29_Healthiest_Foods[1]

8/7/2019 29_Healthiest_Foods[1]

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The 29 Heal th iest Foods on the Planet The fo llow ing is a "hea lthy food hot list" c onsisting o f the 29 food tha t w ill give you the b igg est nutritiona l ba ng

for you c a loric buc k, as well as dec rea se your risk for dea d ly illnesses like canc er, d iab ete s and hea rt d isea se.

Along w ith eac h desc ription is a sugg estion as to ho w t o incorporate these p ow er-food s into your diet.

01. Apricots

The Pow er: Beta -ca rotene, which helps p revent free -radic a l dam age a nd

protec t the e yes. The b od y also turns be ta -ca rotene into vitamin A, which m ay

help wa rd off some canc ers, espec ially of t he skin. One ap ricot has 17 ca lories,

0 fat , 1 gram of fiber. Snac ks on them d ried , or if you p refe r fresh, buy when still

firm; onc e t hey softe n, they lose nutrients.

02. Avocados

The Power: Oleic a c id, an unsat urate d fat tha t helps lowe r ove rall cholesterol

and ra ise levels of HDL, plus a goo d dose o f fibe r. One slic e has 81 ca lories, 8

grams of fa t a nd 3 gram s of fibe r. Try a few slic es instead of m ayonna ise to

d ress up your next b urger.

03. Raspberries

The Power: Ellagic ac id, whic h he lps sta ll c anc er-ce ll g row th. These b erries a re

also p ac ked w ith vitamin C a nd are high in fiber, which helps prevent high

c holesterol and hea rt d isea se. A c up has only 60 ca lories, 1 gram of fa t a nd 8

gram s of fiber. Top pla in low -fat yogurt or oa tme al (ano ther high fibe r food )

with fresh berries.

04. Mango

The Pow er: A me dium m ang o p acks 57mg of vitamin C, almost your who le-

rec om me nded da ily dose. This antioxidant helps p reve nt a rthritis and b oo sts

wo und hea ling and your imm une system . Mang oes also b oa st mo re tha n 8,000

IU of vitam in A (as be ta -ca rotene). One m ang o ha s 135 ca lories, 1 gram of fa tand 4 gram s of fiber. Cut on up and serve it ove r lea fy greens. Bonus: Your

sa lad will taste like d essert!

05. Cantaloupe

The Pow er: Vitam in C (117mg in half a m elon, almost twice the rec om mende d

da ily dose) and beta -carotene - bo th po werful antioxida nts that help protect

c ells from free -rad ica l da ma ge. Plus, half a m elon ha s 853mg o f po ta ssium -

almo st tw ice a s muc h a s a bana na, w hic h helps lowe r bloo d pressure. Half a

me lon has 97 c a lories, 1 gram of fa t a nd 2 grams of fiber. Cut into c ube s and

freeze, then b lend into a n icy smoothie.



06. Cranberry Juice

The Pow er: Helps fight bladder infec tions by prevent ing harmful bac te ria from

grow ing. A c up has 144 ca lories, 0 gram s of fa t and 0 fiber. Buy 100 percent

juic e c onc entrate a nd use it to spice up your da ily H20 without a dd ing suga r.

07. Tomato

The Power: Lyco pene , one o f the strong est c aroteno ids, ac ts as an antioxida nt.

Resea rch show s that tom at oes ma y cut t he risk of blad de r, stom ac h and c olon

c anc ers in half if ea ten d aily. A toma to ha s 26 calories, 0 fat a nd 1 gram o f

fiber. Drizzle fresh slic es with olive o il, be c ause lycopene is best a bsorbe d when

ea ten w ith a little fa t.

08. Raisins

The Power: These little g em s are a grea t source o f iron , which helps the b lood

transport oxygen and which ma ny wo men a re short on. A half-cup ha s 218

c a lories, 0 fat a nd 3 gram s of fiber. Sprinkle raisins on your mo rning o a tmea l or

bran c ereal - wo men, co nsider this espe c ially during your pe riod.

09. Figs

The Powe r: A goo d source o f po ta ssium and fiber, figs a lso c onta in vitamin B6,

which is responsible for prod uc ing mo od -boosting seroto nin, lowe ring

c holesterol and p reventing water rete ntion. The Pill de p letes B6, so if you use this

me thod o f birth c ont rol, ma ke sure to get e xtra B6 in your diet. One fig has 37 to

48 ca lories, 0 fat and 2 gram s of fibe r. (Coo kie love rs - fig bars have a round 56

c a lories, 1 gram o f fat a nd 1 g ram o f fiber per c oo kie). Fresh figs a re d elicious

simmered a longside a po rk tend erloin and the dried variety ma ke a grea t po rtable gym snack.

