Top Ten "Superfoods" – Part Two

Posted by georgel on Apr 26, 2010 |

Yesterday I shared the first half of my list of top ten “superfoods”. The list focused on cancer prevention, heart disease, overall wellness and potentially helping with weight loss.

Today, I bring you the second half of the list. Hopefully it will provide you with some newfound knowledge that you could put to use towards a healthier life.

Eggs
Although I’m not a huge fan of the taste/smell of eggs (In large part due to an uncle of mine traumatizing me by literally force feeding them to me as a little boy), there is no denying that they belong on this list.

Often cited as nature’s most “perfect food”, eggs are inexpensive, contain trace amounts of more than fifteen vitamins and minerals and are an ideal source of protein (more so than milk, beef, whey and others).

Besides being a great source of protein, eggs contain vitamins and nutrients that help your heart, brains and eyes. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two of the new “superstar” nutrients when it comes to eye health (Jonny Bowden, 2007, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth).

Eggs are often avoided because of the perceived cholesterol risk, but egg yolk contain choline which actually prevents the accumulation of cholesterol and fat in the liver. And for the “egg whites only” crowd, consider this: According to the Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating: “No research has ever shown that people who eat more eggs have more heart attacks than people who eat few eggs.” (Jonny Bowden, 2007, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth)

Remember, everyone’s body reacts differently to different foods, so check with your doctor on your cholesterol levels and experiment with how different foods effect your overall levels.

Wild Alaskan Salmon

Hands down, salmon is a health food “superstar”. It has more omega-3’s than almost any other food on the planet. Along with all the benefits of omega-3’s, salmon is also an excellent source of high-quality protein providing 18g per 3-ounce serving. It’s also a good source of potassium, cancer-fighting selenium, B12 and niacin.

Of note is that unless you eat the right type of salmon you may be bypassing cozaar 25 mg all of the potential benefits. Consuming anything other than wild salmon (avoiding farmed salmon) can strip this fish of most of its benefits. You may think you’re getting all of the health benefits of salmon when you’re eating farm raised, but you’re actually eating a grain-fed fish that more than likely comes with a nice helping of antibiotics, a higher proportion of omega-6s, and far less omega-3 fat than you imagine, if in fact there is any at all (Jonny Bowden, 2007, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth).

This doesn’t even address the issue of potential toxicity and mercury contamination. On average, farmed salmon have sixteen times the dioxin-like PCBs found in wild salmon, four times the levels in beef and 3.4 times the levels in other seafood (Jonny Bowden, 2007, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth). Needless to say that you should stick to wild salmon and avoid farmed salmon altogether.

Broccoli

Recommended by the American Cancer Society, broccoli is a cancer fighting powerhouse, neutralizing carcinogens with its anticancer phytochemicals called isothiocyamates. Broccoli also contains a host of nutrients. One cup contains more than 2g of protein, 2g of fiber, 288mg of potassium, 43mg of calcium, 81mg of vitamin C and includes folate, magnesium, phosphorous, beta-carotene, vitamin A and lutein and zeaxanthin (helpful with eye nutrition).

It also bears buy diet pill online mentioning that the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocate and protection nonprofit research organization, put broccoli on their 2003 list of twelve foods least contaminated with pesticides.

Lentils
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know by now that I’m a huge fan of lentils (Thanks mom!) A high fiber, high protein food, the lentil is the bean that doesn’t produce gas. A key reason for being on this list is that one of the biggest benefits of lentils is that they’re packed with soluble fiber. The benefits of soluble fiber include helping control blood sugar and preventing high cholesterol. High fiber diets also are beneficial to diabetics because of this glucose control. They’re also associated with lower risks for cancer and heart disease.

Lentils are also a good source of folate and other minerals such as iron and manganese which helps in growth, reproduction, wound healing, peak brain function, and the proper metabolism of sugars, insulin, and cholesterol.

Blueberries

The cancer fighting properties of blueberries alone are enough to put them on this list. A University of Illinois study tested different fruits for the presence of particular flavonoids that inhibits a cancer-promoting enzyme. Of all the fruits tested, wild blueberries showed the greatest anticancer activity. But this isn’t all the mighty blueberry can do for you.

Blueberries pack a ton of nutritional punch in a very small package. Blueberries contain antioxidants, help lower cholesterol levels, help prevent short term memory loss, help promote weight control and contain disease-fighting and anticancer properties. They also contain flavonoids that improve the macula and retina of the eye.

So what do you think? What’s on your list? Talk about it below!