10 Healthiest Foods

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Two "Forbidden Foods" That Can Give You Instant EnergyBy Dr. Mercola

Does your health food repertoire consist of salads, baked chicken and broccoli? Are you looking

for a way to add some excitement to your meals while maximizing their nutritional punch?

There's absolutely no need to be bored when eating healthy, but many believe this to be the

case because they are missing out on some of the tastiest and healthiest options of all.

I encourage you to peruse the list below to take advantage of some of the healthiest foods on

earth. Before we can talk about the best foods, we need to perform some nutrition "mythbusting"

and address two major dietary myths that have permeated Western culture for decades:

1. Fat is bad for youespecially saturated fat

2. All microorganisms are dangerous

Myth #1: Fat is BAD for You

Conventional medical "wisdom" continues barking that consumption of saturated animal fats is

bad for you and causes heart disease. Most medical "experts" believes this to be true. But a

hundred years ago, fewer than one in one hundred Americans were obese, and coronary heart

disease was unknown and we had FAR more fat intake then we do today.

The demonization ofsaturated fatbegan in 1953, when Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper

comparing saturated fat intake and heart disease mortality. His theory turned out to be flimsy, tosay the least, but the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued ever since. Fortunately,

the truth is finally starting to come out, as medical scientists have finally begun to question Keys'

findings. The truth is, it's thetrans fatfound in margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially

hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the true villain, causing a multitude of health problems.

Coconut oil also fell into the "bad for your heart health" as a result of the saturated fat

disparagement. This is most unfortunate as it is one of the healthiest fats on the planet. It is

mostly medium chain triglycerides with over half of those belonging to lauric acid, which is an

essential fat to regulate your immune system, and is also very prevalent in breast milk. It can

curb hunger and help provide lasting energy.

I personally consume about one quart of coconut oil a week. It is the ideal fat to use when you

are using intermittent fasting and seeking to replace calories from grains and sugar, and

excessive protein.
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Myth #2: When It Comes to Bacteria, Be Afraid... Be Very Afraid

We have become one of the mostgermophobiccultures in the world, attempting to sterilize

ourselves into a bubbleand our children as well. We haven't done ourselves any favors here.

We live in a world of microorganisms... bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and our lives depend on

living with them, rather than avoiding them. Literally.

Microorganisms are everywhere. You swallow them, breathe them, and they form invisible

colonies on your skin. Your gut is home to approximately 100 trillion bacteria, both good and

bad. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by about 10 to one, and maintaining the

ideal balance of healthy and disease causing microflora forms the foundation for your health

physical, mental and emotional.

In fact, this microscopic zoo in your gut is the first-line defense of your immune system. While a

few of these microorganisms can wreak havoc with your system, most of these little "bugs" are

good, helping you digest your food, stay protected from infections, and even helping to prevent

autoimmune diseases like asthma, allergies, and diabetes. An imbalance in your gut flora can

be a major contributor to many serious illnesses, including autism, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

diseases.

Your body'smicrobial communityis so crucial to your health that researchers have compared it

to "a newly recognized organ" whose function is so important that you simply cannot be

optimally healthy without it. In addition to avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and antibacterial

soaps, balancing your gut flora may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve

your health. This requires "reseeding" your gut with naturally fermented foods and probiotics.

Are You Eating These 10 Healthiest Foods?

So, having dispelled two pervasive food myths, let me now focus on ten of the most healthful

foods you could be consuming. Remember these are general recommendations. Not everyone

will do well with these foods, but the vast majority will have health improvement by regularly

consuming them. As always, it is important to listen to your body and let it guide you in making

that determination. With some foods though, like fermented vegetables, you will need to start

with very small amounts and work your way up to a healthy dose over a few months.

