Shake That Weight ™ • 9th June 2013 • 12 years ago
Eleven Energy Boosting & Disease Fighting Foods
The foods that are covered in this article are proven energy boosters as well as effective warriors against various diseases. Including them in your diet may help you find a healthier way of life.
1. Potatoes
A single red potato may contain up to 66 micrograms of folate, which the body uses for building cells.
One sweet potato has almost eight times the amount of Vitamin A you need on a daily basis to effectively boost your immune system, to fight diseases such as cancer.
Studies have also shown that after eating a meal containing potatoes you can burn as much as 25% more fat, because of the fat resistant starch.
2. Beans
A single serving of legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, four days a week will reduce your risk for heart disease by as much as 22%.
The darker the beans, the healthier they are due to the higher levels of antioxidants they contain.
3. Spinach
Recent studies have found that spinach ranks higher than other fruits and vegetables as one of the healthiest foods for fighting cancer.
In addition, spinach contains Zeaxanthin and Lutien, which promote eye health and help boost the immune system.
4. Broccoli
More than 100% of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin K may be obtained from a medium sized stalk of broccoli, as well as 200% of the daily-recommended amount of Vitamin C from this wonderfully healthy food.
To get the most out of your broccoli, pop it in the microwave, as it will retain much more of the nutrients than if it was to be steamed or worse boiled.
5. Salmon
A serving as small as 100g’s of salmon has almost 50% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin to fight memory loss memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.
The omega-3 fatty acids contained in salmon, lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and depression.
However, avoid eating farm-raised salmon, as it may contain sixteen times the amount of toxic polychlorinated biphenyl.
6. Avocados
A single avocado contains more than 50% of the fibre needed for each day, and 40% of the folate, which reduces heart disease. They are also rich in fats that can lower cholesterol by as much as 22%.
7. Walnuts
Nuts are naturally healthy foods and contain omega-3 acids, which help improve mood, reduce cholesterol and protect against sun damage.
The melatonin present in walnuts is the perfect natural sleep aid as well.
8. Garlic
This could be described as the Don of health foods. It is a powerful fighter against disease and inhibits bacterial growth such as E-coli.
Allicin, which is found in Garlic, is a potent anti-inflammatory that may lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Crushing fresh garlic releases the greatest amount of nutrients, though be careful not to overcook it, as it will begin to lose nutrients after just ten minutes.
9. Lemons
A lonely lemon contains more than 100% of the RDA of Vitamin C. The citrus Flavonoids present, have been proven to inhibit cancer cell growth and are also an effective anti-inflammatory.
Adding a slice of lemon to your green tea will actually help your body absorb the antioxidants by as much as 80%.
10. Green Chillies
Green Hot Chilli Peppers contain more than 242 mg of Vitamin C per serving, which is amazingly more than 400% of the recommended daily allowance.
Also a great source of Vitamin A, Iron, Folate, Riboflavin, Niacin, Potassium and Vitamin K, as well as adding a burst of flavour; they are the perfect complement to any meal.
11.Dark Chocolate
Just by eating 10 grams of this delicious and healthy food every day will effectively reduce high blood pressure.
The cocoa that is used in the manufacturing of dark chocolate is absolutely bursting with Flavonoids, which effectively increase good HDL cholesterol and reduce bad LDL cholesterol. Just don’t eat too much!
