What are the foods that have the most health benefits? Which have the most phytonutrients for optimizing your health?
Green tea contains potent polyphenols (ECGC) which are potent antioxidants and have many cancer fighting properties. Green tea also helps lower cholesterol.
Dark chocolate also ranks high with it’s antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering and mood enhancing abilities.
Nuts contain healthy fats which lower cholesterol. Walnuts eaten with a meal containing saturated fat helped keep the arteries more elastic, which is needed to prevent heart disease.
Berries have compounds called anthocyanidins which are good antioxidants to protect cells from damage. They help with keeping blood vessels, brain and eyes healthy.
Flaxseed meal is different than flaxseed oil. There is a special type of fiber in flaxmeal called lignan, which actually helps remove harmful estrogen from the body. This acts to decrease estrogen related health risks, in particular, breast cancer.
Fish oil has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease, strokes and cancer. It also helps with skin problems such as eczema, and joint pain or other inflammation linked illnesses. The best fish are the cold water, deep sea fish like wild salmon, halibut and sardines. Tuna can be high in mercury, so the other sources are preferred. Fish oil liquid or capsules should state on the label that they are tested for heavy metals, PCB’s, bacteria and rancidity. Look for the highest EPA and DHA content.
Xylitol is a natural sweetener often derived from birch trees. It doesn’t affect blood sugar and remarkably lowers the risk for tooth decay, colds and ear infections, when chewed as gum. The powder is available to add to foods for a sweetener alternative.
Brassica vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage and kale. They form a powerful anti-cancer family of vegetables which help the body detoxify, especially from our hormones.
Garlic has long been recognized for its positive effects on heart health through blood pressure and cholesterol lowering. It is also an amazing antibacterial, anti-parasitic and antifungal agent which doesn’t adversely affect the good bacteria in the body as it kills the bad bugs.
Cinnamon is showing benefits in preventing diabetes and helping the body keep blood sugar balanced.
The best way to optimal wellness is to find a licensed naturopathic physician to work with, then you will also have access to professional quality herbal and nutritional supplements that can be the most effective. It this is not possible, there are good online natural pharmacies that offer reliable products.