Sometimes Two are Better Than One! (Foods that are more powerful together!)

Sometimes when you put two people together they make each other better people than they are on their own. I believe when you discover someone who makes you a better person when you’re with him or her – that’s when you know you’ve found a friend, a partner, a spouse, a kindred spirit.

Did you know that there are certain foods that are make each other better too? In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share with you some foods that are more powerful when paired together.

In The Happiness Diet, Tyler Graham and Drew Ramsey wrote about “food synergy.” Here are a few of my favorites –

Eggs & Cheese

I love my scrambled cheese eggs. They are a comfort, recovery, and energy-producing miracle. Here’s why – the vitamin D in eggs makes the calcium in dairy more available for your body, not just for your bones but for your heart. Ever wonder why milk is fortified with Vitamin D? Now you know.

Rosemary & Steak

Ah, one of my favorite tastes of summer. Rosemary is rich in antioxidants that can help neutralize carcinogenic compounds that form when steak reaches temperatures of 325 and higher. So before you toss that steak on the grill, marinate it or rub it in rosemary. (Rosemary is a key ingredient in my favorite homemade steak rub which I’ll share in an upcoming post!)

Tomatoes & Olive Oil

Centuries of eaters, the world over can’t be wrong. Tomatoes are loaded with cancer fighting compounds like lycopene, but those compounds are fat-soluble which means they’re more available to your body when you eat them with fats like olive oil (or mozzarella cheese). This is the reason you should not be putting fat-free dressing on any vegetable!

Raspberries & Chocolate

Need an excuse to eat these lovelies? When raspberries and chocolate are paired together, their disease-fighting flavonoids are even more effective at thinning the blood and improving your heart’s health. Maybe you should give your sweetie chocolate covered raspberries – it’s a gift from (and for) the heart this Valentine’s Day!

Lemon & Spinach

The Vitamin C in lemons helps your body absorb the iron in spinach so choose a lemon juice based dressing for your next spinach salad.

Apples & Cranberries

Both are rich in antioxidants, but research shows that when you eat them together their antioxidant activity is even higher than when eaten separately. Next time you make an apple cobbler, toss in some cranberries and make that delicious dessert just a tad bit healthier.

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It gives us all an excuse to tell those around us how much we care about them.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day Dear Readers! Thanks for giving me a few minutes of your day!

Blessings,

Cara