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The most important part of staying healthy is taking a healthy diet. No matter how much effort you put into exercise, if your diet is not healthy, you cannot stay fit and healthy. So it is important to include foods in your daily diet which provide you all the essential nutrients and vitamins and help boost various body processes.

 Here is a list of some important things which your daily diet must consist of:

• Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are a rich source of fiber, manganese, vitamin B1, the essential fatty acid and has various health benefits which include-

1. Protecting from cancer: Consuming flaxseed helps in protecting against many types of cancers including prostate cancer and breast cancer. Flaxseed prevents the growth of cancer causing elements. In addition, the lignin in flaxseeds tops tumors from forming in new blood vessels because of their anti-angiogenic properties.
2. Improving blood sugar: Consuming flaxseed every day improves glycemic control in obese men and women with pre-diabetes, thereby reducing blood sugar.
3. Protecting against radiation: Flaxseed also protects the skin tissue from being damaged by radiation.

• Olive oil: Olive oil is obtained from fruit of the olive tree and it is a major component of Mediterranean diet. It is a rich source of monosaturated fatty acid and has various health benefits:

1. Cancer: The phytonutrient in olive oil produces the same effect as ibuprofen in reducing inflammation, which can further decrease the risk of breast cancer and its recurrence.
2. Heart Disease: Olive oil lowers the levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides thus, reduces total cholesterol of the body without reducing the levels of HDL-cholesterol, which prevents the formation of fatty patches.
3. Diabetes: Olive oil helps in lowering bad low-density lipoproteins while improving blood sugar control and enhancing insulin sensitivity.
4. Osteoporosis: Consumption of olive oil on a daily basis improves bone mineralization and calcification. It thus,helps in preventing the onset of Osteoporosis.

• Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a food paste made from roasted peanuts. It is rich in monounsaturated fats and also contains a good amount of protein. Its health benefits include:

1. Helps in losing weight: It has an excellent combination of fiber and proteins (1:4) in a serving and thus eating it makes you feel full for a long time.
2. Good for heart: One serving of peanut butter contains about 240 mg of potassium, which helps in reversing the effects of sodium on your body and helps the heart function properly.
3. Reduces risk of type-2 diabetes: Monosaturated fats in peanut butter reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.
4. Antioxidant properties: Peanut butter also acts as an antioxidant due to the presence of olate, niacin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine. Thus, it is effective in reducing Alzheimer’s disease, fungal infections, and degenerative nerve diseases.

• Quinoa: Quinoa is one of the most famous superfoods in the world. It contains a high amount of proteins, fibers and minerals and is free from gluten.Here are some benefits of eating quinoa:

1. It contains all the nine essential amino acids, which makes it one of the most protein rich grains available.
2. It contains twice as much fiber as other grains and helps in preventing constipation, lowers cholesterol and glucose levels.
3. It also contains lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.
4. Quinoa contains iron and magnesium, which helps in improving brain function, and relieves blood vessels.

By adding the above-mentioned foods in your daily diet, you are sure to say that the rigorous efforts in gym are not going in vain. But you should also keep in mind some small but important precautions in order to make your diet more effective-

1. Limit your intake of refined grains and added sugar.
2. Limit your intake of animal fat.
3. Avoid the foods rich in sodium.
4. Eating the right food is more beneficial than taking supplements.
5. If you are an alcoholic, limit your intake of alcohol as well.