A doctor has revealed the foods you should eat together to maximize absorption of vitamins and minerals and provide better health benefits.
According to leading Harley Street nutritionist and King’s College researcher Dr Megan Rossi from Queensland, the ‘magic’ happens when you combine certain food pairings including turmeric and black pepper, lentils and tomatoes, salmon and spring greens.
Some food pairs create more than the sum of their components, eating one increases the absorption of vitamins and minerals from the other. Instagram.
‘These are my favorite duos.’
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Dr. Megan Rossi describes the foods you should eat together to maximize the absorption of vitamins and minerals and reap the best health benefits (Dr. Megan Rossi is pictured).
1. Turmeric and black pepper
Turmeric and black pepper are the first things you should mix together to get the best health benefits.
The reason, Dr. Rossi says, comes down to the active ingredient in turmeric, which is curcumin.
“Curcumin has been shown in clinical trials to have an anti-inflammatory effect,” said Dr. Rossi.
‘Turmeric is great mixed into a dal, sprinkled on a soup or drunk with ginger in a tea, but adding black pepper to your dish or drink can increase your body’s ability to absorb curcumin by 1,000 percent.’
If you don’t want to eat these two ground spices, you can consider a supplement that includes both turmeric and black pepper.
Dr. Rossi (pictured) recommends mixing turmeric and black pepper together to increase curcumin levels in the body by 1,000 percent.
2. Lentils and tomatoes
According to Dr. Rossi, the second food pairing is combining lentils and tomatoes.
‘You can get good amounts of iron from lentils, whole grains and nuts, which is important for your energy levels,’ says Dr Rossi.
But when you enjoy foods rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes or peppers, you absorb more.’
The doctor recommends combining lentils and tomatoes in a salad on the side of your dinner to reap the health benefits.
Dr. Rossi (pictured) combines lentils and tomatoes for the second food pairing you’ll often need to make.
3. Salmon and spring greens
Finally, Dr. Rossi explains that salmon and spring greens are often the best food combination you need.
“A hormone produced in your body when sunlight hits your skin is essential for healthy bones, so increasing vitamin D is a must year-round,” says Dr. Rossi.
But did you know that getting enough vitamin D can increase calcium absorption by 50 percent?
She recommends pairing vitamin D-rich salmon with spring greens, a source of calcium.
Previously, Dr. Megan Rossi (pictured) shared the three biggest myths surrounding gut health that people believe are true, including that sugar is bad for their gut.
Previously, Dr. Megan Rossi shared the three biggest myths surrounding gut health that people believe are true.
Dr. Rossi says one of the biggest myths is that people often think they have to follow a restrictive diet to stay healthy.
“A lot of people think they have to eat a certain way, but looking after your gut health is all about inclusion, moderation and plant-based diversity,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
Dr. Rossi recommends that we try to eat 30 servings of plant-based foods each week because these various fibers and chemicals feed the bacteria in the gut.
“From whole grains to vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds and nuts, the 30 affected have more diverse gut microbes than others,” Dr. Rossi said.
‘This is a sign of good gut health and is associated with better long-term health.’
The second myth that the experts are eager to dispel is that cutting carbs will help your stomach.
‘Carbohydrates have been unfairly stigmatized when it comes to our health, but we shouldn’t be afraid,’ says Dr Rossi.
‘Cutting out carbs means you’re also cutting out beneficial types of fibre, and this has a negative impact on your gut bacteria, as fiber is a popular food and feeds gut microbes.’
The third thing the ‘gut health doctor’ says she hears often is that sucrose (or sugar) is bad for the gut.
‘Actually, sugar is absorbed higher up in your gut so it doesn’t reach your lower gut where most of the microbes live,’ she said.
This means you should definitely not cut the fruit because of the sucrose content.
Dr. Rossi is the author of Eat Healthy: For Health and Happiness from the Inside Out.
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