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coming your way
otherwise.
The list includes some superstars you may
already know about and newly discovered foods
such as:
-
Goji Berry
-
Acai Berry
-
Grass-Fed Meats and Wild-Caught
Salmon
-
Almonds, Walnuts and Other Nuts
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Avocados
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Garlic, Onions, Leeks and Shallots
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Tomatoes
-
Sprouts
-
Grass-Fed Raw Dairy Milk, Cheese,
and Butter
-
Fermented
Foods
1. Goji
Berries - Goji or wolfberries have
long played important roles in Chinese medicine
where they are believed to enhance immune
system function, improve eyesight, protect the
liver, boost sperm production and improve
circulation, among other things. They can be
eaten raw, consumed as juice or wine, brewed
into an herbal tea, or prepared as a tincture.
Goji polysaccharides show antioxidant activity
in vitro. As a source of dietary fiber,
however, polysaccharides would yield products
from bacterial fermentation in the colon, such
as several short-chain fatty acids, e.g.,
butyric acid, which may provide health
benefits.
Goji berry fruits also contain zeaxanthin, an
important dietary carotenoid selectively
absorbed into the retinal macula lutea where it
is thought to provide antioxidant and
protective light-filtering roles.
Several published studies, mostly from China,
have also reported possible medicinal benefits
of Lycium barbarum, especially due to its
antioxidant properties, including potential
benefits against cardiovascular and
inflammatory diseases, vision-related diseases
(such as age-related macular degeneration and
glaucoma, having neuroprotective properties, or
as an anticancer and immunomodulatory
agent.
2. Acai Berry - The fruit is a
small, round, black-purple fruit about 1 inch
in diameter, similar in appearance and size to
a grape, and the newest wonder food.
Acai is particularly rich in fatty acids,
feeling oily to the touch. It contains high
levels of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic
acid. It is also rich in palmitic acid, and the
polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid linoleic
acid. β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol), a
phytosterol that competes with dietary
cholesterol for absorption and so may reduce
blood cholesterol levels, is also unusually
rich.
A recent study found 19 amino acids, with
especially high contents of aspartic acid and
glutamic acid. The dense pigmentation of acai
has led to several experimental studies of its
anthocyanins, a group of polyphenols that give
the deep color to berries and other fruits, and
are high in antioxidant value.
Twelve other flavonoid-like compounds were
additionally found, including homoorientin,
orientin, taxifolin deoxyhexose, isovitexin and
scoparin, as well as several unknown
flavonoids. Proanthocyanidins, another group of
polyphenolic compounds high in antioxidant
value are present, with a profile similar to
that of blueberries.
A number of studies have measured the
antioxidant strength of acai. A recent report
using a standardized oxygen radical absorbance
capacity or ORAC analysis on a freeze-dried
acai powder found that this powder showed a
high antioxidant effect against peroxyl
radical. This is approximately 10 times more
than blueberries or
cranberries.
Only 10% of acai's high antioxidant effects
could be explained by its anthocyanin content,
indicating that other polyphenols contribute
most of the antioxidant activity.
Acai was found to have a higher amount of
"slow-acting" antioxidant components,
suggesting a more sustained antioxidant effect
compared to "fast-acting"
components.
Acai containing polyphenolics could reduce
proliferation of HL-60 leukemia cells in vitro.
The acai berry contains similar properties as
red wine in controlling fats in the blood and
is a fair contributor to go up against the wine
diets of the Mediterranean people. In addition,
Acai contains anti-inflammatory agents that
inhibit COX 1 and 2 enzymes, thereby making it
effective against arthritis, allergies, and
other inflammatory diseases.
3. Fermented Foods -
Lacto-fermented foods have been around for a
very long time. Common in Korean, Chinese,
Japanese, and North and Central European
cuisine, fermentation has been used to enhance
the flavor of food, create food, and help food
having a longer shelf life. Fermented foods are
delicious and nutritious. These traditional
foods are key to our health.
