Top Superfoods You MUST Eat for a Flat Belly
Imagine foods that can lower your cholesterol and decrease the risk that you will develop heart disease or cancer, as well as make you feel much happier!
It seems too
good to be true, but there are a wide range of superfoods that you can find
daily at your local stores.
“The effect
that diet can have on how you feel today and in the future is astounding, even
people who are healthy can make a few tweaks and the impact will be amazing.
I’d say that
50% to 70% of suffering could be eliminated by what people eat and how they
move: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension can all be impacted.”
Everyday Superfoods
- Beans, Blueberries, Broccoli
- Oats, Oranges
- Pumpkin
- Salmon, Soy, Spinach
- Tea (Green or Black), Tomatoes, Turkey
- Walnuts
- Yogurt
1. Blueberries (Antioxidant)
Blueberries
are full of antioxidants, potassium and vitamin C, and are often recommended by
nutritionists.
They act as
an anti-inflammatory and have been proven to decrease the risk of developing
heart disease and cancer!
Recommended
Serving Size
The recommended
serving is about ½ a cup per day either frozen or fresh – it doesn’t matter.
A good tip
is to pick blueberries with more color, as with other fruits and vegetables the
more color they have usually the more antioxidants.
“Inflammation
is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of
benefits” – Ann Kulze (MD)
2. Fish (Omega 3 – Improved Memory, Joint Health, Heart Health)
You’re
always hearing about how good omega 3 fats are for you these days.
Omega 3 has
been proven to decrease the risk of developing heart disease, improve memory,
help with arthritis, and some studies show that it can help improve depression.
Wild
cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel are the highest
in omega 3s – remember to avoid farmed fish when possible.
Recommended
Serving Size
Try to get
around three servings of fish per week.
You can also
find omega 3s in flaxseed, walnuts and fortified eggs which also contain a high
amount of monounsaturated fat which has been proven to lower cholesterol.
3. Soy (Cholesterol)
Diets
containing almonds, barley, oats, margarine, and of course soy fiber have been
shown to lower cholesterol as much as leading prescribed cholesterol medicines
such as statins
Soy products
such as tofu, soy milk and edamame will do the trick – not products containing
soy powder.
Note: Please
do not eat extra soy if your family has a history of breast cancer!
4. Fiber (Cholesterol & Weight Loss)
High fiber
diets not only assist in reducing your cholesterol but also improve blood sugar
levels and assist in weight loss as they make you feel full longer!
Fruit,
vegetables, legumes, beans and whole grains are all high in fiber – remember to
try and avoid canned goods as they have high sodium, fresh or frozen are fine.
Products
such as Metamucil or psyllium seed husks can be used for extra fiber too.
5. Tea (Cholesterol, Cancer & Antioxidants)
Black tea and
green tea both contain the same amount of antioxidants and are both a great
choice – especially to replace sugary sodas!
An
additional benefit of green tea that may make it more powerful than black tea
as it has an additional antioxidant ECGC.
Researchers
in both Spain and the UK have shown that the ECGC antioxidant can inhibit the
growth of cancer cells.
Another 2007
study showed that Japnese men who regularly drank green tea had lower
cholesterol than those who did not.
6. Calcium (Strong Bones, Osteoporosis & Weight Loss)
So we’ve all
grown up being told to drink our milk for strong bones, but calcium also has
some hidden bonuses.
Calcium
prevents osteoporosis and has been shown that it can assist with weight loss!
Recommended
Daily USDA Calcium Intake:
Ages 9 to
18: 1,300mg
Ages 19 to
50: 1,000mg
Ages 51 and
over: 1,200mg
7. Dark Chocolate (Antioxidants, Blood Pressure)
Who thought
that eating chocolate could make you live longer?
Research has
shown that high cocoa dark chocolate is very high in antioxidants and can
assist in lowering blood pressure.
The general
advice is – the darker the better!
Try to find
60% or higher cocoa content, also the higher the cocoa content the less fat and
sugar the chocolate contains.
