Want an Ideal Diet to Stay Healthy?
Natural, whole foods… that’s one of the keys to helping you stay healthy, but what exactly are they? In this post, we break down 10 foods you should eat daily in order to stay healthy. Plus, many reasons why they are healthy for you! So eat up!
Stay Healthy with These Foods:
There doesn’t exist an “ideal” diet. If there was one, foods included in that diet must have already been on short. Why?
Simply because it is not possible for anyone to put together such a diet. So what? So now that it’s clear that there is no “perfect” diet, you need to seek an optimal diet. Such a diet should have as many benefits as possible, should treat/prevent many maladies, and should be affordable.
Again unsurprisingly, an ‘optimal’ diet does not exist. Why? Because it varies and is slightly different from person to person. It is the integration of a number of healthy & affordable foods into your diet. These foods are typically called super-foods.
1. Olive Oil
Squeezed out of the fruit of Olea europaea (olive tree), olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. Unlike saturated fats and Trans fats, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS) have been observed to be healthy fat.
Over 50 years of examining olive oil, now we know a lot of benefits that it provides. Here are some of them:
- Against many diseases – People consuming olive oil are less likely to have high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. According to research, people who regularly consumed foods fried in olive oil do not have a higher risk of heart disease or early death.
- Trans fats mean depression – Those of us who regularly consume trans fats – fast foods like burgers – are more likely to be depressed than those who rely on olive oil as cooking oil.
- Treats obesity – Obesity is one of the critical issues of modern society. And the good news is olive oil has been observed to reduce levels of obesity.
- Prolongs life – The olive tree grows in the region of Mediterranean and is a major part of its diet. Compared with people of North America and Northern Europe, the Mediterranean population tended to have longer life expectancies.
2. Tomato
With lots of amazing health benefits and it’s range of weapons against maladies, tomato is one of super-foods to eat daily.
Though hard to believe, just 200 years back it was considered to be a poisonous food in U.S. Credits goes to the nightshade family that it belongs to.
From combating cancer radicals to being rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, C, and folic acid, tomato is there. Following are a few notable benefits of tomatoes:
- Fights diseases – Being rich in strong antioxidant vitamin C and other nutrients, tomatoes help fight against several types of cancers. Lycopene, an antioxidant, has been observed to prevent prostate cancer.
- Blood pressure – Sodium intake elevates blood pressure levels. Potassium intake can reverse sodium’s effect due to its vasodilation effects. Worth noting is that high potassium intake means a 20% decreased risk of dying of all causes.
- Better for skin – Vitamin C, which plays an important role in preventing damage to the skin, comes packed in tomatoes. High consumption of tomatoes implies a greater amount of vitamin C for Collagen, skins support system.
3. Garlic
Garlic has been used as a flavoring in cooking as well as a medicine for thousands of years, even 5 thousand years ago when Giza pyramids were built.
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed garlic for a wide array of conditions and against several diseases. As to answer why you should eat garlic daily, here are a couple of garlic benefits:
- Treats many diseases – It has been used to treat diseases including liver disorders, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, diabetes, fevers, intestinal worms, and others.
- Prevents others – Garlic has also been used to prevent cancers like lung cancer, stomach cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, etc.
- No more hair loss – Due to its high levels of allicin, a compound containing sulfur similar to that found in onion, garlic has the ability to treat hair loss. Try mixing oil with garlic and massaging your scalp.
- Kills acne – Though not found in a medical store, but still an effective remedy against acne. Its antioxidants kill bacteria, which leads to the rid of blemishes, pimples, etc.
4. Tea
A warm sip of tea early in the morning is an amazing experience. It is the second most consumed beverage in the world beaten only by water, according to the Tea Association.
Researchers around the globe have been shedding light on the health benefits of tea for as long as tea has existed.
Tea is one of the oldest drinks, its origin dates back to the 3rd century A.D. Though originated as a medicinal drink, it has tremendous other benefits too:
- Better mood – Drinking tea improves mood and refreshes the mind. According to a study 2-3, cups of tea drank in 90 minutes resulted in better accuracy in an attention test, compared to a placebo.
- Diseases’ prevention – Polyphenols, compounds in tea, help slow down the progress of certain types of cancers. Not only that drinking tea can significantly reduce the risks of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases.