Fermentation allows the bacteria, yeasts and
molds to "predigest" and therefore break down
the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to create
probiotics which offer friendly bacteria into
the digestive tract. This helps keep our immune
system strong and supports overall digestive
health.
Keep your digestive flora healthy and strong by
regularly eating fermented
foods.
Fermented foods are enzyme rich foods that are
alive with micro-organisms. These foods allow
beneficial microflora to "colonize" in the
intestines (and for moms-to-be, also in the
birth canal). This "inner ecosystem" helps
support our health and fight infection. A
healthy gastrointestinal tract is critical to a
strong immune system. Diets rich in fermented
foods, as well as fruits and vegetables, are
best for us to in order to maintain a strong
healthy body.
Fermented foods aid in digestion, promote
healthy flora in the digestive tract, produce
beneficial enzymes, offer better nutrition and
allow the body to absorb vitamins (in
particular C, and B12), minerals, nutritional
value and omega 3s more effectively from foods.
They regulate the level of acidity in the
digestive tract and act as anti-oxidants.
Fermented foods contain the same
isothiocyanates found in cruciferous vegetables
and therefore fight and prevent cancer.
Many fermented foods on the market today are
not true fermented foods because they are
created to maximize profits and shelf life
instead of health. They are not as beneficial.
It's important that we eat foods that are
fermented with "Active" or "Live" Cultures.
Pasteurization kills off the living bacteria so
look for unpasteurized and fresh fermented
foods (in the grocery refrigerator section).
Since fermentation is a way to keep the living
enzymes alive, it goes against the theory to
use pasteurized (or dead) milk, for example,
but you can make yogurt and kefir with
pasteurized milk, it just won't be as robust
and beneficial.
Fermented Foods include: Acidophilus milk,
amasake, beer, bleu cheese, chocolate, cider,
coffee, cultured vegetables, kefir, kimchi,
kombucha, marinated artichokes, miso, olives,
pickles, saurkraut, soy sauce, tea, tempeh,
umeboshi plums, vinegar,
yogurt.
4. Grass
Fed Meats and Wild Caught
Salmon - Grass-fed beef and
wild caught salmon have more beta-carotene,
vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids than beef
produced using conventional cattle-feeding
strategies.
Three ounces of
ground beef from cattle fed conventional
diets contain about 41 micrograms of
beta-carotene and a typical rib eye steak
has 36 micrograms. In contrast, meat from
cattle fattened predominately on ryegrass
has almost double the beta-carotene, 87
micrograms in 3.5 ounces of ground beef and
64 micrograms in a steak.
Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the
body. Vitamin A is a critical fat-soluble
vitamin that is important for normal vision,
bone growth, reproduction, cell division and
cell differentiation.
In addition, grass fed meats are much higher in
Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin
with powerful antioxidant activity. Grass fed
cattle exhibit about 3 times as much vitamin E
per serving as grain fed beef.
The primary factor in both wild caught fish and
grass fed meats is the fat content and the fat
ratios. Both have significantly high levels of
the essential fatty acid omega 3, which has
powerfully positive health effects.
Grazing animals fed an exclusive grass fed
diet, as well as wild caught salmon eating
their natural diet, significantly alters the
fatty acid composition. Cattle fed primarily
grass have 60 percent more omega-3 fatty acids
and a more favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
Likewise for salmon raised on their natural
diet. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation
and help prevent heart disease and arthritis.
The essential fatty acids are also highly
concentrated in the brain and appear to be
particularly important for cognitive and
behavioral function.
The meat and milk from grass-fed ruminants are
the richest known source of another type of
good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or
CLA. When ruminants are raised on fresh pasture
alone, their milk and meat contain as much as
five times more CLA than products from animals
fed conventional diets.
CLA may be one of our most potent defenses
against cancer.
Also, natural CLA from grass-fed meat and milk
has been shown in studies to help build muscle
and increase fat loss.