1. Fermented Vegetables

Fermented, or cultured, vegetablesare teeming with essential enzymes and good bacteria

needed for optimal digestion and they are easier to digest than raw or cooked vegetables. When

you eat raw cultured vegetables loaded with enzymes, you give your body an opportunity to use

its bodily stores of enzymes to rejuvenate itself instead of exhausting them trying to digest

overly processed and otherwise dead food. Cultured foods also offer a multitude of medicinal

rewards by:
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Alleviating digestive disorders - the flora in living cultured foods form a "living shield" thatcovers your small intestine's inner lining and resists pathogenic organisms likeEscherichia coli, Salmonella and an unhealthy overgrowth of yeast

Strengthening immunity with increased antibodies that fight off infectious disease

Helping pregnant and nursing mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their infants

Effectively impacting the behavior of children with autism,ADD/ and ADHD

Regulating weight and appetite by reducing cravings for sugar, soft drinks, bread andpasta -- all foods I strongly advise against

Fermented foods are also among some of the best chelators available. The beneficial bacteria

in these foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of environmental

toxins, including pesticides and and heavy metals. And you don't need to consume huge

amounts either. Caroline Barringer recommends eating about a quarter to a half a cup of

fermented vegetables, or cultured food such as raw yoghurt, per day. In the following video, shediscusses the process of fermenting your own vegetables in some detail, so for more

information, please listen to that interview.

2. Kale

Kale contains fiber and antioxidants, and is one of the best sources of vitamin A, which

promotes eye and skin health and may help strengthen your immune system. A one-cup serving

has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and as much calcium as a cup of milk. It's simply

an excellent source of multiple vitamins and other nutrients, including:

Vitamin A Vitamin B Vitamin C

Calcium Lutein (helps protectagainst maculardegeneration)

Zeaxanthin (helps protectagainst maculardegeneration)

Indole-3-carbinol (mayprotect against colon

cancer)

Iron Chlorophyll

3. Kefir and Other Fermented Beverages

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that contains beneficial probiotics that may help give your

immune system a boost, amongother health benefits. One of the best and least expensive

ways to get healthy bacteria through your diet is actually to obtain raw milk and convert it to kefir

yourself. All you need is one-half packet of kefir starter granules in a quart of raw milk, which
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you leave at room temperature overnight. By the time you wake up in the morning you will likely

have kefir. If it hasn't obtained the consistency of yogurt you might want to set it out a bit longer

and then store it in the fridge.

A quart of kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly purchase in any probiotic

supplement, and it is very economical as you can reuse the kefir from the original quart of milkabout 10 times before you need to start a new culture pack. Just one starter package of kefir

granules can convert about 50 gallons of milk to kefir. This is also a far healthier, and far more

economical, way to nourish your body with probiotics than buying any of the commercial

probiotic beverages on the market, as these typically contain added sugars and are made using

pasteurized milk, which I don't recommend drinking.

Kombucha, a fermented drink, is another great addition to your diet. The key is variety. The

greater the variety of fermented and cultured foods you include in your diet, the better, as each

food will inoculate your gut with a variety of different beneficial microorganisms.

4. Sardines

These tiny fish are packed withomega-3 fats, which are excellent for your heart, brain, mood

and more, and vitamin D. And, because of their lower position on the food chain, they don't

accumulate as many toxins, such as mercury, PCBs and dioxin, as larger fish do, making them

among the safest fish you can eat.

5. Whey Protein Concentrate

Whey protein, a by-product of cheese production, was promoted for its health benefits as early

as 420 B.C. As you age, your body gradually loses its ability to produce critical amino acids --the essential proteins you need for energy production, immune actions and protein buildup in

your muscle. Therefore, the need to supplement with these amino acids increases with age, and

increases even more in times of high physical stress, like after a workout, or when recovering

from injury or illness.

Whey protein concentrate (not to be confused with thefar inferior whey protein isolate) is an

ideal choice as it's a rich source of highly bioavailable amino acids that many are unaware of.

Whey protein has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including:
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Helping your insulin work more effectively, whichhelps maintain your blood sugar level after a

meal -- This is important as research suggestslowering your blood sugar levels after mealsmay be more beneficial for your health than

lowering fasting blood sugars.

Promoting healthy insulin secretion, which isessential for optimal health. This is one of the

foremost reasons for avoiding sugars andgrains, as their overconsumption has a negative

impact on both, and is a prime factor in

developing type 2 diabetes.

Helping to promote your optimal intake ofproteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, andminerals needed for your overall wellness.

Helping you preserve lean body tissue(particularly during exercise) as it delivers

bioavailable amino acids and cysteine.

Supporting your immune system, as it containsimmunoglobulins.

Maintaining blood pressure levels that arealready within the normal range.

