If optimal health is your goal, there’s no getting around your diet. Your physical health is a direct reflection of what you put into your body, and how you live your life in general. Pre-packaged processed foods may be convenient, but cooking from scratch using fresh unprocessed ingredients is an absolute must if you want to improve your health.
The term “superfood” has become something of a marketing buzzword in recent years, and many processed food products will boast such ingredients. But don’t be fooled. Processing tends to denature nutrients, so what you end up with is typically a far inferior version compared to the real thing.
Your best bet is to simply stick with the originals, meaning whole organic foods.
Below is a list of my top 10 best superfoods—whole foods that offer a wide range of essential nutrients that can easily be integrated into a balanced diet. Aim to incorporate as many of these foods into your diet on a daily or weekly basis, and you’ll be off to a great start. Keep in mind that all of the foods on this list should be organic or wild.
Organic Pastured Eggs, Preferably Raw
Free-range or “pastured” eggs are a relatively inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. A single egg contains:
- Nine essential amino acids
- One of the highest quality proteins you can find. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones
- Lutein and zeaxanthin (for your eyes)
- Choline for your brain, nervous- and cardiovascular systems
- Naturally occurring B12
As long as you have a good source for fresh organic eggs, you need not worry about salmonella if you choose to eat them raw. About 10 years ago I did an analysis using US government data that showed you would have to eat about 30,000 eggs before you encountered one egg with salmonella, and this was with conventional eggs. Pastured chickens are much healthier than factory farmed chickens and have a far lower risk of these types of infections.
To find free-range pasture farms, try your local health food store, use the directory here at eatLocalGrown
Kale
Kale is an inexpensive cruciferous vegetable that can help ease lung congestion, and is beneficial to your stomach, liver, and immune system. It’s an excellent source of multiple vitamins and other nutrients, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Lutein (helps protect against macular degeneration)
- Zeaxanthin (helps protect against macular degeneration)
- Indole-3-carbinol (may protect against colon cancer)
- Iron
- Chlorophyll
Raw Grass Fed Organic Keffir or Yoghurt
Adding kefir or yoghurt made from grass-fed raw milk is an excellent way to boost your immunity and increase your daily energy. Kefir is a traditionally fermented food that is chockfull of healthful bacteria (probiotics). In ancient times, food preservation was accomplished through lacto-fermentation, a process that adds a host of beneficial micro-organisms to food. This makes them easier to digest, and increases the healthy flora in your intestinal tract.
The bacteria that make the kefir or yogurt consume most of the lactose in milk, which can be a problem for someone with insulin resistance.
The importance of maintaining healthy balanced gut flora simply cannot be overstated. Far from simply helping your body to better digest and assimilate your food (which they do very well), probiotics influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner. Friendly bacteria also train your immune system to distinguish between pathogens and non-harmful antigens, and to respond appropriately. This important function prevents your immune system from overreacting to non-harmful antigens, which is the genesis of allergies.
Probiotics can even help to normalize your weight, and lack of beneficial bacteria in your gut may play a significant role in the development of type 2 diabetes, depression and other mood disorders, and may even contribute to autism and vaccine-induced damage.
Pasteurized products will NOT provide you with these health benefits
Please beware that pasteurized products will NOT provide you with these health benefits, as the pasteurization process destroys most of the precious enzymes and other nutrients. In addition to beneficial probiotics, traditionally fermented kefir also contains:- Beneficial yeast
- Minerals, such as magnesium
- Essential amino acids (such as tryptophan, which is well-known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system)
- Complete proteins
- Calcium
- Vitamins B1, B2, and biotin (B7)
- Vitamin K
- Phosphorus
A great way to obtain kefir is to make it yourself. It’s easy to do using a starter culture and raw grass-fed milk. While raw grass-fed organic yoghurt has many similar immune-boosting benefits, kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt:
- Lactobacillus Caucasus
- Leuconostoc
- Acetobacter species, and
- Streptococcus species
Raw Organic Almonds
Just be sure you avoid making the mistake of consuming nuts that are heated commercially as the fats they contain are perishable and will be damaged when they go through this type of processing. A new 21st century concern is pasteurization. For the last four years, nearly all commercial vendors of almonds are required to pasteurize them before sale.
