Eating healthy is a challenge for busy people, so here’s a list of Superfood's
Sardines: Sardines provide more calcium and phosphorus than milk, more protein than steak, more potassium than bananas, and more iron than cooked spinach." Probably the greatest nutritional value of sardines resides in their high concentration of omega-3-fatty acids.
Omega-3 has been shown to reduce triglyceride levels and play a significant role in preventing dangerous heart abnormalities. There are a variety of ways to eat sardines such as creating a sardine salad, sardine pasta, as sandwich spread, or eating them straight out of the can.
Sardines: Sardines there is really no other fish like sardine. The name sardine merely refers to a variety of small fish belonging to the herring family.
So the small fishes found on store shelves are not true sardine, but another small oily fish in the herring family. Sardines name comes from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. Another important thing to know is that Sardines are extremely low in contaminants such as mercury unlike the big fishes like salmon and tuna.
Sardines Health Benefits:
Sardines are considered as brain food because the omega-3 fatty acids in sardines are important for the brain memory and performance.
Sardines omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and therefore beneficial to those people suffering from joint problems like arthritis. Sardines are high in calcium and vitamin D which help promote stronger bones.
Sardines contain Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) an antioxidant that is enhances physical energy and cardiovascular health. Coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for those people with hypertension and heart abnormalities.
Sardines are also an excellent source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid.The high protein content of sardines helps to promote a feeling of fullness and the lack of carbohydrates helps to keep blood sugars stable.
When you purchase sardines, look for ones that are packed in water, mustard, or tomato sauce as opposed to oil. The oil can add significantly to the calorie and fat content.
Sardines packed in water tend to taste and smell less fishy than ones packed in other liquids.
Beans: They’re small in size, but big on fiber and iron. Darker-colored beans, such as black and kidney, have an even higher concentration of healthy stuff.
Apricots: The oft-forgotten apricot is great source of Vitamin A and other nutrients. Dried apricots are even more nutritious, and portable, than fresh ones. Prunes — hey, don’t laugh — are also terrific.
Berries: Blueberries in particular, but also cranberries, raspberries and blackberries are highly recommended for healthy aging. Said to help maintain short-term memory, blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants.
Broccoli: It’s not hard to eat broccoli if you saute it in a bit of olive oil and garlic. Deep-green vegetables like collard greens, kale and asparagus have abundant nutrients. Bok choy (Chinese cabbage) is also packed with nutrients that are said to guard against certain cancers.
Cacao: Didn’t expect to see chocolate on a super food list, right? Well, buying organic chocolate (found in most health food stores) with high levels of cacao can do a body good. It may not be the tastiest thing to eat straight, but mix a bit of 100 per cent organic cacao powder into a morning smoothie or coffee, or buy chocolate bars that are at least 75 per cent cacao.
Peanut Butter: The food that kids love is, in fact, healthy for you. Nuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help fight heart disease. Almonds, in particular, are known for lowering cholesterol.
Turkey: Thanksgiving and Christmas are long gone, but it’s always a good time to make lean, protein-rich turkey. You can cook a small breast with a side of cranberries, or substitute ground turkey in recipes that call for ground beef. Unfortunately, turkey lunch meat doesn’t make the cut, because it’s typically high in sodium.
Cinnamon: Believe it or not, this spice is considered to be one of the healthiest foods in the world. And, no, it doesn’t count if it’s glued to the top of a sticky bun! Simply dust it on your oatmeal, your morning coffee, or even on a piece of fruit.
Studies suggest that it can lower cholesterol and help control blood sugar (diabetics take note!). The American Diabetes Association posted a study just last month saying that cinnamon's DOES NOT have any effect on your blood sugar levels.
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Pomegranate juice: This antioxidant-rich juice has been shown to help fight heart disease and lower cholesterol. Drink a small cup of pomegranate juice daily, diluted with water if you find the taste too strong. You can also buy blends that contain apple or blueberry juice.
Yogurt: Smoothie lovers, take a bow! You’re ahead of the game if you’re eating non-fat yogurt, because it’s good for intestinal health. Mix the plain stuff with some of the items on this list, including nuts, cinnamon or berries and you’re doubling up on healthy ingredients.
Oats: Whole-grain goodies, such as oat bran breakfast cereal (like Cheerios), oatmeal and whole grain breads are on the list because they help lower your cholesterol and increase fiber intake.
