Foods with Health Benefits

We must eat to live, so it just makes sense to eat foods with health benefits that help stave off diseases and increase our life span. But which foods might that be? Glad you asked! Add some of these foods with health benefits to your daily diet and add more healthy days to your life.

Arthritis Busters

Pumpkin contains powerful antioxidants that helps prevent arthritis from developing in healthy joints. For those who already suffer with arthritis, pumpkin relieves the pain by reducing the inflammation. Eating one can of pure pumpkin purée each week can help you live a longer, pain-free life.

Red bell peppers contain carotenoids, a strong inflammation fighter. Plus they are rich in vitamin C which has been shown to help prevent arthritis. Eating a couple of red bell peppers each week helps reduce inflammation and boosts vitamin C intake.

Ginger is a spicy root that adds flavor to a variety of dishes and is a natural anti-inflammatory. A cup of fresh ginger tea or a little fresh ginger grated into recipes each day help relieve the pain of arthritis.

Lower Blood Sugar

Beans, beans, good for your heart…and they stabilize blood sugar. Pinto, navy and kidney beans are loaded with fiber, protein and carbohydrates and they help keep hunger in check so you will eat less. A cup a day of your favorite beans helps to lower and stabilize blood sugar.

Egg whites are a good place to start a meal because they are fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories (just 7 calories per egg white!). The whites are also rich in protein and will help keep blood sugar from spiking. Add 3-4 egg white based meals per week to your diet to keep blood sugar level on an even keel.

All types of nuts – peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and cashews – are chock-full of heart-healthy fats and proteins that work in conjunction to stabilize blood sugar. A small handful each day will help you live longer by keeping blood sugar in check and improving cholesterol levels.

Prevent Osteoporosis

Another reason to eat your broccoli – it helps build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. Broccoli contains four bone-building nutrients; calcium, potassium, vitamins C and K. Add broccoli to your weekly meal plan about four times to reap the maximum health benefits.

Yogurt is a versatile and delicious way to sneak more bone-building calcium into your diet. Yogurt is also a good source of protein, which your bones also need to stay strong as you age. Greek yogurt will provide you with twice as much protein per serving as traditional yogurt, and both have the about the same osteoporosis-preventing calcium.

Skim milk is low in fat and high in calcium content and great for preventing osteoporosis. Drink a glass each day or sneak it into coffee, oatmeal, smoothies or cereal to reap its bone-building benefits.

Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber, the kind that latches onto cholesterol and escorts it out of the body before it can clog your arteries and cause a heart attack or stroke. Add a bowl of oatmeal to your diet at least 3 times per week.

Sweet potatoes are rich in heart-healthy fiber and potassium. A one-two punch that helps reduce the risk of heart disease. The fiber remove artery-clogging cholesterol from the body while potassium offsets the negative effect the sodium has on blood pressure.

Wild salmon is the most concentrated source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 lower triglycerides, raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation in the body. All of which reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and even diabetes. Enjoy wild salmon at least a couple times per week to keep your heart healthy.

Source:

HealthLine