The Top 25 Foods That Keep You Healthy

The Top 25 Foods That Keep You Healthy

                                   

Today instead of making a dinner I decided to find out what is considered healthy foods that help to prevent disease and illness.

It was easier to do than I expected and I wanted to share the results with you so you can also know what you can eat and enjoy the benefits from these foods. I found a list of these foods in prevention magazine and verified the information and expanded it through the AMA.and other sources  such as  Living Strong, and Wikipedia among others.

The Foods are:

1.   Egg---first the egg yolk can you believe it?  For years we are told the egg yolk was not good for you because for years it was associated with heart disease. While limiting egg yolks in your diet is advisable as is any food that can be taken to excess it turns out that egg yolks has a lot of essential and hard to get nutrients such as choline a tons of essential but hard-to-get nutrients, including choline. A necessary nutriment for memory and muscle control and is linked to lowering the rates of breast cancer. One yolk supplies 25% of your daily need and antioxidants it may also help to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.

2. Greek Yogurt---This will not surprise you Yogurt is a great way to get calcium, and it’s also rich in immune-boosting bacteria. 

3. Fat Free Milk---is rich in vitamin D and calcium which we all know is good for our bones but it also is good for other things that may surprise you.  Recent research found that people who’s diet was rich in Vitamin D helped obese people lose up to 70 percent more weight than people who’s diets were lacking in this vitamin. Also adequate D levels can reduce heart disease risk, ward off certain types of cancer, and relieve back pain.  A glass a day would go far in supplying the amount of vitamin D and calcium we need.

4. Salmon--- vitamin D and one of the best sources of omega-3s --- health benefits include---preventing heart disease to smoothing your skin and aiding weight loss to boosting your mood and minimizing the effects of arthritis. 

5. Lean Beef---can you believe it? Yes lean beef--- is one of the best-absorbed sources of iron---This one hits home for me. I like my mother before me has always been animeic. And iron helps prevent this. If you can afford it buy grain feed beef it has twice the vitamin E and vitamin E helps boost brain power.

6. Beans---one cup of beans has about 17 grams of fiber. They are also loaded with protein as well as lots of nutriments including:
—calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Beans help prevent heart disease and it’s suggested by studies that you consume three cups of beans a week.

7. Nuts--- 1½ ounces of nuts daily can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes---Walnuts for example Walnuts are rich in omega-3s. Hazelnuts contain arginine, an amino acid that may lower blood pressure. An ounce of almonds has as many heart-healthy polyphenols as a cup of green tea and 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli combined. They also help lower LDL cholesterol.

8. Edamame and Tofu--- Foods such as tofu, soy milk, and edamame help fight heart disease .It   may also help prevent breast cancer. Some researchers believe these bind with estrogen receptors, reducing your exposure to the more powerful effects of your own estrogen, personally I keep soy milk on hand. I do use real milk but I prefer soy milk for big bowls of cereal and I also use it in cooking.

9. Oatmeal--- has heart disease-reducing benefits but also has been proven to cut your risk of type 2 diabetes, it’s suggested we consume a ½ cup daily.

10. Flaxseed---is the most potent plant source of omega-3 fats. It helps keep red blood cells from clumping together and forming clots that can block arteries. It may also reduce breast cancer odds.  I found Flaxseed in Khashi Cereal and GoLean. It is also in Breads, and crackers.

11. Olive Oil---has monounsaturated fats MUFA---help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, like Alzheimer’s.

12. Avocado---has Monounsaturated fat known by MUFA----it helped to lower risk of heart disease and macular degeneration. "Avocados are packed with soluble fiber, vitamin E, folate, and potassium.

13. Broccoli---four weekly servings of veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower slashed the risk of dying from any disease by 26%---Need I say more?

 14. Spinach--- it contains lots of lutein. It helps guard against macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, and may prevent heart attacks by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol. also rich in iron, and helps deliver oxygen to your cells for energy, and folate, a B vitamin that prevents birth defects. I love spinach. Cooked and fresh. One way to eat spinach if you’re not fond of it is chop it up and put it in soup.

15. Tomatoes---source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and breast cancer.

16. Sweet Potatoes---contains vitamin A—an essential nutrient that protects and maintains eyes, skin, and the linings of our respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts---This is not just a holiday food. You can bake it and serve it as a baked potato, or put it with a roast. I like to mix regular potatoes and sweet potatoes when I made roasted potatoes. Also its great mashed! You can buy it in cans, fresh, and frozen.

17. Garlic---- contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which studies show may decrease high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. High consumption of garlic lowered rates of ovarian, colorectal, and other cancers according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  It also fights infection and bacteria. To be honest I don't need encouragement to use garlic. I use it in so many different things!

18. Red Peppers---contains one of the best sources of Vitamin C and is best known for skin and immunity benefits. A recent study of over 4000 women found they suffered from far less wrinkling and dryness. Also even though Vitamin C may not prevent the flu or a cold but it will help you heal faster.  An Australian study recently showed that the antioxidant reduces knee pain by protecting your knees against arthritis.

19. Figs----is potassium-rich, It can help lower blood pressure and can lower rates of death from all causes in healthy adults age 55 and older. Figs can be found in natural cereals such as Kahsi and GoLean.

20. Blueberries---has the most absorbable antioxidants andcontain resveratrol---recent research shows it can help in reducing the risks of diseases such as inflammation and cancer as well as being the most potent age-defying food.

21. Asian Pears---One large Asian pear has a whopping 10 g of cholesterol-lowering fiber, about 40% of your daily need. Helped in weight control.

22. Lychee---has the second-highest level of heart-healthy polyphenols of all fruits and also plays an important role in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as cancer. It has 15% more than the amount found in grapes (personally I am on a tight budget I will just eat 15 percent more grapes).

23. Apples---High in vitamin A- A study recently found that apples are one of only three foods (along with pears and red wine) that are most effective at reducing the risk of death from heart disease. Studies have also found the fruit to lower risk of lung cancer and reduces the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer type and 2 diabetes—and even help women lose weight.

24.  Guava---high in vitamin C. It’s also loaded with lycopene. It may help lower your risk of heart disease and guava can even protect against food borne pathogens such as Listeria and staph. I have seen Guava juice in most grocery stores and of course you can buy guava jelly. 8 oz is recommended. Does anyone else keep hearing the song Guava jelly going though their heads?

 25. Dark Chocolate---Dark chocolate is filled with flavonoid antioxidants (more than 3 times the amount in milk chocolate) that keep blood platelets from sticking together and may even unclog your arteries. It may also help with weight loss by keeping you feeling full. I didn't need all these excuses to eat dark chocolate but to know it’s this good for me does help with the guilty feelings when I do!

These are just some of the foods that are healthy for you. Don't forget to add whole grains and eat non processed foods as often as possible.

I hope this helps others as this research has helped me.

I am going to add several of these foods to my shopping list this month and include as many of these great foods in my recipes I share with you.

References include: Prevention, AMA, Living Strong, Journal of Nutrition, and Wikipedia