 The 5 Greatest Foods For Your Health |
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| Vintage |
 Sep 28 2007, 09:31 AM
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Elite Money Maker
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The 5 Greatest Foods For Your Health
At the Institute for Integrative Nutrition I was taught that there is no such thing as a good or bad food. My teachers explained that what makes some foods “evil” and others pristine has nothing to do with their individual morality and everything to do with how we use them.
After reading hundreds of books on food and attending dozens of lectures from some of the top minds in health and nutrition, I still hold this belief to be true.
However there are a few messages about food types that seem to be universal, even among differing branches of belief. In this article, I am providing what I believe to be the 5 greatest foods for human health based on the theory of least resistance—meaning almost everyone who has written a book or considers himself/herself an expert in nutrition has no gripe with these foods:
1) SEA VEGETABLES, or “seaweed”
Quite frankly, sea vegetables are the most misunderstood and under-utilized food in Western culture! There are approximately 90 minerals identified in modern nutrition and ALL of them are represented in seaweed. Sea vegetables are higher in vitamins and minerals than every other food on the planet ounce for ounce; they contain 20-200% more minerals than land-based vegetables. Seaweed holds high levels of Vitamins C, D, K and B and has more Vitamin A than carrots.
Seaweed is also very rich in protein and strengthens the kidneys and nervous system. When eaten consistently, sea vegetables calm hyperactivity, reduce stress and are excellent for the thyroid gland. People complain about the taste and the general rule of thumb with seaweed is this: the worse it tastes for you, the more you need it. Dulse, Kelp and Nori are excellent types.
2) CACAO
Chocolate originates from a bean called “Cacao”, and is one of the most complex food substances on earth. According to Healing with Natural Foods author Paul Pitchford Cacao has over 300 chemically identifiable compounds. Energetics of Food author Eric Gagne claims raw chocolate has 700 naturally occurring chemicals and almost everyone agrees Cacao is one of the highest anti-oxidant foods on the planet (including the New York Times)!
This is beneficial because antioxidants fight “free radical cells” which cause inflammation and disease in our bodies. Cacao also contains 10x more magnesium and chromium than any other food in the world. Magnesium is the most important mineral for our health activating over 350 processes, according to Pitchford. So YES, chocolate is extremely healthy, just make sure to buy raw and organic chocolate from a health food store. An excellent way to integrate this food into your diet is by adding it to health shakes.
3) QUINOA
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WA) is an ancient whole grain, and has been consumed by people for more than 8,000 years. Quinoa has the highest nutritional profile of all grains. It contains high levels of dietary fiber and B Vitamins and has all 8 essential amino acids. Whole grains are some of the best sources for nutritional support, providing long-lasting energy (as a result of the body absorbing them slowly unlike simple carbs).
Quinoa is high in zinc, potassium, calcium and Vitamin E and is known to strengthen the kidney and heart!
4) KALE
It is well-known that leafy green vegetables are extremely nutritious and jam-packed with a wide array of vitamins. Energetically speaking, leafy greens contain a high concentration of chlorophyll, the “life-blood” of our planet…and Kale is the king of them! It’s never surprising to see studies on diet and disease that say “vegetables—especially green leafy vegetables—are associated with a lower risk of…” as they have a high concentration of Vitamins A, C and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, lutein and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are components of fruits or vegetables that may help to prevent disease, and perhaps even help to treat some disorders.
Kale goes a step further and is also an incredible source of calcium, folic acid, vitamin B6, manganese, and potassium. For a green, Kale is unusually high in fiber and in many ways is a true superfood!
5) BERRIES
According to raw food extraordinaire David Wolfe, berries are the most natural food for human consumption and a cleanser for the human body. We spend so much time thinking about what we put in our bodies we forget the importance of what comes out (David Wolfe calls himself the world’s biggest “gastronaut”…I love it)! Furthermore, berries are a wonderful source of Vitamins C, E, calcium and folic acid and are rich in phytochemicals.
Berries are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, which has been linked to lowered cholesterol levels. Some forms have even shown to have anti-cancer properties in laboratory settings The goji berry, the #1 food in Chinese medicine, is one of the highest anti-oxidant foods on the planet and well-worth looking into!
In conclusion, I am aware that the foods described in this article are not considered “main course” items in our society. However, learning more about these foods and integrating them into your diet can do absolute wonders for your health. Try them out, and see…
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Replies(1 - 9)
| singapore carrental |
Aug 5 2008, 06:20 PM
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Junior Money Maker
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Other than Berries, i have not heard of any of the rest before.
10 Best and Worst Foods For Health
Posted on June 3, 2008 by rplan
Here’s a short list of best and worst foods for health. I’m sure at least one of the worst will shock you and I hope the best foods will work their way into your diet. We can’t stop all food that we know is bad for health but we can make better choices with better information. Have fun reading this list.
Let’s start with the good foods for health.
1- Sweet Potatoes. - A nutritional All-Star — one of the best vegetables you can eat. They’re loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Bake and then mix in some unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple for extra moisture and sweetness.
