Notorious Health Benefits Of Garlic and Using Garlic for Weight Loss

Here you'll find a handy reference guide to the health benefits of garlic... beyond its important fat-flushing properties.

Can you use garlic for weight loss?

How much garlic should you eat?

And how to avoid that nasty garlic breath?

For answers to all these questions, plus a quick and delicious salad recipe with fresh garlic, read on!

Let's start with garlic's weight loss benefits. Through its more than 100 biologically helpful compounds, garlic...

• boosts your metabolism


• is a powerful detoxifier


• eliminates fat from the cells


• is an effective diuretic


• regulates sharp ups and downs in your blood sugar levels - causing carbs and sweets cravings and fat storing

Apart from using garlic for weight loss and its fat-flush properties, garlic is mostly used as an:

• antibacterial


• anti-fungal and a great help in fighting one of the frequent causes of being unable to lose weight, Candida overgrowth


• extremely powerful antioxidant, protecting your body against damaging free radicals - that’s why garlic is said to be an effective cancer fighter

You may want to know that garlic has been used for centuries not only as a popular seasoning throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, but for medicinal purposes too. Impossible to ignore, the many health benefits of garlic are mentioned in both the Bible and Talmud, being recommended for a wide range of conditions - from coughing and parasites to poor digestion and low energy.
Sanskrit records revered the health benefits of garlic 5,000 years ago in India, and Chinese medicine has recognized it's healing powers for over 3,000 years!

Continuing this millenary tradition, recent scientific studies confirmed many important health benefits of garlic:

• powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic
• builds your immune system
• lowers a high blood pressure
• lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)
• raises good cholesterol (HDL)
• helps to dissolve blood clots that lead to heart attacks and strokes.

And there's more!

You should know that even cooked, garlic keeps your blood cholesterol from oxidizing and damaging the lining of your blood vessels, preventing the formation of vascular plaque.

But to make sure you reap all the health benefits of garlic, crush it and let it sit in the open air 10 minutes before using it. Why? Because raw garlic needs to interact with oxygen to form allicin, the active ingredients that helps the most with your health.

You can use garlic to flavor a variety of foods, including salad vinaigrettes, marinades, sauces, and vegetables. For just a delicate hint, rub a cut clove on the inside of your salad bowl before adding the main ingredients.

Garlic is one of the negative calorie foods that you can use in many, many ways. Crush, mince, chop, slice, or let the cloves whole to get varying flavor intensities from the most intense to the mildest (crushed garlic is approx. 10 times more flavorful than the sliced one).

The Numerous Health Benefits of Garlic...

...are due to its over 100 vital elements. The main one is allicin, which is destroyed in cooking, but other helpful compounds are formed, so cooked garlic is still healthy.

However, pass up processed garlic powder or salt, as most healthy ingredients are long gone.

Garlic also contains powerful antioxidants - vitamins A, C and E, various amino acids, and priceless trace minerals: sulfur, selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, and copper.

This spice is a member of the allium family - like onions, leeks, and scallions.

There are over 300 different varieties... the most common ones are the white-skinned American garlic (the strongest flavor), the sweeter pink-skinned Italian variety, and Elephant garlic (the mildest flavor).

Generally, the stronger the taste, the higher the health benefits of garlic.

Green, or baby garlic is harvested when still immature. It is much milder than the mature one, and it's best eaten fresh (like green onions) up to a few days after harvesting.

Okay, great garlic benefits... but the smell! In fact, an old New York Yiddish proverb says:

"A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat."

Well, if you need to remove garlic odor after handling it, wash your hands thoroughly in cold water, and then rub them onto a stainless steel surface.

Just ate garlic and have a date? No problem. Chew some fresh parsley, mint, citrus peel, caraway or fennel seeds for a few minutes - the smell will be gone... If you then brush your teeth with toothpaste you can even dare a kiss without any risk ;)

How much garlic should you eat to reap all its benefits?

Not much: 1-2 medium cloves every day, or 3-4 cloves every other day.
If you prefer to take odorless garlic capsules, they are available in most health food stores. The usual recommended dose to make the best of all the health benefits of garlic is 600-900 mg/day.

Two things to keep in mind about garlic:

1. if you take insulin make sure you consult your doctor about taking it for medicinal purposes


2. never keep raw garlic mixed in oil at room temperature as it could produce botulism toxin, a very powerful neurotoxin; store it in the fridge instead for up to a few days

Garlic Broccoli Salad Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 small bunch of raw, organic broccoli
1 large ripe, organic avocado
4 medium cloves of organic garlic
1 fresh, organic lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon organic balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• put to a boil 2 liters of water in a covered pot;


• peel the cloves, finely chop them, and let them sit in open air;


• wash and cut the broccoli into florets; place them into a strainer in the sink;


• when the water is boiling, slowly pour it over the broccoli;


• run the broccoli briefly under cold water, drain and chill in the fridge for 5 min.


• peel the avocado, cut it in 8 vertical strips around the pit, and squeeze half the lemon over it;


• in a bowl, blend the mustard, sliced cloves, vinegar, and oil; add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste;


• arrange the other lemon half sliced, the broccoli florets, and the avocado strips on the four serving plates, and pour over the sauce;


• serve immediately.

As you've seen, garlic is a highly versatile spice that you can easily use with almost any of the vegetables on the list of negative calorie foods, regardless of whether or not you follow the Negative Calorie Diet Plan.

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