Lifestyle
6 Reasons to Start Eating Asparagus Today
When it comes to trying out new vegetables, there are certain ones that are better than others. Asparagus is one that’s often overlooked, but it’s one of the best for the whole body. It offers far more benefits than downsides, supporting every part of your body.
This should be reason enough, but I know you want details. After all, we always want to know the exact ways we benefit our bodies by choosing specific vegetables or ingredients in our meals.
It’s not always about health either. We want to know about the ease of adding the vegetables in and fun reasons to start eating something new. Here’s a look at six reasons you need to start eating asparagus today.
It’s Packed with Fibre to Keep You Regular
If you’re struggling to pass stools, you’ll want to consider how foods affect your digestive system. Loose and hard stools both require fiber to make it better. While beans are often touted as the best option for keeping your bowel movements regular, asparagus is also at the top of the list.
There is plenty of fiber in the vegetable. In fact, this is what makes up most of the actual vegetable. Your digestive system will work effectively, helping you to absorb all necessary nutrients and push the waste through your system, but that’s not the only reason you need asparagus.
It’s also packed with asparagine, an amino acid that works as a diuretic. It works completely naturally in your body.
Not only are your stools regular, but your urination is more regular. Yes, it can make your urine smell stronger, but there is nothing unhealthy about this. It’s just the amino acid getting to work. By urinating more, you can get rid of excess salt in your body, keeping your organs free from harm. It won’t get rid of too many salts unless you only consume asparagus daily!
If you ever feel like you’re bloated from water retention or fluid retention, look at adding more asparagus into your meals for a few days. You’ll soon get rid of it, along with anything else causing problems for your digestive system.
A major benefit of getting rid of the excess water is to prevent urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice is often recommended, but this is full of natural sugars. Asparagus is better on the sugar level and still just as effective and helpful. You’ll be able to get rid of the toxins that are causing the infection.
It’s an Excellent Addition for Weight Loss
Losing weight is hard. You’ll hear all the time about how you just need to eat fewer calories, and you’ll start burning the fat. That is far easier said than done, right?
What if you could eat ingredients that encourage more weight loss? Some of the reason people weigh more is due to water retention. Remember the first benefit: you’ll get rid of the fluid that is causing the skewy numbers on the scales. However, that’s not the only benefit.
Asparagus spears contain just three calories each. They’re filling and satisfying. When you’ve finished a meal with them, you won’t want to eat another bite. In fact, you may decide you can’t finish the food you’ve made; they’re that good! This satisfaction comes from the fiberthat’s the vegetable. It will break down slowly throughout the day, which helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
By consuming foods that are low in calories but filling, you will find it easier to create a calorie deficit. You won’t notice that you’re not eating as many calories as you used to, so you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. This helps you remain happy with your new diet, so you’re more likely to stick with it.
Asparagus isn’t just an excellent addition to your main meals. It makes an excellent snack option. You don’t have to feel guilty for snacking throughout the day considering how few calories you’re eating. You’ll get the same satisfaction as you would from a banana at a fraction of the cost in calories.
Many can’t deny the fact that asparagus tastes good, which means you’re more likely to add it to your meals. Of course, taste is subjective, but most people look forward to asparagus on their plate. When you like something, you’ll find it much easier to stick to your diet without feeling like you’re missing out.
You Don’t Need to Worry About Organic
If you’re looking at organic and worried about the extra costs, you’ll be happy to hear that asparagus is naturally organic. That means you can buy it straight from anywhere in the grocery store without worrying about pesticides and other chemicals added to them. While some pesticides are used, asparagus doesn’t absorb the chemicals. They are part of the Clean 15 list of foods.
A major benefit comes from the time of year that asparagus grows. It’s a spring vegetable and grows extremely fast. There’s not enough time for pests to cause a problem for the crops.
This is extremely beneficial when you want to put your family’s health first without worrying about the cost. Organic is good, but the extra costs soon add up. You can find you’re making a choice between different types of fruits and vegetables instead of being able to enjoy everything you want. You don’t have to worry about this when it comes to asparagus.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to buy organic if you want to. There’s no guilt if you don’t, but if you prefer to support the organic farmers then certainly go ahead and buy. You will get rid of all the pesticides completely.
It Promotes a Healthy Gut
Let’s look at some of the health benefits of asparagus. One of the benefits is for the levels of bacteria.
