Eating healthy is important at any age but becomes especially crucial for baby boomers over 50. Why?
Okay, the bad news first. As we get older, our bodies go through some major changes, as nutritional expert Tara Collingwood M.S., RDN points out in an interview for Newsmax. "Men and women alike are susceptible to bone loss, muscle loss, hormonal changes, and the dreaded middle age spread," the dietitian explains. "We see and feel these changes in our achy joints, vision impairment, heart complications, weight gain, decreased memory retention, and lack of energy - all of which are tied directly to nutrition."
The good news? Eating the right foods can help prevent diseases, maintain a healthy metabolism, and help you look and feel good.
Win-win!
With that in mind, here are 10 super foods that boast a high nutrient-to-calorie ratio to keep your body performing optimally. You'll notice that some of these age-defying and disease-fighting super foods are items that you may already love and are sitting inside your refrigerator or pantry.
#1 Wild Salmon
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish two times a week, particularly fatty fish like salmon. Salmon is packed with vitamin D, potassium, B vitamins, and other important minerals, but that's not all. Fatty fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which helps fight inflammation, removes triglycerides from the blood, benefits arthritis, and may even help with memory loss and dementia. (By the way, omega-3 can also be found in other fatty, cold-water fish like herring, sardines, rainbow trout, cod, tuna, and mackerel.)
In addition, salmon is a complete protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids. This is important since protein is what our bodies use for maintenance and repair. No wonder experts often put salmon at the top of their list of healthy foods that promote good health!
#2 Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are nutritional, energy-boosting dynamos and the richest source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids available. The seeds are full of antioxidants, protein, minerals, plus soluble and insoluble fiber to help digestion.
The tiny seeds are also a "complete protein" containing all nine essential amino acids, rare for a plant-based source of protein. Another benefit? These little seeds have an unusual quality - when combined with liquid they swell and absorb more than 10 times their weight. That means adding a spoonful or two to meals will help you feel fuller while adding some crunch and texture. If you're trying to lose a few pounds, this can be helpful!
So here are a few fun facts about this super food. Although chia seeds have only become a popular health food recently, they've been around a long time as a staple of Mayan and Aztec diets. In fact, "chia" means "strength" in the Mayan language. Aztec warriors were known to use the seeds to give them high energy and endurance, especially during battles. And in case you're wondering, these seeds are the same ones used for the iconic Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pets that allow you to "grow" garden animals and characters. However, the seeds in these kits aren't approved for consumption, so head to a grocery or drugstore to enjoy the health benefits.
These nutritious seeds are virtually tasteless, so you can add them to just about anything including oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, sauces, breakfast cereals, soups, and salads. Another popular way to eat the seeds is by making "chia pudding." Just mix some seeds with one cup of liquid like almond milk. After 15 minutes or so, the seeds "swell" and the "pudding" is ready to eat. Add some fruit, nuts, or other toppings for extra flavor. Just be careful about eating spoonfuls of the seeds by themselves which could pose a choking hazard.
#3 Avocados
This unique and nutritious fruit has 20 different vitamins and minerals along with antioxidants including carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which are valuable for eye health. Surprisingly, avocados have more potassium than bananas - an essential mineral that most older adults don't get enough of that helps reduce blood pressure.
Other bonuses: Avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids, which numerous studies have shown can help lower levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol while boosting 'good' HDL cholesterol. These fruits are also high in omega-3 fatty acids which, as previously mentioned, help remove triglycerides from the blood and lower inflammation.
#4 Blueberries/Blackberries
These small berries are full of nutrients including vitamins, potassium, minerals and antioxidants. Blueberries and blackberries contain high levels of soluble fiber which is beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight, lowering cholesterol, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and lowering blood pressure.
The berries rank the highest of any fruit for antioxidants including concentrated levels of flavonoids, a natural brain booster that helps reduce age-related declines in motor skills and cognitive ability.
When selecting berries, note that the darker they are, the more antioxidants they have. These fruits are also anti-inflammatory. The good news is that frozen are just as good as fresh and easy to toss on your morning cereal or salad.
#5 Almonds.
