Get Healthy and Fit with Garlic

Garlic is an essential ingredient we add too many meals. It is an herb with a very distinctive smell and taste. You can eat garlic both cooked and raw. Garlic contains a chock full of benefits, and it said that one clove of garlic each day will keep diseases away (and maybe vampires).  Here are some of the benefits you will receive if you eat garlic:

A Healthy Heart

Garlic is key to a healthy heart due to the number of benefits it provides it. Eating garlic can improve your circulatory and respiratory system in a variety of different ways. Garlic reduces high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels and minimizes the risk of coronary heart disease and clogged arteries. This is thanks to the sulphuric compounds present in garlic.

When you eat garlic, your red blood cells take sulphuric compounds from them, using them to produce hydrogen sulfide gas. This gas then expands your blood vessels, which work to stabilize your blood pressure. This little herb is powerful!

Weight Loss

If you are on a mission to lose weight, you will like what garlic can do for you. Garlic can help you lose weight by reducing the expression of genes with the function to form fat cells in your body. When you eat garlic, the herb revs up the production of thermogenesis, which works to burn fat, thus resulting in weight loss.

Detoxifies Your Liver

Garlic does wonders for your liver. It helps your liver produce the necessary enzymes needed to cleanse and detoxify your body. If you suffer from the fatty liver disease caused by excessive abdominal fat or metabolic dysfunction, make it a habit of eating garlic each day to eliminate all the toxins from your body.

Prolongs Life Expectancy

With so many benefits associated with garlic, it should not come as a surprise to you that it can prolong life expectancy. Garlic can eliminate free radicals, fight cancerous cells, lower blood pressure, and slow down the degenerative disease.

Keeps Bacteria at Bay

Garlic contains antimicrobial properties that work to fight and beat infectious diseases. Some of the bacteria garlic can defeat include Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Helicobacter, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium, Mycobacterium, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus. The active antibacterial compound in this herb is known as allicin, which hinders the ability of the bacteria to multiply and prevents it from spreading in your body.

 

The best way to consume its benefits is to eat raw garlic. But adding it to your food is plenty beneficial as well, here are some of our favorite garlic-y recipes:

 

Garlic Spread

Ingredients

165g mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Mix mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

(For a lighter aioli, substitute Greek yogurt or soured cream for up to half of the mayo.)

Nutrition Information

(8 servings)

Calories 143, Total Fat 15 g, Protein 0.30 g, Carbohydrate 0.80 g

 

Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp large, peeled, weight after you peel them

6 cloves garlic sliced thin

1 tbsp olive oil Spanish

crushed red pepper flakes

1 pinch paprika

salt

1/4 cup herbs chopped fresh, like cilantro or parsley

lime wedges for serving

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
2. Sauté until golden, about 2 minutes being careful not to burn.
3. Add shrimp and season with salt and paprika.
4. Cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.
5. Add chopped fresh herbs and divide equally into 3 plates.

Nutrition Information

(serves 3)

Calories 220, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 5g, Trans Fat g, Sodium 480mg, Total Carbohydrates 8g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 1g, Protein 31g

 

Still hungry for more? Order Leo’s Meals for prepared and delivered garlic-y meals!