Eating Healthy

Sometimes you want to look at certain foods just because they are healthy and help to prevent diseases. Adding some of these food groups to your diet is good as it also helps to level things out a little bit. Many serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, even cancer can be prevented (or at least delayed) if we choose to eat right and exercise. When picking the right food you need to look at the label to see if they are really healthy or not. As an example, if you would eat one bag of ordinary microwave popcorn you eat already 40% of your daily recommended value of saturated fat (~9 grams). That is considered bad because just think about what else you will eat through-out the day and where you will end up with at the end. Anyway – here are some very healthy food products that you should try to add to your diet:
 
Spinach
– High in vitamin A & C (antioxidants), folate
– Good source of vitamin B-6, calcium, iron, magnesium, riboflavin
 
Broccoli
- High in vitamin A & C, folate, calcium, potassium
- Cruciferous vegetables (plant family that includes cauliflower and cabbage) have specific cancer-fighting phytonutrients
 
Sweet Potatoes
- Deep orange fruit and vegetables are very high in beta carotene (vitamin A)
- Also good source of fiber and vitamin C
 
Blueberries
- One of the highest sources of vitamin A & C
- Specific phytonutrients that amplify the use of vitamin C in the body
- Improves memory, brain function
 
Whole Grains: Oats
-High in soluble or viscous fiber which lowers LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
 
Wild Salmon
– Lean source of protein
– One of the highest forms of omega-3 fatty acids which lowers triglycerides, blood pressure and risk of blood clots (stroke)
– Wild versus farm raised – wild is the best because it has the least amount of toxins
 
Nuts: Almonds/Walnuts
– Both are high in vitamin E (antioxidant)
– They’re full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats
– You only need one ounce a day to meet your needs
 
Legumes/Beans
- High in soluble or viscous fiber
- Lean protein
- Red, pinto, and black beans are in the top twenty high antioxidant foods
 
Cultured Dairy products
– Yogurt, kefir, cultured milk
– Probiotics – each product is full of helpful bacteria
– Helpful bacteria increase digestive health, absorption of nutrients in the gut and can help to alleviate lactose intolerance
 
 
And again a reminder. These products should be eaten in consideration. Too much of some of those can cause gas and bloating as an example.