Nuts in general are good for our bodies, but almonds are the most nutrient-dense nut, ranking highest in protein, calcium, vitamin E (which helps skin stay supple), magnesium, and folate. Almonds are also high in manganese and copper which are necessary to form collagen and can help aging bodies look and feel younger.
An added bonus: Dieters who ate almonds daily shed 62 percent more weight and 56 percent more fat than those who didn't, a study from Loma Linda University in California found. "The fiber in nuts may prevent your body from absorbing some fat, speeding weight loss," says lead author Michelle Wien, R.D. Almond eaters also lowered their blood pressure, the study noted.
#6 Ginger
Ginger may be best known for its ability to soothe stomach aches and ease nausea. But it has so much more to offer.
This anti-aging herb is a good source of many nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, and vitamin B6; however, the majority of its benefits for anti-aging nutrition come from its special phytonutrients called gingerols. As WebMD points out: "When you eat or drink phytonutrients, they may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly." Healthline adds: "Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger, responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects."
By the way, other herbs such as garlic and turmeric also contain anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve achy joints and stiff muscles.
#7 Matcha Green Tea
Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea, but since it's made from the entire leaf, it packs in a more concentrated amount of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds.
The good news is that these powerful properties can help us baby boomers as we age.What makes matcha such a super food? Its key component is EGCG, a catechin linked to lowering risks to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease. Loaded with antioxidants, matcha is known for its immunity-boosting and disease-fighting properties. According to Healthline.com, "Including matcha in your diet could increase your antioxidant intake, which may help prevent cell damage and even lower your risk of several chronic diseases."
EGCG is also linked to potential weight loss benefits. Matcha can crank up your metabolism, helping you burn more calories every day and process food more effectively. In fact, researchers conducted a series of studies on dieters and found that those who drank green tea lost more weight than those who didn't drink it.
The amino acid L-theanine in matcha, which stimulates the production of dopamine and serotonin helps improve concentration and memory. According to a study published in the journal Phytomedicine, regular consumption of green tea may even offer protection against Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
An added benefit: Unlike coffee, the amino acids in Matcha help your body absorb the caffeine gradually which releases energy slowly and sustainably. Matcha promises a four to six hour energy boost that's just enough to perk you up.
Janie Zeitlin, a registered dietitian in White Plains, NY and New York City, says matcha is a "nutritional powerhouse," and "a valuable addition to any diet," but adds that moderation is best because of the potency. Most experts recommend drinking a cup or two a day.
#8 Beans
Experts recommend adults consume three cups of beans per week to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. With good reason.
This often overlooked super food is considered "heart healthy" since beans contain an abundance of soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Beans also deliver a powerful combination of vitamins and minerals, including blood-pressure-regulating magnesium, energizing iron, bone-strengthening calcium, potassium, and folate as well as antioxidants. Keep in mind, the darker the bean, the higher its antioxidant levels.
As a bonus, beans help raise levels of the hormone leptin which curbs appetite and thus can help you maintain a healthy weight. Beans are also metabolized more slowly than other complex carbs, helping you feel fuller longer while delivering a great source of energy throughout the day.
A comparatively inexpensive source of protein, beans can be purchased canned, frozen, or dried. To increase your intake, incorporate beans into main dishes like chile or soup, use as a filling side-dish instead of bread or potatoes, toss into a salad, or eat snacks like roasted chick peas or hummus. Have a variety of beans including kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), split peas, fava beans, and lentils in your pantry and get creative!
#9 Quinoa
The South American grain quinoa is well-known to vegans and vegetarians because it's a complete protein and filled with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, such as B2, magnesium, copper, iron, and phosphorus.
Quinoa is easy to use in place of other grains, pastas, or white rice. An excellent source of protein with sufficient amounts of all the essential amino acids, it packs more nutrition than most grains.
In addition, quinoa contains large amounts of flavonoids, including quercetin and kaempferol. These are potent antioxidants with several health benefits.
#10 Dark Chocolate
Okay, I saved the best for last. Who doesn't love chocolate? Just so happens that quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals.
Dark chocolate also contains organic compounds that function as antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins. Some studies indicate that consuming small amounts of dark chocolate on a regular basis can lower blood pressure and decrease the rate of stroke in women by 20 percent.