Not all bacteria are bad. There are some that are needed in the gut to help with the absorption rate of other nutrients. Good bacteria will get rid of the bad stuff, improve the digestive system’s actions, and boost the immune system. You can get more good bacteria by eating probiotics, but what if you don’t eat dairy? Well, asparagus is your next option.
Asparagus has a carbohydrate called Inulin. This helps to promote and support the growth of good bacteria in the digestive system. It doesn’t quite create good bacteria from scratch, but it will help to promote the growth of whatever is there. The bad bacteria can’t overpower the good when you get enough Inulin in the body.
At the same time, the Inulin will help to encourage more activity from the good bacteria. It helps to push the good to take over the bad and improve the overall gut health. You’ll get far more active and feel better because of it. When your gut is healthy, the whole body feels better. Your immune system works more effectively, there is less inflammation, and your hormonal balance is better.
It’s Full of Nutrients for Overall Health
It’s not just your gut that benefits. Sure, when your gut benefits, so do the rest of your health. However, asparagus will also offer the nutrients your whole-body needs. Asparagus is packed with vitamins like A, C, and K. It’s full of chromium and folate. You need to add all these to make sure every part of your body works as it should.
Chromium is an essential mineral that most people haven’t even heard of. It improves the insulin’s power, so glucose is removed from all cells within the body. Everyone can benefit from this, but it’s important for diabetics who struggle with insulin resistance and high blood sugar issues.
At the same time, the nervous system is supported by the extra folate. This mineral helps to boost the connections within the brain, support brain development in all. It is especially beneficial for apregnant woman, as it helps with the fetal brain development.
All the vitamins help to ensure the body’s immune system and overall health is protected. The skin looks healthier, the eyesight is supported, and even the liver is protected. Vitamin K helps to support natural clotting of the blood, while vitamins C and E support the immune system and make sure it fights against the viruses and diseases within the body. Vitamin A helps to avoid macular degeneration disease while supporting the growth and development of tissues within the body.
Then there is the glutathione, which is known as anti-cancer benefits. This agent helps to get rid of the carcinogens within the body, preventing them from damaging healthy cells and preventing cancerous cells forming. Meanwhile, the antioxidants also help to fight against free radicals, further offering anti-cancer benefits and preventing signs of aging. There is also research that suggests antioxidants can prevent dementia and other disorders and conditions.
It’s a Natural Aphrodisiac
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If you find your sex drive is slow or non-existent, you’ll likely consider the aphrodisiacs on the market. There are lots of ideas out there, but did you know asparagus is one of them? This is an ingredient that has been used for centuries around the world to help improve the sex drive.
More research in this area is required. That doesn’t mean asparagus isn’t that great for you, but that the area hasn’t been tested as much as others.
Some aphrodisiacs tend only to help males or females. Asparagus is one of those that help both genders. It’s especially beneficial for women, though. It can help to boost the libido during pregnancy and during menopause naturally. These are two times in life that the sex drive can slip because of the change to the hormones.
On top of this, asparagus has also been used in the past to increase the chances of getting pregnant. It’s unclear whether this is due to the balanced hormones, increased libido, or another reason. Again, research is needed to check the full benefits when it comes to this part of the benefits of asparagus.
Studies have shown that the vegetable can help to treat some of the symptoms of menopause, likely due to the hormonal link. The vegetable helps to boost the lubrication of the vagina, making it more comfortable before and during sex.
Adding Asparagus to Your Meals
This could be a reason within itself: asparagus is extremely easy to add to your diet. It’s one of the easiest vegetables to cook and prepare, without losing all the excellent nutrients.
One of the most common ways is through steaming the vegetable. You can then serve it as a bed for fish or chicken. It’s also commonly boiled or grilled. Try different seasonings to bring out a range of tastes and uses for the vegetable. If you want to keep the crunch to your asparagus, place it in a basket over water and allow it to steam that way. You won’t soak in as much water into the vegetable.
It is best to chop off the ends of asparagus. They tend to be chewy and difficult for the body to digest. However, you can eat the rest of the stalks and the tips if you’d like.
Most people can add asparagus to their diet without a problem. If you are on a very strict diet, you will want to discuss adding the vegetable with your doctor or dietician first. This will depend on the reason for your strict diet. You will also need to watch the amount that you eat in most of cases.
Now is the time to add asparagus to your diet. It’s one of the healthiest and cleanest vegetables on the market. Even if you don’t want to opt for organic, you can highly benefit from the addition of this vegetable into your diet. Don’t waste time reading anymore about the benefits. They’re certainly not all for your physical health, but also for your mental health.