10. Lemons/Limes

The Power: Limonene , furoc oum arins and vitamin C, all of which he lp p revent

c anc er. A we dge has 2 ca lories, 0 fa t and 0 fiber. Buy a few of ea c h and

squee ze o ver sa lad s, fish, beans and vege tab les for fat free flavor.

VEGETABLES

11. Onions

The Pow er: Que rc etin is one of the most po we rful flavonoid s (nat ural plant

antioxida nts). Stud ies show it helps protec t aga inst c anc er. A c up (cho pp ed )

has 61 ca lories, 0 fat and 3 grams of fiber. Chop onions for the ma ximum p hyto-

nutrient b oo st, or if you ha te to c ry, roa st them w ith a little o live o il and serve

with rice o r othe r veg eta bles.



12. Artichokes

The Pow er: These od d-loo king vege ta b les conta in silyma rin, an antioxida nt tha t

helps prevent skin c ancer, plus fibe r to he lp c ontrol cho lesterol. One med ium

artichoke ha s 60 ca lories, 0 fa t and 7 grams of fibe r. Stea m over bo iling water

for 30 to 40 minutes. Squee ze lem on juice on to p , then pluc k the leaves off withyour fingers and use your teeth to sc rape o ff the ric h-tasting skin. When you g et

to the heart, you have found the be st p art!

13. Ginger

The Pow er: Gingerols ma y help red uc e quea siness; other c om pounds ma y help

wa rd off migraines and a rthritis pain b y b locking inflamm ation-causing

prosta gland ins. A teaspoo n of fresh g ingerroo t has only 1 c a lorie, 0 fa t and 0

fiber. Pee l the t oug h b row n skin a nd slice o r grate into a stir-fry.

14. Broccoli

The Pow er: Indole-3-ca rb inol and sulforapha ne, which he lp p rotec t a ga inst

b rea st cancer. Broc c oli also ha s lots of vitamin C and be ta -ca rotene. One c up

(cho pp ed ) has 25 c alories, 0 fat a nd 3 gram s of fiber. Don't overco ok broc c oli -

instea d , microw ave or stea m lightly to p reserve p hytonutrients. Squee ze fresh

lemon o n top for a zesty and taste, ad de d nut rients and som e vitamin C.

15. Spinach

The Pow er: Lutein and zea xanthin, c aroteno ids that he lp fend o ff mac ula r

deg ene ra tion, a ma jor ca use o f b lindness in olde r peo p le. Plus, stud ies show this

green founta in of youth ma y help reverse som e signs of a ging. One c up has 7

c alories, 0 fat a nd 1 gram of fiber. Ad d raw leaves to a salad or sauté w ith a

little olive oil and ga rlic .

16. Bok Choy (Chinese cabbage)

The Power: Brassinin, which som e resea rch sug gests ma y help p revent b reast

tum ors, plus indo les and isothioc yana tes, which lower leve ls of e strogen, ma ke

this vege tab le a do uble-ba rreled w ea po n a ga inst b rea st c anc er. A cup will

also give you 158mg of c alc ium (16 pe rc ent of your daily rec om mende d

req uirem ent) to help b ea t osteoporosis. A c up (co oked ) has 20 ca lories, 0 fat

and 3 grams of fibe r. Find it in your g roc er's p rod uc e sec tion or an Asian m arket .

Slic e the g reens and juicy white sta lks, then sauté like sp inac h or toss into a stir-

fry just b efo re serving .



17. Squash (Butternut, Pumpkin, Acorn)

The Pow er: Winter squa sh has huge am ounts of vitamin C a nd be ta -ca rote ne,

which ma y help p rotec t ag ainst endo metrial ca nce r. One c up (c ooked ) has 80

c alories, 1 gram of fa t a nd 6 grams of fiber. Cut o n in half, sc oo p out the seeds

and bake o r microwa ve until soft, then dust with cinnam on.

18. Watercress and Arugula

The Pow er: Phenet hyl isothioc yana te, which, along with be ta -

ca rotene and vitamins C a nd E, may help keep c anc er cells at

ba y. One c up ha s a round 4 ca lories, 0 fat a nd 1 gram o f fibe r.

Do no t coo k these lea fy greens; instea d , use the m to ga rnish a

sand wich or add a p ungent, pep pe ry taste to salad .

19. Garlic

The Powe r: The sulfur c om pounds tha t give g arlic its pung ent flavor ca n also

lower LDL ("bad ") cholesterol, low er bloo d p ressure and eve n reduc e yo ur risk of

stom ac h and c olon c ancer. A c love ha s 4 ca lories, 0 fat a nd 0 fiber. Bake a

who le hea d for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft a nd swe et a nd sp rea d on b rea d

instea d of b utter.

