Healthy food can help us to live longer and avoid many serious diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, heart attack and other diseases.
Eating fruits and vegetables five times a day is not enough: you should also look very carefully on other products in your daily diet. Forget fast food and other highly processed foods containing a lot of sugar, salt and oil.
Focus on superfoods! These products can help you to be healthy until the rest of your (hopefully very long) live.
The list of superfoods is long: here we present only the most important healthy products, that you should eat regularly in order to avoid diseases mentioned before and enjoy physical and mental fitness.
This list of 20 healthiest foods will help you to eat better: just remember to include these products in your everyday diet.
1. Apple
Well known aphorism says: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This saying encourages people to eat at least one apple every day, and this is very good advice. Apples contain many important vitamins and minerals. They help skin to look beautifull and healthy.
Thanks to the fact, that they are very rich in fiber, apples are also good for weight loss and may have prebiotic effects. What’s more, eating apples prevents strokes, heart diseases and cancer. You can add it to any dish or eat alone, as a healthy and delicious snack.
2. Acai berries
This Brazilian berry is packed with antioxidants and a lot of nutrition. It reduces blood bad cholesterol, prevents cancer and improves memory, helping our brain to work properly when we get old.
Acai berries are usually added to smoothies and juices, it is sweet and really tasty. You can buy it frozen, fresh or dried. Eating acai is surely a very pleasant way to stay healthy.
3. Avocado
Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fat, which make risk of heart disease lower. Because it contains high amount of vitamin E, it is also very good for skin condition and helps to heal wounds faster.
What’s more, eating avocados regularly strengthens one’s defenses against cancer, so it’s less likely to get sick. Avocado is not only very healthy, but also really tasty and easy to prepare: just put in on a sandwich and add some salt and pepper or add some avocado pieces to fresh salad.
4. Barley (whole grain)
Whole grain barley contains phytic acid and protease inhibitor, which helps to prevent cancer. Barley is also high in fiber, which helps to keep the digestive system healthy.
Other whole grain, for example oats or rye, have similar properties, so you should always remember to choose whole grain products when shopping.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli reduces the risks of diabetes and cancer, keeps bones in good condition and prevents heart disease. Eating broccoli is also very good for your eyes.
This super-healthy vegetable contains great verity of vitamins and minerals important for yout health. The best way to prepare it is steaming: it helps to keep as many useful substances as possible.
6. Celery
This vegetable is a rich source of vitamins and minerals and contains a lot of antioxidants. It reduces blood pressure and helps to prevent cancer, heart diseases and other serious health problems so it’s a really good idea to conume it regularly.
For example, try to prepare celery juice or an orange and celery salad.
7. Chia seeds
Chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, iron, and calcium. Consuming chia seeds raises good cholesterol level and reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease.
It also helps to keep the body hydrated. Chia seeds with yougurt, oat flakes and fruits or chia pudding make delicious and really healthy dessert or breakfast.
8. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is much better than regular, milk chocolate: it contains much less sugar and fat. Besides, dark chocolate is a great source of magnesium and other important minerals. It is also a rich source of antioxidants.
Eating dark chocolate in moderation improves the blood flow and lowers the risk of heart disease. And remember: the more coca powder, the better! 70 or 90% dark chocolate is the healthiest option.
9. Eggs
Everybody eat it, but not everyone knows why it’s so important. Eggs contain a lot of important vitamins and minerals. Eggs are a good source of fiber, but it is low calories and low fat food, so it’s especially good for your health if you exercise.
Because of lecithin eggs lowers the level of bad cholesterol and prevents heart disease. Eating eggs is also very good for your memory. Just don’t eat it with sausages, bacon or a big amount of salt, and remember: 3 or 4 eggs a week is enough.
10. Garlic
Garlic doesn’t smell very nice, but it’s really healthy. Besides, if you cook it, it smells much better. Garlic is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as for example manganese and selenium.
If you have a cold, it’s always a good idea to eat some garlic, because it stops bacteria’s growth. What’s more, eating garlic helps to keep blood pressure low and regulates blood pressure.
11. Nuts
Nuts are tasty and healthy snack, even though it may contain a lot of calories and fat. However, all types of nuts are a good source of magnesium and other important minerals.