5. Grass
Fed Raw Dairy Cheeses and
Butter - Few people are aware
that clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows was
actually used as a medicine in the early part
of the last century. That's right. Milk
straight from the udder, the "stem cell" of
foods, was used as medicine to treat, and
frequently cure some serious chronic diseases.
From the time of Hippocrates to until just
after World War II, this "white blood"
nourished and healed uncounted
millions.
Clean raw milk,
cheeses, and butter from grass-fed cows are
a complete and properly balanced food. You
could live on it exclusively if you had to.
Raw dairy contains a wealth of healthy
substances including: amino acids, enzymes,
vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats such as
CLA.
Amino acids are building blocks for protein.
Depending on whom you ask, we need 20-22 of
them for this task. Raw dairy products have all
20 of the standard amino acids. About 80% of
the proteins in milk are caseins- reasonably
heat stable but easy to digest. The remaining
20% or so fall into the class of whey proteins,
many of which have important physiological
effects (bioactivity). Also easy to digest, but
very heat sensitive-and lost in the
pasteurization process, these include key
enzymes and enzyme inhibitors, immunoglobulins,
metal-binding proteins, vitamin binding
proteins and several growth
factors.
Lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein, has
numerous beneficial properties including (as
you might guess) improved absorption and
assimilation of iron, anti-cancer properties
and anti-microbial action against several
species of bacteria responsible for dental
cavities. Recent studies also reveal that it
has powerful antiviral properties as
well.
Two other players in raw milk's antibiotic
protein/enzyme arsenal are lysozyme and
lactoperoxidase. Lysozyme can actually break
apart cell walls of certain undesirable
bacteria, while lactoperoxidase teams up with
other substances to help knock out unwanted
microbes too. The immunoglobulins, provide
resistance to many viruses, bacteria and
bacterial toxins and may help reduce the
severity of asthma symptoms.
Two thirds of the fat in milk is saturated. Is
saturated fat good or bad for you? Saturated
fats play a number of key roles in our bodies:
from construction of cell membranes and key
hormones to providing energy storage and
padding for delicate organs, to serving as a
vehicle for important fat-soluble
vitamins.
All fats cause
the stomach lining to secrete a hormone
(cholecystokinin or CCK), which, aside from
boosting production and secretion of
digestive enzymes, signals the brain that
we've eaten enough. With that trigger
removed, non-fat dairy products and other
fat-free foods can potentially help
contribute to over-eating. Full-fat raw
dairy is the ONLY healthy dairy... NOT
fat-free pasteurized dairy, which is
basically a food with it's nutrition
destroyed.
CLA, short for conjugated linoleic acid and
abundant in milk from grass-fed cows, is a
heavily studied, polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty
acid with promising health benefits. Among
CLA's many potential benefits: it raises
metabolic rate, helps remove abdominal fat,
boosts muscle growth, reduces resistance to
insulin, strengthens the immune system and
lowers food allergy reactions. Grass-fed raw
dairy has from 3-5 times the amount found in
the milk from feedlot (grain fed)
cows.
Discussions of minerals, or any nutrients for
that matter, must deal with ranges rather than
specific amounts, since individual needs vary.
Raw milk contains a broad selection of
completely available vitamins and minerals,
ranging from the familiar calcium and
phosphorus, to Vitamins A and D, and on down to
trace elements. Raw grass-fed dairy also has a
missing nutrient called 'K2', which is
extremely valuable in helping the body absorb
calcium, and therefore rebuilding bone,
repairing cavities, and keeping the blood
vessels clean.
The 60 plus (known) fully intact and functional
enzymes in raw milk have an amazing array of
tasks to perform, each one of them essential
for one key task or another. The most
significant health benefit derived from food
enzymes is the burden they take off the body.
The amylase, bacterially-produced lactase,
lipase and phosphatase in raw milk, break down
starch, lactose, fat (triglycerides) and
phosphate compounds respectively, making milk
more digestible and freeing up key minerals.