GRAINS/BEANS/NUTS

20. QuinoaThe Pow er: A half cup o f cooked q uinoa ha s 5

gram s of p rote in, mo re tha n a ny othe r grain, p lus

iron, riboflavin and ma gne sium. A ha lf-cup has

318 ca lories, 5 grams of fa t a nd 5 gram s of fibe r.

Ad d to soup for a p rotein b oo st. Rinse first, or it will

taste bitter.

21. Wheat Germ

The Pow er: A tablespo on g ives you abo ut 7 percent of your da ily mag nesium,

which he lps p revent m usc le c ramp s; it is a lso a go od source o f vitam in E. One

ta b lespoo n ha s 27 ca lories, 1 gram of fa t and 1 gram of fibe r. Sp rinkle som e

over yogurt, fruit or c erea l.



22. Lentils

The Pow er: Isoflavone s, wh ich ma y inhibit estroge n-prom ote d b rea st canc ers,

p lus fiber for hea rt hea lth and an impressive 9 grams of p rotein pe r ha lf c up . A

ha lf-c up (coo ked ) has 115 ca lories, 0 fa t and 8 gram s of fibe r. Isoflavone s hold

up through p roc essing, so b uy lentils c anned , dried or alread y in soup . Takethem to wo rk, and you will have a protein pa c ked lunch.

23. Peanuts

The Power: Stud ies show tha t pea nuts or othe r nuts (whic h c onta in mostly

unsat urate d "go od " fat ) c an lowe r your hea rt-disea se risk by ove r 20 pe rc ent.

One ounc e ha s 166 ca lories, 14 g rams of fa t a nd 2 grams of fibe r. Kee p a

pa cket in your b riefca se, gym b ag or purse for a p rote in-pa c ked p ost-workout

nosh o r an a fternoo n p ick me up tha t w ill satisfy you until supp er, or chop a few

into a stir-fry for a Tha i ac c ent .

24. Pinto Beans

The Pow er: A ha lf cup has more tha n 25 pe rcent o f your daily req uirem ent o f

folate, which he lps protec t a ga inst heart d isea se and red uc es the risk of b irth

defec ts. A half-c up (c anned ) has 103 ca lories, 1 gram of fat and 6 grams of

fibe r. Dra in a c an, rinse and toss into a po t o f veg eta rian c hili.

25. Low fat Yogurt The Pow er: Bac te ria in ac tive-cu lture yog urt helps p reve nt yea st infec tions;

c a lcium strengt hens bone s. A cup has 155 ca lories, 4 g rams of fa t, 0 grams of

fibe r. Get the plain kind and mix in your ow n fruit to keep c alories and suga r

dow n. If you a re lac tose intolerant , never fea r - yog urt should no t b othe r your

tummy.

26. Skim Milk

The Powe r: Ribo flavin (a.k.a . vita min B2) is importan t for good vision and a long

with vitamin A m ight help imp rove ec zema and allergies. Plus, you g et c alc ium

and vitamin D, too . One c up has 86 c alories, 0 fat a nd 0 fiber. If you a re used to

high fa t milk, don't go c old turkey; instea d , mix the two tog ether at first. Trust this

fac t: In a we ek or two you w on't miss it!



SEAFOOD

27. Shellfish (Clams, Mussels)

The Pow er: Vitam in B12 to support nerve and b ra in func tion, plus iron a nd hard -

to -get minerals like magnesium a nd pota ssium. Three o unc es ha s 126 to 146

c alories, 2 to 4 g ram s of fa t a nd 0 fibe r. Try a bow l of tom ato -based (and low

fat) Manhattan c lam c howde r.

28. Salmon

The Pow er: Co ld-wa ter fish like sa lmon, ma c kerel and tuna a re the b est sources

of om eg a-3 fatty ac ids, which help red uce the risk of ca rd iac disea se. A 3-

ounc e portion (c oo ked ) ha s 127 ca lories, 4 gram s of fat , 0 fiber. Brush fillets with

g inger-soy ma rinad e and g rill or b roil until fish flakes easily w ith a fork.

29. Crab

The Powe r: A g reat source o f vita min B12 and immun ity-boo sting zinc. A 3-

ounc e p ortion ha s 84 ca lories, 1 g ram of fa t, 0 fiber. The "c rab " in sushi is usua lly

ma de from fish; buy it c anned instead and ma ke your ow n c rab c akes.

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29_Healthiest_Foods[1]