10 Super Tasty Foods That Are Super Good For You

· A 9 per cent lower risk of hospital admission or death as a result of coronary heart disease

· A 23 per cent lower risk of stroke, even after taking account of other potential risk factors

And milk chocolate, usually thought to be less healthy than dark chocolate, might also be beneficial: “Not only flavonoids but also other compounds, possibly related to milk constituents, such as calcium and fatty acids, may provide an explanation.

Blueberries contain 20 types of anthocyanin – antioxidants that give berries their blue-violet and red colors. Other berries contain only three or four types.

Blackberries, Raspberries and Boysenberries each contains 8 grams of fiber in one cup.

To get the optimal health benefits of berries, recommends the U.S. Arthritis Foundation, “eat two to three types of fresh, frozen or dehydrated berries each day.”

Some sources suggest that, among all the terrific nutrition nuts supply, the Omega-6 polyunsaturated fat that’s significant in such nuts as walnuts, pecans and Brazil nuts may not be a plus. The nut that has the least is macadamia — super yummy and super good for you!

To sum it up:
Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts (but NOT peanut butter) per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don’t consume nuts or peanuts, reports the International Journal of Epidemiology

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But the lobster really comes into its own when it comes to minerals: valuable amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

One caveat used to be the amount of cholesterol – 71 per cent of recommended daily intake.

But the warnings about cholesterol intake are being dropped as researchers have found that cholesterol in the diet doesn’t affect the level of cholesterol in the blood in healthy people.

Another caveat is salt. That cup of lobster has about 30 per cent of recommended daily salt intake. So go without the salted butter.

Apples may help protect neuron cells against oxidative-stress-induced neurotoxicity..

• Reduce risk of stroke

A study involving 9,208 men and women showed that those who ate the most apples over a 28-year period had the lowest risk for stroke.

• Lower levels of bad cholesterol

A study showed that older women who ate apples everyday had 23 per cent less bad cholesterol (LDL) after six months.

• Reduce the risk of diabetes

People who ate three servings per week of apples, grapes, raisins, blueberries or pears had a 7 per cent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not.

Lentils are rich in iron which keeps hemoglobin happy and healthy, just as red meat does, but without the fat, calories and flesh.

Now plop those delicious curried lentils on a bed of brown rice and you’ve got a nutrient home run.

White rice doesn’t even make it to first base. The milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67 per cent of the vitamin B3, 80 per cent of the vitamin B1, 90 per cent of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60 per cent of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.

Brown rice is nature’s gift to your colon. Because besides being a concentrated source of the fiber needed to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells, it’s also a good source of selenium, a trace mineral that has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Selenium can repair damaged cells, holding up a stop sign to the proliferation of cancer cells, and even inducing them to self-destruct.

It also works with vitamin E as a powerful antioxidant throughout the body, helpful in preventing heart disease, and for decreasing the symptoms of asthma and inflammation.

Magnesium is another valuable mineral abundant in brown rice.

Memo to postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD): fix this dish for dinner – and eat brown rice at least six times a week.

A study of over 200 postmenopausal women with CVD, published in the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings of whole grains each week experienced both:
• Slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows, and
• Less progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.

The women’s intake of fiber from fruits, vegetables and refined grains, on the other hand, was not associated with a lessening in CVD progression.

Here’s a tip: the flesh closest to the skin is highest in nutrients so peel your ‘cado like a banana or scoop and scrape right down to the skin.

Now mash and spread that lovely creamy good stuff on a slice of whole wheat toast. You already know the benefits of whole grains because we extolled them in the previous ode to brown rice.

But beware! Everything that looks like whole wheat or claims to be whole wheat may not be authentic. Molasses may be used to darken the bread to fool the eye. Also, in Canada, it’s legal to advertise any food product as “whole wheat” even if up to 70 per cent of the wheat germ has been removed.

Repeat after me: It’s only whole grain if the label says it’s 100 per cent whole-grain whole wheat.

Does it actually have any effect on these conditions? Evidence is lacking.

But there is some evidence that cinnamon may lower blood sugar in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.

Also, a study published in Diabetics Care concluded that “the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”

And a chemical found in Cassia cinnamon can help fight against bacterial and fungal infections, advises the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Now sizzle some mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and then pour a couple of whisked eggs into the pan for scrambled eggs – or use the shrooms as a filling for an omelet.

Why shrooms?

Mushrooms, it’s been said, are some of the most potent natural medicines on the planet.

But pick and choose carefully. Mushroom and health expert Dr. Andrew Weil advises that the button, cremini and portobello mushrooms common at the supermarket shouldn’t be eaten raw because of possible carcinogenic properties which are broken down when they’re cooked.

Instead, he highly recommends:
Shiitake: They contain a substance called eritadenine, which encourages body tissues to absorb cholesterol and lower the amount circulating in the blood. Shiitakes also have antiviral and anticancer effects.

Enoki: They have significant anticancer and immune-enhancing effects.

Garlic’s health benefits come from potent anti-cancer compounds, immune-strengthening molecules and the heart disease-preventing antioxidants it contains, says Dr. Weil.

• Harvard Health states that garlic can also aid in fighting off infections from viruses and fungi. A study on garlic and the common cold was done in 2001 in the United Kingdom and published in the journal Advances in Therapy. People who took garlic from November to February caught fewer colds and had cold symptoms for a shorter duration than those not taking garlic.
• A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed a lower risk of cancer in people living in southern Europe who consume garlic. The greater the frequency of consuming either raw or cooked garlic, the less colorectal, liver or pancreatic cancer developed. Garlic also contains six different phenylpropanoids, which are antioxidants that scavenge cancer-causing free radicals.
• In a study published in Lipids in Health and Disease, researchers found consuming garlic significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing LDL, cholesterol. Garlic has also been attributed with lowering blood pressure, preventing hardening of arteries, lowering triglyceride levels and reducing blood clots.

All of these benefits, advises Dr. Weil, mean eating garlic regularly can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

In fact, Dr. Weil is such a fan of rooties, garlic and olive that his website provides this recipe to roast them altogether for a very yummy dish:

Ingredients
2 pounds root vegetables (use potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, beets), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch wedges
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
Chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, or balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the root vegetables and onion in a roasting pan.

2. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and salt to taste. Do not crowd the vegetables.

3. Roast the mixture for a total of 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, scatter the garlic cloves in with the vegetables. Continue stirring every 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and evenly browned.

4. Before serving, add a sprinkling of fresh chopped herbs or balsamic vinegar, if you like for additional flavor.