Back in September 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a requirement that virtually all almonds had to be “pasteurized” after a couple of salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 were traced back to raw almonds. However, raw almond growers fought back, and in August 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a lower court decision that prevented California almond farmers from challenging the USDA regulation. John Vetne, the attorney representing the almond farmers, has stated:
“We are pleased that the Appeals Court rejected USDA’s argument that courthouse doors are closed to farmers. We now intend to demonstrate to the federal district court that USDA acted outside of authority granted by Congress when it denied California almond growers a consumer market for raw almonds.”
Almonds are an excellent healthy whole food source as long as they’re RAW
This is indeed a great turn of events, as almonds are an excellent healthy whole food source as long as they’re RAW. Raw nuts contain mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are good fats that promote healthy cholesterol levels. And they have zero trans fats, as long as they’re processed properly (such as dehydration, NOT pasteurization).Almonds in particular are rich in phytochemicals; plant components that promote heart and vascular health. They’re a great source of:
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Protein
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Iron
Fortunately there are exemptions for small sellers and it is possible to find truly raw unpasteurized almonds if you search hard enough. I personally eat about two pounds a week.
Wild Alaskan Salmon
I have vigilantly warned against eating fish, as virtually all fish these days contains dangerously high levels of mercury and other toxic contaminants. If it wasn’t for the health risks posed by this contamination, fish in general would be among my absolute most recommended foods for their outstanding nutritional benefits, including high levels of omega-3 with DHA and EPA, which most people are desperately lacking in their diets.
However, there are still some exceptions, and wild Alaskan salmon is one of them, as long as its purity can be verified. This was so important to me personally; I did loads of research to find a trusted source that passed third-party testing by an independent lab.
I typically have pure wild Alaskan salmon one or two times a week as it is an excellent source of:
- Essential animal-based omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA)
- Astaxanthin and other antioxidants
- High-quality protein
Avocados
Avocados are an excellent source of healthful raw fat, which most Americans are seriously deficient in. They also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including:
- Fiber
- Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)
- Vitamin E
- B-vitamins
- Folic acid
Organic Coconut Oil
Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric acid—a fat rarely found in nature—that could easily qualify as a “miracle” ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.
Additionally, the naturally occurring saturated fat found in coconut oil also has some amazing health benefits, such as:
- Promoting heart health
- Supporting immune system health
- Providing you with an immediate energy source
- Promoting weight loss
- Supporting a healthy metabolism
- Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland
A sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight
Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates. Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil also increases the activity of your thyroid. And you’ve probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do…Perhaps one of the most interesting benefits of coconut oil is its potential to ward off, or perhaps even treat, dementia. According to research by Dr. Mary Newport, ketone bodies—an alternative fuel for your brain which your body makes when digesting coconut oil—may offer profound benefits in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Furthermore, Dr. Newport believes the benefits of ketone bodies may also extend to a number of other health conditions, including:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Drug resistant epilepsy
- Brittle type I diabetes
- Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
- Improved recovery after heart attack
Free Cook Book
Over the past year, my friend Dave over at PaleoHacks has been working on a super secret cookbook project with our good friend Peter Servold a Le Cordon Bleu trained Chef and owner of Pete's Paleo... And today, this new incredible Paleo Cookbook is finally available to be shipped right to your door for FREE! That's right -- as a special launch promotion, we're offering our brand new Paleo fat loss cookbook to you for free (Chef Pete lost 60 lbs using these recipes!) -- All you have to do is just cover a small shipping cost (international shipping is a bit more).
The cookbook is called Paleo Eats, and it's filled with over 80 chef created, insanely tasty Paleo recipes which means they are free from gluten, soy, dairy, and refined sugar. But most importantly, they are EASY and FAST to make when you see how Pete simplifies gourmet cooking. Pete has well over 10,000 hours of experience cooking these gourmet meals refining his recipes over the past 10+ years for the absolute perfect taste. Inside, you'll find recipes like:
- Pan-Roasted Pork Chops w/ Rutabaga Puree & Roasted Beets
- Mongolian Red Pepper Beef w/ Roasted Spaghetti Squash & Chard
- Pear & Proscuitto Salad
- Braised Pulled Pork w/ Sauteed Kale & Roasted Baby Carrots
- BACON BARS.
Get The Free Cookbook Enjoy!
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By Dr Mercola via Wise Mind Healthy Body
