Arugula for weight loss - the benefits and application

Delicate leaves of arugula in the diet - a pledge of lightness, good health, healthy digestion and getting rid of extra pounds. This type of salad is a storehouse of high-quality dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Arugula well complements vegetable and fruit salads, smoothies, side dishes and is appropriate in any dietary option.

The benefits of arugula

Athletes, supporters of a healthy lifestyle and people who want to burn off excess fat are choosing a protein-rich and completely non-fat salad. The chemical composition of arugula contributes to the improvement of the body as a whole and many of its subsystems:

1. Cleans the blood, reduces cholesterol, promotes the formation of blood cells.
2. Cleans the intestines from toxins, improves metabolism.
3. Accelerates the regenerative processes in the body.
4. Strengthens tooth enamel.
5. It has a slight diuretic effect, removing excess fluid from tissues and helping to remove edema.
6. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
7. Relieves headaches and cramps.
8. Promotes skin cell renewal, rejuvenation.
9. Strengthens the immune system and relieves fatigue.

Surprisingly, arugula perfectly nourishes the body during a diet. It is rich in dietary fiber to maintain healthy digestion, iodine, which is necessary to enhance immunity and maintain normal thyroid gland, vitamin C, tonic and strengthen the body, vitamin A, essential for healthy skin and nails, calcium, necessary for bones and cardiovascular system and many other substances.

Arugula in the kitchen

Arugula eat fresh. Leaves should be washed with water and picked up. If you cut this grass with a knife, it quickly loses its juice, flavor and beneficial properties.It is not recommended to process such greens thermally - to extinguish, boil or freeze. This salad, unlike sorrel or dill, is not salted for future use, but eaten quickly immediately after purchase. Fresh bundle is stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. Leaves can be placed in a plastic bag or food container to protect against oxygen exposure. Do not store the leaves in a metal dish, use wood, ceramics or, in extreme cases, plastic.

Arugula contains both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, so it is better to fill salads with the addition of its leaves with vegetable oil or nuts. A small portion of high-quality unsaturated fats does not harm the figure, but on the contrary - helps to assimilate the substances necessary for the body, supports the activity of the brain and the health of the joints.

How to choose arugula in the store or on the market

Arugula is grown in greenhouses all year round, so it can almost always be found in stores in big cities. The cost of the salad is available. Given all the healing properties of the green beam, you can afford to eat a snack with this fragrant vegetable.

To choose quality branches, pay attention to their appearance. Lettuce should have whole leaves, have a uniform green color. The cuttings smell spicy, when rubbing a leaf on the fingers, there is a characteristic aroma. Scrapped leaves juicy and crunchy. For sale is not allowed sluggish, yellowed or dried salad. Often in the shops and vegetable shops sprinkle greens with water to prolong freshness.

Good twigs should not be bitter even in cuttings. The presence of a bitter taste may mean that the salad has overripe, grown incorrectly or even fertilized with health hazardous additives. Unfortunately, it is impossible to check this when buying, but try to pay attention to the color and appearance of the leaves - they should not be dark, too bright, spotty, etc.

How to use arugula to lose weight

Arugula well supports the body during diets and physical exertion. To lose weight, eating these juicy leaves, it is enough to reduce the content of heavy carbohydrates and fats in the diet, eat protein foods and vegetable dishes.

For one portion of a dish of arugula, from ¼ to half a normal bunch (up to 100 g) is sufficient. Excess fiber in the diet can cause flatulence and increased hunger, in addition, large portions of consumed fruits and vegetables can lead to hypervitaminosis. Eat a few sprigs of arugula for food, and they will have the desired effect. Salads with these leaves 2-3 times a week will help disperse the metabolism, quickly assimilate the necessary components of the body and cleanse the body of products of processing fat and protein.

Of course, diet programs consisting only of leaves of this variety of lettuce do not exist. The caloric content of arugula per 100 grams is only 25 kcal, which is why it is actually “weightless” in the daily diet. It displays all of its beneficial properties when consumed with other foods. This vegetable almost does not cause allergies and has no contraindications.

Quick breakfast with arugula
In order to have a tasty breakfast while losing weight, it is enough to eat a portion of savory porridge with salad:

• 4 cherry tomatoes;
• a few sprigs of arugula;
• low-fat white cheese;
• basil;
• olive oil.

Drink a glass of orange juice with breakfast and can eat some dried fruit. This will help to be full until lunch.

Nutritious Salad Dish
But for lunch or dinner you can try a hot dish with arugula sauce, for example, dietary pasta Pesto.

Choose the pasta base from hard wheat, low-fat cheese (20-30%), and the following components:

• arugula - 75 g;
• garlic - 1 tooth;
• walnut - 1/3 cup;
• Olive oil - 4 tbsp.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Grate the cheese (150 g), chop the nuts in the blender with garlic, add butter and greens, mix everything again to the consistency of thick sour cream. Serve the sauce with hot pasta at the rate of 500 g.

Arugula for sweets
Another unexpected recipe with arugula is a fruit dessert that will pamper its delicate flavor and satisfy hunger.

You will need strawberries (100 g), orange juice (fresh juice from 1 pc.), Mozzarella cheese (100 g) and a bunch of lettuce (70 g).Berries need to be cut into 4 parts, and cheese - crumble into cubes. The dish is filled with crushed arugula leaves and orange juice. This savory blend of sweetness, milky cream taste and spicy notes of dressing will be remembered by fans of unusual recipes.

Remember that everything is good in moderation, and boldly introduce arugula into your diet for each day.

Video: how arugula is useful, and what to make of it