Power Foods to Add to Your Diet By Brenda Williams At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

While all fruits, vegetables and nuts are beneficial to your health there are a few that may do more for us than others. These are foods that we definitely need to ensure we include in our diet. For instance, avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. Unlike saturated fats, monounsaturated fats do not clog your arteries. Avocados also contain vitamin E, another vitamin that protects your body against heart disease. In addition, avocados are an excellent source of potassium, which helps protect against high blood pressure and stroke. And just eight ounces of avocado satisfies 23% of your daily requirement for folic acid.

Spinach is another super food. Just one cup of spinach contains almost 100% of your daily requirement for Vitamin K. Vitamin K helps your bones retain calcium thereby protecting you from osteoporosis. Spinach also has 160% of your daily requirement for beta-carotene. And, according to a research study carried out by Ohio University, spinach can protect your eyes from damage by ultraviolet radiation. Walnuts are another important food to include in your diet. Walnuts contain essential oils that help prevent heart disease. Walnuts are also easy to carry with you for a snack food. And don't forget wheat germ. Wheat germ provides you with essential minerals such as zinc, magnesium and manganese. These minerals are vital in maintaining healthy bones and strengthening your immune system. Wheat germ also contains folic acid and the other essential B vitamins. Wheat germ is very easy to add to your diet. You can mix it into just about any other food such as cereal, casseroles, and baked goods. Blueberries also rank among the super foods. Blueberries contain anthocyanin, the chemical responsible for their rich blue color. Anthocyanin has been found to help in the growth of new brain cells. Blueberries also have many antioxidants that fight against heart disease and cancer.

A restaurant in California advertises, "Eat lotsa fish" and it is good advice. Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids. These are healthy fats that help protect our bodies against the risks of high blood pressure and the blood clots that often bring on heart attacks. And according to at least eleven research studies,omega-3 fatty acids can lower the pain of arthritis. Low-fat yogurt is another food that people should not omit from their diets. Yogurt contains live bacteria that not only assist in the digestion process but also strengthen your immune system. In addition, if you have been exposed to food poisoning, the active cultures in yogurt can help kill off the salmonella. Garlic is another super food to have in your diet. Garlic is very popular in Europe and many research studies have been conducted there substantiating that garlic has many healing properties. Russian studies established that garlic is a powerful anti-biotic. Other studies have found that garlic is highly effective in reducing high blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the causes of heart disease. American research demonstrated the effectiveness of garlic in preventing tumor formation in cancer.

Fortunately, all of these important foods are readily available, tasty and easy to incorporate into our daily diet.

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