Healthy Combinations You May Not Have Heard Of
by GiGi
From our friends at Prevention, here are some interesting health duos you may not have heard of. Some of them were new to me. Most are healthy food combinations, some are other ways our bodies utilize different forms of energy.
I’ve listed the healthy combinations below so you don’t have to click through each one individually.
1. Green Tea & Lemon (antioxidants)
I’m sure you read my posts about Green Tea being good for you, but did you know that adding lemon to it makes it even healthier? The catechins (antioxidants) are absorbed 13 times more by adding Vitamin C to it. Just make sure to use fresh brewed tea, not the already mixed stuff. And don’t add milk, as that blocks the absorption of the catechins.
2. Exercise & Music (good for the brain)
Probably not news to the gym rats, but exercising with music (in the study it was classical)has shown to boost brain power. Researchers believe exercise boosts cognitive performance by stimulating the central nervous system, and the addition of music may help organize thoughts.
3. Beef & Carrots (Vitamin A)
The Vitamin A in carrots cannot be used by the body unless it is bound with a protein. With beef, it’s the zinc that helps the retinol. Of course, not all of us eat beef, so you can also pair any Vitamin A rich food with a protein: Slice fresh mango into low-fat yogurt, eat a small sweet potato with your fish, or stuff your chicken with spinach.
4. Saturated Fat & Calcium (fat blocker)
No, we’re not suggesting you eat a meal high in saturated fat, but next time you do, you may want to combine it with low-fat dairy. Calcium binds to fatty acids in the digestive tract, blocking their absorption.
5. Avocado & Salad (good for the eyes)
This combination is actually good for the eyes. In this case, the salad would have to include spinach or carrots or other carotines, as researchers believe the healthy fats in avocado increase the absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids, which are associated with a decreased risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. They say you only need about 3 tablespoons of avocado and it’s best to use Haas avocados.
6. Strength Training & Stretching (builds muscle faster)
We all know weight training builds muscle, but did you know you can build it 20% faster if you add static stretches to your routine? Be sure the stretch is working the part you just used and hold it for about 30 seconds.
7. Mediterranean Diet & Nuts (Metabolic Syndrome)
I’ve covered Metabolic Syndrome before. New research shows that people with metabolic syndrome–a condition characterized by high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar and excess belly fat–can reduce these symptoms by adding an extra serving of mixed nuts to a Mediterranean Diet – one rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, fish, olive oil, and grains.People in the study ate about five walnuts, five hazelnuts, and five almonds daily and reduced their incidence of metabolic syndrome by 14% in a year.
8. Eggs & Orange Juice (Iron Absorption)
If you don’t eat meat, you may be low in iron. You can increase your iron absorption from other sources (like eggs and tofu) if you pair them with vitamin C. Vitamin C keeps the iron up to 6 times more soluble.
9. Curcumin & Black Pepper (Memory)
Curcumin (see my posts on Turmeric) has anti cancer properties but also is good for memory. Alzheimer’s patients who took 1 g of curcumin either as a supplement or mixed with food reduced the buildup of plaque in their brains. However, curcumin tends to be poorly absorbed, so you’ll need to mix it with black pepper to increase its absorption up to 2,000%.
10. Caffeine & Exercise (Skin Cancer)
This one is news to me. I had heard that drinking a cup of coffee before exercising gives you better performance, but apparently new animal studies show that the combination can also protect against skin cancer. Scientists learned the pairing increased the animals’ ability to destroy skin cancer cells by up to 4 times.
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OOO I have heard of them all, I am good to go!
good suggestion but not much useful for me as i am a pure veggie and most of the things u mentioned includes non-veg
can u give some suggestions for me as well plz ?
Not really, sorry. These suggestions came from the Prevention article.
Loreal,
You might do a little research on Moringa Oleifera. It is a plant that has the highest proteing fo any plant, all 8 essential amino acids, 27 vitamins and 46 anti-oxidants. It would help you get your protein from a non animal source while getting a lot of additional nutrition.
Jim Fitzpatrick´s last [type] ..Moringa Oleifera
Thank you for adding more healthy combinations to add to my diet. My favorite healthy food combination is beans and rice which I understand has the perfect combination of amino acids to make it a complete meal.
Valerie Sage´s last [type] ..Better Woman Now
wow. I didnt know any of these. The 1st one is amazing
catechins (antioxidants) are absorbed 13 time more with lemon?
questions. Does this work with any Vitamin C – does it have to be fresh lemon?
2nd, what about black tea. I usually drink chai (black tea with milk)
Beef and carrots, pretty cool too.
Devon´s last [type] ..The Body’s pH balance – acidity and alkaline foods
They were specifically talking about the catechins in green tea, which is why they suggested adding lemon. Not sure if adding another source of Vitamin C would work. Here’s an article about black tea vs. green tea:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/antioxidants-in-green-and-black-tea