HEALTHIEST FOODS TO EAT
7 Stealth Health Foods
Power up your diet by expanding your menu with the healthiest foods you can eat.
Celery
This water-loaded vegetable has a rep for being all crunch and no nutrition. But ditch that mindset: Celery contains stealth nutrients that heal.
Why It's Healthy: "My patients who eat four sticks of celery a day have seen modest reductions in their blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic," says Mark Houston, MD, director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital, in Nashville. It's possible that phytochemicals in celery, called phthalides, are responsible for this health boon. These compounds relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase blood flow. And beyond the benefits to your BP, celery also fills you up—with hardly any calories.
Eat It: Try this low-carbohydrate, protein-packed recipe for a perfect snack any time of day.
In a bowl, mix a 4.5-ounce can of wild Alaskan salmon (rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup of finely chopped apple, 2 tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise, and some fresh ground pepper. Then spoon the mixture into celery stalks. (Think salmon salad on a log.) Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 114 calories, 15 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber), 1 gram fat
Why It's Healthy: "My patients who eat four sticks of celery a day have seen modest reductions in their blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic," says Mark Houston, MD, director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital, in Nashville. It's possible that phytochemicals in celery, called phthalides, are responsible for this health boon. These compounds relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase blood flow. And beyond the benefits to your BP, celery also fills you up—with hardly any calories.
Eat It: Try this low-carbohydrate, protein-packed recipe for a perfect snack any time of day.
In a bowl, mix a 4.5-ounce can of wild Alaskan salmon (rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup of finely chopped apple, 2 tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise, and some fresh ground pepper. Then spoon the mixture into celery stalks. (Think salmon salad on a log.) Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 114 calories, 15 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber), 1 gram fat
Seaweed
While this algae is a popular health food in Japan, it rarely makes it into U.S. homes.
Why It's Healthy: "Seaweeds are a great plant source of calcium," says nutritionist and fitness expert Alan Aragon, contributing editor at Men's Health. They're also loaded with potassium, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood-pressure levels.
Eat It: In sushi, of course. You can also buy sheets of dried seaweed at Asian groceries, specialty health stores, or online at edenfoods.com. Use a coffee grinder to grind the sheets into a powder. Then use the powder as a healthy salt substitute that's great for seasoning salads and soups.
Why It's Healthy: "Seaweeds are a great plant source of calcium," says nutritionist and fitness expert Alan Aragon, contributing editor at Men's Health. They're also loaded with potassium, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood-pressure levels.
Eat It: In sushi, of course. You can also buy sheets of dried seaweed at Asian groceries, specialty health stores, or online at edenfoods.com. Use a coffee grinder to grind the sheets into a powder. Then use the powder as a healthy salt substitute that's great for seasoning salads and soups.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp is a fast-growing crop that is inherently weed resistant. "It'll grow up to eight to 10 feet tall in 100 days," says organic agriculture pioneer Mike Fata, CEO of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Food and Oils. And the fact that it requires few, if any, pesticides makes hemp seeds a super-green diet staple.
Why They're Healthy: "Hemp seedsare rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke," says Cassandra Forsythe, PhD, a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut. What's more, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein—but not the kind of incomplete protein found in most plant sources. Hemp seeds provide all the essential amino acids, meaning the protein they contain is comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy.
Eat Them: Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal, stir-fry, or post-workout shake.
Why They're Healthy: "Hemp seedsare rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke," says Cassandra Forsythe, PhD, a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut. What's more, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein—but not the kind of incomplete protein found in most plant sources. Hemp seeds provide all the essential amino acids, meaning the protein they contain is comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy.
Eat Them: Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal, stir-fry, or post-workout shake.
Kohlrabi
This plant does double duty: Eat the leaves, eat the root.
Why It's Healthy: Loaded with vitamin C. Plus, it contains glucosinolates, potent antioxidants that fight prostate cancer, according to a recent German study of 11,000 men.
Eat It: Raw or cooked; use it in place of cabbage in slaws, or sauté it in olive oil and garlic.
Why It's Healthy: Loaded with vitamin C. Plus, it contains glucosinolates, potent antioxidants that fight prostate cancer, according to a recent German study of 11,000 men.
Eat It: Raw or cooked; use it in place of cabbage in slaws, or sauté it in olive oil and garlic.
Tomatillo
This tangy superfood from South America is a cancer-stopper.
Why It's Healthy: It’s high in anolides, chemical compounds that may prevent colon-cancer cells from forming, according to studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Eat It: Add raw to salsa or gazpacho, or have them cooked in chili.
Why It's Healthy: It’s high in anolides, chemical compounds that may prevent colon-cancer cells from forming, according to studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Eat It: Add raw to salsa or gazpacho, or have them cooked in chili.
Dark Meat
Sure, dark meat has more fat than white meat does, but have you ever considered what the actual difference is? Once you do, Thanksgiving won't be the only time you "call the drumstick."
Why It's Healthy: "The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer," says Aragon. The benefit: You'll be less likely to overeat in the hours that follow your meal. What about your cholesterol? Only a third of the fat in a turkey drumstick is the saturated kind, according to the USDA food database. (The other two-thirds are heart-healthy unsaturated fats.) What's more, 86 percent of that saturated fat either has no impact on cholesterol or raises HDL (good) cholesterol more than LDL (bad) cholesterol—a result that actually lowers your heart-disease risk.
Eat It: Limit yourself to 8 ounces or less at any one sitting, which provides up to 423 calories. Eat that with a big serving of vegetables, and you'll have a flavorful fat-loss meal.
Why It's Healthy: "The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer," says Aragon. The benefit: You'll be less likely to overeat in the hours that follow your meal. What about your cholesterol? Only a third of the fat in a turkey drumstick is the saturated kind, according to the USDA food database. (The other two-thirds are heart-healthy unsaturated fats.) What's more, 86 percent of that saturated fat either has no impact on cholesterol or raises HDL (good) cholesterol more than LDL (bad) cholesterol—a result that actually lowers your heart-disease risk.
Eat It: Limit yourself to 8 ounces or less at any one sitting, which provides up to 423 calories. Eat that with a big serving of vegetables, and you'll have a flavorful fat-loss meal.
Lentils
It's no surprise that these hearty legumes are good for you. But when was the last time you ate any?
Why They're Healthy: Boiled lentils have about 16 grams of belly-filling fiber in every cup. Cooked lentils also contain 27 percent more folate per cup than cooked spinach does. And if you eat colored lentils—black, orange, red—there are compounds in the seed hulls that contain disease-fighting antioxidants, says Raymond Glahn, PhD, a research physiologist with Cornell University.
Eat Them: Use lentils as a bed for chicken, fish, or beef. They make a great substitute for rice or pasta.
Why They're Healthy: Boiled lentils have about 16 grams of belly-filling fiber in every cup. Cooked lentils also contain 27 percent more folate per cup than cooked spinach does. And if you eat colored lentils—black, orange, red—there are compounds in the seed hulls that contain disease-fighting antioxidants, says Raymond Glahn, PhD, a research physiologist with Cornell University.
Eat Them: Use lentils as a bed for chicken, fish, or beef. They make a great substitute for rice or pasta.
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