Avocado: Go ahead and whip up some avocado salsa, a great side dish. Guacamole is also good for you. Avocados are high-calorie, so you don’t want to go crazy eating them, but they are said to improve blood flow, which increases brain activity.
Seeds: Seeds are perfectly adapted to the taste and ability of humans to pick, dry, store, and crack. No wonder study after study shows raw nuts and seeds not only lower cholesterol, but protect against common diseases of aging. I recommend almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, macadamias, filberts, and walnuts; and sunflower, sesame, flax, and pumpkin seeds. These delicious natural foods are high in nutrients and healthful unsaturated fats.
Flax Seeds are rich in lingams and omega-3 fatty acids, and scientific studies have confirmed that flax seeds have a positive influence on everything from cholesterol levels and constipation to cancer and heart disease.
Use ground flax seed in oatmeal, or add them to whipped frozen bananas, stewed apples, and cinnamon and nut balls. Keep in mind that the scientifically documented benefits from flax seeds come from raw, ground flax seed, not flax seed oil.
Sesame Seeds are one of the most mineral-rich foods in the world and a potent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, vitamins, and fiber. They are also rich in anti-cancer lingams that are uniquely found in sesame seeds alone.
Grind some unhulled sesame seeds into a powder to sprinkle on salads and vegetables. Toast lightly and mix with eggplant, chickpeas, scallions, and garlic for a healthy and delicious dip.
Tea: There are lots of reasons why I enjoy a hot cup of tea: I love the aroma of various flavors of tea; holding onto a hot tea mug warms my hands on a cold winter morning; sipping tea in front of the fireplace is a great way to relax. And those are just the feel-good reasons. If you're not drinking tea yet, read up on these 10 ways tea does your body good and then see if you're ready to change your Starbucks order!
Tea contains antioxidants. Like the Rust-Oleum paint that keeps your outdoor furniture from rusting, tea's antioxidants protect your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution.
Tea has less caffeine than coffee. Coffee usually has two to three times the caffeine of tea (unless you're a fan of Morning Thunder, which combines caffeine with mate, an herb that acts like caffeine in our body). An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep -- switch to tea.
Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke.
Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear. A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.
Tea protects your bones. It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones, even after adjusting for age, body weight, exercise, smoking and other risk factors. The authors suggest that this may be the work of tea's many beneficial phytochemicals.
Tea gives you a sweet smile. One look at the grimy grin of Austin Powers and you may not think drinking tea is good for your teeth, but think again. It's the sugar added to it that's likely to blame for England's bad dental record. Tea itself actually contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay. So add unsweetened tea drinking to your daily dental routine of brushing and flossing for healthier teeth and gums.
Tea bolsters your immune defenses. Drinking tea may help your body's immune system fight off infection. When 21 volunteers drank either five cups of tea or coffee each day for four weeks, researchers saw higher immune system activity in the blood of the tea drinkers.
Tea protects against cancer. Thank the polyphenols, the antioxidants found in tea, once again for their cancer-fighting effects. While the overall research is inconclusive, there are enough studies that show the potential protective effects of drinking tea to make adding tea to your list of daily beverages.
Tea helps keep you hydrated. Caffeinated beverages, including tea, used to be on the list of beverages that didn't contribute to our daily fluid needs. Since caffeine is a diuretic and makes us pee more, the thought was that caffeinated beverages couldn't contribute to our overall fluid requirement.
However, recent research has shown that the caffeine really doesn't matter -- tea and other caffeinated beverages definitely contribute to our fluid needs. The only time the caffeine becomes a problem as far as fluid is concerned is when you drink more than five or six cups of a caffeinated beverage at one time.
Tea is calorie-free. Tea doesn't have any calories, unless you add sweetener or milk. Consuming even 250 fewer calories per day can result in losing one pound per week. If you're looking for a satisfying, calorie-free beverage, tea is a top choice.
Tea increases your metabolism. Lots of people complain about a slow metabolic rate and their inability to lose weight. Green tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn 70 to 80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day. Over a year's time you could lose eight pounds just by drinking green tea. Of course, taking a 15-minute walk every day will also burn calories.
Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delectable
thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes
to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and
arthritis.
Concentrated in Powerful Antioxidants.
Sweet, juicy
watermelon is actually packed with some of the most
important antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of
vitamin C and a very good source of
vitamin A,
notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. Pink watermelon is
also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These
powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free
radicals.