The darker the chocolate, the lower the fat and sugar content. However, don't go too crazy. Unfortunately, there are 170 calories in one piece (one ounce) of dark chocolate and the treat does contain sugar along with all those nutrients, so should be eaten in moderation. Still, I love that dark chocolate can be counted as a health food, don't you?
"... And medicine be thy food" is the iconic quote by Hippocrates, who is considered to be the father of medicine (although medicine was studied, written about, and codified over a thousand years before he was born).
The first medicines were not drugs, but plants and herbs. Even today, most medications and the most common and long lasting ones, are herbal based. There have been many drugs in our time (nearly all of them) that no longer work because we have developed immunity, the germs are stronger, or they are unsafe. It is not true with herbs. While a few are endangered and no longer used (legally), they still work.
Here's an example: MRSA is believed to be mutated because of the anti-biotic overuse in people and livestock. Yet, garlic still quickly kills it and there are several Chinese hospitals that used garlic to disinfect. Herbalists learned what worked over time.
The first herbalists were simply people who chose good tasting plants. They noticed they felt better eating one thing over another. As time went on, shaman and medicine men and women were given special places of honor, because they knew how to use plants and food to heal. Many women in Europe were the wise women of the village because they knew herbs. If your child was sick, you visited the wise woman.
Herbalists today are few and far between. Many were driven underground and the science forgotten. Others were killed for witchcraft. Up until the early 1900s, herbs were commonly prescribed by doctors. In fact, most doctors at the time were herbalists and naturopaths.
So, what happened? Many doctors will tell you that we found science and it was more reliable. This is true. But it ignores the dark side. It was and still is common practice to denounce, persecute, fine, and kill (yes, kill) people who practice the old methods of herbalism, naturopathy, and nutrition. In fact, it was only in 1987 that the age-old chiropractic medicine was finally accepted as valid, yet some still denounce as quackery. Currently, in many states in this country, telling a person that a donut can make you fat is illegal. Thankfully, PA has rejected this insanity.
Herbalism and alternative therapies are making their way back into common use. In our area, we proudly host acupuncture, herbalism, aromatherapy, reflexology, iridology, Shiatsu, chiropractic medicine, Ayurveda, homeopathy, massage, reiki, and Chinese Medicine, among many others.
We are finally catching up to the rest of the US and the rest of the world for treating the whole person, not just the disease. The US is 37th in the world for health (Central PA is even lower), behind Costa Rica and a few Middle Eastern Countries, according to the WHO. We are #1 in the use of drugs, more than the whole of Central and South America combined. Many believe it is because we have placed such an emphasis on drugs and disease and avoid health and holism. We have a disease care system, not a health care system. Just ask about your exercise class or your nutritional classes. Preventative medicine is not covered (unless provided by a drug company).
By integrating herbs into your life, you increase your nutrition and your health. Knowing how to do that correctly is not as challenging as you think.
Like parsley? It has more Vitamin C per ounce than an orange. Sage can help clean teeth and clove can help relieve a toothache. Peppermint is a mood lifter and ginger helps settle stomachs. In fact, I use candied ginger to help relieve nausea when I'm flying.
I'm including more herbs and supplements into my programs. I have just completed and am now certified by Sage Mountain Herbal Center for the completion of an intensive apprenticeship with Rosemary Gladstar in the didactic, therapeutic, and field work of herbalism.
Christina Major is the Naturopathic Doctor and Holistic Nutritionist of Crystal Holistic Health Consulting. Crystal Holistic Health helps people, especially women, who have Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure lower their numbers, get off medication and increase their energy so they can save money, take back control of their lives and improve the health and happiness of their families.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8567498
Grains in seem to be having a hard time lately, with gluten being blamed by some for major health problems and new grain-free diets springing up every year. So one can easily wonder: why eat whole grains, as recommended by health authorities everywhere.
However, according to Dr. Frank Hu, Professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and author of two long-running studies, eating 70g of whole grains per day could reduce your risk of dying by 5%. With each additional 28g serving, the risk of dying of heart disease is reduced by 9%. The study also found that replacing refined grains and red meats by whole grains in equal amounts could potentially increase your lifespan by 8% to 20%.
There is so much to explain about whole grains that I have split this subject in two. Part 1 covers Why eat whole grains, and Part 2 deals with ways to eat more whole grains.
