DYNAMIC DUOS

PASTA & VINEGAR

Help prevent type-2 diabetes

MAKE YOUR PASTA salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which reduces the spike in blood sugar that occurs after consuming starchy foods high in carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, and bread. A steadier rise in blood sugar reduces hunger by keeping you feeling satiated, as well as helping to minimise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Blood-sugar spikes are best avoided, so that your body isn’t secreting too much insulin in an attempt to manage them. Research in 2015 by the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Germany discovered that acetic acid activates the receptors that inhibit insulin secretion.

BEETROOT & EGGS

Maintain brain power

HOW ABOUT A lunch plate that includes pickled beetroot and sliced hard-boiled eggs? Choline is abundant in egg yolks (as well as in beef liver, chicken liver and veal liver); betaine is found in beetroot, spinach, and some grain study found pairing these two nutrients was associated with lower blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid produced in the body. Elevated levels of homocysteine have been linked with declining cognitive function.