If you are committed to the healthy lifestyle movement, you would be fully aware that an effective dietary plan is essential to maintaining perfect health status. While many health experts advocate the importance of fruits and vegetables, not many of them are aware of the benefits of peaches. In fact, scientists have shown that not only are peaches an excellent source of dietary fiber, they are also an ideal ingredient due to its high water and antioxidant content.
The Many Benefits of Peaches
1. Effectively manage nervous system
One of the most interesting benefits of peaches is its ability to enhance your nervous system. The presence of magnesium in this fruit is essential to lowering stress and anxiety levels and maintaining your nervous system in a peaceful state. Additionally, studies have shown that magnesium is also effective in countering the effects of depression.
2. Prevent growth of cancer cells
By consuming peaches, the high phenolic and carotenoid content helps to ward off the development of cancer cells. Studies have shown that these elements specifically target cancer cells and eliminate them from the system without affecting the healthy cells.
3. Reduce Obesity
It is rather surprising that peaches are not regularly included in weight loss news articles. They contain bioactive elements such as the phenolic compound that have been proven to effectively fight metabolism imbalance and directly treat any diet disorders.
4. Boost immune system
The immune system is rather fragile and can be easily affected by a number of factors such as infections and diseases. Utilizing the ascorbic acid and zinc content found in peaches, it can help to nurse your immune system back to its healthy condition.
5. Fight Free Radicals
An excessive amount of free radicals can create havoc in your body. Harmful free radicals come from the harmful elements in the environment such as air pollutants and sun rays. The antioxidant properties in peaches help to scavenge and eradicate these free radicals before they can cause any damage.
6. Maintain healthy cholesterol levels
Scientists have successfully concluded that the phenolic compounds found in peaches help to lower LDL (harmful) cholesterol levels while promoting the HDL (good) cholesterol. This is vital in helping to maintain optimal cardiovascular health.
7. Counter the effects of aging
The natural aging process is a rather tiresome burden to many people. Fortunately, another advantage of zinc content found in peaches is its ability to counter the effects of aging. Not only does it boost the production of testosterone in the body, it also helps repair cells damage caused by free radicals.
8. Promote healthy skin
Last but not least, experiments have shown that zeaxanthin and lutein help to repair and reconstruct inflamed skin caused by harmful UV rays. Notably, peach extracts are commonly found in skincare treatments as the flavonoid compound effectively cleanses dead skin cells, provides sufficient hydration and revitalizes the skin.
Healthy Recipes of Peaches
Now that the comprehensive benefits of peaches have been established, it is time to master the essential knowledge to incorporate it into a healthy dietary plan. List below are 5 healthy recipes that can be easily prepared.
Maple-Peach Milk Shake
Ingredients: ¼ cup of fresh milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 6 tablespoons of maple syrup 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ ounces of peaches.
Preparation: Simply pour all ingredients into a blender and mix until a smooth mixture is achieved. This delicious recipe can be divided into 4 individual servings and best consumed after a sumptuous meal.
Peaches, Strawberries and Basil with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients: 1 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 pound of fresh strawberries, 1 ripe peach and ¼ cup of basil leaves.
Preparation: Combine orange juice, sugar and olive oil into saucepan and boil for 15 minutes. Combine mixture into a bowl with strawberries and slices of peaches and stir lightly. Finish off the dish with light sprinkles of basil.
Peach Lemonade
Ingredients: 4 cups of water, 2 cups of sliced peach, ¾ cup of sugar and 1 cup of lemon juice.
Preparation: Mix water, peaches and sugar and bring to a boil. Next, add mixture into blender and mix until smooth. Refrigerate the product for 3 hours before sifting it into a large bowl and discard any remaining solids. Add in lemon juice and stir appropriately before serving.
Pickled Peaches
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup cider vinegar, 1 ½ cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 6 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 peaches and 2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns.
Preparation: Pour all ingredients except peaches into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. After which, allow mixture to cool before putting in peaches sliced evenly. Allow the dish to stand for 10 minutes before serving with a slotted spoon.
Peach and Tomato Salad
Ingredients: ¼ cup red onion, ½ pound peaches, ¼ pound tomatoes, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon honey, 2 tablespoons of basil leaves.
Preparations: Mix red onion, peaches and tomatoes into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix in vinegar, olive oil and honey before whisking. Combine both mixtures and toss evenly to enhance the flavor. Top off the dish with light dashes of basil leaves.
