Some foods get all of the glory.
(Pomegranates, we’re looking at you.)
But new research is uncovering the age-defying, disease-fighting, fat-blasting super-powers of common foods you already love.
These 22 edibles are cheap, quick to prep, mouthwateringly delicious?
and most are probably already in your kitchen.
A diet that fights fine lines, fatigue and heart disease and helps you lose 2 pounds per week?
what are you waiting for?
Almond eaters also lowered their blood pressure, and the vitamin E in these nuts may keep skin supple.
Reap the rewards.Chomp on 1 1/2 ounces (about 35) raw or roasted almonds daily.
Give your usual brown rice an upgrade.
Barley has almost twice the fiber, plus cancer-fighting selenium.
Reap the rewards.Quick-cook barley takes less time to prep but offers the same perks.
To sculpt sexy muscles, try this healthy beef alternative.
Choose grass-fed varieties; they contain more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than beef from conventionally grain-fed cows.
Reap the rewards.When you’re making bison burgers, avoid flare-ups and charring on the grill?
both may be linked to higher cancer risk.
Basic black is always in style; the darker a bean’s coat, the higher its antioxidant activity.
Beans are so good for you, they straddle two slots on the food pyramid.
One cup packs half your daily folate, blood pressure, regulating magnesium and energizing iron.
Reap the rewards.Canned beans are as healthy as dried and don’t need soaking.
Look for no salt added or rinse them to limit sodium.
The vegetable you hated as a kid could help restore your youthful glow.
Reap the rewards.Cook sprouts briefly and add olive oil; both help you nab more nutrients.
Cabbage has phytochemicals that may ward off the disease.
And it may lower your cholesterol nearly as much as oat bran, a study inNutrition Researchreveals.
Reap the rewards.Steaming enhances cabbage’s cholesterol-lowering ability.
To fight disease, serve slaw: Phytochemicals form only after vigorous cutting or chewing.
The combination of antioxidants and certain acids in coffee may work together to soothe inflammation.
Reap the rewards.Choose a medium roast for the most antioxidants.
And pick a drip brew: Filter papers catch coffee compounds that may raise cholesterol.
Don’t save this spice for takeout night.
Early research suggests that eating curry once or twice a week might halve your dementia risk.
Curcumin, a pigment in curry, may dissolve Alzheimer plaques.
It may also fight cancer.
Eco-friendly farmed trout contains energizing B vitamins and brain-helping omega-3s.
The DHA in fish may replenish DHA stores in your brain.
Reap the rewards.Eat this lean protein once a week.
(Try the ideas inour meal plan.)
“And there’s no alcohol, which has been linked to certain cancers,” Gerbstadt says.
Reap the rewards.Go organic.
And unlike most fruit, kiwi provides some vitamin E to fend off free radicals and keep skin smooth.
Reap the rewards.Hot fuzz!
you’ve got the option to eat the outside of a raw kiwi; it contains filling fiber.
Make room for ‘shrooms.
Reap the rewards.Aim for 2 teaspoons per day.
Onions offer a trifecta of compounds to fight disease on all fronts: fructans, flavonoids and organosulfur.
Fructans encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut, to thwart infection-causing bugs.
Flavonoids prevent DNA damage that might lead to cancer.
And organosulfur may keep blood clots at bay.
Reap the rewards.Buy stronger onions such as northern yellow.
They’re best for inhibiting liver and colon cancer cell growth.
Sautee, simmer, grill and roast away?
their superpowers can stand the heat.
Sprinkle either version on chicken, omelets or fish.
What do wine and peanuts have in common?
They both provide off-the-chart levels of resveratrol.
Reap the rewards.Eat an ounce of roasted, toasted or boiled nuts.
They contain more disease-fighting polyphenols than raw ones.
Mellow out with this soothing snack.
Pumpkin seeds are rich in the calming amino acid tryptophan.
The seeds also deliver phytosterols that may help lower cholesterol and help fend off certain cancers.
Reap the rewards.Toss seeds into granola, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt or salad to add crunch.
These little guys are a calorie bargain.
Reap the rewards.Look for Canada-caught shrimp for fewer contaminants.
Frozen is fine; the big chill doesn’t nix the benefits.
It’s not only a bone builder.
The calcium and vitamin D in milk may work together to halt the growth of cancer cells.
Sip a glass as a postworkout snack.
Reap the rewards.Buy organic or look for milk without antibiotics or hormones such as rBST.
This red-letter fruit is a firmer, more sour variety than the sweet cherries you usually eat.
They provide relief from inflammation and pain and may help you sleep.
But watermelon supplies more of the carotenoid, says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., of Salem, Oregon.
Reap the rewards.Leave your melon on the counter to maximize its antioxidant content.
A watermelon produces more carotenoids at room temperature than it does when chilled, according to USDA research.
That means they won’t cause blood sugar spikes.
Reap the rewards.Not a fan of whole-wheat pasta’s chewy texture?
Mix it with regular pasta at first, then slowly skew the ratio.
Lend us an ear: This grain is healthful in all forms, be it baby corn or popcorn.
Research from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, reveals that milled yellow corn products?
such as cornmeal, grits and corn flour?
Reap the rewards.Steam corn briefly to maintain the cholesterol and blood sugar?
lowering benefits of the kernels.
Photo Credit: Levi Brown