Other enzymes, like catalase, lysozyme and
lactoperoxidase help to protect milk from
unwanted bacterial infection, making it safer
to drink.
Raw dairy contains about 3mg of cholesterol per
gram - a decent amount. Our bodies make most of
what we need, that amount fluctuating by what
we get from our food. Cholesterol is a
protective/repair substance. A waxy plant
steroid (often lumped in with the fats), our
body uses it as a form of waterproofing, and as
a building block for a number of key
hormones.
It's natural, normal, and essential to find it
in our brain, liver, nerves, blood, bile,
indeed, every cell membrane.
Unfortunately, pasteurization allows for sloppy
farm practices and unhealthy cows.
You will find it hard to find raw
milk in most areas, but you can find a co-op or
local farm at www.realmilk.com
6.
Avocados - Avocados contain
oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help
to lower cholesterol. In one study of people
with moderately high cholesterol levels,
individuals who ate a diet high in avocados
showed clear health improvements. After seven
days on the diet that included avocados, they
had significant decreases in total cholesterol
and LDL cholesterol, along with an 11% increase
in health promoting HDL
cholesterol.
Avocados are a good source
of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate
blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium
can help to guard against circulatory
diseases, like high blood pressure, heart
disease, or stroke.
One cup of avocado has 23% of the Daily Value
for folate, a nutrient important for heart
health. One study showed that individuals who
consume folate-rich diets have a much lower
risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke than
those who do not consume as much of this vital
nutrient.
Not only are avocados a rich source of
monounsaturated fatty acids including oleic
acid, which has recently been shown to offer
significant protection against breast cancer,
but it is also a very concentrated dietary
source of the carotenoid lutein; it also
contains measurable amounts of related
carotenoids (zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene and
beta-carotene) plus significant quantities of
tocopherols (vitamin E).
In a laboratory study published in the Journal
of Nutritional Biochemistry, an extract of
avocado containing these carotenoids and
tocopherols inhibited the growth of both
androgen-dependent and androgen-independent
prostate cancer cells.
Enjoying a few slices of avocado in your tossed
salad, or mixing some chopped avocado into your
favorite salsa will not only add a rich, creamy
flavor, but will greatly increase your body's
ability to absorb the health-promoting
carotenoids that vegetables
provide.
Since avocados contain a large variety of
nutrients including vitamins, minerals, as well
as heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, eating a
little avocado along with carotenoid-rich
vegetables and fruits is an excellent way to
improve your body's ability to absorb
carotenoids while also receiving other
nutritional-and
taste-benefits.
Oral cancer is even more likely to result in
death than breast, skin, or cervical cancer,
with a mortality rate of about 50% due to late
detection. Avocados may offer a delicious
dietary strategy for the prevention of oral
cancer.
Phytonutrients in Hass avocados, the most
readily available variety, target multiple
signaling pathways, increasing the amount of
free radicals (reactive oxygen species) within
pre-cancerous and cancerous human oral cell
lines, that leads to their death, but cause no
harm to normal cells. Hass avocados may inhibit
the growth of prostate cancer as well. When
analyzed, Hass avocados were found to contain
the highest content of lutein among commonly
eaten fruits, as well as measurable amounts of
related carotenoids (zeaxanthin,
alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene).
7.
Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, and Other
Nuts - A high-fat food that's
good for your health? You
betcha!
Almonds and walnuts sit at the top of the heap
for nutrition, but other nuts are healthy, too,
including pistachios, pecans, and cashews. Nuts
are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type
of health-promoting fats as are found in olive
oil, which have been associated with reduced
risk of heart disease. Five large human
epidemiological studies, including the Nurses
Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, the
Adventist Health Study, and the Physicians
Health Study, all found that nut consumption is
linked to a lower risk for heart disease.
Researchers who studied
data from the Nurses Health Study estimated
that substituting nuts for an equivalent
amount of carbohydrate in an average diet
resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease
risk.