1. What are whole grains?
Grains, also called cereals, are the seeds of some grasses, which are cultivated for food. The following are all grains you're likely to come across in the shops, although not all in the form of whole seeds (alternative names in brackets):
Whole grains can still be milled, rolled, crushed or cracked. As long as the whole of the kernel is present in the end product, they are still "whole grains".
Note - when we eat refined grains, our bodies actually use nutrients to digest these nutrient-poor foods, which leaves us poorer in nutrients than before eating them!
Note 2 - This is why you might come across the terms "enriched grains" and "fortified grains". "Enriched grains" means some of the nutrients lost during the milling stage are replaced, such as vitamins. "Fortified grains" means that some nutrients that were not initially in the kernel have been added.
2. Whole grains and fibers
As you can see from the Nutritional info above, one of the main nutrient to be removed during the refining process is fiber. It's the part of a plant food that the body cannot digest. As it moves through our digestive system, it absorbs water and helps the body eliminate food waste quicker.
A higher consumption is linked with a lower risk of heart disease, as it helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and stabilizes blood sugar. It also fills you up and is an essential tool for weight loss and weight management.
There are 2 varieties of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Good sources of insoluble fiber in grains are whole wheat and popcorn (minus any added butter or sugar), but also teff, spelt and millet. Barley and oatmeal, as well as amaranth, contain soluble fiber. The body needs both in equal measures for optimal health.
The current recommended intake of fiber ranges from 21 to 25 grams for women and 30 to 38 grams for men. However, the vast majority of us only get to about half of that amount per day, mostly thanks to our highly processed diet of refined grains and our low intake of high-fiber food such as fruits and vegetables.
Check my next post on How to eat more whole grains to figure out how to increase your fiber intake the easy way.
3. So why eat whole grains?
The higher fiber content of whole grains is linked with lowering your general risk of mortality, but that's not the only reason why eating whole grains is beneficial to our bodies. The bran and germ of grains also contain a whole range of phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals, as well as proteins, all playing a beneficial role. Let's list a few of the main benefits here:
1. They slow down digestion,
... stabilizing your blood sugar and insulin levels. When ingested, refined grains break down immediately into glucose, much the same way as pure sugar. This sends your blood sugar rocketing, then plummeting, later on, causing sugar crash and cravings.
Whole grains are broken down more slowly, keeping you full for longer.
2. They have been found to help with weight management
... by not sending you reaching for the next sugar or starchy fix, three servings per day being associated with a less abdominal fat.
3. Whole grains, therefore, help with preventing type 2 diabetes
... through healthy weight control and stabilization of your blood sugar levels. Those benefits kick in from only two servings per day (read my post on How to eat more whole grains to figure out what a serving is). This could be due to their high-fiber and high-magnesium content, both linked with better carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
4. Whole grains can help lower blood cholesterol,
... oats being a real champion in this category. Their higher soluble fiber content helps with eliminating cholesterol, by binding the cholesterol and its precursors together in the digestive tract and eliminating it quickly. The antioxidants found in oats also play a role.
5. They can help decrease your blood pressure,
... in particular, whole grains with a high soluble fiber content, such as barley and oats. Their antioxidants help improve cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation.
6. Numerous studies on more than 20 types of cancer
... have found a link between eating three servings of whole grains per day and a reduced risk of cancer. This is in particular valid for gastrointestinal cancers and cancers of the oral cavity, such as pharynx, esophagus, and larynx.
Whole grains offer protective nutrients, such as fiber, antioxidants (vitamin E and selenium in particular) and phytochemicals which can help suppress the growth of cancer cells, block DNA damage and prevent the formation of carcinogens.
And if the benefits of whole grains start at just two servings per day, research has shown that the health improvements increase with each extra serving, to reach the 3-4 servings of whole grains recommended daily by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The take-home message: load up on whole grains for optimal health
How to do this? There are a lot of easy ways to identify whole grains in your food and increase your intake. Read up on those in my next article on How to eat more whole grains.
If tips and resources about Eating a Cleaner diet for Better Health is what you're looking for, SimplyGoClean.com is your answer! Come, read, and share your story and tips with us
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