Super foods for Super Health

Salmon
If there was one single food I could recommend to increase in the diet, it would be fresh salmon. Salmon is a natural source of Vitamin A, B12 and Vitamin D. Just 100 grams of salmon will give you an ideal amount of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, which are linked to protection against heart disease and certain cancers, alleviation of arthritic pain and boosting of the immune system. Fresh salmon with steamed vegetables is a very quick meal to prepare. I also encourage families with children to add more salmon to the menu. Omega-3s found in oily fish such as salmon are extremely beneficial in a number of ways for children. This is of particular interest as a range of health problems among New Zealand children is being partly attributed to diets lacking oily fish and other foods rich in long chain omega-3s.

Put Some Good Fats Back on the Menu
For many years experts have promoted cutting fat in the diet to help reduce calories. Now scientists are worried that a lack of fats is unhealthy. A traditional low fat diet could starve bodies of essential vitamins, minerals and fats, such as Omega 3 Fats and Vitamin D. This is leading many nutritional experts to encourage us to eat more healthy fat. Foods that include or are fortified with Vitamin D are a healthy addition to the diet. Salmon, Sardines and Mackerel are a good source of Vitamin D and Omega 3.

An epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency in America triggered a group of experts from Winthrop University Hospital in New York to publish their findings in the Journal of Epidemiology and Infection. Their study states that Vitamin D supplementation may protect against the typical winter cold and flu. Vitamin D also plays a key role in bone health. You can also synthesis Vitamin D from the sun. Twenty minutes in the sun, with the hands, face and arms exposed is all that is needed to get an adequate dose, but it needs to be regularly topped up through the summer. In winter the only way of maintaining levels is by taking cod liver oil or supplements. Vitamin D levels can be checked by your doctor via a blood test.
Researchers at Loma Linda University in California studied more than 20,000 healthy men and women and found that people who drink more than five glasses of water a day were less likely to die from a heart attack or heart disease than those who drank fewer than two glasses a day.

Peanuts
Peanuts are good for you. A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that women who eat peanut butter five days a week had a 20% lower risk of developing diabetes. Peanuts not only contain heart friendly fats, both the kernel and the skin contain Resveratrol. Resveratrol is a compound being studied for its role in cancer protection and cardiovascular health

Pears
Pears contain lignin, which is an insoluble fibre that helps lower cholesterol. Eating pears helps with digestive complaints because the high amount of insoluble fibre helps trap water in the bowel and relieves constipation. Believe it or not pears also contain mineral called boron, a trace mineral that is essential for your bone health.

Olive Oil
Many studies have proven that olive oil helps to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Replacing saturated fats in your diet with olive oil will help lower your LDL cholesterol without lowering your HDL protective cholesterol. Studies at Harvard School of Public Health found that women who used olive oil more than once a day had a much lower risk of developing breast cancer. To get the most out of olive oil, look for virgin cold pressed varieties.

Cherries
Cherries contain large amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E and they are bursting with antioxidants. Cherries have been traditionally used to help cure gout symptoms. Cherries contain many compounds which have been proven to help block the formation of cancer cells. They are best eaten raw, as cooking lowers the amounts of beneficial nutrients.

Broccoli
A medium size stalk of broccoli provides you with an excellent source of Vitamin C along with many other vitamins and antioxidants. Broccoli helps fight obesity because it is low calorie, low fat and full of fibre. Broccoli is also rich in a substance called indole carbinol, some studies show that one stalk of broccoli a day helps to balance your hormones and keeps cancers and tumors at bay