Eating nuts have many advantages: it lowers the risk of osteoporosis, helps to build or maintain muscle mass, protects against glaucoma and diabetes, keeps blood pressure low and prevents heart attack. As there are many types of nuts, feel free to choose your favorite.
12. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great idea to start a day. Oat’s fibers improve metabolism, helping your body to process fat faster. Oat flakes contains B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium.
It is also rich in antioxidants. Oat helps to lower cholesterol level and improves blood sugar control. The best way to eat is just to mix it with some milk or youghurt and add some fresh fruits, nuts and honey. Avoid ready, instant oatmeal as it usually contains a lot of sugar.
13. Olive oil
Olive oil is a much healthier option than butter. It contains a lot of important substances that help to prevent and fight age-related diseases. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, so it lowers the level of bad cholesterol and rises good, HDL cholesterol.
Consuming olive oil helps to avoid heart diseases and stroke, it can also reduce the risk of some cancers. Olive oil can be used to prepare salad dressing or sauces, you can also use it as a dip for bread or just add a little bit of olive oil at the end of cooking.
14. Onion
Onions are rich in flavonoids and potassium. These vegetables are antiseptic and antibacterial, it is a good idea to eat it every day, but especially when you have a cold.
Eating onions also helps to keep blood sugar low, reduces blood pressure and prevents strokes, heart disease and cancer. Luckily, onion can be added to almost all kinds of food: sandwiches, salads, fried and roasted dishes, so it’s not difficult to include it in your everyday diet.
15. Oranges
This delicious fruit contains a huge amount of vitamin C, other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Eating oranges fortifies immune system. Oranges are also a good source of fiber.
Moreover, oranges are high in citric acid: this may help to prevent kidney stone formation. Freshly squeezed orange juice is a very refreshing and healthy drink, so much better than sweetened carbonated drinks.
16. Potatoes
It may seem a little bit suprising, but potatoes also count as super food. It contains potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, as well as fiber. Eating potatoes often helps to lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease.
But remember: don’t eat it fried or with huge amount of oil: just cook it and enjoy your healthy meal with meat or fish and fresh salad. Eating potato chips is not a good idea either.
17. Quinoa
Quinoa plant is very rich in fiber. This is also a good source of protein and antioxidants. It contains vitamins (mostly vitamins B and E), antioxidants, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and other important minerals.
Eating quinoa regularly reduces the risk of heart disease and helps to prevent cancer. It is also very good for your eyes. It is easy to add quinoa to different types of dishes, so you can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
18. Salmon
Salmon (like most fat fishes) is a really good source of high quality protein, as well as many importants vitamins and minerals (mostly vitamin B12, selenium, choline and much more).
It contains omega-3 fatty acids, so eating salmon reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure and makes the risk of heart disease much smaller. You can add smoked salmon to your salad or sandwich or fry it on the pan and eat with rice or potatoes. This is a quick and easy way to prepare super healthy and tasty meal.
19. Soy
Soybean is often used instead of meat. And not without a reason: soy is a rich source of protein for all vegans and vegetarians.
Due to high amount of plant oestrogens, magnesium, collagen and elastin it may also have other positive effects on human’s health: it lowers bad cholesterol, reduces menopause symptoms, improves women’s fertility and helps to keep skin young and beautiful.
What’s even more important, soy can decrease risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
20. Spinach
Spinach is the last food mentioned on the list: last, but not least. It is an excellent idea to consume spinach at least once a week, because it contains many necessary substances, for example a lot of vitamin C, K and A. Spinach is also a good source of folate, magnesium and iron.
Thanks to that, eating spinach improves condition of skin, hair and bones, it also helps to prevent some kinds of cancers and asthma. You can eat spinach row (gor example in a salad), fried or cooked: it is very tasty and healthy meal for every occasion.
Eating top 20 healthy products mentioned above is a good way to be healthy and live long, but don’t forget about other things that are essential to stay fit. Exercise and walk a lot (at least 30 minutes every day), eat four or five light meals every day and avoid fat, unhealthy food, especially fast foods and sweet or very salty products.
The best option to eat healthy is to cook your food by yourself, but if you don’t have enough time and decide to buy ready meals, choose good restaurants or shop with high quality dishes and always remember to check ingredients very carefully.
Remember: you are what you eat, so choosing the healthiest foods is extremely important.