TOP 10 HEALTH-FOODS
1. Water -- Drink at least 8 to 12 cups of water daily.
2. Dark Green Vegetables -- Eat dark green vegetables at least three to four times a week. Good options include broccoli, peppers, brussel sprouts and leafy greens like kale and spinach.
3. Whole Grains -- Whole grains should be included in your diet at least two to three times daily. Look for whole wheat flour, rye, oatmeal, barley, amaranth, quinoa or a multigrain. A good source of fiber includes 3 to 4 grams of fiber per serving. A great source has 5 or more grams of fiber per serving.
4. Beans and Lentils -- Try to eat a bean-based meal at least once a week. Try to add legumes, including beans and lentils, to soups, stews, casseroles, salads and dips or eat them plain. Lentils are a great health-food.
5. Fish -- Try to eat two to three serving of fish a week. A serving consists of 3 to 4 ounces of cooked fish. Good choices are salmon, trout, herring, bluefish, sardines and tuna.
6. Berries -- Include two to four servings of fruit in your diet each day. Try to eat berries such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.
7. Winter Squash -- Eat butternut and acorn squash as well as other richly pigmented dark orange and green colored vegetables like sweet potato, cantaloupe and mango.
8. Soy -- 25 grams of soy protein a day is recommended as part of a low-fat diet to help lower cholesterol levels. Try tofu, soymilk, edamame soybeans, tempeh and texturized vegetable protein (TVP).
9. Flaxseed, Nuts and Seeds -- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or other seeds to food each day or include a moderate amount of nuts -- 1/4 cup -- in your daily diet.
10. Organic Yogurt -- Men and women between 19 and 50 years of age need 1000 milligrams of calcium a day and 1200 milligrams if 50 or older. Eat calcium rich foods such as non-fat or low-fat dairy products three to four times a day. Include organic choices in your health-food.