Are Your Foods Super?

The other day, while reading the newspaper (and ignoring my computer), I made a discovery that made me smile, put the paper aside, boot up my laptop, grab a handful of walnuts, and create this video:



WHAT ARE SUPER FOODS?

This is exciting news for me because I have been promoting healthy dietary choices on this blog and at livelife365.com for years, foods that if eaten regularly can help prevent disease, maintain your weight, and prolong your life. Through a lifetime of trial and error, a voracious appetite for reading and the accumulation of knowledge, extensive research, and just what makes me feel good, I’ve discovered dozens of wonderful foods that have helped me lose weight, stay fit, reduce many illnesses and maladies, and, hopefully, will allow me to live a long, happy life. The cool thing is that many of the foods that I have long advocated and devoured on a regular basis have been labeled SUPER FOODS for their ability to do all of those aforementioned amazing things.

Here are some of the SUPER FOODS that I eat all the time, and that I encourage you to try to add to your eating regimen:

BEANS (“You Don‘t Know Beans“)
BLUEBERRIES
BROCCOLI
OATS (“Why Oatmeal Rules“)
SOY (“Why Soy?”)
SPINACH
GREEN TEA (“Drink Green Tea Every Day“)
TOMATOES (“Fruit or Vegetable? Who Cares, Just Eat Tomatoes Every Day!”)
ORANGES
PUMPKIN
WALNUTS
YOGURT
WHOLE GRAINS
OLIVE OIL
FLAX SEED

SALMON AND TURKEY are also considered SUPER FOODS, but are not on the list of foods I consume because I no longer eat animal protein—but that shouldn’t stop you! Back in the day, when I was a meat-eater, I ate tons of turkey and fish.

Why are these foods considered so SUPER? One thing they all have in common is that they are UNPROCESSED. Most of them are loaded with ANTIOXIDANTS and ANTI-INFLAMATORIES. Many of them are high in FIBER and MONOUNSATURATED FATS (the good kind!), and the best part: THEY ALL TASTE GREAT!

Many nutritional experts agree that a steady diet of these SUPER FOODS can:

* help reduce the risk of some cancers
* lower cholesterol
* manage hypertension
* lose weight and help maintain optimum weight
* reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
* enable you to live longer

The most encouraging thing I found while researching these SUPER FOODS was that the more digging I did, the more SUPER FOODS I discovered! And more often than not these foods satisfied my vegetarian lifestyle. Here are a few more SUPER FOODS:

KALE
KIWI
LENTILS
ONIONS
AVOCADOS (“Viva Avocado!”)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH

The point of all this is not to hit you over the head with all these so-called SUPER FOODS, but to encourage you to try to add as many healthier eating choices as possible to your daily diet. Why? Because as I often like to say, “Eat the right foods and the right amounts and you will enjoy a happier, healthier, longer life.”

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

For more excellent reading about SUPER FOODS and other healthy topics, please visit WebMD, an invaluable wealth of information that assisted me in the writing of this post.