6. Organic Pastured Eggs (Raw)

While many people do eat eggs, many neglect to eat them raw, which is the healthiest way.

Raw free-range or "pastured" eggsare an excellent source of high-quality nutrients that many

people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat.

A single egg contains:

Nine essential amino acids

One of the highest quality proteins you can find. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to

the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internalorgans and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system andhormones

Lutein and zeaxanthin (for your eyes)

Choline for your brain, nervous- and cardiovascular systems

Naturally occurring B12

Why is raw better? Heating the egg protein actually changes its natural biochemical shape, and

this distortion can easily lead to allergies. If you consume your eggs in their raw state, the

incidence of egg allergy virtually disappears. Eating eggs raw also helps preserve many of the

highly perishable nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are powerful prevention

elements for age-related macular degeneration, which is the most common cause of blindness.

Fresh raw egg yolk actually tastes like vanilla, in my opinion. The egg white is usually what most

people object to when they say they don't like the texture of raw egg. If this is an issue, consider

blending the whole raw egg into a shake or smoothie.
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Beware of consuming raw egg whiteswithout the yolks as raw egg whites contain avidin, which

can bind to biotin. If you cookthe egg white the avidin is not an issue. Likewise, if you consume

the whole raw egg (both yolk and egg white) there is more than enough biotin in the yolk to

compensate for the avidin binding.

If you choose not to eat your eggs raw, soft-boiled would be your next best option. Scramblingyour eggs is one of the worstways to eat eggs as it actually oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg

yolk. If you have high cholesterol this may actually be a problem for you as the oxidized

cholesterol may cause some damage in your body.

7. Organic Coconut Oil

Often shunned for its high saturated fat content, the naturally occurring saturated fat found in

coconut oil has some spectacular health benefits such as promoting heart health, weight loss,

immune system health, thyroid function and more. Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric

acida fat rarely found in naturethat could easily qualify as a "miracle" ingredient because of

its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which

has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.

And, because your body sends medium-chain fatty acids like those in coconut oil directly to your

liver to use as energy, this makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body,

a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.

Coconut oil is also the ideal choice for all types of cooking. In fact, it's the only oil stable enough

to resist mild heat-induced damage. So, whenever you need an oil to cook or bake with, use

coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for

in recipes.Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means usecoconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

8. Avocado

Also shunned by many due to their fat content, avocados are actually incredibly healthy for this

very reason. Healthy raw fat is a nutrient many are severely deficient in. I eat a whole avocado

nearly every day. Avocados also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients,

including:

Fiber

Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)

Vitamin E

B-vitamins

Folic acid


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9. Raw Grass-Fed Butter

Another type of healthy fat that many people do not eat is butter made from raw organic grass-

fed milk. I typically eat about a half-pound to a pound of raw organic grass-fed butter per week,

as it's an excellent source of high-quality nutrients, including:

Vitamins, such as vitamin A, needed for a wide range offunctions, from maintaining good vision to keeping theendocrine system in top shape, and all the other fat-

oluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking inthe modern industrial diet.

Trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zcopper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butt

provides more selenium per gram than wheat germherring. It's also an excellent source of iodine.

Healthful fats, including short- and medium-chain fats,which support immune function, boost metabolism andhave anti-microbial properties, as well as the perfect

balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and arachidoniccid, which is important for brain function, skin health and

prostaglandin balance.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a compound thgives excellent protection against cancer and also he

your body build muscle rather than store fat.

Glycospingolipids, a special category of fatty acids thatprotect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in

the very young and the elderly.

Wulzen Factor, a hormone-like substance that prevearthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in ybody is put into your bones rather than your joints aother tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in r

butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization

10. Pomegranate

The primary source of this fruit's benefits is its antioxidant content, particularly ellagitannin

compounds like punicalagins and punicalins, which account for about half of thepomegranate's

antioxidant ability. The juice and pulp of pomegranates have previously been studied for their

potential heart- and joint health benefits.

Aim to incorporate as many of these foods into your diet on a daily or weekly basis as you can,

and you'll be off to a great nutritional start. For even more advice on how to eat right by focusing

your diet on whole, unprocessed "superfoods," see mynutrition plan.
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10 Healthiest Foods