A study published in the British Journal of
Nutrition indicates that when foods
independently known to lower cholesterol, such
as almonds, are combined in a healthy way of
eating, the beneficial effects are additive. In
this study of 12 patients with elevated LDL
cholesterol levels, a diet containing almonds
and other nuts, plant sterols (also found in
nuts), soy protein, and soluble fiber (in high
amounts in beans, oats, pears) reduced blood
levels of all LDL fractions including small
dense LDL (the type that most increases risk
for cardiovascular disease) with near maximal
reductions seen after only 2
weeks.
In addition to their cholesterol-lowering
effects, nuts' ability to reduce heart disease
risk may also be partly due to the antioxidant
action of the vitamin E found, as well as to
the LDL-lowering effect of monounsaturated
fats. In addition to healthy fats and vitamin
E, a quarter-cup of almonds contains almost 99
mg of magnesium (that's 24.7% of the daily
value for this important mineral), plus 257 mg
of potassium.
Magnesium is Nature's own calcium channel
blocker. When there is enough magnesium around,
veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and
relax, which lessens resistance and improves
the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients
throughout the body. Studies show that a
deficiency of magnesium is not only associated
with heart attack but that immediately
following a heart attack, lack of sufficient
magnesium promotes free radical injury to the
heart.
Potassium, an important electrolyte involved in
nerve transmission and the contraction of all
muscles including the heart, is another mineral
that is essential for maintaining normal blood
pressure and heart function. Nuts promote your
cardiovascular health by providing 257 mg of
potassium and only 0.3 mg of sodium, making
them an especially good choice to in protecting
against high blood pressure and
atherosclerosis.
Walnuts, pecans, and chestnuts have the highest
antioxidant content of the tree nuts, with
walnuts topping out the others in antioxidant
content. And, peanuts (although technically, a
legume) also contribute significantly to our
dietary intake of
antioxidants.
Even more impressive were the results of a
review study of the evidence linking nuts and
lower risk of coronary heart disease. Subjects
consuming nuts at least 4 times a week showed a
37% reduced risk of coronary heart disease
compared to those who never or seldom ate nuts.
Each additional serving of nuts per week was
associated with an average 8.3% reduced risk of
coronary heart disease.
8.
Sprouts -Sprouts are one of the
most complete and nutritionally beneficial of
all foods. Their nutritional value was
discovered by the Chinese thousands of years
ago. Recently, in the USA, numerous scientific
studies suggest the importance of sprouts in a
healthy diet.
As an
example, a sprouted Mung Bean has the
carbohydrate content of a melon, vitamin A
of a lemon, thiamin of an avocado,
riboflavin of a dry apple, niacin of a
banana, and ascorbic acid of a loganberry.
Other studies have shown sprouts to be a
powerful antioxidant and may assist in
preventing some types of
cancer.
Sprouts are the most reliable year-round source
of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and many B
vitamins (such as folacin). Sprouting seeds,
grains, and legumes greatly increases their
content of those vitamins. For example, the
vitamin A content (per calorie) of sprouted
Mung beans is two-and-a-half times higher than
the dry bean, and some beans have more than
eight times more vitamin A after being
sprouted.
Sprouts preserve our body's enzymes, which is
extremely important. How do they do this?
Sprouted beans, grains, nuts, and seeds are
extremely easy to digest. Sprouting essentially
pre-digests the food for us by breaking down
the concentrated starch into simpler
carbohydrates and the protein into free amino
acids, so our own enzymes don't have to work so
hard. Sprouting also removes anti-nutrients
such as enzyme inhibitors, and that makes
sprouts even easier to digest, further sparing
enzymes.
Another anti-nutrient is phytates, which is
what stops some people from enjoying grains
such as wheat. Many people who can't eat
unsprouted wheat find they can eat all the
sprouted wheat they want with no
problem.
