If you are what you eat, and you eat plenty of super foods, does that make you invincible? Of course not, but the relationship between nutrition and health is undeniable. The American Heart Association asserts that eating certain foods can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. What’s more, just about every nutrition expert recommends a well-balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish, and low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol and sodium.
How can you decide what foods are super? Here’s a guide to the super foods and why they are good for you:
Antioxidants are dietary substances believed to help
prevent heart disease by
helping your body repair
cell damage from free
radicals (highly reactive atoms
produced naturally in the body
or introduced by substances like
tobacco smoke or toxins.) Free
radicals can damage cells, proteins and DNA by
altering their chemical structure. Research suggests that
antioxidants may also lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol,
thus reducing plaque buildup in the artery walls. Foods
high in antioxidants include blackberries, walnuts,
strawberries, artichokes and cranberries.
Flavanoids are the powerful antioxidants responsible for dark chocolate’s status as a good-for-you treat. They are also found in apples, peanuts, onions, tea and red wine.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid are still the darlings of hearthealthy living and for good reason. The omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and blue fin tuna, are known to lower triglycerides and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol. They also help prevent blood from clotting. If you are a vegetarian or simply don’t like fish, try flaxseeds or walnuts.
Oats and Other Whole Grains are good sources of fiber as well as selenium, potassium and magnesium. Consumption of dietary fiber is known to help lower cholesterol.
Nuts are known to improve cholesterol. Watch portion size and avoid those that are heavily salted. Walnuts are an especially good choice because they contain omega-3 fatty acids.
