Appetizing aroma, unusual grayish green color and amazing delicate taste - it is for this the whole world so fell in love with halva. Initially, this delicacy was invented in Iran, and from there it spread all over the world. Today it would be difficult to find a country in which you did not hear about this unusual Arab sweetness. From this article, you will find out whether sunflower halva is useful, whether it has contraindications and how it can be used to lose weight.
How to prepare halva?
Making halva is quite simple: to begin with, choose the main ingredient - it can be seeds, nuts, sesame. This component is strongly crushed and fried, after which it is mixed with caramel - sugar paste. The result is a gentle, airy, crumbling halva, with a characteristic oily smell and a light gray-green tinge. However, the last two indicators are characteristic for sunflower halva, from sunflower seeds. When it is made from sesame or nuts, the color and smell vary, but its tender structure remains unchanged.
Benefits of halva for the body
Halva is a rare sweetness, which consists mainly of natural ingredients and preserves a mass of useful substances. So, for example, in ordinary halva of seeds contains vitamins E, PP, B1 and B2, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and copper. At a time when you are fond of this Arab sweetness, it enriches your body with the lion's share of useful substances! Thanks to this you can simply eat halva for your own pleasure and watch how your health improves:
- strengthens the central nervous system;
- improves the work of the cardiovascular system;
- improves the ability of the body to metabolize carbohydrates, which positively affects the gastrointestinal tract;
- increased secretion of gastric juice;
- the immune defense of the body is activated and the resistance to infections increases;
- the walls of the vessels are cleared of cholesterol plaques;
- blood circulation is normalized;
- strengthen hair and nails;
- improves the condition of the reproductive system (especially in women).
Do not forget that each medal has two sides, so halva bears both benefit and harm - but only if it is used excessively or contrary to contraindications.
How useful is halva for weight loss?
Absolutely all kinds of halva have a caloric value of about 500 units. The most common species, from sunflower seeds, has an energy value of 516 kcal.
In contrast to cakes and pastries, which have a similar caloric value, this product has a mass of useful substances. For every 100 g of halva there are 11.6 g of valuable vegetable protein, 29.7 g of vegetable fats useful for the organism and 54 g of carbohydrate - they are mainly represented by sugars, which give halvah an amazing sweet taste.
Because of the high caloric content, halva is both beneficial and harmful in terms of weight loss. On the one hand, it enhances exchange
What is harmful halva?
Halva is a very heavy product, it has a lot of fats and carbohydrates . Because of this, it can not be eaten much and often. In addition, delicacy is forbidden to those who suffer from diabetes, pancreatitis and obesity. In any of these cases, it is better to refuse such a treat, in order not to provoke a worsening of the condition.