Almost any vegetable or grain can be consumed
from sprouts. Broccoli, canola, cauliflower,
and mustard greens sprouts are loaded with
vitamins, minerals, protein, enzymes, and
chlorophyll. In a recent study, 1 oz. of
broccoli sprouts had the same cancer-fighting
power as over 11⁄2 pounds of fully-grown
broccoli.
9.
Tomatoes - Tomatoes are a rich
source of several nutrients. They are well
known for their high vitamin C content, but
also contain significant amount of vitamin A, B
vitamins including niacin and riboflavin,
magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium. Tomatoes
are also a good source of chromium, folate, and
fiber.
In recent years a particular nutrient found in
abundance in tomatoes, lycopene, has made many
headlines for its disease fighting abilities.
Lycopene is well known as a preventer of
prostate cancer, which makes tomatoes high on
the healthy food list for men.
Lycopene is not just
important for men though. It is a powerful
antioxidant and as such helps to protect the
cells in our bodies from damage. Studies in
humans have shown that lycopene is
protective against a variety of cancers
including prostate of course, but also
colorectal, breast, lung, endometrial,
pancreatic, bladder, cervical and skin
cancers.
Lycopene has also been shown to help prevent
heart disease and may slow the development of
cataracts and macular degeneration, an age
related vision problem that can lead to
blindness.
The vitamin B6, niacin, potassium, and folate
found in abundance in tomatoes are potent
protectors against heart disease. Niacin can
lower high cholesterol levels and potassium has
been shown to lower high blood pressure and to
reduce the risk of heart disease. Vitamin B6
and folate also work to convert the
homocysteine in our bodies into harmless
molecules. High levels of homocysteine are
associated with an increased risk of heart
attack and stroke.
The fiber in tomatoes also helps lower
cholesterol levels, helps prevent colon cancer,
and helps to keep blood sugars at a low level.
Tomatoes are a source of riboflavin, which has
been shown to be helpful for migraine sufferers
by reducing the frequency of their
headaches.
A helpful note about tomato nutrition is that
lycopene is actually more available to the body
when tomatoes are cooked, so cooked or canned
tomatoes are just as nutritious for you as raw.
The facts about tomatoes definitely point to
this fruit/vegetable as a nutrient powerhouse
and a super food to be enjoyed as often as
possible.
10.
Garlic, onion, leeks, and
shallots - Garlic health
benefits and medicinal properties have long
been known. Garlic has long been considered a
herbal "wonder drug", with a reputation in
folklore for preventing everything from the
common cold and flu to the plague! It has been
used extensively in herbal medicine. Raw garlic
is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne,
and the common cold, and there is some evidence
that it can assist in managing high cholesterol
levels. It can even be effective as a natural
mosquito repellent.
A
stronger tasting clove of garlic has more
sulphur content and hence more medicinal
value. Some people prefer to take garlic
supplements. These pills and capsules have
the advantage of avoiding garlic
breath.
Modern science has shown that garlic is a
powerful antibiotic, albeit broad-spectrum
rather than targeted. The body does not appear
to build up resistance to the garlic, so its
positive health benefits continue over
time.
Studies have shown that garlic - especially
aged garlic - can have a powerful antioxidant
effect. Raw garlic is very strong, so eating
too much could produce problems, for example
irritation of or even damage to the digestive
tract.
There are two main medical ingredients, which
produce the garlic health benefits: allicin and
diallyl sulphides.
Allicin is the most powerful medicinal compound
derived from garlic and provides the greatest
reputed health benefits.
It is produced when garlic is finely chopped or
crushed. The finer the chopping and the more
intensive the crushing, the more allicin is
generated and the stronger the medicinal
effect.
As well as having
antibiotic properties, allicin is an excellent
anti-fungal and has been used to treat skin
infections such as athlete's
foot.
Take this knowledge and use
it in your quest for a flat
stomach. Losing weight is more about
what food you eat than any thing else. Healthy
food, a good exercise regimen and consistency
will take you a long way in getting a flat
stomach and developing six pack
abs.
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