You hear a lot about superfoods, but mainly how great they are to have in your diet. Here’s another list of foods you should consider throwing in your grocery basket:
Beets - Why they’re healthy: Folate and betaine (which can help lower your risk of heart disease), and their pigments may help fight cancer.
How to eat them: Not from a jar, but fresh and uncooked.
Cabbage - Why it’s healthy: Few calories, and sulforaphane helps reduce cancer risk.
How to eat it: In a salad, or on a burger.
Guava - Why it’s healthy: Fiber, potassium, lycopene (which helps fight prostate cancer).
How to eat it: It’s all edible, from rind to seeds. May be a little hard to find, but high end supermarkets or Latin grocery stores should stock it.
Swiss Chard - Why it’s healthy: Lutein and zeaxanthin (which both help protect retinas from the damages of aging).
How to eat it: Sautéd with olive oil and garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper and served with grilled steaks and chicken, or pan-seared fish.Cinnamon - Why it’s healthy: Helps control blood sugar, which affects your risk of heart disease.
How to eat it: Sprinkled on coffee or oatmeal.
Purslane - Why it’s healthy: Melatonin (may inhibit cancer growth), omega-3 fats.
How to eat it: In a salad as an alternative or addition to lettuce.
Pomegranate juice - Why it’s healthy: Improves bloodflow to the heart, decreases systolic blood pressure, vitamin C.
How to eat it: POM Wonderful makes a 100 per cent pomegranate juice with no added sugars - a small glass is all you need to get the many benefits.
Goji berries - Why they’re healthy: Antioxidants, may reduce insulin resistance (a risk factor for diabetes).
How to eat them: Dried or fresh, alone or in yogurt, oatmeal or on cereal.Dried plums - Why they’re healthy: Antioxidants that fight structural damage to cells, which is thought to be one of the main causes for cancer.
How to eat them: As an appetizer wrapped in prosciutto.
Pumpkin seeds - Why they’re healthy: Magnesium.
How to eat them: Shells and all.
It’s important to try to keep your immunity at its best during the cold and flu season. Here are some foods that could help you stay healthy:
1300+ - If you’re not eating enough calories, you’re not giving your health a fighting chance. Women should get at least 1300 calories daily.
Get your cruciferous veggies: Broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts.
Snack on nuts - Almonds and sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, and this vitamin may help reduce the length of colds. Brazil nuts contain selenium, which helps the body fight off disease.
Eat yogurt - Helps the immune system, through the digestive track.
Sip green tea - Stimulates T-cells that stimulate the immune system.
Open a can of tomato soup - Lycopene in tomatoes acts as an antioxidant, which, again, boosts the immune system.
Spice it up! - Capsaicin, found in chili peppers, also boosts immunity.
Get your fats - While low-fat is healthy, make sure you’re getting Omega3 and Omega6 from foods such as salmon, sardines, flaxseed, safflower oil, and eggs.
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