Healthy eating and physical fitness go together, but there are no magic
foods that cause you to be one hundred percent healthy by just eating the
one food. No, you need a variety of foods from each of these food groups
each day. It’s also important to watch the portion size so as not to
overeat. Make your mealtimes pleasant and relaxed occasions and your
healthy foods will work effectively with your healthy emotions to give you
a healthy body.
Berries
You may like all types of berries or just one or two favorites, but you can
never go wrong by adding a few fresh berries as a quick energy snack or
frozen berries made into a luscious smoothie in place of calorie laden
desserts. Berries are high in vitamin C across the board, but some are high
in other nutrients as well. Choose ripe blueberries for vitamin C and heaps
of anti-oxidants for the health of your circulatory system. Gogi berries
are less well-known but are wonderfully rich in many of the nutrients your
body needs to be nutritionally and physically fit.
Citrus
The foods of the citrus family are widely recognized as a valuable source
of vitamin C. Choose fully ripe citrus fruits for the best nutritional
value and choose citrus as near to the tree as possible. Tree ripened
fruits picked at the peak of perfection and consumed with hours of picking
give you the top nutritional rating. Try grapefruit for breakfast. Add a
dash of fresh squeezed lime to your salad as a dressing and enjoy slices of
orange with coconut in a light honey dressing for dessert.
Vegetables
The variety of vegetables is amazing. For people who are vegetarian or
vegan, choosing vegetables to be part of a nutritionally sound diet is a
way of life. Your vegetable group provides many of the minerals required in
a good diet. For example, you may realize that potassium is necessary for
healthy nutrition. Many people claim the benefits of potassium found in a
single banana. But did you know, you can also get adequate potassium in
your diet by eating a stalk of broccoli? Try a salad of fresh young spinach
topped with pine nuts and stirred with lightly cooked penne’. Feta cheese
and a light vinaigrette dressing to create the perfect light luncheon meal.
Whole Grains
Like many other of the best foods, choosing only one type of whole grain
for your meals doesn’t provide all the variety you need to be nutritionally
sound. Often, mixing two or more whole grains together will give you
complete proteins. For example, brown rice and wheat kernels with a spicy
seasoning are a popular dish in many countries.
Salmon
Salmon is lean fish and nutritionally one of the best fish choices. It is
rich in Omega-3 oils that are noted as helping improve the functioning of
the brain. Salmon baked whole with just lemon or lime as a seasoning makes
a fantastic main dish or a hearty luncheon featured menu item. Salmon is
also commonly found in chilled seafood dishes.
Legumes
A legume is the name for a variety of fruits with a single dry seed.
Legumes are sometimes called pods. Examples of edible legumes are soybeans,
peas, dried beans and peanuts, among others. Legumes are rich in iron and
high in fiber, making them excellent nutritional choices. Peanuts are a
type of legume that have been used to make hundreds of different products
some edible and others with various types of helpful uses.
Nuts and seeds
Nature has packed a lot of goodness into small packages. Most everyone has
heard of walnuts and pecans which are very good nutritional products, but
did you realize that flax seeds are brain food–containing critical non-meat
sources of the Omega-3 oil.
Lean proteins
The keyword here is lean. Americans eat far too much protein compared to
the rest of the world. Cut down of portion sizes–three ounces will provide
all the needed protein needed for your day. Also, trim all visible fat from
your protein source. Alternatively, use non meat substitutes such as the
complete proteins found in vegetable dishes like beans and brown rice.
Tea
Depending on the type of tea you prefer, you can get an energy boost from a
cup of green tea, or the calming effect of chamomile tea. Get going with
mint teas or start your day with Earl Grey Breakfast Tea. Herbal teas are
soothing, tasty and good for you. Non herbal teas will help you to stay
alert when you need help to function.
Olive oil
Olive oil is probably the healthiest substance you can use to keep fat in
your diet. You can use it on your salad, mix it with a little vinegar to
create your own, or fry other foods in the hot oil. Just make sure that the
temperature is not too hot so that the oil is broken down.