and poor bone density are very common among the women.
On the other hands, zinc is equally important for men to preserve their testosterone, prostrate health, help in growing healthy cells and off course to boost immunity. Thanks to the stress levels and food adulteration that we need to be extra cautious about our health.
A healthy adult man must have 11mg of zinc, whereas an adult woman msg have 9mg of zinc. Here are a few zinc-rich food items you can include in your daily diet:
1. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are storehouse of other minerals than zinc too. You will find magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. 100gms of pumpkin seeds contain 10.3mg of zinc. The best way to include pumpkin seeds in your diet is to add them in salads or in oatmeal with some chia seeds.
2. Hemp seeds
The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) says that, if you are consuming good quality of hemp seeds then you must receive almost 10mg of zinc from 100gms of hemp seeds. I know, no one eats 100gms of hemp seeds a day. But you can start including it in your diet and you can see the magic on it own. Probably, this is the ‘knock on your door’ you must not ignore.
3. Chickpeas
We all already know that how beneficial is chickpeas for our health. It’s a fantastic source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fibre and good fat. 100gms of chickpeas contain 1.5mg of zinc. The best way to have chickpeas is to add them in salads or make a thick curry. You may also boil and mash them with salt and pepper to add in sandwiches.
4. Lentils
Red and yellow lentils should be added in our daily diet. Vitamin B, iron, potassium and a little amount of fibre comes from lentils. 100gms of lentil contain 3.27mg of zinc. Thankfully, since my childhood, my childhood made it a strict rule to have all types of lentils in my diet. Red, yellow, white, yellow (big) lentils are very common to have in our community.
5. Tofu and tempeh
Tofu and tempeh rose to popularity quite recently, when people got to know about lactose intolerance among humans. We are safe to consume plant-based milk and soy milk is the most popular ones. Tofu and tempeh are the by-products of soy milk. Tofu is the vegan version of paneer (cottage cheese). 100gms of tofu contains 2mg of zinc. 100gms of tempeh contains 1.14mg of zinc.
6. Nuts
Mixed nuts are another amazing source of zinc and other important components. Like, omega fatty 3 acids, good fat, fibre, vitamin and minerals. Isn’t it great? 100gms of almonds contain 3.5mg of zinc. The best way is to have them as evening snacks. Lightly roast and powder them, mix it with plant milk and have it. It will add flavour and nutrition too. Sometimes, you can lightly roast and chop them to add in salads too.
I understand that sometimes, we feel like eating junk food. But also make sure to balance your diet with good food. Instead of depending on heavy doses of medicines, it’s always good to depend on food. Don’t you think so? Isn’t it a food for your thought?