Why not try radishes with hummus?
Radishes may seem like an unusual food to snack on, but with just 5 calories per serving, radishes are officially the lowest calorie food you can eat – only water is as low.
These make them perfect to reach for if you’re on a calorie focused diet like the very popular 5:2 diet.
And not only do they contain next to no calories, they are also super low in fat too, and they’re made from a massive 95% water, making them a great way to help boost your hydration levels.
TV nutritionist, Lowri Turner says: “Radishes can help dieters reduce portion sizes thanks to the crunch factor. It takes between 10 and 30 minutes for the brain to register the ‘I’m full’ signal from our stomachs so foods that need chewing, like radishes, slow down eating; this gives our bodies time to communicate the ‘stop eating’ message, meaning we may eat less and in turn lose weight.”
Many weight reducing diets, especially faddy diets, can be low in fibre or fruit and veg. A handful of radishes by your desk at work can contribute to your daily dose of fibre and help to curb those cravings. Just 8-10 radishes also make up one of your recommended five daily servings of fruit and vegetables (but remember radishes can help slimming or weight control only as part of a calorie-controlled diet).
Lowri adds: “Keeping hydrated is really important for good health. Every chemical reaction in our body requires water: it helps regulate body temperature; protects and cushions vital organs; is essential for excretion and making energy from food; it also makes up a large percentage of our vital organs - the brain, for example, is 75% water. For this reason, people are often told to drink 8 glasses of water a day. However, one of the best sources of water is the food we eat. This is because water is absorbed more slowly from food than when you drink a glass of water, so you are more likely to stay hydrated for longer. Radishes have one of the highest water contents of any fruit or vegetable (95%), so including them, either raw or cooked, in your daily diet is a really easy way to boost health.”
Radishes are a low GI food so can help to stabilise your blood sugar levels, fill you up and provide you with slow release energy. This is because low GI foods cause a slow and gradual rise in blood glucose level rather than the quick and sharp rises caused by high GI foods. As a result, low GI foods can help you lose weight and help to keep blood glucose levels steady, which is especially important in diabetes.
Radishes are full of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C making them a beauty conscious girl’s best friend - if it's gorgeous skin and a healthy body you're after, get these pink beauties thrown into your beauty food regime quick sharp.
Tagged in Diet Healthy eating Healthy Food