- Weight loss – As per a study, people who consumed green tea and caffeine lost 2.9 pounds within 12 weeks, without making any other lifestyle changes. Researchers also found that drinking tea helps weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
5. Soup
The difference is that soup is easily affordable than otherwise. Here are a couple of reasons why soup rocks:
- Weight loss – As you know there are innumerable types of soups, no soup can provide the same array of nutrients. Some soups like veggies’ are more healthy than others. Eating soup before a meal reduces your calories intake at a meal by 20%, resulting in weight loss.
- It is affordable – Of course, you can get soup at the store, but making one yourself is more fun and affordable. A couple of vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, beans are required in small amounts and there you’re!
6. Apples
Remember the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,”? But what makes apple keep the doctor away exactly? Apples are one of the most consumed and praised fruits in the world, also called “miracle food”.
- Combat against diseases – Being rich in many antioxidants, nutrients, and dietary fibers, apple plays competitive combat against many maladies. Eating apples reduce the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and treats lower cholesterol.
- Rich in fiber – Most of the problems like cancer, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes spring from being overweight. For that reason, many doctors suggest employing diets rich in fiber. And apple is rich in fiber, which is why recommended for daily intake.
- Beats diarrhea and constipation – Diarrhea and constipation are problems concerning the excretory system. These dreadful problems if continued for a long time do huge damages! Apples, because of fiber, help.
7. Fish
The National Health Service, UK, suggests consuming 2 portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish.
Oily fish, being rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, contains a lot of lean protein.
- Protects vision – Vision is everything! Consuming appropriate amounts of fish each week significantly affects vision. How? Well DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish.
- Oral and skin diseases – According to a study published in the journal Carcinogenesis, consumption of oily fish may protect from early- and late-stage skin and oral cancers. For added measure, you can also seek teeth cleaning services by this cosmetic dentist syracuse ny.
- Sharp memory – According to research by a team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh which suggested eating fish improves memory.
8. Spinach
Spinach! Green and fresh spinach look so healthy, right? Guess it does not just look healthy, it is healthy. From improving skin and hair to strengthening bones, eating spinach regularly or daily provides you with tons of benefits.
It is one of the low-calorie super-foods. Curious to know how spinach can help you?
- Relieves constipation – As mentioned earlier, fiber-rich diets help people with constipation and diarrhea. The same goes for spinach. Spinach is rich in fiber, which is why it is recommended against constipation.
- Maintains blood pressure – A greater amount of potassium in spinach is effective in lowering blood pressure by negating the effects of sodium. Lower intake of potassium is the same as greater intake of sodium, which elevates blood pressure levels.
- Better skin and hair – Spinach contains vitamin A, which helps skin structure building system, collagen.
9. Bananas
Benefits like digestion aid, cancer prevention, better heart health, etc. are a few to name. Yellow in color, I especially like their packaging. Here are a few banana benefits:
- Cancer combat – They have been observed to reduce the risks of cancer, more specifically colorectal cancer and kidney cancer. The quality of aiding digestion and promoting regularity further prevents many other diseases, which may otherwise spring up.
- Heart health – Heart health is of major concern. And just like most of the foods on the list, bananas also help in improving heart health. Also should be noted that bananas’ potassium consumption lowers the risk of death from ischemic heart disease.
- Regularity – Most notable of banana benefits is its ability to influence bowel movements. For constipated people, enough consumption of bananas can be almost instant relief. For chronic constipation, regular intake should be made habitual.
10. Pistachios
In winters, dried fruits are eaten more frequently than otherwise. Which is one of the reasons that winter is many people’s favorite season. So, pistachios are delicious, and just like any other dried fruit, it is inundated with several benefits. Here are a few of them:
- Against diabetes – A typical cup of pistachios contains 60% of the phosphorus daily requirement. Pistachios are helpful against type 2 diabetes.
- Nervous system – Many dried fruits including walnuts seem to have quite an impact upon brain functions. So does pistachio. Pistachio contains vitamin B6 in good quantities, which significantly affects the nervous system. That vitamin also contributes to the development of melatonin, epinephrine, and serotonin, all of which have important roles in the nervous system.
Wrap-Up
Lastly, I’d love to know your thoughts. Which food on the list do you like best? Let’s have an amazing discussion in the comments section.
Updated 08/17/2018
- 10 Daily Foods to Help You Stay Healthy - April 27, 2021