2- Grape Tomatoes. - They’re sweeter and firmer than other tomatoes, and their bite-size shape makes them perfect for snacking, dipping, or salads. They’re packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you also get some fiber, some phytochemicals, and (finally) some flavor.
3- Fat-free (Skim) or 1% Milk (but not 2%). Excellent source of calcium, vitamins, and protein with little or no artery clogging fat and cholesterol. Ditto for low-fat yogurt. Soy milk can have just as many nutrients – if the company adds them.
4 -Broccoli. Lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid. Steam it briefly and add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a dash of soy sauce.
5- Wild Salmon. The omega-3 fats in fatty fish like wild salmon can help reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks. And salmon that is caught wild has fewer PCB contaminants than farmed salmon.
6 -Crispbreads. - Whole-grain rye crackers, like Wasa, Ry Krisp, and Ryvita – usually called crispbreads – are loaded with fiber and often fat-free.
7- Microwaveable or “10-minute” Brown Rice. Enriched white rice is nutritionally weak. You lose the fiber, magnesium, vitamins E and B-6, copper, zinc, and phytochemicals that are in the whole grain. Try quick cooking or regular brown rice instead.
8 - Citrus Fruits. Great-tasting and rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber. Perfect for a snack or dessert. Try different varieties: juicy Minneola oranges, snacksize Clementines, or tart grapefruit.
9 - Diced Butternut Squash. A growing number of food stores sell peeled, seeded, cut, and ready to go – into the oven, into a stir-fry, or into a soup or risotto, that is – bags of diced butternut squash. Every half cup has 5 grams of fiber and payloads of vitamins A and C.
10 - Spinach and Kale. Loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, calcium and fiber.
Now the worst foods for health.
1 - Artery Crust.
Judging by the label, Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie has 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat. But look again. Those numbers are for half a pie. Eat the entire pie, as most people probably do, and you’re talking more than 1,000 calories and 18 grams of sat fat.
2 - Strip Tease.
McDonald’s Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips sounds healthy. A standard, fivestrip order has 630 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat. That’s about the same as a Big Mac, except the burger has 1,040 mg of sodium, while the Selects hit 1,550 mg, even without the salty sauce.
3 - Factory Reject.
Each slice of The Cheesecake Factory’s 6 Carb Cheesecake has 610 calories – that’s the same as you’d get from a slice of its Original Cheesecake. Think of it as an 8-ounce prime rib for dessert – with 29 grams of saturated fat, a 1 1/2 days’ supply.
4 - Everlasting Dove.
Dove squeezes some 300 calories and an average of 11 grams of saturated fat (half-aday’s worth) into a tennis-ball size serving (half a cup) of its Dove Ice Cream. That puts it in the same ballpark as Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs.
5 - Starbucks on Steroids.
The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whipped cream is more than a mere cup of coffee. Think of it as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup. Few people have room in their diets for the 490 calories and 16 grams of bad fat that this hefty beverage supplies. But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.
6 - Angioplasta.
“Fresh, pulled white meat chicken, fresh steamed broccoli and penne pasta, tossed in parmesan cream sauce. Topped with Wisconsin cheddar cheese, then baked,” says Ruby Tuesday’s menu entry for its Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta. Some patrons may know that the cheese and cream add saturated fat, but how much harm could they do? Enough to turn the dish into a 2,060-calorie megameal with 128 grams of fat. Since the fat is mostly dairy, roughly 60 to 70 of those fat grams are probably saturated.
7 - Stack Attack.
Unless you’re suicidal, why on earth would you want to wolf down a Burger King Quad Stacker – 4 hamburger patties, 4 slices of cheese, 8 strips of bacon, plus sauce and a bun? That’s half-a-day’s calories (1,000), one-and-a-half-days’ worth of saturated fat (30 grams), 3 grams of trans fat, and more than a day’s sodium (1,800 mg). Urp!
8 - Salt’s On!
Campbell’s Chunky, Select, and red-and-white-label condensed soups are brimming with salt: Half a can averages more than half of a person’s daily quota of salt. Instead, try brands like Healthy Choice and Campbell’s Healthy Request, which have about half as much sodium.
9 - Tortilla Terror.
Interested in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito (tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa)? Think of its 1,180 calories and 19 grams of saturated fat as three 6-inch Subway Steak and Cheese Subs. Plus, it has 2,900 mg of sodium! Getting the burrito with no cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat by two-thirds, but you still end up with 950 calories and 2,690 mg of sodium. Yikes!
10 -Razzle, Dazzle ‘em.
A Mint Chip Dazzler at Häagen-Dazs stores (three scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, Oreos, chocolate sprinkles, and whipped cream) has 1,270 calories and 38 grams of saturated fat — that’s two days’ worth. Think of it as a T-bone steak with Caesar salad, and baked potato with sour cream. But that’s for dinner — yet many people have a Dazzler as a dessert after lunch or dinner!
Source: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_us.pdf
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